Hacker News with Generative AI: Names

When your last name is Null, nothing works (wsj.com)
Nontra Yantaprasert couldn’t wait to take her husband’s shorter and easier-to-pronounce last name. She didn’t know what kinds of problems it would cause.

Names, Technology, Identity, Bureaucracy

272 points by impish9208 15 days ago | 295 comments

Surnames from nicknames nobody has any more (plover.com)
English has a pattern of common patronymic names. For example, "John Peters" and "John Peterson" are someone whose father was named "Peter". ("Peters" should be understood as "Peter's".) Similarly we have John Williams and John Williamson, John Roberts and John Robertson, John Richards and John Richardson, John James and John Jameson, John Johns and John Johnson, and so on.

English Language, Etymology, History, Names, Surname Origins

993 points by JNRowe 25 days ago | 449 comments

Google Maps Will Rename Gulf of Mexico as Gulf of America in US (theguardian.com)
Google has confirmed it will rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America on Google Maps in the US, after an executive order from Donald Trump.

Google Maps, Geopolitics, United States, Politics, Names

27 points by hackernj 37 days ago | 30 comments

Show HN: I made a tool that generates your Chinese name based on your name (chname.dev)

Software, Tools, China, Names, Generative AI

18 points by zshaoz 41 days ago | 9 comments

Elon Musk changes his name to Kekius Maximus on X (bbc.com)
The world's richest man, Elon Musk, has sparked speculation after changing his name on his social media platform X to "Kekius Maximus".

Elon Musk, Social Media, Names

11 points by pseudolus 65 days ago | 4 comments

How to Pronounce Chinese Names a Little Better (jacko.io)
Mainland China uses the pinyin system to write Mandarin words and names with English letters.

Pronunciation, Chinese Language, Mandarin, Names

23 points by oconnor663 91 days ago | 7 comments

A Bad Year for Catherines (techdirt.com)
Say That Again

Names, Culture, Humor

18 points by hn_acker 122 days ago | 4 comments

Boy named after Star Wars character denied passport due t copyright infringement (nzherald.co.nz)

Copyright, Law, Names, Star Wars

32 points by mdp2021 165 days ago | 14 comments

Fukuppy (wikipedia.org)
Fukuppy (フクッピー, fukuppī, pronounced [ɸɯ̥kɯꜜppiː]) was the short-lived English name of a mascot of the Japanese company Fukushima Industries.

Mascots, Japan, Companies, History, Names

14 points by Deeg9rie9usi 166 days ago | 4 comments

6-year-old denied passport because she's named after 'Game of Thrones' character (nypost.com)

Politics, Social Issues, Names, Identity

8 points by josephcsible 212 days ago | 1 comments

New study finds people alter their appearance to suit their names (phys.org)

Psychology, Names, Appearance

16 points by wjSgoWPm5bWAhXB 219 days ago | 16 comments

New study finds people alter their appearance to suit their names (phys.org)

Psychology, Names, Social Science, Identity

7 points by otterwise 220 days ago | 8 comments

Increase (Given Name) (wikipedia.org)