Comments on: Name of the Day: Holden

By: Fetching Names: Ends in -r | Appellation Mountain

Fetching Names: Ends in -r | Appellation Mountain — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 07:03:19 +0000

[...] cachet, thanks to The Catcher in the Rye. Even though Salinger’s hero was, of course, named Holden. A similar option could be Booker, also a nineteenth century hero name thanks to Booker T. [...]

By: photoquilty

photoquilty — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:59:23 +0000

I know those people, for sure!

By: Allison

Allison — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:40:58 +0000

I love Holden! It’s among my very favorite names for boys, along w/ Spencer and Darwin. The college of nursing was too far removed from the English dept for me to get turned off by it.

By: Allison

Allison — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:36:49 +0000

Funny about “The Good Girl,” I really liked that movie and had forgotten that character. He struck me as more, say, lackluster than dark, but unbalanced to say the least. No strong associations w/ Calvinism?

By: Emmy Jo

Emmy Jo — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:48:11 +0000

Holden is fine. Not a choice I’d use, but one I can respect.

Photoquilty — I guess I’m technically one of those “English Lit types” too. But my former roommate and I (both English majors) always felt miles removed in attitude and personality from the pretentious, snobby ones in most of our classes. I’m sure you know exactly the kind I’m talking about, and we used to make fun of them at home.

Anyway, my literary taste in names runs toward the traditional Victorian (Frederick, Eleanor) and the obscure medieval (Gawain, Clerimond) — though for usability’s sake, I imagine my kids will all end up with the former.

By: appellationmountain

appellationmountain — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:30:59 +0000

*Sound of forehead hitting desk.*

Right you are, Kat!

By: Julia

Julia — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:49:33 +0000

Mmm, not such a fan of surname names, but I can appreciate the literary associations of this one.
Holden is a very popular brand of car down here (and a racing team, as well), regarded as being quintessentially Aussie, and most people here would think you were just being a bogan if you named your kid Holden.
Not a terribly attractive choice overall but I can definitely see why people use it.

By: Kat

Kat — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:56:26 +0000

I am surprised there was no mention of the great actor William Holden. That’s my main association with the name.

By: Wrenn

Wrenn — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 02:10:30 +0000

I like Holden for someone else. It is one of those names that I’d consider using if it was in my family (but, it isn’t). I just can’t see myself using “surname” names unless they are actually family names for me. I really like the sound of lots of them but without the family connection I think it sounds contrived. Holden is one of those names I think would make people ask, “oh, is that a family name?” I wouldn’t want a child of mine to have to answer, “um, no…my mom just liked it.”

I do like Holden so if you don’t have my hangup with “surname” names I’d say go for it!

By: JNE

JNE — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 01:50:44 +0000

I’m chuckling to myself because my tastes in ‘literature’ are generally very pedestrian at best – seems odd to be lumped in with Lit types (based on the name of course, because it certainly wouldn’t be based on my reading list)… but it’s good to know it has a “trying to hard”/sad and obvious lit snob aspect to it.