Computer Name Themes

It has been a hobby of mine for many years to collect computer naming themes. When the time comes to name computers, I am always at a loss, so when I think of one, I keep it for later use.

Fortunately, Don Libes has written an article called Choosing a Name for Your Computer (which is now an RFC)

I detest boring, cutesy name themes, so if you are looking for something of that sort, go elsewhere!

Presidents/Assassins

A group in our California office started naming NT build machines after presidents: lbj, polk, kennedy, taft, harding, &c. Boring!

When I started getting my own NT build machines, I wanted a name theme that would answer that theme and would properly express the hateful nature of NT, so I named them after presidential assassins. Here is the list and the presidents they killed or tried to kill: Lawrence (Jackson), