My friend Tiffanie and her husband Troy are expecting a new member of their family as of today! So I dedicate this post to the soon-to-be new member of the human race. I'm sure they have names already picked out...but just in case:
When I moved out to Powell County in 1993, the first thing I did was read the phone book cover to cover (no joke). It's not such a big deal, though, since it's only 1 cm thick (maybe less, including white and yellow pages). I was fascinated with the names I found therein. I copied down all the interesting names, and names that seemed to be so much more common out there than in Lexington, and then carefully organized the names into a long list of names that I labelled with the locally phonetic heading "naimes f'r yer kieds: whut ta naim yer chald ifya leive in eastirn KY". Since then (I was only 13), I've met several of these people (like my best friend in high school, Kaelan, 's dad, Ovie), and heard many of these names used in other places besides Powell County. Still, there's something almost tangible about the way people tend toward certain names in certain places. Like how all the people in the Irish band, Solas, are all named the most Irish names ever (Donal, Seamus Egan, Mick McAuley, Dierdre Scanlan)... but I digress. I hope Tiffanie will appreciate this list as the sort of entertaining but loving list that I meant it to be. (if you're from Powell Co yourself, maybe you recognize someone's name...do tell who they are!) (Also: Anyone who knows me will tell you that I love accents, and that I was trying to perfect the accent here, not make fun of it.)
Here's what I wrote.
THE "E"s
Edmon, Elza, Enies, Eulice, Elmo, Elbie, Elby, Eva, Edna, Edwin, Edith, Ed, Eula, Elma, Eldon, Elden, Euell, Elson, Erman, Elroy, Earlena, Easter, Esther, Edgial, Eula, Earlist, Etha, Eck, Elihue, Erna, Elcaney.
THE "O"s
Orban, Ozenia, Oma, Ola, Oza, Ovie, Ora, Onice, Otha, Odra, Onesia, Odean, Ova, Orvial, Oveda, Orpha.
THE GIRL NAMES--the baest gurl names ar wuns thet aend ian the "een" saound.
Charlene, Magelene, Irene, Geraldene, Lorene, Darlene, Arlene, Norene, Marlene, Illene, Roylene, Muarine, Correne, Jeweldene, Lurline.
DOUBLE NAMES
Asa Darryl, Willie Joe, Jimmy Ray, Phyllis Jo, Barney Ray, Jerry Pete, Roe Birschel, Letha Gladys, Rosa Slick, Goldie Irene, Billy Edwin, Sybil Miss, Virgil Ben, Nolie Leon, Edith Irene, Ida Mae, Allie Frances, James Ed, Eula Mae, Eva Mae, Lloyd Edward, Amon Zane, Virgil Lee, Louey Rose, Marcella Crickett, Bulah Mae, Willard Geraldine, Lana Gale, Sammy Joe, Ollnie Lige, Rusti-Lea, Angela Dawn, Erna Sue, La Faye, Wilma Jean, Ila Mae, Lina Marie.
BOY NAMES--the baest boey naimes er the whuns thet aend ian the "oid" saound er the "urt" saound.
Voyd, Floyd, Lloyd, Boyd, Gloyd, Rupert, Delbert, Birt, Hybert, Hubert, Hobert, Cebert.
PLACE NAMES--sum peipole naim ther kieds aafter plaices.
Cleveland, Dallis, Dallas, Housten, Letcher, Grandville, Granville, Menifee, Hardin, Irville, India, French, Berlin, Geneva, Venice.
