So on Wednesday our baby graduated high school, which is a weird weird feeling.
But I’m not going to concentrate on that. Instead, I’m going to do what I always do when someone hands me a long list of local people: Look for made-up or creatively misspelled given names!
- Jamison (male)
- Jenica (female)
- Evee (female)
- Aleksa (female)
- Journey (female)
- Broady (male)
- Drevin (male)
- Daxon (male)
- Koda (male)
- Tylee (female)
- Kaylee (female)
- Aleksia (female)
- Talmage (male)
- Diamond (female)
- Taela (female)
- Taidge (male)
- Desirelle (female)
- Ereka (female)
- Dartaynion (male)
- Preciley (female)
- Brinlee (female)
- Gaven (male)
- Briele (female)
- Jaylin (male)
- Kaiden (male)
- Aeris (female)
- Tamijah (female)
- Saybrie (female)
- McKade (male)
- Katlynn (female)
- Daelynn (female)
- Kadynce (female)
- Mykenna (female)
- Neisha (female)
- Julianuh (female)
- Mya (female)
- Kinsey-Lynn (female)
- Devyn (male)
- Baylee (female)
- Malaree (female)
- Florance (female)
- Tadg (male)
- Maxton (male)
- Kailey (female)
- Oaklie (female)
- Destiny (female)
- Meleah (female)
- Nikoal (female)
- Ridger (male)
- Tayabeh (female)
- Mazzelin (female)
- Kennedee (female)
- Orlin (male)
- Kajsa (female)
- Miah (female)
- Caydee (female)
- Averee (female)
- Kannon (male)
- Brekin (male)
On the flipside: Of a graduating class of over 600, there were no Jennifers or Michaels.
(And yes, I assumed gender. Deal.)
Mazzelin? Orlin? Tadg? Brinlee? Taidge? Koda?
WTF, Utah people?
And that’s skipping some like “Julianuh” and “Nikoal.”
Honestly, I hate to confess this, but when I see this sort of ridiculously misspelled or “creative” name (or Hooker/Stripper Names, like Diamond), I have a tendency to think less of the recipient’s family, assuming that they weren’t very literate, and then would not have emphasized learning and literacy in the home. That makes me give less consideration to the poorly-named youngster.
Yup, I know…that’s probably wrong of me, but…not sure how to convince myself I’m wrong.
You’d have to convince both of us.
I wonder if a social sciences major from any given university in Utah has ever done a thesis or at least an article on this phenomenon.
Maybe we’re just old, Nathan. I mean, I know if you have a child that just graduated HS, I am *quite* a bit older than you, but still, you’re mature(ish). (n.b.: yes, folks, I mean in years. His internal maturity is a whole other thang….)
It’s funny, though–I never thought less of Diamond Farnsworth, who was a man. Maybe I’m a double-bigot. I dislike weird names AND I dislike them more on women! That’s it, the Cancellation Patrol will be around shortly. 🙂
Dunno, I just…can’t shake it.
That was my baby (of four) who just graduated. My oldest is turning 28 in a couple of weeks.
Anyway, it’s not the years, it’s the mileage.
Amen, brother, ain’t it de troot?
(hope this thing works with HTML….)