Students English names

I was asked yesterday by some of my freshman students to help them pick an English name. I just happened to mention this to one of my Chinese co-workers while we were having lunch and he said to me I should give each name good consideration as the students may use the name for the rest of their English speaking lives. Fair enough I thought until I did a roll call after lunch with my next class. Potato, Leisure and Panda were just some of the names listed! So I was wondering is there any wonderfull or just plain weird names you have come across in the classroom? Potato, 

I met a girl in a bar with the name of "zero" .... it was perfect.

Lolita was a cute, flirtatious 18-year-old. She had at least a vague idea what her name meant, figured that was cool.

A girl named So-So, another Odin. Teachers using Rapid and Smart.

I've had a God, a Gogo (from the Gogo Loves English Series) and I call one high school aged kid Cookie Boy because I can't remember his legit English name and he always eats cookies in class.

i had a student called lemon, in enlgish lemon is slang for lesbian lo

i like it when you have the geeky students who want to be called 'blade' or 'weapon' or something, or the men called things like 'melody' and gorgeous' (they were both normal men not gay stereotypes btw

I've had one young man in college call himself Chrysanthemum. Not because he was gay, but because he really liked flowers. I tried to dissuade him, but he wouldn't budge. So I called him Chrys, and he was happy for about 2 months. Then someone got to him, and he wanted something with a bit more testosterone. He picked Cylinder, as in the barrel of a gun. I think I called him Syl.

If students need help picking a name, Googling for "baby names" will turn up dozens of sites designed to assist parents in choosing.

Also, the US Census has lists of the commonest names by gender:
http://www.census.gov/genealogy/names/dist.female.first
http://www.census.gov/genealogy/names/dist.male.first

Some of those are problematic. I would not advise a Chinese to use Juan or Jesus as an English name, even though both are fairly common in the US. Also, it appears some Americans cannot spell their own names. Michael is #4 on the male list, Micheal #147. Shawn at #92 is more common than Sean at #94.

At one uni, we were off the Rainbow Square with a monumental Rainbow in the middle. So, one boy decides to call himself Rainbow. He was going to North America. When we had some private time, I explained why he should change his name. I don't think he's gay.

My favourite was a girl who was just, uhg, so, cold. Her name? Ice - perfect.   

At an elementery school, I had a 7, 8, and 9. I was ready to call them all by numbers   

I hate when they ask me to choose a name for them. Who gives you the right to give me so much power 

 I know a Rainbow. she says she knows it's a weird name, but it's a literal translation of her given name. I also met a girl named Dirty Dishes once. I didn't know if I should just call her Dirty for short.

I have two girls who always sit together in class. One is Slam, the other is Dunk!

I have had a girl called Satan in my class...I have a Sunshine and, strangely enough, a Medusa...

I've got a Rainbow, too.  Her middle name is Lucky   

I've also got an Easy. Not sure if she is or not. 

Shamrock turned up in my elective class the week after another teacher had taught on St. Patrick's Day at English Club.

Toufu was getting teased in class so chose a new name; now she's Blanche.  She liked Toufu because a friend told her her skin was so white (so, so important to young Chinese ladies).  Blanche kinda works.

Timky Winky (that's one person) and Sinky are students in my Public Speaking class.  Maybe they'll go on to create children's cartoons once they graduate.  Makes me think of the Tele Tubbies for some reason.

I'll never forget one boy, 'Oven' from a few years back...and last year I had a boy called Marshmallow which I made him change to a more down to earth Paul! Also had So-so and Easy...and even a Lucifer!

This term I've had a few funky names in my evening oral English classes. If they have an overly funky name I've 'conveniently' left it off my name list and just use their Chinese name. If they notice it I'll explain why but with 250 students I really don't have time to deal with every one!

I have a kid called Licky. He's been called this for two years but won't change.

Also have a lot of hip-hop inspired names like Akon and Maksim. I figure these aren't too awful, even if they'd be unusual overseas.

Then you always get a girl who's called "yan" something in Chinese and decides her English name should be "Swallow." I've gotten one of these in almost every class I've taught for the past seven years. That and "Cherry" are probably two of the most common names with dubious sorts of double meanings.

Also get the dorky names: Wizard, Magic, Warrior, etc.

I have gotten some girls with what we'd call "grandma" names like Wilma or Mildred or Edna or Ethel. For the boys I've gotten Wilbur and Dick and Marvin. These are names that (no offence if we have any Dicks or Marvins or Ethels here!) went out of fashion quite a long time ago, but there's nothing really wrong with them either. I usually let these be but if we discuss names at some point I usually mention how names go into and out of fashion.

I think the worst (best?) name I ever got though was a kid who called himself Fhkides. How do you even pronounce that? His name was sort of a rebellion against the idea of English names, as he'd just chosen a bunch of letters at random and called them a "name." What's in a name anyhow?      

when i used to name kids it was always 80s film inspired