I am a nerd in many ways and have a strange fascination for all sorts of things. If there is one thing I love it is names. I have loved names ever since I was little and discovering new names, reading about names, debating names has always been an interest of mine. I am such a nerd I even have special lists containing my favorite names from various cultures. So far I have Chinese, Russian, English, Spanish, Indian and Nordic. I love names and I enjoy writing a lot so I employ the names I've discovered and love on the characters I create and use.
I also come from a culture where names are regulated by the authorities and people cannot name their child anything they want. This is very much a European thing and nobody questions it. Names are regulated in all the Nordic countries, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany and many other countries. This is both a good and a bad thing but personally I support it. Not to mention I find it hilarious that it's like: "Congratulations, a child is born, here is a long winded booklet/statue of laws that tell you what you can name your child and what not. Enjoy!" It is so incredibly European. Up here in the north we view Western cultures, where the custom is that names are not regulated, as being as being a practically uncivilized in that regard. For us, hearing stories about unusual, unregulated names equals hearing a horror story
This article explains this culture well
So as a name fanatic, I naturally have formed opinions on some of the names employed in the shows I write about here. So with further ado, here is the TV matters and me official name column detailing my favorite names, the curious one's and the one's I took some time accepting, all with the personal opinions of a Nordic nerd.
NCIS:LA - Their names are a mix of good and bad
Kensi Blye - When I first heard the name Kensi I loathed it. I thought it was such a bad name, much too preppy and modern. To me it sounded like the name of an overly cheerful fitness coach or Zumba teacher. It took me months to actually start liking the name but I admit it has grown on me and I kind of like it now. It has a lovely meaning and at least they didn't inventive with the spelling like they could have. I however love the name Blye. It sounds very similar to a word that means 'light breeze' in one Nordic language and I love the sound of it.
Martin Deeks - I like the name Martin a lot but the character is always called Marty. Whenever I hear that nickname I associate it with someone overly happy and cheerful but I kind of like the name. It means 'warlike' which is cool. An alarming amount of Nordic names have meanings that have something to do with war - remnants of Viking heritage I guess. I can however not possibly take the last name Deeks seriously. Marty Deeks is meant to be Norwegian-American and his last name is the least Norwegian name ever. I am well aware of the fact that the character was not originally meant to be Norwegian-American, rather it evolved as the actor came in, and hence the name. I am also aware of the changes in last names that occurred when people emigrated to America so this does not surprise me, I just find it funny - bit like when NCIS had a Russian named Viggo. I think of Deeks as the Norwegian-American with the least Norwegian name ever.
The actor Mr. Olsen has a very Nordic last name however. In fact it's so Nordic it's one of the most common last names here, it's also the name of a popular candy bar, the name of a famous Danish comedy trio and the name of a classic card game everyone knows. You can't go much more Nordic than Olsen
And I can't go without mention the Olsen brothers, the winners of Eurovision 2001 with their lovely song 'fly on the wings of love'. The Danish version is called 'smuk som et stjerneskud' which means 'beautiful like starry night' and the lyrics are actually really sensual. Leave it to the Nordics to be rude in their own language but polite in English :)
Nell Jones - Nell has to be my most favorite TV name. It comes from my most favorite name Eleanor and it means light. I love the soft and unusual sound of it and how similar it sounds to Nellica which is a flower I love. It's unusual and uncommon but also classic.
NCIS - an absolute name jackpot! All the names are lovely and classical.
Ziva David - I absolutely adore the name Ziva. It is such an unusual but beautiful Hebrew name. It means 'brightness'; I happen to love all names that mean something having to do with light. And I am going to explain further about the last name David. In English the name is pronounced phonetically 'Dayvid' whereas Ziva's last name is pronounced phonetically 'Dahveed'. Not to mention, I loved how they played around with this on NCIS. In my country we pronounce the name according to the Hebrew version (except with a soft 'd' at the end) and I find it far more beautiful. We always go for the European pronunciation and spelling of names instead of the English. Consequently it is very easy for us to adapt European names into our culture but it's more troublesome with English names.
