Really, Really Special Names

I have a thing about names. I happen to have one of those names that people have never heard; if they see it written they can't pronounce it and if they hear it spoken they can't spell it. I got my name through a special set of circumstances and my parents asked permission of the person from whom they borrowed it. When a co-worker told me one day that the main character of one of his favorite sci-fi novels was named Rynna, I felt sick to my stomach. Rynna, Queen of the Pisks, or something similarly dreadful.

I am possessive of my name, particularly since I got my name by special dispensation. To illustrate: My mom and I are in a store in Utah and we run into some lady who lived in Westwood a hundred years ago. I've never seen or heard of her but my mom knows her and we do the introductions. I think she's a bit of a joke because she's got to be 60 but she's got the hair and the nails and the tight shirt and the plastic surgery, if you know the type. I have to repeat my name and spell it for her, as I do so often when being introduced, and then she says to me, "Rynna! What a beautiful name. I'll have to remember that one. My daughter's pregnant and I'll have to tell her about it."

What am I supposed to say at this point? Here's what I'm thinking: "Beastly lady! Nobody gave you permission to use my name on your grandbaby! I don't even know you! Beastly, beastly lady!" (I'm serious, that's exactly what was in my head, triple beastly and all.) Instead of pouring out my heart I stare vacantly at her and make no comment. "I'm terribly sorry, I have copyrighted my name and only people I really like can use it for their kids, and even then only with my particular permission and blessing?" Can I say that to a stranger? "I'd rather you didn't?" Can I say that? So my mute stare was all she got. She and her bad facelift left after a short while, having offered me a job at her "storybook company" ("it was written up in Elle magazine! We're expecting it to be huge!"). I fumed for a couple of days over the whole thing and hoped her daughter had a boy.

The sci-fi novel tip was also very upsetting, so I started googling my name and I found some disturbing information. The greatest quantity of hits was for information in Czech about rain gutters and bobsleds. Fair enough, and I can see why the Czech folk would use the same word for both ideas. However, I also discovered that a whole lot of Wicca practitioners use it. I'm fairly certain that they are impostors who have changed their names from duller ones like Frances or Julie to mine. Apparently it is not only fabulous and exotic but also mother-goddessy, pagan-sounding. Apparently Frances and Julie can't sit in their Wicca circle without shame over such workaday monikers. There are several of these yahoos in Nova Scotia. It seems there's a whole coven of Rynnas up there. On MySpace I found a girl in Malaysia with my name too. I figure she's legit, and I'm not mad at her unless some idiot sees her name and decides to use it. One can only hope she pronounces it differently.

Seriously though, can you copyright a name?

The point of this post, though, before my ranty side got the better of me, was to share some of the delightful names I've found in my family history records whilst on my recent genealogy kick. Here are some of my favorites:

Among the women: Troed, Sissela, Babeli, Boild, Bortta, Ingeborg, Giorli, Jonet, Thoa, Rangela, Gjertrud, Maija, Thure, and Hedwig (for reals!).

The men: Tufve, Tyge, Ifwar, Trols, Olla, Arfvid, Blaisa, Eskil, Knut, Holger, Sirenne, Algots, Mogens, Vinzens, and Bartholomew.

The public is more than welcome to use any and all of these for any purpose it may desire, as they are so very attractive both in print and in sound. I myself may use them for goldfish in future, or some creature equally worthy of a dignified handle.

Just stay off of Rynna.