Talking about names....what else? lol

[isoldereverie.livejournal.com]

I met a 51 year old man named Happymore yesterday. Made me think of Happy Gilmore,but obviously this gentleman was born waaay before that movie was made.

Also met a 60 something woman named Fern. I commented that she has a lovely name and she replied that I was the third person that day to tell her so. She went on to say that something so simple just made her day and "filled her with smiles" :-) She was such a sweet old duck. Do you compliment others on their name if you like it? Do you ever ask about people's names or do you feel that would be too intrusive?

Comments

[a-tergo-lupi.livejournal.com]

I compliment sometimes. I don't usually inquire.

And, I like Fern.

[thellamaqueen.livejournal.com]

I love Fern. It reminds me of Charlotte's Web and it makes me smile. :)

[sheisgone.livejournal.com]

I love Fern!

[how-obscure.livejournal.com]

Fern isn't quite to my taste, but I kind of like hearing when other people use it.

I complient names sometimes. I have also been known to ask how people pronounce their name, but I don't do that terribly often. Actually, the only times I recall asking someone about their name, that I wasn't acquainted with, was at the bank. I had a regular teller in college named Zakkiyah (I think that was how she spelled it) and then back home there was a Leona. I prefaced each encounter with something along the lines of, "I know this is a kind of odd question but..." Both women were very friendly about it.

[monkey-fruit.livejournal.com]

I don't compliment, only because everyone I meet has a name I've heard fifty-million times before. If it is creative...it's usually hideous and/or ridiculous. ^^;

I don't really like Fern.

[snailrevolution.livejournal.com]

If we have time to chat and I like the name then I'll sometimes ask about the story behind it.

Fern is pretty.

[wistfuljen.livejournal.com]

I used to work in a bakery as a cake decorator, years ago, and there was this one family who came in ALL THE TIME for birthday cakes because the wife kept getting pregnant. I don't recall any of the kids' names now (this was like ten years ago) but they were all nice names. When she was pregnant with their ninth, the husband came in to pick up a cake for her baby shower and I joked "heh, some day you two are going to run out of cute names!" and he was like "I KNOW DON'T REMIND ME!!!" He was seriously SO PISSED OFF. I have kind of shut off my complimenting of names since then.

Oh, except one time when my husband and I went out for lunch and we had a waitress named Catalina. Totally not my style, but it suited her SO well and I told her so.

[a-tergo-lupi.livejournal.com]

Wow. You'd think he'd take some responsibility for that, eh?

[kaoriz.livejournal.com]

XD I like that story.

[snoglobel.livejournal.com]

The first time I met an Ainsley I complemented her name, she said no-one had said that before and most people couldn't pronounce it.

I like Fern too.

[waitingonsunday.livejournal.com]

I almost never compliment or ask questions about names, unless I know the person. I used to compliment more, but I ran into so many people who didn't react well to it (like...staring without responding, like they were waiting for me to get to my point, or maybe just grunting and looking annoyed), I've stopped.

Sometimes if a customer has a baby with them, I'll ask, but then I always feel obligated to say, "Aw, what a nice name," even if it's something I hate.

[0o-faerie.livejournal.com]

I do compliment people when they have a nice name. Or if their kid/parent/brother/great-uncle has a nice name, for that matter! I also ask people about sibling names, for example, but only if I know them. I'm not going to ask strangers.

[taleofaredhead.livejournal.com]

What usually happens is someone will tell me their name in the course of a conversation and it's terrible (Keighleigh or something) and then I'll tell them mine and they'll say "Oh I love that name! [Claire]" etc. And I can't tell them their name is dumb or sounds made up, but I have to say something nice about their name :\

[solitudete.livejournal.com]

My friend's grandmother was named Fern and she was awesome. She was such a smartass, sharp as a tack and amazingly generous.

[julia-michelle.livejournal.com]

Fern is a fantastic name. I have a great aunt Fern and she's amazing :)