Eleanor Bishop - I have loved the name Eleanor ever since I saw Sense and Sensibility 1995 movie and was fascinated with the character Elinor in that film. And just like 'Nell' and 'Ziva' the name means light. I typically end up falling for names whose meaning is 'light' for some reason. Not to mention I also like the nickname Ellie. NCIS has an incredible knack for choosing beautiful, classic names.
Donald Mallard 'Ducky' - It wasn't until this year I finally learned the reason for Ducky's nickname. I was looking at a video from a friend featuring 'mallard ducks' - we refer to them by a completely different name in my dialect. So the moment I saw the name something clicked for me. Finally, after having been a fan of NCIS for over two years I figured it out. Oh the many joys of being an EFL speaker.
Criminal Minds - they have such beautiful names
Spencer Reed - I love both names; Spencer is an old English name and I saw it written on a gravestone from the 1600's when I was in England last year. It brought Spencer Reed to mind instantly. It also brings to mind the old English play 'The Faerie Queen'. The name Reed I associate with trees (which I love) and I just love the sound of it.
Alex Blake - I love that name. Alex is a diminutive of Alexander/Alexandra which means 'defender of mankind'. It's a strong name and classic. William Blake happens to be one of my most favorite poems of all time and I really like the name Blake. So for me, the CM producers couldn't have figured out a better name than Alex Blake. I do wonder thought whether her name is Alexandra or Alex. Either way it is an awesome name.
Derek Morgan - Such a bad-ass and cool name. Derek means 'peaceful ruler' and Morgan 'from the sea'. I love both the names and the meanings of them and the character is awesome. Basically a win-win in every way.
Aaron - That name is a thorn in my eye. I mean the name is spelled 'Aaron' yet it is pronounced like 'Erin'. And if I do not see the names in writing I cannot for the life of me fathom whether the phoentic sounds 'Eerin' are the names Erin or Aaron. It is one of these things I do NOT like about English. In Nordic countries we pronounce the name phonetically 'Ahrohn' which makes far more sense in my humble opinion.
Penelope - I absolutely love that name. It is so beautiful and has such a nice meaning 'weaver'. Yet again, I will add we pronounce it differently here. We go according to the Spanish pronunciation here which is 'Pehnelopeh'. Except I in my infinite wisdom have been pronouncing it like 'Pehnelop' for years and have gotten to use to it. I am bad-ass like that (and have a reasonably wonky pronunciation)
All in all TV has a mix of both good and bad names but I love exploring them.
I also come from a culture where names are regulated by the authorities and people cannot name their child anything they want. This is very much a European thing and nobody questions it. Names are regulated in all the Nordic countries, Portugal, Italy, France, Germany and many other countries. This is both a good and a bad thing but personally I support it. Not to mention I find it hilarious that it's like: "Congratulations, a child is born, here is a long winded booklet/statue of laws that tell you what you can name your child and what not. Enjoy!" It is so incredibly European. Up here in the north we view Western cultures, where the custom is that names are not regulated, as being as being a practically uncivilized in that regard. For us, hearing stories about unusual, unregulated names equals hearing a horror story
This article explains this culture well
So as a name fanatic, I naturally have formed opinions on some of the names employed in the shows I write about here. So with further ado, here is the TV matters and me official name column detailing my favorite names, the curious one's and the one's I took some time accepting, all with the personal opinions of a Nordic nerd.
NCIS:LA - Their names are a mix of good and bad
Kensi Blye - When I first heard the name Kensi I loathed it. I thought it was such a bad name, much too preppy and modern. To me it sounded like the name of an overly cheerful fitness coach or Zumba teacher. It took me months to actually start liking the name but I admit it has grown on me and I kind of like it now. It has a lovely meaning and at least they didn't inventive with the spelling like they could have. I however love the name Blye. It sounds very similar to a word that means 'light breeze' in one Nordic language and I love the sound of it.
Martin Deeks - I like the name Martin a lot but the character is always called Marty. Whenever I hear that nickname I associate it with someone overly happy and cheerful but I kind of like the name. It means 'warlike' which is cool. An alarming amount of Nordic names have meanings that have something to do with war - remnants of Viking heritage I guess. I can however not possibly take the last name Deeks seriously. Marty Deeks is meant to be Norwegian-American and his last name is the least Norwegian name ever. I am well aware of the fact that the character was not originally meant to be Norwegian-American, rather it evolved as the actor came in, and hence the name. I am also aware of the changes in last names that occurred when people emigrated to America so this does not surprise me, I just find it funny - bit like when NCIS had a Russian named Viggo. I think of Deeks as the Norwegian-American with the least Norwegian name ever.
