the name game - Jezebel

posts about #thenamegame more →
K Is For Kate, Who Kicks Ass, Takes Names
J Is For Jennifer, The Vanilla Of Names
I Is For Isabel, Who's Snooty, But Earns It
H Is For Hillary, A Barrel Of Laughs
G Is For Grace — What's That Up Her Sleeve?
F Is For Francesca, And I Wish I Were Her
E Is For Emily, Who Seems Sweet (At First)
D Is For Danielle (Or Dani, Who's Apparently Kinda Judgey)
C Is For Courtney, Who's Too Cool For School
B is for Beth (And Barack! And Bandana!)

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sirenofsuburbia
11/08/09

In reply to K Is For Kate, Who Kicks Ass, Takes Names
It's a great name! My first daughter is KathArine (after Hepburn and Graham) and there was little to no argument on it. She used to be Katie but now she's definitely Kate. She fits the description to a tee, although I wonder how much of it is tied to parental expectation. Like, how many kick-ass Bambis do we know?
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BytheSea
11/06/09

In reply to K Is For Kate, Who Kicks Ass, Takes Names
I was THIs close to Kate. it's the perfect name for petite lesbian with big boobs. Instead I'm a Kristi, the perfect name for a leggy blonde cheerleader. WTF Mom. It's like she didn't even want me to learn to read. (Which Idid. By myself. Before i started school.)
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Edited by BytheSea at 11/06/09 9:23 PM BytheSea was starred BytheSea was unstarred

hellosunshine
11/06/09

In reply to K Is For Kate, Who Kicks Ass, Takes Names
My future daughter (because I WILL have one) will be Katherine Mary Margaret, and she will be a Kate. Not a Katie, not a Katherine (though they are both beautiful names), but Kate. I love that name :) #namegame
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clevernamehere
11/06/09

In reply to K Is For Kate, Who Kicks Ass, Takes Names
I'm Kate and I like the no nonsense sound of the name. I'm named after my paternal grandma (if you ask my dad) and Katharine Hepburn (if you ask my mom).

I think it is way, way, way more popular than people think it is. Most girls are named Catherine/Katherine/Katharine/Kathryn and called Kate (as I am).

Right now:
45 Katherine
53 Kaitlyn
80 Katelyn
128 Katie
139 Kate
149 Catherine
190 Kathryn
235 Caitlin
295 Katelynn
471 Kaitlin
900 Katharine

Kate seems most common among the 1976-1985 cohort. I'm in the range and Kate/Katie was by far the most common name in my high school. Women born earlier tend to be Kathy, women born later tend to be Caitlin (which drives me batty since the pronunciation shouldn't be Kate-lyn).

Honestly, I wouldn't recommend it is a baby name, even though I love my name. Its special to me because it is my grandma's name and it is what I've always been called, but it was super annoying being one of several until I hit adulthood and it still happens, I've gone by my full name at jobs just to avoid confusion).
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Edited by clevernamehere at 11/06/09 8:00 PM clevernamehere was starred clevernamehere was unstarred

scandalouskiki
11/06/09

In reply to K Is For Kate, Who Kicks Ass, Takes Names
Kate is one of my favorite names - if I had a daughter, that's what I'd name her. #namegame
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clevernamehere
11/06/09

@scandalouskiki: Oh don't. It is way, way too common. #namegame
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scandalouskiki
11/06/09

@clevernamehere: I don't know - I actually don't know very many Kates. #namegame
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clevernamehere
11/06/09

@scandalouskiki: It might be somewhat regional- I've noticed its a bigger name in the Northeast than the Moutain West and bigger in the US than the UK/Ireland. It can also be age, as I said upthread it tends to be women in their 30s to 20s more than older or younger women (I think a lot of 20 year old Caitlins might be Cate in a few years). But it is damn common. #namegame
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sableized (just like starting over)
11/06/09

In reply to K Is For Kate, Who Kicks Ass, Takes Names
Anna, I feel like the Kate you're thinking of in your article is Kate Hepburn, because you described her to a t. #namegame
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debo matar la zombi goldberry83
11/06/09

In reply to K Is For Kate, Who Kicks Ass, Takes Names
I was so almost a Kate! But when I was born, my Mum read an article that said it was a really popular name, so she changed her mind. Since then she's met approximately three Kates, and regularly laments not calling me that. That said, I like my name better, even if she doesn't. ;p #namegame
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sybann
11/06/09

In reply to K Is For Kate, Who Kicks Ass, Takes Names
My favorite fake name ever! I have been "given" new names with several new gigs. This was the only one I liked - except for the fact that people kept calling me Katie. When something ISN'T your name, a diminution is a drag.

