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In 500 Years, Everyone in Japan May Have the Same Name

Japan's residents may all have surname Sato if an antiquated civil code isn't updated, researcher says

(Newser) - An antiquated law in Japan could lead to an unusual happening in about five centuries: everyone with the same surname. That surname would be Sato, which is the conclusion on the universally shared surname by the year 2531 arising from the research of Tohoku University economics professor Hiroshi Yoshida. More...

Dwayne Johnson Finally Gets Rights to Famous Nickname
'The Rock' Has
a New Owner
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jan 27, 2024 4:00 PM CST

'The Rock' Has a New Owner

And it's Dwayne Johnson, who strikes a deal with WWE regarding rights to his famous nickname

(Newser) - It's a name that has become almost synonymous with professional wrestling, but its bearer, Dwayne Johnson, has never legally owned "The Rock." That will change under a new agreement with the WWE, under which Johnson will also join the board of TKO Group, the sports and entertainment...

These Baby Names Are Going Down the Tubes
These Baby Names
May Soon Be 'Extinct'
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jan 27, 2024 6:00 AM CST

These Baby Names May Soon Be 'Extinct'

According to BabyCenter, certain names have dropped significantly in popularity

(Newser) - If you know a Brooke, Blake, Brady, or Bradley, offer them either condolences or a big congrats—they may soon claim a pretty rare first name. BabyCenter offers an annual "most popular" baby names list, but the company also sifted through the data to find the names that seem...

New Yorkers, Say Goodbye to This Sign
New Yorkers, Say
Goodbye to This Sign
Jan 12, 2024 11:13 AM CST

New Yorkers, Say Goodbye to This Sign

'Trump Links' golf course has become 'Bally Links' in the Bronx

(Newser) - On the final day of a civil fraud trial that could strip former President Trump of his ability to do business in the state he called home for most of his life, New York City officials were taking their own steps to sever ties with Trump by erasing his name...

No One Knows How to Say Ron DeSantis' Name— Including DeSantis
DeSantis Keeps
Switching How He
Says His Name
THE RUNDOWN
Jun 1, 2023 8:41 AM CDT

DeSantis Keeps Switching How He Says His Name

Yearslong puzzle on how to pronounce surname reignites now that he's running for president

(Newser) - Now that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has officially jumped into the 2024 presidential race, people have lots of questions on what he plans to do if he's elected to the Oval Office. But another question has emerged of late, and it's a more personal one: How the heck...

Metal Band Named Omicron Says It Won't Change Its Name
Death-Metal Band's Name
Has Unfortunate Timing
in case you missed it
Dec 12, 2021 8:45 AM CST

Death-Metal Band's Name Has Unfortunate Timing

Belgian group Omicron says it's named after a constellation, not the latest coronavirus variant

(Newser) - Even bad publicity is supposedly good publicity, but whoever coined that phrase likely wasn't part of a death-metal band that shared its name with a coronavirus variant. Such a band formed two years ago, before COVID had overtaken the globe, and now the little-known Belgian group Omicron (which has...

Space Force Has Completed a 'Momentous Responsibility'

Troops have been officially named 'guardians,' Mike Pence announced Friday

(Newser) - If "troops" seemed too boring of a way to refer to the members of Space Force, never fear—there's a new label for those in service to the latest US military branch. "It is my honor, on behalf of the president of the United States, to announce...

Wait, That's Where Beyonce's Name Came From?

It's her mom's maiden name, and she should've been Beyince instead

(Newser) - Lots of people name their kids after family members, or even use surnames from further up the family tree. Yet somehow the world is reeling from finding out that's exactly how one of our most famous celebrities got her own moniker. Per USA Today , Tina Knowles-Lawson, the mother of...

New Boeing Plane Name May Be Subtle PR Move

737 Max is called 737-8 in new announcement from Boeing, but it's not clear if that's an official rebrand

(Newser) - Boeing announced an order Wednesday from Polish airline Enter Air for up to four 737-8 airplanes, with the airline's general director asserting he's "convinced it will be the best aircraft in the world for many years to come." For those curious what this new jet is...

A Dear Abby Answer on Names Sparks Outrage

Padma Lakshmi calls column 'deeply racist'

(Newser) - The "Dear Abby" advice column has been appearing in newspapers since 1956—and after a recent response to a question about "foreign names," critics accused it of being stuck in that year. Columnist Jeanne Phillips was accused of racism after telling a reader he was right to...