The actor Mr. Olsen has a very Nordic last name however. In fact it's so Nordic it's one of the most common last names here, it's also the name of a popular candy bar, the name of a famous Danish comedy trio and the name of a classic card game everyone knows. You can't go much more Nordic than Olsen
And I can't go without mention the Olsen brothers, the winners of Eurovision 2001 with their lovely song 'fly on the wings of love'. The Danish version is called 'smuk som et stjerneskud' which means 'beautiful like starry night' and the lyrics are actually really sensual. Leave it to the Nordics to be rude in their own language but polite in English :)
Nell Jones - Nell has to be my most favorite TV name. It comes from my most favorite name Eleanor and it means light. I love the soft and unusual sound of it and how similar it sounds to Nellica which is a flower I love. It's unusual and uncommon but also classic.
NCIS - an absolute name jackpot! All the names are lovely and classical.
Ziva David - I absolutely adore the name Ziva. It is such an unusual but beautiful Hebrew name. It means 'brightness'; I happen to love all names that mean something having to do with light. And I am going to explain further about the last name David. In English the name is pronounced phonetically 'Dayvid' whereas Ziva's last name is pronounced phonetically 'Dahveed'. Not to mention, I loved how they played around with this on NCIS. In my country we pronounce the name according to the Hebrew version (except with a soft 'd' at the end) and I find it far more beautiful. We always go for the European pronunciation and spelling of names instead of the English. Consequently it is very easy for us to adapt European names into our culture but it's more troublesome with English names.
Eleanor Bishop - I have loved the name Eleanor ever since I saw Sense and Sensibility 1995 movie and was fascinated with the character Elinor in that film. And just like 'Nell' and 'Ziva' the name means light. I typically end up falling for names whose meaning is 'light' for some reason. Not to mention I also like the nickname Ellie. NCIS has an incredible knack for choosing beautiful, classic names.
Donald Mallard 'Ducky' - It wasn't until this year I finally learned the reason for Ducky's nickname. I was looking at a video from a friend featuring 'mallard ducks' - we refer to them by a completely different name in my dialect. So the moment I saw the name something clicked for me. Finally, after having been a fan of NCIS for over two years I figured it out. Oh the many joys of being an EFL speaker.
Criminal Minds - they have such beautiful names
Spencer Reed - I love both names; Spencer is an old English name and I saw it written on a gravestone from the 1600's when I was in England last year. It brought Spencer Reed to mind instantly. It also brings to mind the old English play 'The Faerie Queen'. The name Reed I associate with trees (which I love) and I just love the sound of it.
Alex Blake - I love that name. Alex is a diminutive of Alexander/Alexandra which means 'defender of mankind'. It's a strong name and classic. William Blake happens to be one of my most favorite poems of all time and I really like the name Blake. So for me, the CM producers couldn't have figured out a better name than Alex Blake. I do wonder thought whether her name is Alexandra or Alex. Either way it is an awesome name.
Derek Morgan - Such a bad-ass and cool name. Derek means 'peaceful ruler' and Morgan 'from the sea'. I love both the names and the meanings of them and the character is awesome. Basically a win-win in every way.
Aaron - That name is a thorn in my eye. I mean the name is spelled 'Aaron' yet it is pronounced like 'Erin'. And if I do not see the names in writing I cannot for the life of me fathom whether the phoentic sounds 'Eerin' are the names Erin or Aaron. It is one of these things I do NOT like about English. In Nordic countries we pronounce the name phonetically 'Ahrohn' which makes far more sense in my humble opinion.
Penelope - I absolutely love that name. It is so beautiful and has such a nice meaning 'weaver'. Yet again, I will add we pronounce it differently here. We go according to the Spanish pronunciation here which is 'Pehnelopeh'. Except I in my infinite wisdom have been pronouncing it like 'Pehnelop' for years and have gotten to use to it. I am bad-ass like that (and have a reasonably wonky pronunciation)
All in all TV has a mix of both good and bad names but I love exploring them.
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