History Main / UnfortunateNames

** To demonstrate His wrath at idolatrous Israel, {{God}} has the prophet Hosea give his children symbolic names. The first son, Jezreel, is named for a valley where Israel's evil kings have shed blood, and where God promises they will be punished in turn; his daughter is named Lo-ruhamah, "not pitied," because God is through being merciful; and the youngest son is Lo-ammi, "not my people," to foretell that God will eventually send Israel into exile among the nations.
** The prophet Isaiah named his younger son Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, which means "spoil quickly, plunder speedily," again to foretell Judah's coming doom. His older brother Shear-Jashub ("a remnant shall return") lucked out and got a happy prophecy.

* The main character of ''Manga/InterspeciesReviewers'' is a man named Stunk Tricalo. To his credit, it doesn't bother him. To everyone else's credit, they don't bring it up.

* The main character of ''Manga/InterspeciesReviewers'' is a man named Stunk. [[NoLastName Just "Stunk."]]

** Also in Campaign 3, Sam Riegel's character is a [[EmpatheticHealer 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]]...

* ''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.

* In ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe2'', the head of the Anti-Villain League is Silas Ramsbottom. The Minions find his last name hilarious, and even Gru gets in a jab or two:

* [[PunnyName Phrase Name]] — Where the first name and/or last name may sound perfectly normal on its own, but put them together and they make an unfortunate sounding phrase, I.e. "Ima Fraude".

* ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'': Admiral Koris is the captain of the Quarian starship Qwib-Qwib and gets rather defensive when questioned on the subject, explaining that ships are bought from different cultures and that it can be difficult to change its registry information. He has thought about changing the ship's name to the Defranzh or the Iktomi, which is even more unfortunate when you say the full name. To clarify, Quarian names traditionally go "[first name] vas [ship name]".

--->'''Pilate:''' He has a wife, you know... You know what she's called? Incontinentia. [''beat''] Incontinentia Buttocks.

** Pontius Pilate has a great personal friend whose name is... Biggus Dickus. ''He has a wife, you know? You know what she's called? Incontinentia. Incontinentia Buttocks.''

* DoubleEntendre — The name sounds like something sexual or otherwise offensive.

--->'''Haggis''': "Well, Haggis is only my nickname. My true name is 'Heart Lungs And Liver Boiled In The Stomach Of The Animal [=McMutton=]'." \\
'''Guybrush''': "Oh, so your parents were expecting a girl."\\
'''Haggis''': "Aye."

* Chikubi, the class hamster in ''Manga/{{Mitsudomoe}}''. The little guy's name means "Nipples", chosen because boob-lover Futaba thought his tail reminded her of one. The name stuck.

* The title character of ''Manga/ItsudatteMySanta'' hates that his parents named him Santa because he was born on Christmas Eve.
* ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'': Fate's wolf familiar is named Arf. Justified by the fact that Fate was seven when she named her.
* In ''Anime/HaibaneRenmei'', all Haibane are named by other Haibane after what dream they had in their cocoon. Reki dreamed of walking down a dark stone path so she was named after the word "gareki", which means "small stone". Later in life, Haibane learn their "true names" right before their [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence Day of Flight]] occurs. Reki's true name is [[spoiler:"Rekishi", "death by being run over".]] This is implied to be a reference to her [[spoiler:having died by [[DrivenToSuicide standing in front of a train]].]] There is, however, a better seeming AlternateCharacterReading of it.

* ''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").
* ''Fanfic/RainbowDoubleDashsLunaverse'' has its main character Trixie '''Lulamoon''', who always wishes to be addressed by her first name (unless she is drunk, then her second name). Apparently, there is a childhood rhyme that is the cause behind the name being unfortunate.
* 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.

