THE NAMING GAME
Which is the most used dog name in the U.S.? 10 fun name facts for you
Published on August 27, 2024
Image: Jon Tyson
Names hold a very important place in almost every culture, shaping identities in special ways. Across the globe, the formation and significance of names change, yet they remain a crucial point of individual identity and cultural and family heritage.
Ever wondered about the story behind your name? Can you guess which famous artist had more than 15 names? Do you know which was, until now, the most common first name among U.S. presidents?
If you want to uncover the answers to these fun questions and more, join us as we reveal 10 surprising facts about names!
The first president with a middle name
Image: David Everett Strickler
It is common knowledge that, so far, the US has seen 46 presidents in its history, but do you know which was the very first commander-in-chief with a middle name?
It took George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe for the United States to finally welcome a president with a middle name. And that honor goes to John Quincy Adams, the sixth man to lead our nation, from 1825 to 1829.
His distinctive name comes from his mother's maternal grandfather, Colonel John Quincy, who also gave his name to the town of Quincy, Massachusetts!
Donald Duck has a middle name
Image: Kin Li
Of course, President John Quincy Adams wasn't the only one with a middle name! While many people and celebrities proudly embrace their middle names, others prefer to keep them secret. But here's a fact you might not have considered: some cartoons have middle names, too!
This is the case of Donald Duck, whose middle name went unnoticed for many years, maybe because it's not the most common name out there. The full name of this adorable duck is Donald Fauntleroy Duck! Fancy, don't you think?
Iceland has a Naming Committee
Image: Adam Jang
Unlike countries like the United States, where parents have wide freedom when choosing a name for their babies, Iceland has a naming system that truly sets it apart from the rest.
In 1991, Iceland established its Naming Committee, which has the big responsibility of approving -or disapproving- names for its citizens. Based on Icelandic grammar and tradition, this initiative seeks to safeguard the nation's culture.
To do so, Icelanders have carefully composed lists of approved names for boys and girls. So, if you want to live in Iceland and aspire to name your newborn after a beloved foreign rock star, you must first undergo the scrutiny of the Committee.
Pablo Picasso had more than 15 names
Image: PassionatoAssai, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
There are people with only one first name, while others proudly carry two. There are people out there with three, four, or even five names! And if you think that's crazy, wait until you hear how many names this famous artist had.
While the world knows him as Pablo Picasso, the Spanish painter's full name was Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso. No, it's not a joke! Imagine having more than 20 words in your ID; maybe even Picasso himself had trouble remembering his full name by heart!
Ken has a last name
Image: Sean Bernstein
We all know Barbie and Ken, icons of fashion and fun. But did you ever stop to wonder about their full identities? While Barbie's full name, Barbara Millicent Roberts, might be familiar, Ken's last name may probably have been overlooked.
However, Barbie's boyfriend has a full -and quite long- name of his own: Kenneth Sean "Ken" Carson Jr.
Just like Barbie, who was named after Ruth Handler's daughter, Ken's name is a family matter too; it's derived from her son's first name.
Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare's wife
Image: Christopher Eden
William Shakespeare's name, synonymous with literary greatness, is famous worldwide, but what about his wife? While her face might not be as instantly recognizable, once you hear her name, it will definitely ring a bell.
Ok, let's end the mystery: the wife of the very talented and well-remembered Shakespeare was Anne Hathaway. Yes, you read it right; she had the same name and last name as the beloved actress who amused us in the 2006 unforgettable comedy The Devil Wears Prada. But, of course, there is a slight difference: the first Anne Hathaway came into the world in 1556, a good 426 years before her namesake!
Six presidents shared a common first name
Image: Ronda Darby
Throughout US history, we've seen some presidents with unusual names, such as Millard, Grover, and Rutherford. But among these unique names, there is one that stands out for its recurrence, as it has reached the presidency not once, not twice, but six times!
"James" is a familiar name to almost everyone, and it also had a place inside the White House. The six presidents who have proudly held the name James were: James Madison, James Monroe, James K. Polk, James Buchanan, James A. Garfield, and Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter Jr.)
The most common dog names
Image: Jamie Street
If you have a pet, you know that choosing the perfect name for it is a meaningful moment, right?
Well, while we pride ourselves on our creativity and originality when it comes to naming our puppies, there seems to be a trend repeating across the country.
Based on a 2023 report, it turns out there are four names that are quite the favorites among American dog owners: Bella, Luna, Charlie, and Max. And it's easy to see why; they're just adorable!
The last Pope to use his birth name
Image: Simone Savoldi
You might be aware that Popes don't retain their birth names upon assuming the papacy. Instead, they adopt a new name as a tribute to a saint or revered figure they admire and wish to highlight.
However, this tradition hasn't been followed by all Popes in history. There have been some Popes that kept their original birth names, even though more than 460 years have passed since the last one made that decision.
Marcellus II, who assumed in 1555, was born Marcello Cervini degli Spannochi, and he was the last Pope to use his name during his papacy.
Middle names derived from first names
Image: Random Institute
Have you ever heard of patronymics? A patronymic is a name or middle name component that is based on the father's first name. It may seem confusing at first, but let's look at an example to clarify the situation.
Patronymics have impacted the evolution of surnames in many cultures, and some countries use them to this day, one of them being Russia. In general, Russian middle names have a direct connection to the father's name, including a form of patronymic. For example, if the father's name is Petr, the son's middle name would be Petrovich (Petr's son). If it is a daughter, it would be Petrovna (Petr's daughter).
