Home > Wendy Does Waco > Archives > 2009 > May > 14 > Entry
‘What’s in a name? That which we call Flossie, by any other name would smell as sweet.’
I came home Tuesday evening to find a gift at my door, a two-inch thick tome, the tale of Patrick Magee and Allison McCullars, their journey from County Antrim, Ireland to Savannah, Georgia, and the tracing of their descendants into the late 20th century.
My genealogy, sent to me by my second or third cousin, Shannon.
As cool as it is to be able to trace my great grandmother’s family (The Magees) back to Ireland, and as cool as it is to be related by marriage to Sam Houston (my brother Roger swears the evidence is there!) — it’s not near as cool as knowing the ladies who came before me had names like Flossie Lois and Texana Queen. That, my friends, is as cool as it gets.
The Social Security Administration released today the top five baby names in Texas for 2008. For girls: Emily, Isabella, Abigail, Emma, Madison. For boys: William, Jacob, James, Ethan, Elijah.
True, none of these names are as cool as Flossie or Texana, but they do have a certain old school cache that I respect. These lists have me a little bewildered though. I mean, is Texas 2008 really so white bread that those are the top five names? I’d like to know where Ciara ranked. How about Carlos? Or even Robert? Just a thought.
Me? I’m cool with Wendy. J.M. Barrie came up with it. My Grandad gave it to my mom as a nickname and then me as a real name. Plus, there aren’t many of us. When people come to visit me at the paper, I say ask for Wendy, I’m the only one in the building. My friends should thank me for my ease of name. I have to keep up with three Katys, one Kate, one Kat and one Caitlin. Not to mention Jenn, Jenny and Jennifer.
And on any given day, depending how nurturing I’m feeling, I may call them all “Noodle”, my favorite term of endearment (which I picked up from Jenn and the beautiful, brilliant, 5-year-old Madison).
I’ve bared my Flossie, my Louvain, my Elbert to you. Now, dazzle me readers, make my eyes water with the names of your kin :)
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Comments
By Erin
May 14, 2009 5:30 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
One of the names I was most impressed with in going through my husband’s family tree was Diadema.
By mark
May 14, 2009 10:07 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
I had an uncle named Milton Fontaine. He had a brother named Morton. And a sister named Etta Dell. And a sister named Janet (pronounced Jeanette by the family). And a sister named Vera. And two brothers named Darrel.
By Terri Jo
May 14, 2009 10:27 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
Daddy — Hank his grandmother — Mabel
Grandmother (mom’s side)— Irene Her daddy — “Papa” Emmanuel
By Ellis D.
May 14, 2009 10:44 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
I had a cousin named Blaspatchewan. It was no fun screwing with him, because you could only rhyme his name with one thing, and that wasn’t all that much of an insult. But my cousin Rick Fred, now HE was a different story.
By Stehanie
May 15, 2009 12:48 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
My dad had an aunt named Mozelle who had a daughter named Wilma Jean.
And my mom has a sister named Dotsie Lou, the same name as my great grandmother.
By Win
May 15, 2009 1:57 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
My great grandparents named their first four kids Winfred, Glenroy, Martel and Fontaine.
The last two were Elinor and Robert. Fatigue?
Other people in that branch of the family tree include Talitha Cumi as well as Argon (or “Oregon,” depending on the record you consult).
Bear in mind that this is Louisiana.
By AnonWaco
May 15, 2009 6:32 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
I’ve nicknamed my wife Ol’ Three Horse. She asked why. I said, “because all you do is nag, nag, nag.” But she does have a beautiful mane.<><
By KDF
May 15, 2009 6:49 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
There is alway uck red. Sorry, Mark, or El Diablo. Our family has what one would call normal names. But I had a grandmother named Minerva. <><
By mark
May 15, 2009 8:52 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
Kyle, you had me laughing. Uck red was not a given name as you know, it was the self induced typo of a fictional character in a hypothetical story. And if there’s any ambiguity in your mind between myself and El what’s his name, trust me we are two separate entities joined at the funny bone. Oh, and Ellis D. is the third party in this triumswinevirate. And certainly not to disparage your grandmother, uckred frequently had me at milast minerva. Much love squid mate. And a shout out to Win, I think the “Fontaine” rocks the house and Martel and too shabby!
