What's in a name?

flipfreak4

New member
Since I was young, I've had what some might call an unhealthy obsession with names. Maybe it's because mine is so awful I've always dreamt about it being something normal. Who knows.

Anyway. I was bored this morning, so I decided to look some names up...

Hal might not be an ''army commander'' (from Harold) but if he is, he's well matched to Lois, who's a ''famous battle maid'' - see look, they match(ish!)

Francis is a ''free man'' - which is true enough, right from the beginning of the series we see him making his way without his family.

Reese is ''one who loves living'' - and we see that often enough, he's usually having fun not thinking about consequences.

Malcolm's meaning stumped me: there are two in the book I was using, one was ''a dove'', and the other, ''follower of Columba''. I couldn't think of how he's like a dove, and I have no idea what Columba is, but Malcolm is a bit of a follower, isn't he? He cares too much about what other people think of him and he wants to be popular, which stops him showing who he really is.

I was surprised to find that ''Dewey'' is in the book - and it means ''the beloved one'' - whaddya know, he was right in Clip Show! He is the one everybody likes the most!

That is, until Jamie, who's name means either ''the supplanter'' from James, or ''Beloved youngest son'' from Benjamin.

I know most writers just pluck a name out of the air which ''feels'' right, but these have a nice way of matching up.

And it cracked me up to find that Ida means ''happy''.
 

AlexTheMartian

New member
I think they picked the names because they sounded right for the character. I do not think they ever look up the name meanings. Just my assumption.

However I have no clue where they got Reese from, only other Reese I know is a woman, Reese Witherspoon. Also Reese's Peanut Butter Cup is from a person's last name, not first name... Harry Burnett (H.B.) Reese. However the name Reese is an anglicized form of Rhys, which is Welsh and means "enthusiasm", but according to the name meaning, it is masculine.

Also, in response to Malcolm's name meaning, Follower of Columba, seems to be referring to "Saint Columba", from what I can find online. So it is a religious thing.
 
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Richiepiep

Administrator
That's a great contribution! It just goes to show you can read a lot into names, and of course novelists, comic book writers, screenwriters etc. often exploit it, as in Harry Potter, where every name is tied to some personal characteristic.

I don't know if the names in MITM were chosen so carefully. 'Malcolm' is surely a rare, a bit 'intellectual' name that sets him apart from the rest. Malcolm was also King Duncan's oldest son in Macbeth, so that doesn't make sense.

Of course Mad Magazine has a way of making these names more typical: Malcontent, Reek, Frantic and Gooey!

Rich

Malcolm_in_the_Middle_Cartoon_-1_MAD_Magazine_MITMVC_.jpg
 
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