Maybe the Romans had a good idea: they named their children First, Second, Third, Fourth, etc. If they were boys they had masculine endings to their name; girls had feminine endings. Thus, the third child was name Tertius if a boy, Tertia if a girl. Rather impersonal don't you think? It was a wonder that Rome ever conquered the world without the self-esteem of a kooky name.

When I was a kid, I knew a family where the girls were named Gaylee and Lovejoy, and the boy was named Angel. None of us were surprized when the boy later murdered his father.

BTW, I names my boys Steve, Sam, Joe, Jim, Josh, and Matt. Didn't want to mess them up.

WORLD November 15, 2003: Brand names: "Taking pop culture to a new level, some Americans are naming their children after consumer products"