Tag Archives: pope names

Papal Heraldry: Oh, How I Wish I Had The Time.

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by Anura Guruge
on August 7, 2024

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Click to ENLARGE. Wikipedia.

Until last night I had never really paid much attention to papal heraldry — actually any type of heraldry. I would be vaguely familiar as to why such and such a pope might have opted to include this or that in their coat of arms, e.g., John XXIII using the winged lion of Venice to denote that he had been the Patriarch of Venice.

Last night I had an e-mail from an academic who specialized in ecclesiastical heraldry. Got me intrigued. I took a quick look at what the popes had done.

Today, I spent 5 minutes having a look. WOW. There is so much to be researched.

I could easily do a ‘Popes and the Tale of their Coats of Arms‘. Wow. I could have a ball. It would nicely complement my books of pope names.

BUT, I don’t have the money. Stupid to even think I have.

A great field for someone. I am envious.

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Interesting Names: ‘Sleeper’ — Not One That I Covet.

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by Anura Guruge
on April 16, 2022

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Click images to ENLARGE.
I saw these headstones in Laconia (N.H.) cemetary last Saturday.

Click to ENLARGE. From ‘houseofnames.com’.
Click to ENLARGE. From ‘forebears.io’.

If I am near one, & have the time, I like to amble through cemeteries studying the headstones. Yes, am drawn to the names. I then try to find families & determine relationship. The dates & history are also sources of intrigue. Then, there is the shapes, design & architecture of the stones & monuments. That interests me too — &, of course, they are great for taking pictures of. Hence, the headstones above … & these also, from that same visit.

I do not recall ever coming across a ‘Sleeper’. I think I would have remembered. Interesting. Interesting name. Not one I would like to have had. Just imagine going through school or the armed services with that name. Teachers would find it hard to resist. So, I it is not a name I covet. ‘Darling‘, yes. ‘Woodcock‘, maybe. ‘Sleeper’, NO.

Even before I looked it up I knew that some would claim that it was a name given to sleepy people. I don’t buy that.

I think ‘sword-slip’ was old English for a scabbard. That makes sense.

As I have often stated I am intrigued by names — all names. That is why I wrote ‘Popes and the Tale of their Names‘.

Interesting Names: ‘Darling’ — Going Through Life As One.

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by Anura Guruge
on April 15, 2022

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Click to ENLARGE. This appeared on my Facebook Timeline this morning.
Click to ENLARGE. A few days ago I got a very nice e-mail from this gentleman, Mr. Tim Darling.
Click to ENLARGE. From ‘houseofnames.com’.
Click to ENLARGE. From ‘heraldrysinstitute.com‘.

Yes, of course, it is a surname I have encountered before.

But coming across two ‘Darlings’ a few days apart got me thinking. The Facebook joke cracked me up. Classic. So, I had to look it up. I had kind of suspected, but I wanted to make sure. The one thing I am always left puzzling with names like this is whether these folks had prior surnames. In other words, did they not have a surname prior to people calling them ‘Darling’ or did they, over time, adopt ‘Darling’ as their preferred surname because that is what most people called them. This aspect is never made clear. Nonetheless, a great name. Darling. Must be fun to go through life with it. Maybe a tad awkward for young ladies. I am sure the young lads were kind of happy to deal with it. I will have to ask the next time I meet a Darling.

As I have often stated I am intrigued by names — all names. That is why I wrote ‘Popes and the Tale of their Names‘.

Interesting Names: ‘Woodcock’ — Would I Liked To Have Been One.

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by Anura Guruge
on January 22, 2022

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Click to image to access the ‘IMDb.com’ listing for this 2017 movie.
Click to ENLARGE. From ‘houseofnames.com’.
Click to ENLARGE. Wikipedia link.

I am sure I have come across that name before & looking through the above Wikipedia listing it is interesting to see that there are quite a few of that name in the computer industry. Is that purely a coincidence.

The name only struck a major chord with me, last week, when I was watching ‘Phantom Thread‘ on Netflix. The protagonist is a Woodcock and his label, that he would have sewn on to all of his gown creations was the ‘House of Woodcock‘. Strange movie. I guess folks will call it a psychological drama. It was anticlimactic in the end. I wouldn’t call it a total waste of my time, but I wasn’t pleased at the end. What was the POINT? Was there one? Yes, deep. But, …

Yes, the name appealed to me & yes, I know … I know … it is beyond Freudian & I will not deny that for a second.

I have often wondered whether I would have liked to have had a ‘Cock’ name. What about ‘de Kock‘?

I have known a ‘Wilcock’. But, there are also ‘Willcocks’. I, of course, much prefer the last spelling.

Hhhhmmm. Woodcock? Willcock. de Kock. And instead, I have my name.

As I have often stated I am intrigued by names — all names. That is why I wrote ‘Popes and the Tale of their Names‘.

Interesting Names: ‘David LIMP’, SVP At Amazon — A Man Who Has NOT Let His Name Get In The Way.

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by Anura Guruge
on January 5, 2022

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Click to ENLARGE. From ‘The Org’.
Click to ENLARGE. From ‘ancestry.com’.

As I have often stated I am intrigued by names — all names. That is why I wrote ‘Popes and the Tale of their Names‘.

I had never heard of Mr. Limp until this morning. Then I saw him on CNBC. I was immediately intrigued. Limp?

WOW. What must it have been like to go through life, as a man, with that name? You can just imagine the jokes. Being ‘Hung‘ would have been easier than being ‘Limp’.

Then, everything to do about performance: academic, sports, professional. You can just see folks ITCHING to tell him that his performance was LIMP.

WOW.

I am impressed. He has, of course, & obviously, done very, very well for himself. He, thanks to his AMZN stock options, is a huge multi-millionaire if NOT a billionaire. So, his success is far from limp. Good for him. Bravo.

That said, I have to say his performance of CNBC, this morning, was rather limp. I am NOT joking. Check it out. I thought he should have done better. But, HEY, then again … he is richer than most of us, & in the end that is what matters. He is smarter than us.

Click image to access CNBC post with video.

Interesting Names: A ‘Dr. Hung’ & As Far As I Can Tell He Is Not A Urologist.

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by Anura Guruge
on December 15, 2021

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I am intrigued by names — all names. That is why I wrote ‘Popes and the Tale of their Names‘. Anytime I see a name, that is either new to I or looks unusual, I like to think about it & if I have time look into its meaning & provenance.

I saw this name, on a sign, outside a medical facility. It immediately caught my eye.

My first thought was as to what it must have been like to be a teenage boy with that name. I could just imagine amusing scenarios. I wondered how many times he might have got slapped in the face by indignant young girls who thought he was pulling their legs. “What? Your name is ‘Hung’? You are a ….“

Well, he obviously overcame all hurdles to become a doctor. Good for him.

Yes, I had an inkling that it might be a Chinese/Oriental name … along the lines of Wong & Wang. When I looked it up I discovered I was on the right track. Mainly Vietnamese — & it means ‘hero’. That makes sense. I could make a joke here, but I will refrain.

I just wanted to share this name with you.

A few weeks ago, I met a mother & daughter whose last name was ‘Dollar’. Yep, just like in dollar. We, of course, talked. The mother was telling me that she still gets people who ask her to spell the name. That kind of makes sense. People might just want to make sure that it has the same spelling. The funny thing is that ‘dollar’ does not have anything to do with people whose last name is ‘Dollar’. Dollar is a corruption of ‘Thaler‘!