George Alexander Louis was born to Kate Middleton and Prince William two weeks ago Monday. After a couple of days and king-sized fanfare, his name was announced. The British royals are good at things like that.
While there’s lots of history behind the little guy’s name, he’s not the only one who has a tale about his signature. So we decided to ask readers, who are royalty to us (really), how they, or members of their families, got their names.
The following are some of our favorites. To read more, visit www.ohio.com.
Heroines
My wife, Jacqueline, who is in a secure Alzheimer’s care unit … was named by her father, Milton Mills Jr., a World War II Army Airman.
He was a member of a B-17 crew … that was shot down over France on Dec. 30, 1943. Milton was wounded and bailed out near Ully-Saint-Georges, France. He was found by local farmers who hid him from German troops. He was moved to different homes by the French Resistance.
One of the families that took him and cared for him was Dorez. They had a teenage daughter, Jacqueline. My father-in-law named his first daughter in honor of the family …
Even more ironic … is the fact that Milton was able to escape into Spain and return to England. A young French woman, Genevieve Le Berre, whose code name was only known to the French Resistance, was also called Jacqueline. She led Milton and others across the … mountains into Spain and safety.
So now, you can understand why the name Jacqueline is so uniquely important to our family. If it was not for the Jacquelines in my father-in-law’s life, he may not have come home and my wife never born.
David R. Carper
Hartville
Rainy seasons
My maiden name is Schauer (pronounced Shower). My sister’s name is April.
As little girls, teenagers and young adults we were April Schauer (Shower) and Autumn Schauer (Shower).
We told everyone our little brother’s name was Thunder! Actually, his name is Stephen (not nearly as creative as my sister and I).
I have four children — all with “nature-themed” names: Forrest, Apryl, Brooke and Noah.
Autumn Tidd
Cuyahoga Falls
Close call
It was March 1945. The war in Europe was at last grinding to an end, but the Pacific war raged on, and my parents, Bob and Marie Handler, were awaiting the birth of their first child — me. And what better way to support the nation and to celebrate its new little citizen than by buying the child a war bond, one for a boy and one for a girl, in the names they had chosen for each: Joyce for a girl and Peter for a boy.
I’m not quite sure when my parents recognized how narrowly they had avoided a naming disaster. I have always been glad to have grown up as Joyce Handler, not Peter. But I’ve also always wondered, what on earth were they thinking?
Joyce Handler Sawyer
Akron
Boy named Sue?
In the olden days, before ultrasounds … the sex of a baby was determined by the way the baby was carried: a boy was high, a girl was lower. Everyone told my mom I was to be a boy; my parents picked Michael for a boy’s name. Every day Daddy would come home and ask how was Michael today? Was he quiet, kicked … They got to calling him Mike.
Surprise, surprise, I was a girl. The lady in the next bed was to have a girl and they had picked Barbara, but they had a boy, so they exchanged names. By this time, of course, my nickname was Mike, as it has been for 72 years (turns a lot of heads when a family member says in a store, “Mike, come look at this.”)
Always wondered if somewhere there is a boy nicknamed Barb.
Barbara Seidman
Sagamore Hills
Lady of the night
My mom had her heart set on naming me Margeaux (yes, the French spelling). I guess she thought it sounded pretty and exotic.
I was born in the mid-’60s. At that time, women in labor were given heavy sedatives to help with the birthing process. My dad took advantage of Mom’s grogginess to inform her that the name Margeaux was “too provocative” and was a name a girl had “only if she was a prostitute.”
Instead, he told the hospital my name was Monica (named after the Mother Superior who was the principal at his old high school in Miami, Fla.).
So I went from potentially having this name with a little flair to being named after a nun.
Monica Heath
Medina
Leave it to the kids
I was born the sixth of seven girls. As you can imagine, by the time I was born, my mother just ran out of ideas for names. So rather than go to a book or consult her siblings, she gave the task to the two oldest in the family, an 11- and 9-year-old.
These two were attending Catholic school and were studying the saints. So for my first name, they chose a saint that showed enormous caring for Jesus as he was headed to his Crucifixion. It was told that Jesus stumbled on his way and she ran forward and wiped the blood and sweat from his face with her veil. The imprint of his face was left on her veil much like the Shroud of Turin. That was Saint Veronica.
They chose my middle name with the thought of any preteen in the 1950s — Annette, after Annette Funicello of the Mouseketeers.
Veronica Annette Collins
Ravenna
Say what?
I once asked Mom where she got my name, but she never told me. I tell people she was drinking when she named me, but she never drank. I understand from my siblings that our mom was reading a book about a football coach. His wife’s name was Gleora.
When I was in grade school, my name was always used as a tongue twister, “can you say her name five times real fast?” No one could — not even me.
In first grade I became Gigi; my teacher thought my name was too hard for anyone to say and she was right. I get mail addressed to and am called Gleoria, Gloria, Gleeta, Gleozza, Glenda, Glenoria. My name is pronounced Glee-or-a, exactly as it is spelled.
Gleora Gay Gleghorn Montgomery
Cuyahoga Falls
The gift
You might say that my career as an English teacher and love of the short story are what named my daughter.
