this post was submitted on 06 Mar 2024
151 points (98.1% liked)

Showerthoughts

29325 readers
2 users here now

A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The best ones are thoughts that many people can relate to and they find something funny or interesting in regular stuff.

Rules

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 92 points 8 months ago (4 children)

We should go back to using profession as last name. Then everybody would be named Shitposter.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

Only at the competitive level. Git gud and you'll get sponsored.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago

We're all a big friendly family here. Just without the creepy corporate talk

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Macrocephalic Seatweight. I guess it could work.

[–] [email protected] 73 points 8 months ago

Spain. This is how you make Spain.

[–] [email protected] 51 points 8 months ago (2 children)

I believe this is a thing in Quebec.

from https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/canadian-culture/canadian-culture-naming


In Quebec, the Civil Code requires parents to assign their child only one surname (either a single or compound surname) derived from their respective surnames. Compound surnames may not have more than two parts, with or without hyphens. Thus, a couple named Joseph BOUCHARD-TREMBLAY and Marie DION-ROY could give their children the surnames:

  • BOUCHARD
  • TREMBLAY
  • DION
  • ROY
  • BOUCHARD-TREMBLAY
  • DION-ROY
  • BOUCHARD-DION
  • BOUCHARD-ROY, and so on.

In Quebec, the law provides that spouses retain their respective birth names when they are married.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago (3 children)

I didn't know Canada has law governing names. Where I live it's free for all. A kid even named "Karantina Covidah" by their parents for fuck sake.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 8 months ago

The above is for Quebec only, which has a completely different civil law system (a mix of common law and Napoleonic civil code), and does not apply to the rest of Canada.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago

That should be child abuse lol

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

From what I can tell, Quebec has laws for just about everything.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I can't believe that there isn't a gripping political thriller about the making of this law.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

"Mr Bouchard-Roy-Tremblay-Barbier-Allard-Dupont and Ms Moreau-Dubois-Laurent-Aubert-Beaumont have flagrantly shown disrespect for French customs by desiring to call themselves Mr and Mrs Bouchard-Moreau-Roy-Dubois-Tremblay-Laurent-Barbier-Aubert-Allard-Beaumont-Dupont and MUST be forced to truncate this surname into no more than two parts with or without a single dash. They are a disgrace to the national culture."

"How DARE you call us disgraces. We, the Bouchard-Moreau-Roy-Dubois-Tremblay-Laurent-Fournier-Aubert-Allard-Beaumont-Duponts have a long, proud history of serving our country and its people and will not be treated in such a manner! We demand to be shown respect!"

The judge raises his hand to ask the room for silence and looks toward the defendants

"Please recite to me your name once more."

"Bouchard-Moreau-Roy-Dubois-Tremblay-Laurent-Fournier-Aubert-Allard-Beaufort-Dupont"

"IT IS SETTLED! You do not even know your own name and have persisted with this nonsense far too long! You filed your marriage request with the surname Bouchard-Moreau-Roy-Dubois-Tremblay-Laurent-Barbier-Aubert-Allard-Beaumont-Dupont and cannot properly recite it yourself! This is a disgraceful waste of the people's and the great government of France's time. You are hereby directed to choose a surname with no more than two parts separated or not by a dash and I will hear no more of this nonsense! Case dismissed!"

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

tl, dr.

I kid.

lol

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago
[–] [email protected] 29 points 8 months ago (2 children)

In the Hispanic tradition it would be the Paternal name and then the Maternal name using the Paternal line, which would be the first name.

So Male 1-2 and Female 3-4 becomes Baby 1-3.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Some of the Mexicans I know just kept adding middle names.

You end up with something like Manuèl José Alvarez Ibarra Reyes Gutierrez

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar Palacios Ponte y Blanco[c] (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830) was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bolivia to independence from the Spanish Empire. He is known colloquially as El Libertador, or the Liberator of America.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sim%C3%B3n_Bol%C3%ADvar

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

"The name game" music intensifies

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 23 points 8 months ago

They keep going like a memory game.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago

In Canada, they typically pick one or two last names out of four for the kid. Some adults decide to go by just one of their last names too

[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago

as always – it depends on the jurisdiction.
But in most cases, they will use a new hyphenated last name that consists of both partners' first last name, with the man's first last name first.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago

I'm Brazilian and here in Brazil there's no well defined culture on what to do with family names. Legally, you can come out with a complete new family name at the moment of marriage, with the only rule that both people should have it.

In my case, my parents already had some long names. Dad 1 2 3 and Mom 4 5. Both me, my sister and my mom end up with 4 5 2 3, I believe because pressure from my grandparents.

By the way, having four family names, like I do, is not very common in Brazil. It is more common to have two, both the last names from the parents, e.g. Dad 1 2 and Mom 3 4 would result in Baby 4 2, with one of the parents optionally taking those names too (traditionally the woman).

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Believe it or not, sexism!

They usually place the man's name first and then only pass on those names.

We just made up portmanteau names for our kids, based on what sounded good. Over time, this should improve the overall coolness of last names.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 8 months ago (1 children)

So if you portmanteau four hyphenated names you'd have quite an awesome mouthful.

Example based on some names I've encountered...

Garcia + Roothopper + Nishigawa + Smith = Garhopgawaith? Nishciasmithopper? Smootgawacia?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

Sounds like something out of the Swedish dub of Guardians of the Galaxy

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago

The names should be combined to make a new last name as your making a new family

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago (1 children)

You talk about it and decide together.

In our case we both kept our last names. Why change her last name when that’s who she’s always been? Really simplifies things as far as paperwork goes. Also - LPT: when you have different last names you can get double the introductory offers on things like internet packages at home. Just sign up under one name, cancel when able, sign up under the other. They don’t know you’re married.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Great idea! That's another couple of accounts you can open up, and maybe even a few credit lines when both the parents have used theirs up.

Kidding obviously, because this place gets pretty rough sometimes.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (2 children)

I mainly ask, because when I worked in an armory there was a dude named 'GonzalezLamas-Suarez' whose name I had to handwrite on a very small line every single time I signed him out gear. It was the smallest font I'd ever seen on a uniform before.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Same for my brother ha. His superiors actually just shorten it to one word when talking to him if it isn't super official.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Then you have those weird ones like "de Jesus" where it just doesn't make sense to be to have a preposition as part of your last name.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

I read an article about this a few years ago, and the answer is whatever they want. I remember one couple said they just decided they liked the wife's grandmother's maiden name, so they just picked that. She was confused but flattered.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Yea you cna change your last name to anything when you get married.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I know a few people who've done this. When they got married they decided they didn't like either last name so just chose a new one. In one case it was the guy's online handle - which was also a normal last name. In the other case it was a name from their favourite movie.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

oh you mean Mr Brian xXxPoosayDestroyer69xXx, he taught me math in high-school.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago

I always assumed they would recall the frustrations of growing up with a hyphenated name and not pass that on to another child.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I've always thought the system of last names should be hyphenated. Your paternal last name first, maternal last name second. Women no longer change their names when marrying. Men pass the paternal name down to their kids, women pass down the maternal. That way last names are essentially a record of who your OG matrons and patrons are.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

That's how it is in some cultures. I have my father's paternal last name and my mother's maternal last name.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Latino person here with two last names.

I chose to keep both of mine, but when I married I only kept the first.

We also commonly only use the first in spite of having both in our ID

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

pretty sure the world ends.