As many of my Facebook and Twitter friends will know, I’ve been talking about and gathering Southern names this week. Ladies first.
The most noticeable Southern naming trend is double names. This means that a girl (and sometimes a guy) will go by two names. Always together. To say just the first of the two names is always wrong. If this double-named person has a nickname it will never be simply the first of these two names. Take my dear friend writer and blogger Amy Julia Becker. Born in North Carolina, she goes by Amy Julia. Never Amy. Never ever. When she attended a Northeast boarding school and college she went by A. J. because they could not wrap their brains around double names so she chose A. J. Not Amy. And her nickname is “Age” As in shortening A.J. Not Amy. It’s amazing how thick headed otherwise sophisticated Yankees can be with double names.
Mary Something is highly common for a double name. It is also very common to choose a family or unusual name for the second name.
Family names in general are very important. Not just obscure or dead relatives. In fact, I am named after my mother. Not terribly creative, I admit.
Southerners like to name their daughters (and sometimes sons) their mother’s maiden name, or something equally un-first-namey. Also common is giving girls boys names. I know a family in Tennessee that have generations of women named Keith and Douglas.
Then there are the nicknames. I know someone called “Sister” who’s real name is Theodosia, a Helen called “Butchie,” and my aunt’s real name was Carrie Allison, but she went by “Tat.” When you live in one place your whole life, you don’t outgrow the nickname. And people don’t really even question it in the South.
Here are some of the Southern names known personally to me or to my Southern friends on Facebook and Twitter. First the double names, then the boys names, next are unusual names which are mostly family names, then last are nicknames.
Amelia Lane, Anna O’hara, Amy Julia, Ane Phan, Ann Claire, Ann Walton, Audra Lane, Betty Phan, Brandi Jane, Carrie Allison, Carrie Neal, Ivy Ann, Jane Jordan, Julia Rives, Martha Grace, Mary Bentley, Mary Bridge, Mary Caroline, Mary Celeste, Mary Courtney, Mary Dudley, Mary Frances, Mary Kent, Mary Meaghan, Mary Michael, Mary Neal, Mary Patrick, Mary Pillow, Mary Ross, Mary Scott, Mary Stuart, Mary Susan, Mary Talley, Mary Todd, May Lebby, Ryleigh Grace, Sally Ann, Tampa Anna.
Brett, Douglas, Keith, Ryan, Stuart, Wesley, Davis.
Jemimah, Lasley, Lebby, Micajah, Sharadee, McHale, Harling, Tully, Wimberly.
Sissy, Butchie, Fluff, Kippie, Peaches, Presh, Sister, Tat.
Hysterical… And true.
