Names and Nicknames




Conrad is not a common name in my culture, although quite common in my ancestral land.  Indeed, it has been handed down through many generations in my family since 1737 in Hameln, Germany.  My great-great grandfather went by Conrad even though it, like me, was not his first name, and he was the Hake to emigrate to America in 1854.  Most recently, before me, the name was given to my father's brother killed in a bombing raid over Germany in World War II.  Giving it to me, as the first born of my generation, actually caused jealous anger to some in my family, for it was the name most valued to hand down.  Oh, well, first come, first served, I guess.

Interestingly, none of us appeared to have Conrad (or Konrad as it was spelled in Germany) as our first name, yet the is what each of us have been called.  My first name is Joseph, named after my father whose legal name was not Joseph but actually Joe, and specifically named Joseph so I would not be a junior.  And, in answer to the literate among you, they were not even thinking of the author when they did this.  Since he was Joe, they called me Con from the days of my birth.  My grandparents called me Connie.  My relatives from Tennessee called me Joe Connie, which I've always kind of found humorous because it is my real claim to being southern!

When I started school, a fly got into the ointment!  I was in a 3-room schoolhouse and I was a member of the largest class with eight kids.  The problem was that in my class of seven boys and one girl, God decided she should be named Connie!

Up until fourth grade, no problem.  But, the teasing that is inevitable started that year.  When we moved after the fifth grade year, I told my parents who told people outside the house that my name was Connie I didn't want to be Connie anymore, but Conrad.  And so it was and has been ever since!  Apparently, my Uncle in the Air Force did the same thing, for correspondence about him to our family called him Ed!

But, as though Conrad wasn't enough of an oddity to some, the nicknames came forth over the years.  I had a boss who said a worker name should be like a bird dog, one syllable.  He found Con weird as a name, so always called me Joe! LOL  Since then, I have been Festus, since my last name of Hake was similar to Hagen for Festus Hagen on Gunsmoke.  I've been Cornbred, C-Rad, Cornelius, Conman, X-Con.  And my business signature was nothing but class and authority, J. Conrad!

The only nickname I lack is something from Donald Trump.  I suppose that if I were a member of his wrecking ball team of crooks, they might ultimately nickname me Con-victed!


Please check out my other blog mates' takes on the same topic brought to us by Padmini at their blogs, PadmumRajuRamanaSanjana and Shackman!

Comments

  1. Conrad has a more interesting history than Charles but it is too a family name going back to my great grandfather and uncle, both Charles Arthurs. I am a Charles Leslie with the Leslie being the middle name of my grandfather on my mother's side. Bubba works for my southerner name -

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  2. From the first contact we made for the blog world, I had felt that you should be German descent and that it would have been Konrad somewhere in the distant past. Hake, however was and still is a mystery to me and I shall investigate it to find out the origins of that name.

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    1. Hake was originally Haake in Germany according to my grandfather and was pronounced HAWK-uh. Coming to America, it was easier for many to simplify the spelling and pronunciation. It is now pronounced in an ugly way rhyming with cake. The hilarious part is that almost everyone first encountering it tries to take it back to two syllables getting the German pronunciation wrong. Even worse, some inexplicably pronounced it Hack, which makes no sense in any culture!

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  3. Oh my god. I had no idea you had German ancestry. Why didn't we understand each better in the first round? Do you speak (any) German?

    Have you read "Der Struwwelpeter"? One of the stories goes "Konrad", sprach die Frau Mama, "ich geh aus, und Du bleibst da." She added not to suck his thumb(s). From that moment on Konrad's life went downhill. Konrad liked sucking his thumb. No sooner had his mother left the house, the thumb goes in. Enter an evil entity, the tailor. I have no idea where he sprang from. Or why he would have any interest in Konrad and his thumbs. But he sprang. And cut off Konrad's thumbs.

    Having been brought up on Grimms' grim and Anderson's not so grim fairy tales, I have always been prepared for, not only worst case scenario but the worst of them all - The Happy Ending. There are no happy endings in Struwwelpeter's stories. Which, no doubt, accounts for the fact that little in life frightens me.

    Gruess Gott, guten Tag,
    U

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    1. I grew up during the time that my grandfather spoke only German until he went to school and then left it behind in order to assimilate. I took a semester of German in college 50 years ago and would need a lot of brushing up and learning.

      We have our direct line family back to 1639 in Hameln. Some of my direct ancestors had enough wealth as land owners and brandy distillers to own houses that have been converted to a hotel and a restaurant in Hameln.

      My great great grandfather was the head of the city council. He was also had of a rebel militia opposing I guess the king, Prussian? at that time and was run out with a bounty on his head.. He went through Ellis island in 1854 and settled in Wisconsin.

      My great grandfather then emigrated to Kansas and established our current family group. He was the first blacksmith in central Kansas.

      We are deep German and my blood is 5/8 German, the other 3/8 being Irish and Scots Irish. I may write a piece strictly on details of our line.

      Alas, the money was lost in a war before ever reaching American shores. Sigh ...

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