* Creator/AAPessimal's fics:
** ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' and ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' crossover ''Fanfic/TheManyWorldsInterpretation'': A visiting Assassin from the Discworld encounters members of the Los Angeles Police Department called [[Theatre/WestSideStory Krupke]], [[WesternAnimation/TopCat Dibble]] and [[Series/SledgeHammer Captain Trunk]]. Apparently there is an Inspector Series/{{Columbo}} in the murder squad and a mounted policeman who is called Officer [=McLeod=].
** In [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6093110/28/Clowning-is-a-Serious-Business a different fic]], Vetinari has to reassign a diplomat sent to [[UsefulNotes/{{Russia}} Far Überwald]] with the unfortunate name of Mr [[ExcrementStatement Goughnow]]. He discovers there is also a Mr [[PrecisionFStrike Fafunckelloe]] in [[UsefulNotes/{{Italy}} Brindisi]] and a Mr [[PrecisionFStrike Footsack]] in [[UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica Rimwards Howondaland]]. The unfortunately named diplomats are recalled and re-assigned to other countries, and the part of the Palace Secretariat dealing with diplomatic postings receives a stern note and a helpful dictionary of international profanity to guide their thought processes.
** A young girl called Emma Roydes has passed selection exams to the Assassins' Guild School with flying colours. The Guild believes at the age of ten years and nine months, she has already had ample cause to display commendable fighting skills and an admirable aptitude for applied aggression. Seen as a new first year student, she has a best friend who affectionately nicknames her "Piles". And gets away with it.
* ''Fanfic/SaetwosStory'': Just like in [[VideoGame/LogicalJourneyOfTheZoombinis the game]], one of the cave guardians is named Ignorameous, which all the Zoombinis find hilarious.
-->'''Ignorameous''': Why does everybody always laugh when I say that?!

* ''Fanfic/ADiplomaticVisit'':
** As noted under FantasticNamingConvention, the wolves of the Packlands are named after a trait the elders observe in them. One of Swift-Pad's litter-mates is Giggle-Snort, who would love to forget that he was named for the noise he made when he was first being groomed as a pup.
** Subverted by the wolf Aargh. He thinks his name is hilarious, and so does pretty much everyone else when they hear the story of how he got it. (Short version: It's what another wolf yelled when young Aargh, acting in defense of his mother and litter-mates, [[ButtBiter bit him on the butt]]. They bent the rules a little in his case.)
* ''Fanfic/WhiteSheepRWBY'': Due to ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}''[='s=] use of FunWithAcronyms, the team of '''C'''inder, '''M'''ercury, '''E'''merald, and '''N'''eo is called Team CMEN. It's supposed to be pronounced "Cinnamon," but Professor Port doesn't bother. He keeps making loud {{Double Entendre}}s during his role as announcer for the tournament, even as Oobleck tries to keep him in line.
-->'''Mercury:''' I knew we should have changed it.

* In Fanfic/BuckyBarnesGetsHisGrooveBackAndOtherInternationalIncidents, Sam Wilson's parents' labradoodle is named Bartholomew Zebulon Wilson. Sam calls him Barf.
* In ''Fanfic/AtTheFoodCourt'', when [[OriginalCharacter Rhys]] finds out that Gary's wife is named Arwen, he remarks that she was a victim of ''Literature/LordOfTheRings''-obsessed parents if there ever was one.

* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Coraline}}'', one of Coraline's new neighbors is named Wyborne. As in, "[[PunnyName why born]]." Don't think [[LittleMissSnarker Coraline]] doesn't notice this.

* In Film/YoungMrLincoln, attorney Lincoln is cross-examining a witness who goes by J. Palmer Cass (first name John). Lincoln jokingly insinuates that he goes by his middle name because of this trope, and that he'd prefer to call the witness Jack Cass.

* 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.
* ''Franchise/AceAttorney'': Larry Butz. The other characters note, "When something smells, it's usually the Butz".

* Jackass, a senior member of the Resistance in ''VideoGame/NierAutomata''. 9S is always reluctant to refer to her by name, and it's never revealed why she has a name like that.

An {{Unfortunate Implication|s}} where a name of a character, person, or thing unintentionally offends.

