What are some of your favorite out of the ordinary names from history, religion, or fiction? Could be the name of a person, animal, place, etc.

I’ve really always liked the name Bellerephon from Greek mythology. I also like the name of the home planet of the Time Lords from Dr. Who, Gallifrey, as well as Rassilon, a Time Lord.

  • jasondj@ttrpg.network
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    1 year ago

    Funny story, specifically on the name “Idaho”, from Wikipedia’s article on the state, “Etymology” Section:

    The name’s origin remains a mystery.[9] In the early 1860s, when the U.S. Congress was considering organizing a new territory in the Rocky Mountains, the name “Idaho” was suggested by George M. Willing, a politician posing as an unrecognized delegate from the unofficial Jefferson Territory.[10] Willing claimed that the name was derived from a Shoshone term meaning “the sun comes from the mountains” or “gem of the mountains”,[11] but it was revealed later that there was no such term and Willing claimed that he had been inspired to coin the name when he met a little girl named Ida.[12] Since the name appeared to be fabricated, the U.S. Congress ultimately decided to name the area Colorado Territory instead when it was created in February 1861, but by the time this decision was made, the town of Idaho Springs, Colorado had already been named after Willing’s proposal.

    The same year Congress created Colorado Territory, a county called Idaho County was created in eastern Washington Territory. The county was named after a steamship named Idaho, which was launched on the Columbia River in 1860. It is unclear whether the steamship was named before or after Willing’s claim was revealed. Regardless, part of Washington Territory, including Idaho County, was used to create Idaho Territory in 1863.[13] Idaho Territory would later change its boundaries to the area that became the U.S. state.[14]

    • FooBarrington@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      […] but it was revealed later that there was no such term and Willing claimed that he had been inspired to coin the name when he met a little girl named Ida.

      Imagine pissing a politician off so hard he tries to name a state after your name plus “hoe”