Now I get to use my own! #namegame
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MissKittyFantastico
11/06/09

@sybann: My grandfather used to try and call me Katie when I was little, and I used to get so mad and explain that I was "just Kate." I then got angrier when he would then call me "Just Kate." #namegame
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KATE!
11/06/09

In reply to K Is For Kate, Who Kicks Ass, Takes Names
im katharine (after ms. hepburn) who has been katie, katia, kitty and kate. having a base name with so many nicknames option has proved really fun because i changed what i went by whenever i moved, but now that im older and settled on the kate that my mother intended for me at birth, its somewhat disorienting when i get friends from college together with friends from high school with friends from now. i'll basically answer to anything that start with a k but kathy.

and reading that description of kate felt much like reading profiles of my astrological sign (scorpio). im like "OH YEAH THATS TOTALLY ME" but its not really, its just what i wish i was. #namegame
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psychoticrayofsunshine
11/06/09

@KATE!: Yup, I'm a Katharine too and have so many variations that it gets a little confusing - Kate, Kitt, Kat, Kaki, Kaks, etc. But my family has always called me Kate and I end up answering to anything but Katie or Kathy! #namegame
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KATE! promoted this comment

KATE!
11/06/09

@psychoticrayofsunshine: oh! i wanted to go by Kit when I went through a "a league of their own" obsession stage and was going to phase into that from Kitty, but totally forgot....damn, i had planned on sticking with Kate for the rest of my professional life. oh well, maybe i'll just have to be Grandma Kit someday....

and im the same way about katie and kathy. my parents called me katie when i was very little, but i told them on my first day of kindergarten that i was too grown up to go by a baby name anymore. and i still feel that way. and kathy is just...well....that damn comic strip. #namegame
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psychoticrayofsunshine
11/06/09

@KATE!: Hahahaha! I love the Katie story, mostly because that's what I told people when they tried to call me Katie.

Yeah, the Kitt was short-lived. My mom actually had a little thing made up for my nursery with Kitt on it, but it never really caught on. When I was about 6 I found the little artwork and decided I needed to be called Kitt. But by then everyone was calling me Kate or Kaki, so it never really took off. I still love the name, though. #namegame
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hollygirl
11/06/09

In reply to K Is For Kate, Who Kicks Ass, Takes Names
It has always sucked to have a boyfriend whose last girlfriend was a Kate or even "Katie"- she's inevitably hard to live up to..
On this topic, I have a friend named Catherine with a "C", but whose nickname is Kitta with a K. So complex. #namegame
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heymissmegs
11/06/09

In reply to K Is For Kate, Who Kicks Ass, Takes Names
I know everyone is sick of the Gosselins, but Kate Gosselin fits this profile pretty well. I read somewhere that her real first name is actually Katie, which doesn't fit her in the slightest. I can see why she went with the short, blunt version of her name rather than the more cutesy one. #namegame
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Le Kangourou de Kataroo
11/06/09

In reply to K Is For Kate, Who Kicks Ass, Takes Names
This is kind of awesome. I'm technically a Katie, named after Kat Hepburn, but it describes me pretty much to a T - I don't understand why people just don't suck it up and deal with their lives and get shit done. #namegame
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Slim
11/06/09

@Le Kangourou de Kataroo: Amen sister, amen! this Kathryn/Kat agrees! #namegame
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hfree
11/06/09

In reply to K Is For Kate, Who Kicks Ass, Takes Names
I plan on naming my imaginary-for-right-now future daughter Kate. But after Katherine Hepburn, who is truly the iconic Kate to end all Kates. #namegame
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Khrushchev
11/06/09

@hfree: But name her KathArine, as that is the proper spelling.*

*This is an important issue to me. #namegame
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hfree
11/06/09

@Khrushchev: You know, I debated because I always get it wrong and I so thought I got it right this time. I stand corrected. #namegame
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KATE!
11/06/09

@hfree: hey, you and my mom should hang out. i was named after katharine hepburn and have been called kate forever (except for when i rebelled in highschool/college and went by kitty). i think shes a badass person to be named after.

the only problem is that if you do the traditional hepburn spelling, you'll never be able to find dumb souveneirs with the correct spelling. i had so many key chains and magnets with "katherine" "kathryn" and "catherine" on them as a kid. #namegame
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DarlingGirl
11/07/09

@KATE!: It's true. I'm also a KathArine and could never find things with my name on them. When I was five, this was a tragedy. It's been fine ever since. All the best things are custom engraved anyway. ;)

I never knew Ms Hepburn had this many namesakes. I've never met another in the flesh and I'm delighted to see you all come out of the woodwork. *waves* #namegame
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Khrushchev
11/07/09

@DarlingGirl: @psychoticrayofsunshine: @KATE!: @hetaira: This is making me all teary. Katharines unite! #namegame
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lilbobbytables
11/06/09

In reply to K Is For Kate, Who Kicks Ass, Takes Names
I am a Kate, and I was hoping you would do this name. I am not badass, but a lot of this fits. #namegame
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ablative
11/06/09

In reply to K Is For Kate, Who Kicks Ass, Takes Names
I'm a Cait from Caitlin, but somehow I doubt this is the same. #namegame
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