Never Trust A Man With Two First Names

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What is the origin, logic, etc. of this popular saying? Is it some ancient xenophobia against people not connected to specific places?

― Bob Robert (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:09 (nineteen years ago)

i didn't mean to hurt you

― chakra khan chakra khan (sanskrit), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:17 (nineteen years ago)

it was directed towards nolan ryan

― chakra khan chakra khan (sanskrit), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:17 (nineteen years ago)

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:18 (nineteen years ago)

nah, three names is cool

― chakra khan chakra khan (sanskrit), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:19 (nineteen years ago)

three names is not always cool

BAN PAUL EDWARD WAGEMANN

― Mr. Que (Mr.Que), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:21 (nineteen years ago)

What kind of a first name is "Wagemann"???

― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:24 (nineteen years ago)

the post said three names is cool not three first names is cool. What kind of middle name is Fresh???

― Mr. Que (Mr.Que), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:26 (nineteen years ago)

A fresh one! Do keep up.

― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:27 (nineteen years ago)

It comes from a man who went by the name of "Buddy Buddy." This is also where the term "buddy-buddy" came from. He was anything but trustworthy. He would "buddy-buddy" up next to you and in the morning someone would find you in an alley with your throat slit. True story.

― the Adversary (but, still, a friend of yours) (Uri Frendimein), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:27 (nineteen years ago)

Answers:

1.) Scottish (cf Wagemann McGruddings)
2.) Sikh-American (cf Gurbaghat "Fresh" Singh-Singleton)

― nabisco (nabisco), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:28 (nineteen years ago)

Woah. Nabisco, your Googling Gland is much larger than mine.

― Mr. Que (Mr.Que), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:29 (nineteen years ago)

(pwned)

― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:30 (nineteen years ago)

Singhleton

― a naked Kraken annoying Times Square tourists with an acoustic guitar (nickalici, Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:30 (nineteen years ago)

I think we were both pwned Freshy McFreshpants

― Mr. Que (Mr.Que), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:32 (nineteen years ago)

I thought it was pronounced Vage-man.

― M. White (Miguelito), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:32 (nineteen years ago)

3.) Icelandic (cf Adalbjorg Pwnedsdottir)

― nabisco (nabisco), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:33 (nineteen years ago)

No one has serious answer? The TSA puts you on a watch list for this shit. What's up?

― Dr. Alicia D. Titsovich (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:34 (nineteen years ago)

I find this proverb distasteful.

― John Justen, the tap-dancing spirochete in your zesty chicken fingers. (johnjust, Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:35 (nineteen years ago)

I think we were both pwned Freshy McFreshpants

I WAS TALKING ABOUT MYSELF, GAWD </NapoleanDynamite>

― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:35 (nineteen years ago)

"Titsovich"

― Mr. Que (Mr.Que), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:35 (nineteen years ago)

(omg pwned again)

― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:36 (nineteen years ago)

Does Nabisco have a different Internet than the rest of us?

― Mr. Que (Mr.Que), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:37 (nineteen years ago)

I WANT NABISCONET

― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:38 (nineteen years ago)

Never trust a big butt and a smile.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:38 (nineteen years ago)

4.) Czech (cf Miklos Nebyzconet)

― nabisco (nabisco), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:40 (nineteen years ago)

5.) Basque (cf Xabi Xic)

― M. White (Miguelito), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:42 (nineteen years ago)

I'm mostly joking around here because as a person with two first names (from a family of people with two first names) (from a whole country based on a two-first-names version of patronymics) I am horribly offended by this thread.

― nabisco (nabisco), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:45 (nineteen years ago)

Wait I thought we were talking about three names.

― Mr. Que (Mr.Que), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:46 (nineteen years ago)

Am I the only person here who's never ever heard this expression?

― M. White (Miguelito), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:47 (nineteen years ago)

Expression? Dude, scroll to the top, this thread is ABOUT PEOPLE WITH FUNNY ROFFLE WORTHY NAMES

― Mr. Que (Mr.Que), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:48 (nineteen years ago)

Also, nabisco to use patro- and matro-nymics or 'son of' forms isn't the same as as a genuine 'Nolan Ryan' double first name name.

