W.B. Darling

[snopes]

Comment: I've always wondered about W. B. Darling and was hoping to find
out about him on your site. Stories tend to run as follows:

http://ftp.rootsweb.ancestry.com/pub...w/20040526.txt
Call Me Darling
When my mother was attending Queens College in the 1940s she had a friend
named W. B. DARLING. Through college W. B. was asked what his initials
stood for, but he always refused to answer. It wasn't until they were
graduating and everyone was going their different directions that they
found out. It seems his parents were childless many years. When he was
born they were so ecstatic they named him Welcome Baby DARLING.--Stefanie
Penna


http://ftp.rootsweb.ancestry.com/pub.../2007/0919.txt
My husband's uncle went to university with a man named W. B. Darling. At
the time of graduation, he was asked for his full given name for the
diploma. He said it was W. B. Darling. The office insisted that the W. B.
must stand for more and that it was required for his diploma. He said that
was his name and that he had been called W. B. all of his life. Much
conversation ensued on the topic. At the end, the man confessed that W. B.
Darling stood for Welcome Baby Darling. The registration office agreed
that W. B. would be used, making an exception on his name.
--Anonymous submission


http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect...ic64134_0.html
My Mom told me of a family trying hard to conceive. After many years they
had a baby boy. Their last name was "Darling" and they actually named
their child "Welcome" fn and "Baby" mn... So, "Welcome Baby Darling" was
the child's full name. He went by "W.B. Darling", and who's to blame him?

http://forum.muppetcentral.com/showt...t=8146&page=12
Urban Legend?: My stepmom used to tell us about a guy that was in the Army
with her dad (looong time ago) and he was named W.B. Darling, but would
never reveal what the initials stood for - until he was forced to when
enlisting in the Army. Ready for this? It stood for Welcome Baby Darling!
Now, ain't THAT special?!

[Brad from Georgia]

My initials are W.B. Fortunately, that stands for "William Bradley."

[Lainie]

I find it hard to believe a couple would long for a baby for years without coming up with, and becoming attached to, some potential names.

[snopes]

Urban Legend?: My stepmom used to tell us about a guy that was in the Army
with her dad (looong time ago) and he was named B.J. Hunnicutt, but would
never reveal what the initials stood for - until he was forced to when
enlisting in the Army. Ready for this? It stood for Benito Juarez Hunnicutt!
Now, ain't THAT special?!

[Floater]

And I thought that B.J. Hunnicutt was a character from the TV series MASH.

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by Floater

And I thought that B.J. Hunnicutt was a character from the TV series MASH.

Son of Bea Hunnicutt and Jay Hunnicutt.

[GenYus]

Originally Posted by snopes

It stood for Benito Juarez Hunnicutt!
Now, ain't THAT special?!

Is it? Is the specialness due to the combination of Hispanic first and middle names with a non-Hispanic last name? Or that he is named after a historic person?

[Floater]

Originally Posted by GenYus

Is it? Is the specialness due to the combination of Hispanic first and middle names with a non-Hispanic last name? Or that he is named after a historic person?

I would say the joke is that people will think of something completely different when they see the letters BJ.

[NorthernLite]

Originally Posted by Floater

And I thought that B.J. Hunnicutt was a character from the TV series MASH.

Yep, and if I recall correctly, his "initials" didn't stand for anything. He once told Hawkeye that his name was BJ.

[Tarquin Farquart]

No mention of TS Garp?

[snopes]

Originally Posted by GenYus

Is it? Is the specialness due to the combination of Hispanic first and middle names with a non-Hispanic last name? Or that he is named after a historic person?

No, the "specialness" is the acceptance of a flippant response about what someone's initials stand for as the gospel truth.

[RivkahChaya]

Originally Posted by GenYus

Is it? Is the specialness due to the combination of Hispanic first and middle names with a non-Hispanic last name? Or that he is named after a historic person?

Benito Juarez was several times the president of Mexico. Aside from being very popular, and serving during some very difficult periods in Mexican history, I believe he was the first president who was not mostly of European descent.

However, I don't think Benito Juarez is what the "B.J." in CPT Hunnicutt's name was supposed to stand for. That was just Hawkeye's first WAG, and BJ said "right" as a joke. I don't know that the audience ever knew what "B.J." stood for, unless the "Bea & Jay" thing is supposed to be taken seriously.

I always thought the "Welcome Baby" was a UL, but I think people have tacked "Welcome" as a first name onto children who were born after a long time with no conception, the first boy after many girls, or the first girl after many boys. I think this happened back when people named kids things like "Increase," though.

I'd rather be named "Welcome Baby," than "4Real."