NASA Needs Your Help to Nickname Tiny World

'2014 MU69' just not that catchy

(Newser) - Heads up, armchair travelers. NASA is seeking a nickname for a tiny, icy world on the edge of the solar system that's the next destination for New Horizons, the spacecraft that surveyed Pluto. New Horizons whipped past Pluto two years ago, and now it's headed for 2014 MU69—...

Diddy Says He Has New Name, Won't Answer to Old Ones
Diddy: I Was Just Kidding
About That New Name
UPDATED
Nov 7, 2017 2:38 PM CST

Diddy: I Was Just Kidding About That New Name

He originally said he wanted to be called Love or Brother Love

(Newser) - The artist who has been known as Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, Diddy, and so forth appeared to have given himself yet another name change for his 48th birthday—but he's since revealed it was just a joke. The rapper and media mogul, who was born Sean Combs, tweeted...

Celeb Chef Changes Restaurant Name After Disturbing Find
Celeb Chef Alters Restaurant
Name After Disturbing Find
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Aug 27, 2017 11:00 AM CDT

Celeb Chef Alters Restaurant Name After Disturbing Find

Tom Colicchio says he didn't know about racial beliefs of men he named it after

(Newser) - A celebrity chef has spent tens of thousands of dollars to quietly change the name of his Manhattan restaurant after he discovered its meaning had racial undertones. Per the New York Times , Tom Colicchio, the lead judge on Bravo's Top Chef, originally called his eatery in the New York...

Internet Picks Name for Albino Orangutan

It's not 'Orangutan McOrangutanface'

(Newser) - A rare albino orangutan rescued from captivity in a Borneo village has been given a new name with the help of online suggestions—and remarkably, it isn't "Orangutan McOrangutanface." The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, which received thousands of suggestions, says the 5-year-old female will be called "...

Noisy Shrimp Named After Pink Floyd
Noisy Shrimp Named
After Pink Floyd
Apr 12, 2017 12:15 PM CDT

Noisy Shrimp Named After Pink Floyd

Pistol shrimp's bright-pink claw makes such a loud sound it'll blow your mind

(Newser) - If you've ever been blown away by Pink Floyd, you'll get why scientists just named a similarly thunderous crustacean in its honor. Per a post in the Zootaxa journal , a species of pistol shrimp with an intensely colored red-pink claw, found in the Pacific Ocean near Panama, has...

Stranger Enjoys Free Trip to Spain—Because of His Name

The 21-year-old joined a surprise 30th birthday trip

(Newser) - When a complete stranger messaged Joe McGrath on Facebook last week about a free trip to Spain, the 21-year-old in Manchester, England, thought it sounded like a hoax. But he says the invitation kept replaying in his head, and soon he found himself on the phone with a man who...

Royal Caribbean Asks 'Boaty McBoatface' Guy to Help Name Ship

He's offered a cruise as publicity stunt

(Newser) - Royal Caribbean has crowdsourced the public before to help it name its cruise ships, but it's tapping into a rather unusual source this time around: the guy who came up with "Boaty McBoatface." The company invited British bloke James Hand—whose "whimsical moniker," as a...

Most Common Name in the US Is Identified
 Most Common Name 
 in the US Is Identified 
in case you missed it
Nov 29, 2014 4:07 PM CST

Most Common Name in the US Is Identified

It's James Smith, according to two groups of analysts

(Newser) - Statistical experts at FiveThirtyEight.com undertook a project last week to discover the most common name in the US. Based on an investigation of Social Security Administration first-name records, Census data on last names, adjusted probabilities, and a number of statistical steps, the site ultimately estimated that "James Smith"...

To Sound Smarter, Use Your Middle Initial


 To Sound Smarter, 
 Use Your Middle Initial 
study says
May 4, 2014 8:13 AM CDT

To Sound Smarter, Use Your Middle Initial

And if you want people to trust your kid, give him an easy-to-pronounce name: studies

(Newser) - Want to be seen as an intellectual? Here's an easy first step: Start using your middle initial in writing. Doing so, a study finds, boosts "positive evaluations of people's intellectual capacities and achievements." The study—run by researchers Wijnand A.P. van Tilburg and Eric R....

Guy Named 'God' Has a Problem
 Guy Named 'God' 
 Has a Problem 
Apr 11, 2014 12:18 PM CDT

Guy Named 'God' Has a Problem

He's had to file a lawsuit over credit reporting issue

(Newser) - If you thought Rainbow Aurora , Lyric Sonny Roads Goldberg , Janice Keihanaikukauakahihuliheekahaunaele , and whoever made these laws necessary had it bad, consider the plight of God Gazarov. The Russian-born Gazarov was named after his grandfather, and now lives in Brooklyn. But the 26-year-old businessman was recently rejected for an auto loan...

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