names

Quotations about names

Using Quotations in a Speech or Text about names

As well as keeping your audience engaged, adding quotations to a speech or a text can significantly enhance its impact and effectiveness. Quotations are useful for explaining complex ideas concisely, much in the same way that analogies are used. Additionally, quotations from experts or celebrities can add credibility to your message.

Here are some funny and poignant quotations about names. If your speech is serious, do not automatically avoid funny quotations as they can often be the most impactful, forcing your audience into the thinking about the hidden analogous message in your selected quotation.

"Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious." (British actor Peter Ustinov)
"When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth." (Irish dramatist George Bernard Shaw)

If you are looking to make a fuller speech about names, then below this selection of quotations are three funny themes and three serious themes on the topic of names that might help trigger some ideas for your speech or text.

I never really needed a nickname at school. Although it was bad for me it was much worse for my sister Ophelia. Ed Balls (British Labour politician, 1967-)

of Arianna Stassinopoulos: So boring you fall asleep halfway through her name. Alan Bennett (English dramatist and actor, 1934-)

fashionable children's names of which Camden disapproved: The new names, Free-gift, Reformation, Earth, Dust, Ashes... which have lately been given by some to their children. William Camden (English antiquary, 1551-1623)

of Alfred Bossom: Who is this man whose name is neither one thing nor the other? Winston Churchill (British Conservative statesman, 1874-1965)

If you don't give your child a middle name, how are they ever to know when you are cross with them? Vivienne Clore British showbusiness agent

nickname for Cecil Beaton: Malice in Wonderland. Jean Cocteau (French dramatist and film director, 1889-1963)

Rip-Van-With-It. nickname for Cecil Beaton Cyril Connolly (English writer, 1903-74)

One theory is that I was named after the opera and the other that my mum was sitting in her boudoir wondering what to call me and glanced at her Carmen rollers. I prefer the Bizet theory. Carmen Ejogo (British actress, 1974-)

on J. P. Horrocks-Taylor's slipping Mick English's rugby tackle to score: Horrocks went one way, Taylor went the other, and I was left holding his bloody hyphen. Mick English d. 2010 Irish rugby player

Colin is the sort of name you give your goldfish for a joke. Colin Firth (British actor, 1960-)

to Arthur Hornblow, who was planning to name his son Arthur: Every Tom, Dick and Harry is called Arthur. Sam Goldwyn (American film producer, 1882-1974)

comment at a Test Match as Michael Holding faced Peter Willey: The batsman's Holding, the bowler's Willey. Brian Johnston (British cricket commentator, 1912-94)

In the last Parliament, the House of Commons had more MPs called John than all the women MPs put together. Tessa Jowell (British Labour politician, 1947-)

One day I'll be famous! I'll be proper and prim; Go to St James so often I will call it St Jim! Alan Jay Lerner (American songwriter, 1918-86)

when asked if Groucho were his real name: No, I'm breaking it in for a friend. Groucho Marx (American film comedian, 1890-1977)

on why she had named her canary 'Onan': Because he spills his seed on the ground. Dorothy Parker (American critic and humorist, 1893-1967)

But I must not go on singling out names. One must not be a name-dropper, as Her Majesty remarked to me yesterday. Lord St John of Fawsley (British Conservative politician, 1929-2012)

wondering why, since he was Irish, he was not O'Sheridan: For in truth we owe everybody. Richard Brinsley Sheridan (Irish dramatist and Whig politician, 1751-1816)

I remember your name perfectly; but I just can't think of your face. William Archibald Spooner (English clergyman and academic, 1844-1930)

on being asked by William Carlos Williams how he had chosen the name 'West': Horace Greeley said, 'Go West, young man.' So I did. West was born Nathan von Wallenstein Weinstein Nathanael West (American writer, 1903-40)

A good name will wear out; a bad one may be turned; a nickname lasts forever. Johann Georg Zimmerman (Swiss physician and writer, 1728-95)

Thinking Template for a Speech or Text on Names

Below are 3 funny themes and 3 serious themes related to names. These have been included to help you identify areas to explore.

Funny Themes:

Name Mishaps: Hilarious Tales of Name Mix-ups
- Share amusing stories or anecdotes about name mix-ups, mistaken identities, or funny nicknames, highlighting the humor in misunderstandings and unconventional monikers.
Punny Names: The Funniest Names and Wordplay
- Explore humorous anecdotes or pun-filled stories involving clever or unconventional names, discussing the comical side of wordplay and creative naming conventions.
Unexpected Celebrity Names: Surprising Origins and Meanings
- Discuss humorous or surprising celebrity names, exploring their origins, meanings, and the amusing stories behind famous name choices.

Serious Themes:

The Significance of Names: Cultural and Historical Perspectives
- Explore the cultural and historical significance of names, discussing how names reflect identity, heritage, and societal norms, and their role in shaping personal and collective narratives.
Naming Traditions: Customs and Rituals Around the World
- Discuss naming customs and rituals across different cultures and societies, exploring the symbolism, traditions, and ceremonies associated with naming individuals.
Names and Identity: Impact on Self-Perception and Society
- Examine the psychological impact of names on self-perception and societal perceptions, discussing stereotypes, biases, and the influence of names on individual identity and social interactions.

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