02 June 2005

Finally, they listen to me.

We have a new staffer here and at long last the chain of Davids, Johns, Michaels, Pauls, and Richards has been broken. I have insisted for a long time that I really didn't care much about people's qualifications - that's for the folks higher up the food chain to worry about - but that I insist we stop hiring people who have a first name that at least three of our staffers already have. I have literally told Laura (right before I dutifully distributed the interview forms) that David X or Michael Y was probably very nice, but that we cannot hire them.

When I was hired we had 5 Davids, 4 Johns (insert rude jokes about hookers and bathrooms here), 3 Michaels, 4 Pauls, and 4 Richards. Those 5 names made up nearly 25% of the first names in our 83-person office. Sure, we had identifiers - the Richards were broken into Dick, Rich, Rich, and Rick. Oddly enough, both men named Rich are 6'5", so there was never any thought of calling one of them "tall Rich" or something like that. And they're both musicians. They play guitar in the same band. So context - and last names - are really important around here.

Well, anyway.

At the end of May we hired a new staffer. His first name? Attila. Seriously. Attila. He is the first Attila I've met who was actually named that by his parents rather than having chosen it as a Markland name.

(Marklanders - at least when I was in - create a "persona" around whom we base our historical research and whose "life" we interpret for the public. In a group that also seems to have a lot of men named John, Markland names became useful nicknames. Just ask Chort, Hjalti, Buckley, CooperJohn, or any of the dozens of others. Theater is full to burstin' with men named David. But I digress.)

Now that we have an Attila on staff, I'm hoping we'll branch out into others of the less common names. Why hire a Richard when you can employ a Lucifer? Or a Vlad? Or Kermit?

3 comments:

Maureen said...

And is he familiarly know as Atti (AW-tee)? When I was in a Hungarian folk dance troupe, I learned that Attila (accent on the first syllable) is a not-uncommon man's first name.

And you think you have it bad with your Richards, Johns, etc.? The Hungarians seem to have a VERY short list of preferred first names - a man is probably Laszlo, Istvan (=Stephen) or Zoltan, while a woman seems to have about a 50% chance of being named Ildiko. (Slight exaggeration, of course! ;)

Anonymous said...

Well, since my Dad's from Budapest, I have to disagree...his family is made up of a Sandor (Alexander), Antal (Anthony) and his name, Menyhert (Manhard)...my personal favorite. Which, incidentally, he changed while passing thru Ellis Island as a teen. Imagine his mother's surprise as she was going through the list of certificates she had in her hand and she wondered who the heck "Pete" was. Her name, btw, was Vilma. Nearly as lovely as Csilag, which means "Star" but sounds like "Chia-Pet". :) MY middle name was supposed to be...wait for it..."Aniccabacci". Don't ask. Somehow, "McCall Aniccabacci" just doesn't flow. Suffice it to say they chose "Noelle" to celebrate my near-Christmas birthday instead, and I'll eternally be grateful to Sinatra. :)

Maureen said...

Interesting. When I was in school, there were lots of Maureens, until I got to college - then nary a one. For a while a was in a semeseter-long graduate seminar with a Maureen, but until a couple of months ago, I never had to worry about another one around. Then we got another Maureen in the office, but the fact that we work different jobs helps keep the confusion to a minimum.

I have yet to do a show with another Maureen affiliated with it, though I've done shows with as many as 3 Toms and 4 Debbies (the same show!).

I like my name, and I like not having to share it. :)