Ancestry Magazine

“I tell ya’, life ain’t easy for a boy named Sue.”

While he laments his name in the Johnny Cash song, “A Boy Named Sue,” he’s not alone—there are plenty of unusual names out there. Here are just a few, both surnames and given names that I’ve encountered in years of family histor y research:

Colorful. It’s not all that uncommon to have a colorful last name, but a first name, too?
Violet Gray
Pink Oliphant

Going Places. Some families, like Henry and Sarah Maria Milligan Bennett of Mercer County, Ohio, turned to the states to name their children:
Nevada (f)
Minnesota (f)
Dakota (m)
Goldsby Alaska (m)
Arizona Landon (m)
Delaware (m)
Vermont (m)

Encore. Sometimes a name is so nice that it has to be used twice—as a given name and a surname:
William William
John John
Robert Roberts
Richard Dick
Knight Knight

Foodies. All tasty, these surnames were discovered residing in the same county:
Wine Fudge
Coffee Parsley
Rice Curry
Bean Gum
Sugar Lamb
Berry Mackeral
Pease Pancake
Pudding

Rehearsal Required. Intentional? Or did Mom fail to say the name aloud before committing?
Young Love
Thorney Berry
Easter Hatter
Idsa March Swarts
Lettice Curl
Starr Bright
Voluntine Love
Ida Heard

Fun and Games and Facts
Names can truly be fun, like the twins named “Rough” and “Ready,” but they can also give a number of clues to a researcher. For example, finding out how a name was or is pronounced may make it possible to determine the region in which a person was born. I found Meadows pronounced Meaders and Taliaferro pronounced Toliver in Kentucky. In Ohio, it was Maurice pronounced Morris.

Odd names require patience—and a little luck—to decipher. One trick is to use multiple census years—by checking previous or subsequent census records, it’s possible to find errors in transcription, and thus gender. Elmer in 1910 might turn out to be daughter Eleanor in 1920. Likewis e, Thompson, listed as a son in 1920, might actually be daughter Tamsen.

While Johnny’s boy named Sue vowed, “If I ever have a son, I think I’m gonna’ name him Bill or George, anything but Sue,” be glad everyone didn’t agree. Too many similar names would make sifting through family much more difficult. And far less exciting.

Jana Sloan Broglin, CG, is a professional genealogist and speaker from Ohio.