I know you’re shocked to hear from me apart from posting Theresa’s baby name consultations! But a funny name thing happened recently and I couldn’t wait to tell you all.

A few years ago a friend recommended the show Moone Boy to me, but at the time it was on Hulu, which we didn’t have. Then more recently Simcha wrote that her family’s been enjoying it on Prime, so last week I found it and watched the first few episodes (and yes, I feel like it won’t be long until I’m speaking with a brogue all the time now) and of course noticed right away that the main character’s full name is Martin Paul Kenny Dalglish Moone. My name thoughts went thusly: Martin, Paul, and Kenny made sense to me, since they’re saintly names; I thought it was fun that Paul and Kenny were next to each other, as one of my friends has sons named Paul and Kenny; and Dalglish was so unfamiliar to me that I just assumed it was one of the most confusing Irish names the creators (who are Irish) could come up with. Also, the voiceover seemed to sort of emphasize Dalglish in a chuckly sort of way, which reinforced my idea that it was just a Super Irish Name.

Then this past Sunday, my mom was telling me she’d seen Man of Steel with Henry Cavill and asked what else he’d been in that she might know. So I looked him up and was shocked to see that his given name is Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill! What are the odds?? (In his case, Dalgliesh is his mother’s maiden name.)

Well. Now I *had* to dig deeper into the name. I was disappointed by what I found! There was barely anything on Behind the Name — just that it’s a Scottish surname meaning “field”+”brook,” and further searching (though admittedly not exhaustive) revealed no saintly or faith connection that I could find (which is why this is just a regular post as opposed to a Spotlight). But then I mentioned it to my husband, just in my chatty way of talking about all sorts of things that he may or may not have an interest in (he always tries to look interested, such a good man), and he actually had a contribution! He wondered if they (Moone Boy and Henry Cavill) might have been named after Sir Kenny Dalglish, and I was like who?? So he pulled up his Wikipedia entry — Hubby supports Liverpool F.C. (lest you think I’m in the know, just know that I just looked up how to say that … if I hadn’t just learned to say “supports Liverpool F.C.” I’d have said “he’s a fan of the Liverpool [England] football team”) and Sir Kenny Dalglish is a former and very famous player. So then Moone Boy‘s main character’s name took on new meaning — it’s not just Martin and Paul and Kenny strung together before Dalglish, it’s Martin and Paul strung together before Kenny Dalglish! Or at least, Kenny’s pulling double duty here as both a Saint’s name and making more sense of Dalglish.

So interesting, right?? I knew you’d love to hear this! I hope you’re all having a great week, and happy first day of Fall!!

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I’m currently on hiatus from doing consultations, but Theresa Zoe Williams is available to help you! Email her at TheresaZoeWrites@gmail.com to set up your own consultation! (Payment methods remain the same.)

During my hiatus, please don’t forget about my book! Catholic Baby Names for Girls and Boys: Over 250 Ways to Honor Our Lady (Marian Press, 2018), is available to order from ShopMercy.org and Amazon (not affiliate links) — perfect for the expectant parents, name enthusiasts, and lovers of Our Lady in your life!