My first year of teaching out of the ninth-grade textbook led me to O. Henry’s Gift of the Magi. In case you don’t remember, it’s the classic Christmas tale of a married couple, too poor to buy presents for each other, who sacrifice their prized possessions to ensure a happy holiday. The woman’s name is Della.
After reading that piece, I always thought it would be a beautiful name for my little girl and I would pair it with the middle name Marie. Seven years ago, I got my wish.
Today, she’s a bright, blonde-haired young lady on the brink of first grade. When people ask how I came across her name, I always thank O. Henry and his wonderful story of giving and love.
Kimberly Milinkovich
Akron
Getting her way
I named my last-born daughter Heidi. She recently told me she had been kidded in school with questions about her grandfather, goats, etc. My favorite book as a kid was Heidi and every time I had a girl, I wanted to use that name, but Daddy didn’t like the name. Finally, after four girls, my husband said he was so tired, he didn’t care what I named her.
My third daughter’s middle name is Patrice, after the opera singer Patrice Munsel. She must have liked it as her daughter’s middle name is also Patrice.
It was only recently I told her the origin of that name, but of course she had never heard of that singer. I’m not an opera lover but she must have made an impression on me.
Sue Fuller
Wadsworth
Near miss
My last name starts with “S,” so when my second son was due, I suggested the name Aaron Spencer Sword. My wife at the time realized that his initials would spell a certain part of the anatomy and vetoed the idea.
Being older and wiser (?) now, I am glad she did not agree with me. I’m sure Aaron is glad also.
Jerry Sword
Seville
Star struck
My name is Gregory Bean and when I was born here in Akron, my mother had a crush on Gregory Peck, who was at the time probably Hollywood’s most popular actor. So with my father’s blessing, I was named after Mr. Peck.
Many years ago, I sent Gregory Peck a letter telling him how much I admired not only his acting career but also his grace, style and humanity. I mentioned that I was named after him. What a role model for anyone.
Months after I sent the letter, in the mail arrived an autographed picture which stated, “To Gregory Bean, with best wishes, your namesake, Gregory Peck.” What a kind and thoughtful gesture. We need more Gregory Pecks in the world today.
Gregory Bean
Bath Township
Girl gumshoe
Whenever I solve a problem or a mystery for my friends or family, I remind them I was named after the one and only Nancy Drew, mystery detective. Folks have such fond memories of that young sleuth back in the days before computers, iPads, iPods and other electronic forms of entertainment.
My mom grew up in a modest family with not much extra money to purchase lavish items for their children. A book was a valued form of entertainment for her and her brother. Whenever a cousin was going to have a birthday, my mom would beg for a Nancy Drew book, read it carefully, not to wrinkle a page, and wrap it up to give as her gift.
A little smirk would come across Mom’s face when the recipient opened the gift and squealed with joy. What has happened to our world that books have become obsolete?
Nancy (Drew) Lemmon
Stow
In memory
This is the story of how my 12th great-granddaughter got her name, Clementine Constance.
Clementine’s great-grandpa, Bob, dearly loved children and spent 40 summers at church camp for boys. They all followed him around like the Pied Piper (he was never without his box of toys).
We camped a lot and sang a lot around the camp fire. The only song Grandpa could sing and knew was Clementine. His daughters stood by his bed and sang it to him before he met the Lord.
Clementine’s mother, a missionary in Philadelphia, said, “Grandma, we just want to honor you and grandpa for the influence and impact you had upon our lives by naming our daughter after the both of you Clementine Constance.”
Constance Patrick
Akron
Hamburger special
I was born Jan. 10, 1949, in Akron. My dad named me after a hamburger joint. Mom said they would drive by this little place she called “a hole in the wall” on Lovers Lane.
Dad really liked the name, so that’s how I became Diana Lee.
Diana Lee Crooks
Cuyahoga Falls
What goes around
Nearly 50 years ago, I speculated on my fourth child’s name — thinking Stephanie Stephan would have a star-like quality and a nice ring to it. I could see it on a theater marquee.
At the time, Caroline Kennedy and Caroline of Monaco were in the public eye. After some thought, she was christened “Caroline.”
Years later, I told her about nearly naming her Stephanie. Her reply was “I would have hated that, Mom. How yucky — Stephanie Stephan.”
Well, Caroline, paybacks are hell, as they say. Who would have thought … you would marry a fine man whose last name is Carrell?
Marguerite Stephan
Barberton
Could have been Titanic
My cousin is Charon. We always wondered “why not Sharon?”
Charon, of course, is the mythological being of the underworld who accepts souls into Hades, across the River Styx (also, appropriately, the first found moon of Pluto).
When her father, Paul Zeh, was in World War II, his boat was torpedoed and he and his buddies spent some time in a life raft at the mercy of the sea. He swore then that whatever the name of the ship was that came to their rescue would become the name of his firstborn. Hence the name “Charon.”
Carol Zeh
New Franklin
Kim Hone-McMahan can be reached at 330-996-3742 or kmcmahan@thebeaconjournal.com.