One of the employees at Ancestry.com stops to listen every time that someone says, "Merry Christmas." She has more than a passing interest in the words.
Mary Young has worked at Ancestry.com for three years. Nine months ago, she married Brian Christmas and thereby became... yes, that's right: Mary Christmas.
Since her name change, no one has come right out and asked her if she is kidding when she tells them her name. There have been other circumstances, however, in which she has felt the need to explain. "I changed my name in my work (computer) system," she said. "The head guy changed it back because he thought it was a joke.
Through her work at Ancestry.com, Mary has found that there are between 20 and 100 other Mary Christmases in the United States.
Her husband, Brian, says the best part of her name is that he has Mary Christmas all year long, not just during the holidays.
You can read more at http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/249113/3/.
I don't think I'll be making fun of her name, either. People ask me all the time if I'm kidding when I introduce myself.
BF
Posted by: Ben Franklin | December 19, 2007 at 09:53 AM
I think her name is cheerful and keeps a warm spirit all year round. There are worse names that I can, and have, imagined: Peter Doubt, Eileen Dover and her brother Ben, Flo Nays, Howie Doohan, and sundry others.
Happy Dae.
http://www.ShoeStringGenealogy.com
Posted by: Happy Dae | December 19, 2007 at 11:03 AM
I have a distant ancestor whose name was Mary Christmas Nance. As I child I was enchanted by her name and remembered it across the years until, to my delight, I found her again when I took up genealogy. Mary should stand strong and proud...her descendants will thank her for that unique name when doing their own family research!
Posted by: Cynthia Connelly | December 19, 2007 at 03:34 PM
My spouse has another name for the list of... "Were You Born With That Name?"
Mac Loving
He's a Junior and an entertainer. You get some real interesting pages when you Google him. The name has been passed on to his son and grandson.
Posted by: Dee | December 19, 2007 at 03:45 PM
Some people get a big kick out of shortening P. Donald Haney to P. Don Haney!
Posted by: P. Donald Haney | December 20, 2007 at 05:20 AM
I had a friend in college (1960-64) named Mary Christmas. She was adopted by her mother's second husband John Christmas. Mary had the personality to go with her name. Unfortunately she married and changed her name!
Posted by: S Sechrist | December 20, 2007 at 12:43 PM
My father had a good friend whose family name was Carol. His wife blessed him with a little girl on Christmas Eve. Yep, you guessed it...they named her Mary Christmas Carol.
Posted by: Wayne Townsend | December 20, 2007 at 01:03 PM
I too have a friend named Mary Katherine Christmas. She chooses to go by her middle name, Kathy Christmas. But to me she really embodies the name and spirit of Mary Christmas.
Posted by: Rev. Diane Mettam | December 20, 2007 at 02:06 PM
I remember going to a religious retreat with my former mother-in-law between 1990 and 1992. There was a gospel singer there who was named "Candy Christmas" I understand she quit touring after that to raise her family. Knowing how old my children are, she may be back on the road again. Her name always stood out in my mind and I remember her talent because of her name.
Posted by: Em | December 26, 2007 at 04:57 PM
Honest to goodness I remember a butcher in Ontario, California by the name of Carvis Boney who owned Boney's Market.
In a similar vein there was a couple with whom my mother (a young single teacher in the early 30's) roomed. They owned a department store on Euclid Avenue there called by their last name, Fallis'. His name was Jack and hers Was Mossy. This is absolutely true. Not trying to be smarmy.
Of course with the last name of Quackenbush, I had my own share of teasing =)
Posted by: Ann Berkery | December 29, 2007 at 11:00 AM