A President Named Obama Changes the Name Game

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT/AP: A President Named Obama Changes the Name Game
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: November 29, 2008

NEW YORK (AP) -- Zenas Ackah has heard it all his life: What kind of name is that? You must not be from here. You must be foreign. Actually, no. Born in the United States, the 22-year-old college senior with the Greek first name and the Ghanian last name grew up in Philadelphia.

But Ackah is hopeful that change is coming, that the idea of an ''American'' name will expand beyond monikers like Tom and Harry and Sally and Jane and Smith and Jones. He figures he's got a strong weapon on his side -- for at least the next four years, when people look to the most powerful American in the country, the ''uber-American'' if you will, they'll be looking at President Barack Hussein Obama.

''I think it will help people understand that people in America aren't just John, Jack, Mary,'' Ackah said. ''They're Zenas and Barack.''

Obama's name gave him his share of trouble during the campaign. He acknowledged its unfamiliarity to most Americans, and there were times when supporters of his opponent made a point of using his middle name, which was seen as an attempt to cast doubt on his background and faith. But the next four years will ensure that his name is no longer unfamiliar.

People have already named their infants after him.

The more people hear it, the more mainstream it becomes, said Don Nilsen, a professor of English linguistics at Arizona State University and co-president of the American Name Society. ''Who is more American than the president of the United States?'' he said. ''There's no question it will have a ripple effect, because of the power of the position.''...

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Obama-Whats-In-A-Name.html

[road2000]

1. Oh help! He's furrin!

I was just thinking in the past few days that we have our first president whose name ends with a vowel that's not "e". (I'm not counting "y").