MISCELLANEOUS--
Vernia, Dorvin, Loftis, Karron, Carles, Beulah, Alta, Ada, Berta, Mildred, Carletta, Sudie, Vernest, Rhoda, Maynard, Hazel, Dee, Kellye, Truman, Gathal, Gathel, Merritt, Delisa, Rondall, Rondle, Canas, Delphia, Vollie, Willa, Bethel, mallie, Doil, Kermit, Luanna, Glenda, Arretta, Cashus, Glenna, Dellmus, Roxie, Aland, Noga, Linville, Hager, Dewey, Janise, Cordise, Fronie, Golden, Hershell, Talmadge, Patsy, Amos, Verlena, Ivory, Vinson, Ambrose, Verlon, Cohath, Grider, Lula, Hoyt, Mahala, Manuil, Sreldie, Dixie, Clemmie, Rufford, Tressie, Roe, Scoby, Squire, Viola, Hi, Lois, Kess, Zelma, Ryno, Jewel, Jewell, Gertrude, Alby, Reva, Carton, Corwin, Dellie, Langley, Lottie, Louvirna, Stephania, Strother, Treva, Verlin, Trulan, Alson, Cela, Little, Jarka, Chalmer, Alvie, Arkill, Zelphia, Reda, Cleatis, Freg, Imeagean, Winfred, Garner, Dinzel, Denzil, Densel, Densil, Carma, Lydna, Haydon, Valeria, Tilman, Kirby, Hillard, Vada, Duwain, Louretta, Landon, Algin, Luana, Lemon, Rexford, Roydel, Syl, Winford, Thurl, Waltes, Inza, Arlis, Audney, Lavonna, Herley, Caney, Coe, Aneta, Harles, Milford, Rena, Mose, Zelpha, Dovie, Virda, Sterlin, Garland, Soney, Tavana, Lenora, Arlie, Melda, Fannie, Linville, Wardie, Velma, Goble, Noble, Ambara, Lenwall, Bascum, Hercel, Walsh, Zrondra, Lona, Seldon, Coy, Vina, Shelton, Biram, Norval, Sherdon, Dallie, Adron, Carmie, Ina, Tonia, Shadwick, Wilford, Lorelei, Mara, Shade, Larna, Marvella, Paty, Methyl, Gardie, Aster, Demia, Dorstle, Corbitt, Wyona, Letha, Rossa, Alvia, Herndon, Clarita, Luaza, Higgins, Dorvin, Bascom, Addly, Lamer, Kip, Mina, Lnita, Jerald, Lanny, Delois, Verlin, Gladys, Karmit, Mildred, Millard, Harley, Wilgus, Beckham, Bronson, Lenial, Inez, Verna, Delno, Glyn, Ila.
4 comments:
While there are many things to love about you, this is one of the things I love about you most....that at the ripe age of 13 you would do something like read a phone book and organize names! It makes me smile until my cheeks start to hurt!
Here's a few more....
Wallace Eldridge....my brother's name
Mercedes (pronounced merse-ah-deez)...my paternal grandmother's name
Aunt Olive....a great-aunt-cousin in my family
Along with Woo, my cheeks are hurting from smiling and laughing. And for the same reason.
These are some amazingly rich names in terms of cultural and geographic heritage. And, bein' as my roots are from that area, I cain't help but pronounce the names ~ in my head or out loud ~ in the accent I know they are pronounced.
(I remember hearing more than once that if an English class in Eastern KY read aloud a Shakespeare play, the way they pronounced it would be accurate to Shakespearean times. I think this is interesting to think about.. )
Alyssum, thank you for this blog. Many belly laughs, and much appreciation of Wonderful Unique Alyssum.
~ And we are very undecided on the name, so this could prove to be useful as well as culturally educational and entertaining..!
My great-grandmother Sudie is on your list. She passed away the year after you read the phonebook. Her mother and sister were named Pricey and Tempie (not sure about the spellings). Her husband's name was Clida (but they called him Clyd-ee). Some of his siblings' names were Ola (called Olee), Ila (called Ilee), and Greenberry.
My boyfriend has decided that if we ever have a boy his name will be Magnus von Awesome. We'll keep the tradition going!
By the way, you didn't mention the best part about that phonebook, which is that every number has the same area code and exchange. So, if you ever ask someone for a phone number, all you'll get is the last 4 digits! I'm working back there now, and it's one of my favorite things :)
listen up, everyone,
Richard and I put dibs on the name Cletus Maximus a long time ago--you can check my text message history. So don't go stealin' it!
And I am working with a guy named Twinkle, his brother is named Dimple. for reals. no joke.
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