By mark
May 15, 2009 8:56 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
crap, guilty of a typo. I meant to say to Win, “and Martel AIN’T
By Ellis D.
May 15, 2009 9:39 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
One of my favorite people when I was a kid growing up in Waco was rank allon. I used to listen to him on the adio when he did the play by play for ichfield.
By KDF
May 16, 2009 12:38 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
Oh, yes, rank allon was a great announcer. He even has a pennant posted in the Baylor’s Ferrel Center among all the other pennants. <><
By El Diablo
May 17, 2009 8:52 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
As the great Mark once said, “I’m sorry I only have one life to give. Can we watch One Life To Live?”
Shortly afterward, he was committed to the Roxboro Home for the Bewildered.
While there, he escaped and took me on a trip to Norfolk where we met up with one of his old running buddies, Don Sloan. He had a mustache that extended below his chin. I wondered why for a moment, then it all became clear when he talked. Spit spray went everywhere with every word. His friends must have requested the mustache, because he didn’t seem to notice.
Anyway, my favorite name of all time is Don Sloan. He also bought all our drinks and told us about the time he woke up on a helicopter pad with a police helicopter about to land on him.
I’m not sure if he’s still alive, but I’m sure his mustache is.
By mark
May 17, 2009 10:52 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
I would like to clarify something besides butter, ask a question and add a request 1.) Don Sloan was not a running buddy. We SAT in bars and drank beer together. No running allowed matter how full the bladder, we strolled like men to el bano. 2.) His moustache was named “Rogelio” and way back then had lived to a very, very RIPE age. And my question is: Why is rank allon doing penance? And my request is that El Diablo be committed to that Feral Center that KDF referred to. Once again I have to apologize to Wendy for hijacking the blog topic. Sorry. It’s just wrong. I know it but I can’t help myself. I don’t have my own blog. Oh, and El Diablos pet name is “Windy”, you can guess why, and he does not smell sweet by any name.
By Ellis D.
May 18, 2009 6:36 AM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
“Pete Commander” is a cool sounding name. It must have gotten to him, too, from the sound of his editorial column.
I would say that he’s probably pals with Ted Nugent, but I know for a fact that Nuge doesn’t like people on the sex offender list.
By Jennifer
May 19, 2009 10:57 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
I don’t have too many terribly different names that have been in my family recently, but I am fortunate enough to have a direct line to one of the Mayflower Pilgrims. In that line there is a male by the name of Experience Mitchell and further down the line there is a female named Zerviah Washburn. Kinda weird names now but probably relatively normal for their day.
By KDF
May 20, 2009 9:38 AM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
marko polo, or just plain mark. On rank allon, I’m not sure how you meant penance, but he passed on in 2004, so he be penancing with the Lord I believe. Also, I had a big, big beard until two weeks ago — grew for nine months and I looked like a Rabbi or a prophet. Since I am a Christian, I got tired of being addressed as Rabbi, just for the number of times it occurred, and I could never say anything right, so prophet did not work, so off came the beard (which I named “beard”). <><
By Autumn Ann
May 20, 2009 4:32 PM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
One of my husband’s great uncle is named Tek Outlaw. Great name!
My grandmother’s name is Alva Willeen, although she goes by Willeen. She hates the name Alva.
My great grandmother’s name was Dolly Frances. My mom said that she would say, “Dolly Frances… that’s just the pretties name there is.”
By Kristie
May 21, 2009 11:22 AM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
My Grandmother’s name was Snowbell. Some folks called her Snow or Bell, but it was one word with no middle name. All 7 of her brothers and sisters had normal names like Jim or Kate.
By Mrs. Mickey
June 2, 2009 11:07 AM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
Two. Telola, also called Tellie Ola, and Tobitha, also spelled in the more normal manner, Tabitha. Also, lots of male ancestors named for presidents.
By BoлшэбникЪ
July 14, 2009 7:16 AM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
Интересно! Нет ну правда, просто слов нет! :)
By БЛOHДИHKA
July 26, 2009 7:21 AM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
Автор, а скажите а куда написать по поводу обмена ссылок (на какое мыло)?
By нeзaбyдкa
September 16, 2009 3:14 AM | Link to this | Report comment abuse
А я посмотрю, Вы как всегда немногословны ;)