this post was submitted on 13 Feb 2024
90 points (95.0% liked)

Asklemmy

43970 readers
863 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy πŸ”

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

  1. Open-ended question
  2. Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
  3. Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
  4. Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
  5. An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_A@discuss.tchncs.de~

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

What last name do you think is neat? It could sound cool, have an interesting meaning or history, etc.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] D_Air1@lemmy.ml 41 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

Bruh, Mozart's whole ass name was cool as hell. Not just his last name. This man wins hands down.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

[–] stewie3128@lemmy.ml 26 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Mozart's full baptismal name was

Johannes Chrystostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart

But he went by a few different names, partially because there were so many different languages spoken by the aristocracy in 18th century Central Europe that he adapted his name to suit whatever language he was using at the moment. "Theophilus" is the Greek form of "Amadeus." Sometimes you'll see the German translation of "Gottlieb." Day-to-day, he is reported to have gone by "Wolfgang Amadè."

It wasn't uncommon for people to translate their names freely like this. Beethoven went by "Luigi" in Italian texts, and "Louis" in French.

"Giuseppe Verdi" would today be translated to English as "Joe Green."

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] LopensLeftArm@sh.itjust.works 34 points 9 months ago (1 children)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 25 points 9 months ago (1 children)
[–] brokenlcd@feddit.it 17 points 9 months ago

Mate here in italy we have "della morte" as a surname; which translates literally to "of the death". I don't think we can get more goth than this

[–] Chainweasel@lemmy.world 22 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Danzig
Glenn Danzig was born with the perfect name for an 80s metal band

[–] sawdustprophet@midwest.social 6 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Glenn Danzig was born with the perfect name for an 80s metal band

FYI Danzig is his stage name. His actual last name is Anzalone.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] pan_troglodytes@programming.dev 18 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Hash. born on 4/20. growing up we used to go here to roast bowls

[–] Stamau123@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago

In sweet grass County

[–] GammaGames@beehaw.org 18 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I knew someone with the last name Lancaster, it feels both game of thronesy and cyberpunky

[–] SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 17 points 9 months ago

born to be a network engineer

[–] state_electrician@discuss.tchncs.de 14 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

I once worked with a guy with the last name of Fick (German for fuck) and a woman with the last name Lazarus. I found both quite cool. The guy in particular was very offensive with his name, always answering the phone with simply "Fick". I just looked him up and he has changed his last name, probably by marriage. I guess he found it unprofessional in the end.

[–] PeterLossGeorgeWall@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 9 months ago (1 children)

It's common for German people to just answer the phone with their surname at work. He wasn't being offensive.

[–] state_electrician@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Well, ", hello?" is quite common. But just shouting Fick! when answering a call is always on purpose, no matter if it's your actual name.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] pip@slrpnk.net 14 points 9 months ago

I knew this girl once whose surname was Δρακοπούλου (Drakopulu) that means "daughter of the dragon"

I think that's pretty fire idk about you guys

[–] MedicPigBabySaver@lemmy.world 12 points 9 months ago (2 children)

I like my Norwegian heritage side of the family: Bull.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] bran_buckler@kbin.social 12 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Murgatroyd, which was the last name of one of the dancers on Dancing With The Stars. To me, it sounds very sci-fi, it makes me think of how Trillian combined her first and last name to make something sound more β€œspace-like” in Hitchhikers Guide.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] ImplyingImplications@lemmy.ca 12 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Sweet is a nice last name, though I'm sure some guys don't like being called "Mr. Sweet". Names like Fox or Wolf are pretty badass. Also some indigenous last names can be cool like Roundpoint or Buckshot.

