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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Famous people with unusual names - how many?

60 replies

MannyMoeAndJack · 22/07/2008 19:56

This is a little tongue in cheek....I've noticed that whenever a poster asks for opinions on unusual names, there will generally be one or two replies along the lines of, 'don't choose it, it won't suit an adult' or 'they won't be taken seriously' and similar.

Well....just how many people in the public eye do have unusual (first) names? Are there very many?

Tiger Woods

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TsarChasm · 22/07/2008 22:17

Honeysuckle Weeks (actress from Foyles War) - interesting name I always think.

rolymoma · 22/07/2008 22:14

from wikipedia ...
'Phoenix was born Joaquin Rafael Bottom ... Joaquin had begun calling himself "Leaf," desiring to have a similar nature-related name like his siblings (he was inspired by spending time outdoors raking leaves with his dad). This is the name he would use as a child actor; at fifteen, he changed it back to 'Joaquin'.'

i realise im being a pedant and also hi-jacking this thread but i was beginning to think id made the whole thing up!

i am quite enamoured of him, in my defence

Original poster
MannyMoeAndJack · 22/07/2008 21:21

Lembit Opik (a Brit, of Estonian parents)

OP posts:
EachPeachPearMum · 22/07/2008 21:01

The credits to Star Trek- Next Generation are the best for weird names...
LeVar Burton
Brent Spiner
Majel Barrett
Gates mcFadden

EachPeachPearMum · 22/07/2008 20:58

Joaquin phoenix was originally Leaf... he was in Space Camp with Lea Thompson when he was little... nd how sad that I didn't actually have to google to drag that out of my memory...

And isn't TigerLily's real name Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily?

rolymoma · 22/07/2008 20:56

joaquin called himself leaf for a time as he felt left out not having an 'elemental' name like his siblings. i read an interview with him and i think that's what it said.

midnightexpress · 22/07/2008 20:56

Has anyone seen Gossip Girl (quite dreadful btw)? The cast names are quite extraordinary: Leighton somethingorother(a girl, I think), Chace somethingorother, Penn somethingorother and Blake somethingorother (also a girl). Most peculiar.

wb · 22/07/2008 20:46

Orlando Bloom

Original poster
MannyMoeAndJack · 22/07/2008 20:41

Thanks for all replies...

Elvis Presley?

OP posts:
fishie · 22/07/2008 20:27

but unless the name is wildly unusual then we all become accustomed to it because of hearing so much about said famous bod.

i would say that anthea is an unusal name. so is delia. nigella, now how many of them do you know?

NotQuiteCockney · 22/07/2008 20:27

Yeah, it seems to be a lot more normal in the US to use unsual names. And plenty of names that are normal (or normal-ish anyway) there are unknown here.

WendyWeber · 22/07/2008 20:22

These are all American so far (except Sienna, & Siena isn't that different from Florence) so my case rests

Califrau · 22/07/2008 20:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BroccoliSpears · 22/07/2008 20:21

Condoleeza Rice

WendyWeber · 22/07/2008 20:21

American kids can be called anything (multi-cultural, see? ) and nobody bats an eyelid - I don't believe they have playground teasing for weird names.

We lived in a normal residential area on Long Island; a Jewish baby over the road was called Yair (pronounced Yah-ear) and a brother & sister of Irish descent 2 doors down were Tara (boy) and - ooops, I forget his sister but hers was pretty odd by UK standards too.

ButterflyBessie · 22/07/2008 20:20

Sienna isn't your common or garden name really

BettySpaghetti · 22/07/2008 20:19

Don't forget those famous () daughters of Bob Geldof and/or Paula Yates -Peaches, Pixie, Fifi Trixiebelle and Tiger Lily (if I've got them right??)

NotQuiteCockney · 22/07/2008 20:19

(Oh, no, I lie, I knew about Sigourney Weaver already - because Sigourney is a name that used to be a boy's name. Names only go from being boy's names to girl's names, in our culture - bit of a bugbear of mine.)

NotQuiteCockney · 22/07/2008 20:18

Yeah, Madonna's a weird name.

BrownSuga · 22/07/2008 20:16

His 3 sisters Rain, Summer, and Liberty and Joaquin, don't know where I got the LEaf from. Then a half sister Jodene, changed her name to Trust.

he was originally River Jude Bottom. Fancy that, River Bottom.

Original poster
MannyMoeAndJack · 22/07/2008 20:13

Not sure on this but isn't Joaquin a.k.a. Leaf?

And I would say Madonna is an unusual name

OP posts:
BrownSuga · 22/07/2008 20:08

Isn't there a Rainbow and Leaf in the Phoenix clan as well?

Original poster
MannyMoeAndJack · 22/07/2008 20:07

the late River Phoenix

OP posts:
BrownSuga · 22/07/2008 20:05

a friend has just used Tiger as a middle name.

beanieb · 22/07/2008 20:05

Her name (Oprah) was mis-spelt, as was Brittney (Spears)