― M. White (Miguelito), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:49 (nineteen years ago)

'Nolan Ryan' sounds like two last names to me.

― Dr. Alicia D. Titsovich (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:52 (nineteen years ago)

Nolan Ryan's about to throw the high heat at all of you, if you don't pipe down about his name.

― Mr. Que (Mr.Que), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:54 (nineteen years ago)

Yes, M., but we don't fuss around with "son of" forms or "sens" or "dottirs" or "vichs" -- your pappy's first name is your last, with no pointless monkeying around between.

― nabisco (nabisco), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:56 (nineteen years ago)

ford m ford

william wiliams

― trees (treesessplode), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 20:59 (nineteen years ago)

What language/national culture is it? (I should know this but I don't.)

― M. White (Miguelito), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:00 (nineteen years ago)

(Ethiopia)

― nabisco (nabisco), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:02 (nineteen years ago)

Amharic, Tigrinya? Aren't there like 70 languages in Ethiopia?

― M. White (Miguelito), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:06 (nineteen years ago)

I'm talking about Amharas, but the naming convention extends across groups.

― nabisco (nabisco), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:07 (nineteen years ago)

Matthew Christopher, children's author
Rob Thomas, director of Veronica Mars (and YA author)

I've never heard the rule, although I almost incited a riot on the Chicago thread a while ago by claiming that women never get two first names. I was innundated with examples.

― Laurel (Laurel), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:10 (nineteen years ago)

Dan, I hope you're enjoying the irony of this as much as I am.

― John Justen, the tap-dancing spirochete in your zesty chicken fingers. (johnjust, Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:14 (nineteen years ago)

Am I the only person here who's never ever heard this expression?

I didn't realize it was an "expression" or a "proverb," I just thought it was something my dad said for chuckles. I've never heard anyone else say it until now.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:18 (nineteen years ago)

Except 'Perry' is either a diminutive of 'Peregrine' or a surname derived from the Old English word for pear tree.

xpost

― M. White (Miguelito), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:19 (nineteen years ago)

Rob Thomas, director of Veronica Mars (and YA author)

Oh, how quickly we forget matchbox twenty.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:19 (nineteen years ago)

Why would i know about Matchbox Twenty?

― Laurel (Laurel), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:21 (nineteen years ago)

Ask that Wagemann fella.

― John Justen, the tap-dancing spirochete in your zesty chicken fingers. (johnjust, Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:22 (nineteen years ago)

Who is some birds what got two first bird-names?

― nabisco (nabisco), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:27 (nineteen years ago)

NEVER FORGET

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:28 (nineteen years ago)

Bloke with two first names = Jamie Oliver. I think I'd trust him.

Bird with two first names = erm, do they have to be two girl first names? Because I used to have two first names before I got married, except the surname first name was a boy name.

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:29 (nineteen years ago)

Also OMIGOD do you people realize that in a few decades people like JAMES MADISON and JOHN KENNEDY will be considered to have TWO FIRST NAMES??????

― nabisco (nabisco), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:29 (nineteen years ago)

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/2/2e/180px-Junkypre.jpg

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:29 (nineteen years ago)

Daryl Hannah has a guy's forename and a lady's surname.

― M. White (Miguelito), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:30 (nineteen years ago)

Also OMIGOD do you people realize that in a few decades people like JAMES MADISON and JOHN KENNEDY will be considered to have TWO FIRST NAMES??????

19th Century WASP America was quite fond of last names as forenames.

― M. White (Miguelito), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:31 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, but how many of them made the transfer into feeling like proper first names? I can't think of any that have had much staying power in that regard -- you run into a Hamilton, or something, and it still feels like a posh last-name-first thing.

Whereas a trip into any U.S. Barnes & Noble children's section seems to suggest that "Madison" is now on a par with, like, "Jennifer," or something. I didn't know that many Madisons could exist outside of a 1980s porn magazine.

