History Main / UnfortunateNames

* Also [[UranusIsShowing Uranus]], father of the Titans, [[CrossCulturalKerfluffle although not in the original language]]. In Greek, Uranus (or more properly [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Ouranos]]) means "sky" or "heaven", and pronunciation is more like "ooh-rah-nos". [[GroinAttack Ironically, it was one of his private parts on the]] ''[[GroinAttack opposite]]'' [[GroinAttack side that got abused in a famous myth]].
* The name Nimrod was not an unfortunate name in Bible times, but has become so these days because of its association with dimwittedness from Bugs Bunny. [[note]]Bugs Bunny used "Nimrod" to taunt Elmer Fudd making reference to the fact he is a hunter.[[/note]]
** May be OlderThanPrint, actually, since in Dante's ''[[Literature/TheDivineComedy Inferno]]'' he is shown to be one of several giants guarding the pit of Hell. He can only utter meaningless gibberish, and Virgil taunts him as being stupid.
** It may be an unfortunate name in English speaking countries, but it's actually fairly common in Israel.
* In Chinese Mythology, the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea can be transliterated (i.e., in pinyin) as ''Dong Hai Long Wang''. It's not funny in Chinese at all, when consulting someone with Chinese as a mother tongue, in case anyone's wondering.

** Ishbosheth's name means 'from the mouth of shame'. A very early translator had changed it from Ishbaal ('from the mouth of God') due to concern about Baal worship.

* The main character of ''VideoGame/PizzaTower'' is an Italian man with the comically stereotypical name of Peppino Spaghetti. One of the tutorial [=NPCs=] mocks him for this.

* In the ''FanFic/FalloutEquestria'' universe it is something of a tradition for named [[KnightTemplar Steel Rangers]] to have embarrassing food-based names such as Cottage Cheese and Butterbean.

* ''FanFic/MiTruLov'' has two major antagonists called Vommy and Snoteleks.

* ''FanFic/MyImmortal'': Ebony Darkness Dementia Raven Way. The author was presumably trying for an AwesomeMccoolname-cum-DarknessVonGothickname, but she ended up with a name which, translated to Layman's Terms, is "Black Black Senility Bird Direction". That's ''before'' you take into account the author's apparent inability to spell it the same way twice (to the point she's usually referred to by snarkers as "Enoby").

* Many characters in the ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' series have names playing up the stereotypes they embody. These include Glass Joe (a wimpy Frenchman), Von Kaiser (a militant German), Bald Bull (a Turk), Bear Hugger (a fat Canadian), and Vodka Drunkenski (a Russian) to name a few. Probably the most egregious is "Pizza Pasta" from the original arcade game.

* GenderBlenderName — Many names (at least, in American English) were once relatively common and unremarkable as names for male children, but in recent years have become more common for girls, sometimes with minor spelling differences. In the real world there are male Stacys, Danas, Courtneys, Kellys, and Ashleys, and yet you only see those names in fiction on women (on the other hand, there are female Chrises, Pats, Lees, and Terrys and yet, they're only male names in fiction). So someone with old-fashioned parents, or simply a desire to name a baby after an ancestor, might wind up with a "girly" name, such as Mary. Conversely, unfortunate women may end up with a "guy" name, though they are mostly more fortunate.

* The main antagonist of ''WesternAnimation/CaptainUnderpantsTheFirstEpicMovie'' is named Pee Pee Diarrheastein Poopypants. He is not happy about people constantly laughing at his name, and it drives him to villainy.

** Also in Campaign 3, Sam Riegel's character is a [[EmpathicHealer heal]][[CuteMachines bot]] named Fresh Cut Grass (F.C.G. for short). He explains to the party that his creator named him and his fellow automata for her favorite smells: Fresh Cut Grass, Oatmeal, Apple Pie, [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers Pussy]]...

* LetsPlay/BitPolar: Naturally, Bit names his ''VideoGame/DragonBallXenoverse'' character "Frontbutt".

* RepetitiveName - The first and last (and any other) names sound similar, or are exactly the same.

* ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'': [[Creator/MatthewMercer Matt Mercer]] tries, but this happens to him several times once the players get hold of his NPC's. Especially [[Creator/LauraBailey Laura]] [[OneOfTheBoys Bailey]] or Creator/SamRiegel.

* The main antagonist of ''WesternAnimation/CaptainUnderpantsTheFirstEpicMovie'' is named Pee Pee Diarrheastein Poopypants. He is not happy about having this name, and it drives him to villainy.

* * LetsPlay/BitPolar: Naturally, Bit names his ''VideoGame/DragonBallXenoverse'' character "Frontbutt".

* In ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe2'', the head of the Anti-Villain League is Silas Ramsbottom. The Minions [[HehHehYouSaidX find his last name hilarious]], and even Gru gets in a jab or two:
-->'''Gru:''' Good day, [[MaliciousMisnaming Mr. Sheepsbutt]].\\

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* Music/{{Gorillaz}} singer 2D is actually named Stuart Pot, and became known as [[PunnyName Stu-Pot]] prior to the accidents which gave him his "2 Dents". It could be worse; his father had the family surname legally changed from "Tusspot" after a lifetime of teasing.

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* ''Podcast/{{Trashfuture}}'' has an episode devoted to a radio play about a man named John Taliban, a Ford car salesman living in the modern U.S. who refuses to change his last name despite being called "John Taliban".
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[[folder:Religion and Mythology]]
* Literature/TheBible

* One of the mock commercials in ''VideoGame/YouDontKnowJack: Fifth Dementia'' is for "The Society for People With Unfortunate Names", including such members as Eileen Dover and her husband Ben.

* ''VideoGame/CragneManor'': Parodied. A book by the Hillbilly Bathroom Laughter Press, called ''The Book of Unfortunate Baby Names'', lists some "real bad names" that "real bad parents" gave their kids: John Poopnazi, Flossie Candyass, Elizabeth Dicksmith, and Poonpounder H. Washington Jones. The protagonist admits that they're pretty bad.

* In Chinese Mythology, the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea can be transliterated (i.e. in pinyin) as ''Dong Hai Long Wang''. It's not funny in Chinese at all, when consulting someone with Chinese as a mother tongue, in case anyone's wondering.

--->'''Matt Mercer:''' All NPC's are now named David.