Two names

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

I work in a people sending agency and was proofing prayer cards when I came across a family with two boys: Meyer and Muller.

wdyt?

Comments

[0o-faerie.livejournal.com]

Strange. Those are two very common Dutch surnames.

[sdjma.livejournal.com]

Meyer used to be a very common Jewish name-- I kind of like it. Muller sounds like a last name to me. Even if I liked the name, I think the set is too similar. Personally, I wouldn't name siblings with names that started and ended the same way.

[scouty.livejournal.com]

weird

two really really common surnames in germany

O___o

[chirpygirly.livejournal.com]

While mostly I'm against using a last name for a first name, I think there's some exceptions because they sound nice as a first name. I can't say that about Meyer nor Muller. I mean, what kind of nick names do you get, Mai tai and Mully? o_O

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

Not everyone is into nicknames, you know.

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

that is weird. This couple is Arab, so it is strange that their sons have such Western names.

[th3-unicorn.livejournal.com]

Meyer is a famous hospital in Italy and Muller is a yogurt.
They do make me think of the German last names, though.

[postalsuicide.livejournal.com]

Meyer is decent. Can't say I like it though. Muller...I just find ugly.

[miss-tee.livejournal.com]

I like Meyer. It's the Yiddish version of the Hebrew name Meir.

[chirpygirly.livejournal.com]

I'm sure that's true. But my issue is that if a surname not commonly heard of as a first name is going to be used as a first name, then personally, I think a good nn should be able to come off of it. Same goes for unusual/made up names. For instance, look at the unusual name Englebert. While we know of Engelbert Humperdinck, I doubt many other or anyone else, used that named, and I don't imagine most people would think Engelbert was a pleasant full, first name to always be addressed by. But, "bert" is part of the name, and it isn't so bad, and makes for a better nn to go by than Engelbert!

To me, I just think Meyer, and especially Muller, are unpleasant first names to go by. I understand people wanting to be different and more so, trying to honor heritage by using last names that are probably family surnames somewhere in their family tree. I just think certain surnames such as Meyer and Muller, don't make pleasant first names, so I think they either shouldn't be used as such, or they should be used as a middle name instead.

[spartan-picnic.livejournal.com]

I think both are pretty bad but where Meyer is imho tolerable Muller is just plain baaad. It makes me think of Müller yoghurts and the surname Muller/Müller.