If you ask someone their name, and they give you an answer that fits this {{trope}}, chances are you won't take them seriously. You will then find out that yes, that really is their name. No joke. [[HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood Or it may be a joke, but it still is seriously their name.]]

Characters under this trope are saddled with a name that realistically, you wouldn't expect a parent to name their kid or, for someone who's of a certain name, they'd choose to go by. This is the kind of name that gets kids made fun of in school — which leads them to snark "NeverHeardThatOneBefore" when the jokes continue into adulthood.

Yet, it also happens to be TruthInTelevision, in many unfortunate cases. Generally, when imposed (fictionally or otherwise) on someone, this will lead to a WhoNamesTheirKidDude. RealJokeName is another possible outcome. If the name is unfortunate because it might accidentally hit an automatic word filter, then it's called the ScunthorpeProblem.

* CrossCulturalKerfluffle — The name is okay, maybe even good and auspicious in its own language, but [[InMyLanguageThatSoundsLike doesn't travel well]]. Maybe it sounds like a curse or a [[WhosOnFirst pronoun]]; bonus points if it's [[SayMyName shouted dramatically]] in the work. E.g. Wang — "King" in Chinese, dick jokes galore in English due to the name's mispronunciation.
* DoubleEntendre — The name sounds like something sexual or otherwise offensive. E.g. [[Film/{{Goldfinger}} Pussy Galore]]
* EmbarrassingInitials — the initials spell something silly or offensive. E.g. [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar Hiram Ulysses Grant]], or H.U.G. Small wonder he changed his name to UsefulNotes/UlyssesSGrant (U.S.) once in military school.

* IronicName — The name references a trait that is the opposite of the character. E.g. Literature/HoratioHornblower is tone-deaf.
* [[PunnyName Phrase Name]] — Where the first name and/or last name may sound perfectly normal on its own, but put them together and they make an unfortunate sounding phrase, e.g. Ima Fraude.
* Pop Culture Name — Someone named after [[JustForFun/OneMarioLimit a famous pop culture character]] whose name would ordinarily not enter consideration for use. In this case, the name is already popular, but it isn't something you'd think to name a human being under regular circumstances. Can result in an even more unfortunate name if the pop culture source's popularity is ''not'' enduring, e.g. [[https://www.vulture.com/2019/05/game-of-thrones-parents-daenerys-name.html Khaleesi]].
* RepetitiveName - The first and last (and any other) names sound similar, or are exactly the same. E.g. [[Creator/AnthonyBoucher Wolfe Wolf]]
* Rhyming Name — [[SublimeRhyme The first and last name rhyme with each other]]. E.g. [[VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoViceCity Lance Vance]]
* Unfortunate Coincidence — A regular name happened to match coincidentally with real-life famous or infamous figures, or otherwise notable events named after people. E.g. [[UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler Adolf]], [[MiddleEasternTerrorists Isis]], [[https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/hurricane-katrina-anniversary/whats-name-social-effect-hurricane-katrina-n407991 Katrina]]

Given human nature, quite a few fairly common names or words wind up as slang terms. Simply having one of these isn't really an example of this trope, unless it forms a particularly bad combination with the rest of the name.

This trope can be divided into subtropes EmbarrassingFirstName, EmbarrassingMiddleName or EmbarrassingLastName, if just part of the name is unfortunate. Will frequently intersect with PunnyName. When other people pronounce them counterintuitively (whether in an effort to save themselves the embarrassment or not), they'll feel compelled to inform people how their name is pronounced with PretentiousPronunciation.

%% No Real Life Examples

* Creator/DanaCarvey had a stand up comedy commercial featuring UsefulNotes/CharlesManson [[UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler Hitler]].
** It was a routine from a cable standup comedy special riffing on the unfortunate name of President [[UsefulNotes/BarackObama Barack Hussein Obama]]. [[DontExplainTheJoke (It might as well have been "Iraq Hussein Osama.")]]