A Name Meme

from Lisa
(research done at Behind the Name)

What does your first name mean?

It's the German form of a late Latin name for a plant; the leaves of this plant were used to create garlands. There's a saint, a 9th-century Spanish nun who was thrown into a vat of molten lead by the Moors who shares the Latin version of my name, and a Canadian heroine during the War of 1812 shared that same first name. [among many many others]

What does your middle name mean?

It's a Hebrew name which was derived from the Hebrew word meaning "friend". This is the name of the central character a book of the Old Testament. She was a Moabite woman who was the ancestor of King David.

What does your last name mean?

I was told many years ago that my hyphenated last name could be translated as "Black Death." I prefer to think it stands for "Black Murderer."

So what does your name mean when put together?

A friendly murderer with dark hair who likes to wear plants.
Hey, what else? Sounds just like me!

What would you have been named if you were the opposite gender?

First of all, my parents were probably pretty sure I'd be a girl (though my brother wanted a boy, of course).
Secondly, my parents didn't name me; my sisters, and I suppose my brother, named me because they felt my parents had had 4 tries naming other kids and had bombed out on each one. Mom & Dad were outvoted. I have no idea what they would have chosen, and it's too late to ask now.

Any other name oddities?

The only decision with my name was, like my siblings', it was difficult to shorten into a nickname. My mom's first and middle name contain 16 letters; her maiden name had 3. I have 21 letters in my name, start to finish.

My brother was named after Dad's favorite New Testament person. The rest of us have names that couldn't be less Biblical...except my middle name...in spite of my parents' religious beliefs.

I can't think of anything very exciting.

Do you like your name?

I do now. I didn't when I was growing up.

What do you like best about it?

It's short, different. It's kind of entertaining getting mail; and none of the names I use normally in daily life are properly spelled most of the time, even by people who have known me for years.

What do you like least about it?

See above: no one spells any of it right. That can be annoying.

If you had to change your name (witness protection program, whatever), what would you want it to be?

Sam Jones. Or Cat Stevens. Not sure yet, but I know the latter isn't in use currently...