Moniker: The Histories and Mysteries of Names

You've probably seen a meme circulating that shows the so-called "Princess Qajar." It's a set of black and white photos showing an Iranian woman with a mustache, unibrow, and unusual clothes. A typical caption reads something like: "this woman was a great beauty in her day. 13 men committed suicide after she spurned their advances!"We're meant to be shocked that this "uggo" could command such devotion. But who is the real woman behind the pretty blatantly racist and sexist mem...

She's pink! She's fun! She's complicated!The world loves Barbie. She's a staple of American girlhood. But how did Barbie get her name? Is Barbie a person or a species? When/why did Barbie become a derogatory term against women?fire up your pink convertibles, because we're getting into the history of Barbie and the impact of her name on culture. Sources:Articles:Biography of Ruth Handler, Inventor of Barbie Dolls (thoughtco.com)Fame Dogs 'Real' Barbie, Ken - Los Angeles Times (latimes.co...

1/8/22Here's another Moniker Classic episode to start the New Year. We here at Moniker have been rethinking the format of the show for 2022 and will have updates soon. But don't worry!Lot's of naming fun is coming your way!-MeganToday we're going to mine the depths of the Golden State! Hopefully we'll find some good nuggets! It'll be a real rush! (I know, I hate me too).More to explore on the Latino/a and Mexican American experience of California:Anthology of works by Los Angeles-based Latino...

Kris Kringle! Saint Nick! Sinterklaas! Old...beardy! Children all over the world love Santa Claus. But how did he end up with so many names? Are they corporate creations or semblances of somber saints?Join us as we delve into the myths and traditions of Santa Claus. Cameo appearances by: Martin Luther, Charles I, and friend of the podcast Mickey Rooney!Sources:Articles:https://starkeycomics.com/2018/12/17/the-evolution-of-father-christmas/ 988 Vladimir Adopts Christianity | Christian His...

We're finally back with part two of the names from Jane Austen's Emma. Today we'll explore the histories and meanings behind the names of 3 male characters: Mr. Knightley, Frank Churchill, and Mr. Elton. Prepare for my unfiltered opinion on how much Frank and Mr. Elton suck!Special appearance by our old friend the Domesday Book!Sources:Articles:https://www.britainexpress.com/History/english-parish-churches.htm https://blog.myheritage.com/2013/03/surname-of-the-week-churchill/https://jasna.or...

Today we explore the mystery behind John Singer Sargent's enigmatic "Portrait of Madame X." Who was this mystery woman? Why did Sargent paint her? Why did he keep her identity a secret? Sources:Articles: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/12127 1884 – John Singer Sargent, Madame X (Virginie Gautreau) | Fashion History Timeline (fitnyc.edu)Olympia, One of the Most Scandalous Paintings of the 19th Century (singulart.com)Portrait of a Ladies’ Man: Dr Samuel-Jean Pozzi | Hi...

What started as one creator's vision of the ultimate animated feature became a decades-long struggle resulting in a butchered direct-to-video throw away. Join us as we discuss with Mandy Gearhart how Richard Williams' "The Thief, The Cobbler, and The Grand Vizier" became "The Thief and the Cobbler," "The Princess and The Cobbler," and "Arabian Knight." Note: Sound quality isn't the greatest in this episode, I apologize. Sources:Websites:www.imdb.com www.moma.org www.nasruddin.org A...

How much do we know about the young Native American woman who helped Lewis and Clark explore the west? Today we try to separate fact from fiction as we explore who Sacagawea was in real life, her mythic legend, and how the heck her name should be pronounced. Sources:Articles:https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-8-4/sacajawea-sacagawea-sakakawea/vol-08-no-4-sacajawea-sacagawea-sakakawea.pdf https://www.washingtonhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/sacagawea...

Medical names are weird. Like who decided that it all had to be in Latin? We'll look at two medical terms that are a lot more serious than their silly-sounding names imply. Our journey will take us from ancient Egypt, to the caravans of the Crusades, to modern medical innovation. Watch out for pirates!Articles:https://cambridgelibrarycollection.wordpress.com/2014/04/15/a-treatise-on-the-scurvy/ https://zenharbourside.co.uk/the-west-country-accents-and-dialects/ https://slate.com/hum...

If you like reading books that really make you work for it, you may have ventured into the world of Russian literature. Anna Karenina is my personal favorite. What's weird about the works of the most famous Russian authors like Tolstoy is the sociopolitical structure they describe. Why are there so many princes and princesses in the great works of Russian literature? Join us on a journey though the foundations of Russia, to find out how and why Russian nobles (who were not royalty in the West...

Today we'll dive into Jane Austen's Emma and investigate the meanings of the names of three of the main women: Emma Woodhouse, Harriet Smith, and Jane Fairfax. What is the history of these surnames? What do the names tell us about their characters? Did Austen do this intentionally? Was Jane Austen a wizard? We'll attempt to answer these and many more questions in our first foray into names in fiction!Dr. Octavio Cox Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCipwJ5GIKUYs2CcAhlcqjyw Sources:Arti...

We see hundreds of them in a day! But how did Memes and GIFs get their names? Did they exist before social media? And what on earth is the correct way to pronounce GIF??We'll answer these and more questions as we look at the histories of these internet giants. Watch for detours into the "web" of the 90s! Sources:Websites:www.techipages.com www.dictionary.comwww.waybackmachine.com www.britannica.com www.knowyourmeme.comwww.burnyourgifs.orgArticles:https://time.com/5791028/how-to-pronounce-gif/...

If you have a tiny bit of Latin in your naming toolbelt, you can see how Mortimer seems like it has to do with the dead sea: Mort=death and mer=sea. But is this the whole story?? Why on earth would that be a person's name? Why is Mortimer both a last name and a first name? And why are so many pop culture jerks named Mortime?We will attempt to answer all of these questions as we take the winding path of Mortimer from swamp to screen.Sources:Books:de Beaurepaire, F., & de Beaurepaire, F. (1...

In an episode inspired by a stupid quote from the movie Hercules, we aim to trace the popularity of the 90s darlings Jason and Brittany. But were these names as big in the 90s as we think? Join me as I go down the naming rabbit hole from ancient Greece to Watergate!Sources:Websites:www.ssa.govwww.imdb.comwww.behindthename.comwww.britannica.com www.kingjamesbibledictionary.com Articles:https://www.verywellfamily.com/jason-name-meaning-origin-popularity-5181610 https://www.thegreatcoursesdaily....

Today we're going to mine the depths of the Golden State! Hopefully we'll find some good nuggets! It'll be a real rush! (I know, I hate me too). More to explore on the Latino/a and Mexican American experience of California:Anthology of works by Los Angeles-based Latino/Hispanic writershttps://losangelesliterature.wordpress.com/2016/10/04/latinoa-writers-of-los-angeles-and-southern-california/ Books on California history by Latino authorsOccupied America by Rodolfo Acuna https://www.amaz...