About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

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  1. I’m not a Bart fan — sorry! We actually have a cat named Bartholomew, and I cringe every time my father-in-law refers to him as Bart.

    We actually live near BART, but it would never occur to me to associate the name with the train system. (BART is a commuter train/subway system. The buses in San Francisco are run by Muni. So the boy would actually get to see his name on a train — even cooler than a bus!)

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  2. For some reason the first thing that came to my mind when I saw what the NotD was the character Slartibartfast from the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy books. I personally find the name quite unattractive, even though the only Bart I’ve ever known was a wonderful person. Bartimaeus is far more appealing, but I wouldn’t use it due to the “Bart” nickname.

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    2. I forgot about Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy! And your mention of Bartimaeus reminds me … I think that was the full name given to Barty Crouch in the Harry Potter books.

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  3. Bart is a very harsh sound. I know a Bartholomew who goes by Barry – I think that’s a more wearable nickname. For some odd reason, I named my childhood teddy bear Bart. The Simpsons did not exist yet so I have to wonder where I would have heard the name!

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    1. That’s intriguing, Havoye – wonder where you heard Bart? Barry for Bartholomew works – I seem to recall Tolly or Tolo also surfacing on a nickname list. I like Tolly for a child, but not for a grown man.

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  4. My little brother (well, younger-he’s not really little) is named Bart, after a great uncle (Barty), who was in turn named after his father, Chester Barkley, called Barty. My mom chose this name as a tribute to both men. He is 23 now(My brother that is, not my Great-Grandfather, who is dead!), but he did get teased a lot-because of Bart the Fart, Bart Simpson, etc. He just let it roll it off his back -and told people it was a family name, and to back off. I wouldn’t use it as a first name, for obvious reasons, but would consider it for the middle. I would let my brother have first dibs on it, though.

    P.S. My brother is just Bart, not Bartholomew. Our neighbor, who is a minister, used to call him Bartamaus (spelling?). Could be a nice variation!

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  5. I like the expanded history of the name – because it otherwise just brings Bart Simpson to mind.

    It’s not a name that would work well with our last name. Plus – this sounds juvenile – but the fact that it rhymes with ‘fart’ would be an issue for me, because of teasing potential.

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    1. That does give me pause … but so does the Art in Arthur. And I know a very nice 30-something Bart, so I suppose that sways me in his favor. (I’ve never asked if he’s Bartholomew or not. Someday I will!)

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      1. I do like Art / Arthur – though my husband doesn’t like the nickname Art – maybe for that reason. I did meet an Art last year and the rhyme didn’t occur to me.

        I do remember looking up the name Walter in 2007 and discovered that there’s a children’s book series called “Walter the Farting Dog”. I think people even mentioned that on a baby name message board. So there’s always some way to find teasing material with a name, which may mean that you may as well just ignore it all!

        It would be fun to find out if the Bart you know is a Bartholomew.

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  6. Our neighborhood used to have an old cattle dog named Bart. Technically he belong to a nearby farm, but he waited for the school-bus with the kids and then trotted over again after school. I like Bartholomew, but to me Bart will always be a dog’s name.

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