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This is my son, Harlequin.
You say: Wow! What a bold name, are you a Commedia fan? I totally approve. It's long; do you call him by a nickname ever? I know my kids would all end up with monosyllabic names eventually…
You think: It's too bad Harlequin is associated with trashy romance novels, cause it's a sweet name associated with a sweet character. Arlecchino would have avoided the romance novel issue, and I associate it with the character more (just cause my troupe uses Italian names in general rather than English and French ones), but I kinda can picture Harlequin more on a boy who isn't Arlecchino himself…Hal would be a good nickname. Obviously the whole point of this exercise is that these names are unusable, but I think I'd love it as a middle name.

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This is my son, Mercutio.
You say: Oh, that's a great name. I like it. It's strange, isn't it, how Shakespeare's female names get used all the time but no one touches the male ones? Did you name him after the character, by the way? I think Mercutio's a great namesake, though he's quite the hothead…[and so on in this vein].
You think: Stop talking, you're freaking her out. Mercutio really is great, though again, a bit pretentious as a FN, and I love love the character. Maybe he was a hothead, but Romeo was a whiney jerk. (Benvolio was the best of the lot, really). The problem w/ Mercutio is it has no nicknames, but it's super long. Mark, maybe.

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This is my son, Hermes.
You say: Oh, that's a nice name.
You think: I really don't have a particular opinion on it, it's nifty but I don't like the sound a ton or have a particular draw to the god, Hermes.

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This is my son, Brighella.
You say: That is awesome! Awesome!
You think: Seriously. What an awesome name and namesake. My troupe really needs to do a scenario with Brighella, we've got an actor who's been Pedrolino and Dottore and would be a perfect Brighella. [And my mind tangents on this fact for another hour.]

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This is my daughter, Columbine.
You say: Ooh! After Colombina? I think it's a lovely name.

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This is my son, Harlequin.
You say: Interesting name! Does he have a nickname?
You think: Sounds like a soap opera character. Harley or Quinn would be nice nickname.

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This is my son, Mercutio.
You say: Did you name him after Shakespeare character?
You think: I don't like it.

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This is my son, Hermes.
You say: Hi Hermes!
You think: I don't like it but I've seen worse names.

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This is my son, Brighella.
You say: Was she named after someone?
You think: I've never heard that name before. It's not something I would use, but it's not bad.

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This is my daughter, Columbine.
You say: Hi Columbine!
You think: The school shooting... But the name is pretty.

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This is my daughter, Cinderella.
You say: What a cute little princess!
You think: It's a little too much for me, but at least the name has some good nickname options.

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This is my daughter, Latona.
You say: Hi Latona!
You think: I dislike the name.

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This is my daughter, Arleith.
You say: Nice name. I've never heard it before.
You think: In a strange way I really like this name.

This is my son, Harlequin.
You say: What a nice name!
You think: This is really cool idea. He can go by Quin if he chooses to.
This is my son, Mercutio.
You say: So you like Shakespeare?
You think: Hm, wasn't Mercutio the bloke who was after all the women, picked a fight and got himself killed?
This is my son, Hermes.
You say: Oh, hi Hermes!
You think: Unusual. Not to bad. I wonder if I can send a parcel with him (we have a parcel delivery service in Germany called Hermes)
This is my son, Brighella.
You say: Oh! Goldoni! I once acted the part of Brighella in one of his plays!
You think: And he was a very old man... He was a good guy full of advice I suppose. Very feminine name, it might be though for him with all the Arabellas, Anabellas, Isabellas aso at the moment.
This is my daughter, Columbine.
You say: Oh! A character from Goldoni.
You think: Yeah, she was the Judy from Punch and Judy in the 'commedie d'ell arte'. And a little bit thick. And there's Columbine High School, I wonder which she's named after?
This is my daughter, Cinderella.
You say: Oh!
You think: Okeee... Somebody didn't grow up!
This is my daughter, Latona.
You say: Where did you come across that name?
You think: It sounds a little Scottish but modern.
This is my daughter, Arleith.
You say: Is that a place or surname?
You think: Nice sound. I wonder what it is.

This is my son, Harlequin.
You say: Hi!
You think: Um What?

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This is my son, Mercutio.
You say: Hi!
You think: Like the Shakespeare character?

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This is my son, Hermes.
You say: Hi!
You think: What a stupid name

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This is my son, Brighella.
You say: Hi
You think: I hate it

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This is my daughter, Columbine.
You say: Hi
You think: It actually sounds pretty too bad the shooting ruined it

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This is my daughter, Cinderella.
You say: Hi
You think: This is one of the most ridiculous names I have ever heard

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This is my daughter, Latona.
You say: Hi
You think: Eww

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This is my daughter, Arleith.
You say: Hi
You think: What?

This is my son, Harlequin.
You say: Ugly.
You think: NO!

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This is my son, Mercutio.
You say: What?
You think: Pompous, ugly, and olf-fashioned.

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This is my son, Hermes.
You say: A disease?
You think: Pretentious.

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This is my son, Brighella.
You say: Girly.
You think: Stupid.

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This is my daughter, Columbine.
You say: Weird.
You think: I don't think of the school. I think of the sadistic jerk Columbus.

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This is my daughter, Cinderella.
You say: Cinderella dressed in yellow...you know how it goes.
You think: Ha ha!

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This is my daughter, Latona.
You say: What?
You think: Sounds pseudoethnic.

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This is my daughter, Arleith.
You say: Sounds masculine.
You think: Ugly.

This is my son, Harlequin.
You say:
You think: love it honestly

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This is my son, Mercutio.
You say:
You think: too much orefer Mercury

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This is my son, Hermes.
You say:
You think: lol all I picture is the skinny dude from Hercules

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This is my son, Brighella.
You say:
You think: what?

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This is my daughter, Columbine.
You say:
You think: ok prefer Columbia if any

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This is my daughter, Cinderella.
You say:
You think: yay! I love this name

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This is my daughter, Latona.
You say:
You think: prefer Lakota

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This is my daughter, Arleith.
You say:
You think: nmsaa

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