3 ms·

That's very funny but as someone with an unusual name it's less funny. More seriously your should use a middle name to provide uniqueness. People are basically

by glymor 18y ago

That's very funny but as someone with an unusual name it's less funny. More seriously your should use a middle name to provide uniqueness. People are basically unable to recognise words they haven't heard before. Complexity in the part of the name used normally is a hassle.

Dobbs 18y ago
I have a unique name Tarrant, after my ancestors from England. Sure there are times when I get annoyed that people can't say my name. I'm at the point where when asked for my name for an order at a restaurant I'll give something like Dobbs, Bob or Joe to make life slightly easier. I will say that I greatly prefer having a unique name over having a common name. I've always loved my name and wouldn't trade it, even with the hassles it can bring.
megaduck 18y ago
I'd say the middle name is the place for common-ness. My first name is unusual (Lon), but my middle name is as common as dirt (David). The first name is a hassle sometimes, but I can always go by my middle name if I want. It also gives me the option to use the elitist "L. David" if I like. I really like having a unique name, and I don't think I'd be happier being a "John Smith". Ultimately, your name is what you make of it. If you're comfortable with it, then other people will be too. It can even be an advantage for getting remembered by people. Just look at Barack Hussein Obama, who seems to be getting along just fine with his "funny name".
- glymor 18y ago
  Just look at Barack Hussein Obama Actually for much of his early life he went by Barry. Also Barack and Hussein are very common Arabic names.
Eliezer 18y ago
I could wish my name was easier to pronounce, but I would still want first+last to be unique. The thought of people meeting me, typing my name into Google, and getting back a soccer player, frankly does not fill me with joy. Middle name isn't good enough, most people won't type that. Oh, well. I'm sure George Graham will want to change his name anyway at age 21 in order to outrun all the hideously embarrassing Internet posts he made at age 12, should the present world last so long. Maybe you want to give your kid a highly anonymous first+last name, and a unique second+last name, so they can switch to using second+last once they grow up. PS: I know a poor guy who happens to be named David Duke. (I suggested he go by Dave Duke.)
- glymor 18y ago
  He's badly off for more than that reason: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Duke http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Duke
  - Eliezer 18y ago
    Well, yes, that's the point. Again, think of it as a single global namespace. When this particular fellow was named, the other David Duke hadn't hit the news yet - but when the name "David Duke" did become famous and recognizable, there was a namespace collision. That can happen to anyone, especially if your last name is common. Google makes names easier to "recognize", and the Internet's vastness increases the total amount of "fame". So in the age of the Internet, you want to pick a name for your child that is likely to be and stay unique. If you have a common last name, a first name that is very rare but not unique, doesn't look strange, and is easy to spell and pronounce, would be ideal.
    - glymor 18y ago
      Sorry that's obvious in retrospect. My problem with your argument is that words are "easy to spell and pronounce" because they are common and people have experienced them before. When I said people are unable to recognise names they haven't heard before I mean that literally. They try to coerce it into one they've heard before and either succeed and call you something random or require you to repeat it 3 times before they are convinced they're not just miss-hearing it. The only way to get something easy to spell and pronounce that is rare would be to compound common forms. Frankly this is exactly what the middle name does. That said JoHadRon is globally unique (at least according to google) and has useful short forms. I may change my name.
- JulianMorrison 18y ago
  The answer is obvious. Unique the surname. People are used to tongue-twisting foreign surnames. It becomes a family namespace, and the kids can have short low-viz first names without either falling off Google or drawing fire from first time acquaintances.
tlrobinson 18y ago
If you do use a middle name for uniqueness try to make the whole name fairly short. My first and last name are quite common, but my full name would be 22 letters. I settled on tlrobinson (first and middle initial, last name), which is pretty unique but not very pretty.

by glymor 18y ago

Dobbs 18y ago

I have a unique name Tarrant, after my ancestors from England. Sure there are times when I get annoyed that people can't say my name. I'm at the point where when asked for my name for an order at a restaurant I'll give something like Dobbs, Bob or Joe to make life slightly easier. I will say that I greatly prefer having a unique name over having a common name. I've always loved my name and wouldn't trade it, even with the hassles it can bring.

megaduck 18y ago

I'd say the middle name is the place for common-ness. My first name is unusual (Lon), but my middle name is as common as dirt (David). The first name is a hassle sometimes, but I can always go by my middle name if I want. It also gives me the option to use the elitist "L. David" if I like. I really like having a unique name, and I don't think I'd be happier being a "John Smith". Ultimately, your name is what you make of it. If you're comfortable with it, then other people will be too. It can even be an advantage for getting remembered by people. Just look at Barack Hussein Obama, who seems to be getting along just fine with his "funny name".

glymor 18y ago
Just look at Barack Hussein Obama Actually for much of his early life he went by Barry. Also Barack and Hussein are very common Arabic names.

Eliezer 18y ago

I could wish my name was easier to pronounce, but I would still want first+last to be unique. The thought of people meeting me, typing my name into Google, and getting back a soccer player, frankly does not fill me with joy. Middle name isn't good enough, most people won't type that. Oh, well. I'm sure George Graham will want to change his name anyway at age 21 in order to outrun all the hideously embarrassing Internet posts he made at age 12, should the present world last so long. Maybe you want to give your kid a highly anonymous first+last name, and a unique second+last name, so they can switch to using second+last once they grow up. PS: I know a poor guy who happens to be named David Duke. (I suggested he go by Dave Duke.)

glymor 18y ago
He's badly off for more than that reason: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Duke http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Duke
- Eliezer 18y ago
  Well, yes, that's the point. Again, think of it as a single global namespace. When this particular fellow was named, the other David Duke hadn't hit the news yet - but when the name "David Duke" did become famous and recognizable, there was a namespace collision. That can happen to anyone, especially if your last name is common. Google makes names easier to "recognize", and the Internet's vastness increases the total amount of "fame". So in the age of the Internet, you want to pick a name for your child that is likely to be and stay unique. If you have a common last name, a first name that is very rare but not unique, doesn't look strange, and is easy to spell and pronounce, would be ideal.
  - glymor 18y ago
    Sorry that's obvious in retrospect. My problem with your argument is that words are "easy to spell and pronounce" because they are common and people have experienced them before. When I said people are unable to recognise names they haven't heard before I mean that literally. They try to coerce it into one they've heard before and either succeed and call you something random or require you to repeat it 3 times before they are convinced they're not just miss-hearing it. The only way to get something easy to spell and pronounce that is rare would be to compound common forms. Frankly this is exactly what the middle name does. That said JoHadRon is globally unique (at least according to google) and has useful short forms. I may change my name.
JulianMorrison 18y ago
The answer is obvious. Unique the surname. People are used to tongue-twisting foreign surnames. It becomes a family namespace, and the kids can have short low-viz first names without either falling off Google or drawing fire from first time acquaintances.

tlrobinson 18y ago

If you do use a middle name for uniqueness try to make the whole name fairly short. My first and last name are quite common, but my full name would be 22 letters. I settled on tlrobinson (first and middle initial, last name), which is pretty unique but not very pretty.