― nabisco (nabisco), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:37 (nineteen years ago)

*sigh*

Madison is currenly the 3rd most popular name in the U.S.

Its popularity is probably due to the movie Splash -- the name didn't appear on the Top 1000 at all until 1985, when the movie was released, and then gradually became more frequently given. Which is not to say that today's parents were inspired by Splash but that there was a small set of parents in the late 1980s who were basically tastemakers, and the point of origin has now been forgotten.

Jennifer was the #1 girls' name from 1970-1985, so Madison has to stick around just a little bit longer to achieve the same ubiquity.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:40 (nineteen years ago)

"3rd most popular girls' name," that should read.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:41 (nineteen years ago)

Therefore, a woman with two first girl-names = DOLLY MADISON

― nabisco (nabisco), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:42 (nineteen years ago)

Also, it's been speculated that "Jennifer" (first appearance in Top 1000: 1938) owes some of its initial popularity to actress Jennifer Jones (first screen credit: 1939).

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:44 (nineteen years ago)

I didn't know that many Madisons could exist outside of a 1980s porn magazine.

Madison is currenly the 3rd most popular name in the U.S.

I shudder to think of the link.

Mother: I was thinking of Madison if it's a girl.
Father: Madison? (Lapse while he's momentarily lost in thought) Uh, Yeah. Sounds like a great name.

― M. White (Miguelito), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:44 (nineteen years ago)

It's a good thing most people don't actually have last names like "St. Clair."

― nabisco (nabisco), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 21:46 (nineteen years ago)

Dan, I hope you're enjoying the irony of this as much as I am.

http://www.robotsandwrestlers.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/hey_kool_aid4.jpg

― Young Fresh Danny D (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 22:38 (nineteen years ago)

I like how one of nabisco's posts in effect goes

I'm mostly joking around here because I am horribly offended by this thread.

(also re Madison, not having English as a native language, I always think -son names as girls' first names is a bit weird. What = etymology of "Alison" btw?)

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 22:53 (nineteen years ago)

oh noes, my super-real name renders me untrustworthy :(

― teh_kit (g-kit), Thursday, 5 October 2006 07:48 (nineteen years ago)

Elton John

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 5 October 2006 07:52 (nineteen years ago)

you guys trust me, right?

― teh_kit (g-kit), Thursday, 5 October 2006 07:53 (nineteen years ago)

OK, here's a stab at the actual explanation.

In previous times, people who had two first names were often considered to have dropped their *actual* surname due to some shame or scandal.

The most obvious example, in more homophobic previous times, how gay men would go by their first and middle names, so as not to bring "shame" upon the family name. This is why there's such an early 20th Century tradition of male hairdressers called things like "Jean-Louis David" and the like.

So, the prejudice is that a man with two first names has something to hide - possibly homosexuality.

― Three In A Bed Socks Romp (kate), Thursday, 5 October 2006 09:25 (nineteen years ago)

HI DERE ILX BOYZ etc

― teh_kit (g-kit), Thursday, 5 October 2006 09:27 (nineteen years ago)

Haha, there is a firstnamesurname on both my mum & dad's sides. I am the most untrustworthy of all ilXorz.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Thursday, 5 October 2006 10:23 (nineteen years ago)

― electric sound of jim [and why not] (electricsound), Thursday, 5 October 2006 11:48 (nineteen years ago)

i'm glad my last name isn't bradfield though

― electric sound of jim [and why not] (electricsound), Thursday, 5 October 2006 11:48 (nineteen years ago)

i've got two first girl names: linds4y k4y. am i not to be trusted?

― bell labs (bell_labs), Thursday, 5 October 2006 14:59 (nineteen years ago)

surely not!

― AaronK (AaronK), Friday, 6 October 2006 02:08 (nineteen years ago)

OBVIOUS!??: It is an anti catholic thing, since they usually get a saint's name also.

― roc u like a § (ex machina), Monday, 9 October 2006 20:57 (nineteen years ago)

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