The FIFA Women’s World Cup started a week or so ago and has already featured some very entertaining and exciting games, as well as some whoa-inducing trickery.
To add to the fun of the actual World Cup action, we here at the Blog of Funny Names decided to put together a Funny Names 11 from the tournament that we feel could challenge for all kinds of trophies. Or at least bring some smiles on everyone’s faces.
Without further ado, here are the eleven best names from the 2015 Women’s World Cup.
11) Hope Solo, USA
Any team needs a goalkeeper, and Team USA’s headline hogging Hope Solo will slot nicely in any Funny Name 11 with her action hero-esque name.
10) Angela Christ, The Netherlands
Oh look, another goalie. Oh well, we’ll bend the rules a bit to include the Netherlands team’s reserve keeper, who her teammates will be hoping can save them, even if they make sinful mistakes during a game.
Beware the Brisbane Roar and their multicolored lion kite logo.
9) Tameka Butt, Australia
Australia’s 23-year-old midfielder Tameka Butt is surely every nine-year-old’s favorite name (and those with 9-year-old minds, yours truly included). Playing in her home country for last year’s champions Brisbane Roar, she’ll be hoping to make an impact at the World Cup and not just end up the butt of bad jokes.
8) Desiree van Lunteren, the Netherlands
We could honestly pick half the Dutch squad to appear in our team but I will arbitrarily limit their players to just two spots. Midfielder Desiree van Lunteren has that special ring to her name that pleases the ears, so she gets the nod at #8.
7) Kirsty Yallop, New Zealand
This veteran of the Kiwi midfield plays professionally in Sweden for Vittsjö GIK. The name Yallop sounds like it should be a verb of some sort. She yalloped through the opponents’ defence like wombat through a fence.
A Kiwi, earlier.
6) Alexandra Popp, Germany
I don’t think any explanation is necessary here. Once you Popp, you can’t stop.
5) Shinobu Ohno, Japan
The idea of commentators shouting out this Japan star’s last name during matches is pleasing, as they’ll inevitably sound alarmed regardless of what is actually happening in the game.
4) Wilaiporn Boothduang, Thailand
Speaking of commentators, it is always good entertainment just listening to them struggle with the truly exotic names. The Thailand team is full of multi-syllabic beauties like the Bangkok FC midfielder Boothduang.
3) Precious Dede, Nigeria
A third goalkeeper? The trend is clear, goalies have the best names.
2) Griedge Mbock Bathy, France
The French defender Mbock Bathy has three names that all sound like they could be perfectly at home in different national teams. Bonus points for France being coached by the jolly sounding Philippe Bergeroo.
1) Esther Sunday, Nigeria
Yes, Esther Sunday. Can’t beat that.
Esther Sunday battling for the ball.
Thanks for reading, everyone go tune into the games today and then head back here to the blog to discuss the great names you spot during the tournament!
ohno! it’s esther sunday! and i forgot the eggs!
Ohno! What an oversight! Maybe use a chicken and hope no one notices.
So good, and I love what you did with the write-ups. It’s weird when you hear a name so often that a name like Hope Solo barely even makes you raise an eyebrow!
I think Griedge Mbock Bathy is my MVP from this list!
Well selected MVP. I think that means you’ve just decided to root for France. Allez les bleus! Eh?
Allez les blues! I don’t exactly know what that means, but sure!
Just go with it. It’s something French folks say, like “sacre bleu” or “trois croissants”.
Sacre bleu, I will!
These are wonderfully delicious names. Truth be told, I wanted to be an Esther as a young girl, partially because it was Judy Garland’s middle name.
I agree that Popp and Yallop should both be verbs. I want to say, “Wow, this chicken tikka masala really packs a wallop, just like the footwork of Yallop!”
I wonder if Wilaiporn is related to a claimant we had at my former job, named Prapanporn. Nothing says klassy lady like -porn. Perhaps her sister is Wilaismut?
There is an unfortunate Butt in my son’s school, but he is not gloriously named Tameka. All the Tamekas I have seen have weaves, but this Tameka, although Australian, has herself some Nordic coloring. And did you know her birthday is tomorrow?
Mmmm, chicken tikka masala. A yalloping meal, that.
Didn’t know that about Judy Garland. Actually I don’t know too many things about Judy Garland, but Esther was certainly one of them. Great name, Esther.
I can’t imagine being a Butt. Lots of playground humor, I’m sure.
Happy Birthday Tameka then!
Arto! It’s terrifying how Dave can guilt-trip you immediately into high volume posting!
(For what it’s worth in rough transcultural equivalence, having the name Shinobu Ohno is like having the name Alice Johnson.)
Terrifying is one word for it.
Probably the correct one.
Got a few more to come this week, haha.
Alice Johnson – she won’t be making it to the blog.
I always have a hard time with the East Asian names, because I don’t know which ones are funny. A quick look at the Korean team sheet reveals nothing particularly out of the ordinary there. I liked Ohno because of the obvious delight of yelping it out, but it was the only one of the Japanese names that called out to me. It’s a rough life here at the blog.
To complicate it further, the emphasis falls more on the “Oh” than the “No.” So it’s like saying “OOhh no.” Which is something you might say when you thought you packed the battery charger but open up your suitcase and find that you didn’t.
Hate it when that happens.
I’ll just start saying “JOHN son” when I next forget the charger.
That trickery totally induced a whoa in me!