[–] thelsim@sh.itjust.works 20 points 9 months ago

Are you kidding? Mr. Sweet sounds like some kind of professional hitman. I do not want to meet with any Mr. Sweet :)

[–] lazyforaname@lemmy.world 12 points 9 months ago

I knew a girl whose last name was Fantasia. I always thought that was awesome

[–] NoSpotOfGround@lemmy.world 12 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I met someone named McCool once. I thought that was pretty cool.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] LoraxEleven@lemmy.world 12 points 9 months ago

Kuntz. Yep, said like That... As in Rusty Kuntz. Best baseball name in history:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rusty_Kuntz

[–] paddirn@lemmy.world 12 points 9 months ago (1 children)

A person I’ve worked with before literally had the last name β€˜Cool’. I thought that was pretty cool.

[–] SilentStorms@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 9 months ago

I worked with a 'McCool'

He said introducing himself was a pickup line

[–] dan@upvote.au 11 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

One of the IT people at my high school had a surname of "Code". He did write some code, but mainly KiXtart scripts.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] eightpix@lemmy.world 10 points 9 months ago

I worked with teacher named Mr. Zero for a year. He was super cool.

Also, if you haven't seen it, the Zero Effect is a solid movie with Ben Stiller and Bill Pullman. The latter plays Daryl Zero.

[–] Truffle@lemmy.ml 10 points 9 months ago

Cantalapiedra which can be roughly translated as: the stone that sings. Canta: sing La: the Piedra: stone

[–] cheesymoonshadow@lemmings.world 10 points 9 months ago (1 children)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] RizzRustbolt@lemmy.world 10 points 9 months ago

Villalobos.

Instantly makes any given name sound badass.

"I am Clancy, from the Town of the Wolves."

[–] LOLjoeWTF@lemmy.world 10 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Smithe. It's Smith with an E. Your source of high quality names.

[–] LopensLeftArm@sh.itjust.works 10 points 9 months ago

Not to be confused with "Smith, eh" which is most commonly found in Canada.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Nemo@midwest.social 9 points 9 months ago (2 children)

I know a doctor named Docter.

But West is the coolest I've seen "in the wild".

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Etterra@lemmy.world 9 points 9 months ago

Max Warman. Seriously.

Honestly you can Google anything like "best last name" and get some crazy nonsense, it's great.

[–] Xariphon@kbin.social 8 points 9 months ago (4 children)

I've always thought the name Buchanan sounded... Not cool per se but... Atmospheric? Like it could only belong to one of those old-money families up to their eyeballs in secret societies and mystery.

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] ArtieShaw@kbin.social 8 points 9 months ago

I like some of the names from Puritan New England.

Cutting Moody

Tristram Coffin

[–] eezeebee@lemmy.ca 8 points 9 months ago (2 children)
  • Savage
  • Powers
  • Attack
  • Shields
[–] OutlierBlue@lemmy.ca 6 points 9 months ago (2 children)
load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] toast@retrolemmy.com 7 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Shaft

Name has its own theme song

I knew a Shaft, used to work with him. He was the farthest from cool, and also lacked integrity.

[–] loudWaterEnjoyer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 9 months ago (1 children)
[–] Toribor@corndog.social 6 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (3 children)

Growing up the local judge was a Power. So yes, Judge Power.

Always sounded like he was going to send you to the phantom zone or something.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] Kiwi@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Matadamas

It's Spanish and, translated to English, means: Lady-killer

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] RBWells@lemmy.world 7 points 9 months ago

DeLeΓ²n

I have some family named Cambias, and learned it's because they lost their last names in the Spanish inquisition when they were forcibly converted to Christianity. Changed.

[–] SuiXi3D@kbin.social 7 points 9 months ago

Honestly, my own. Meyers is pretty good, even if nobody knows how to spell it.

[–] BamBamToxico@lemmy.ml 7 points 9 months ago

At the cemetery I work at we got a couple Blickenderfers, Hammermeisters, and even a couple Deatherages. All pretty BA names. One of the Deatherages was even named Ozzy.

[–] Threeme2189@lemmy.world 7 points 9 months ago (1 children)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Cwilliams@beehaw.org 6 points 9 months ago
[–] d3Xt3r@lemmy.nz 6 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

β€β€β€Ž β€Ž

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 6 points 9 months ago
load more comments
view more: next β€Ί