Imagine going through life with a name like Tuna. A grade school classmate of mine was called this. She came from some exotic foreign country. I can't recall which; I only remember my teacher not being very diplomatic by commenting that the name was "unfortunate". No wonder most immigrants change their names.The strangest name I've come across here in Greece is Omorphoola. It is a woman's name derived from the word omorphos, which means beautiful. The name sounds
anything but beautiful to me, an American. Especially when a Greek calls an Omorphoola by her more common nickname: Phoola. (Foola?) I always hope these women won't emigrate out of Greece to some English-speaking country where they're likely to be tagged as simpletons.
The name game works both ways. We knew an American girl here named Emma. To us the name sounds innocuous and pleasant enough. But whenever this girl would give her name to a Greek, she would receive a funny look. It turns out emma is the Greek word for blood.
Ever wonder how novelists come up with names for their characters? (For this, check out: A Boy Named Sue on Writers' Rest.) Or what state of mind some people were in when they named their kids? Brandy is a popular American name. Nevertheless, it puzzles me why anyone would label their daughter after an alcoholic drink.
Then there are those who choose certain names because of their meaning. God was this type of Father. We read in Matthew 1:23 that He called His Son "Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God with us", and, "Jesus", "Lord who is Salvation". God was serious about names. He often renamed people, giving them a label that perfectly described them.
Come play the name game, and share the story behind your name, your kid's name, your pet's name, your character's name, or just funny names you've heard.
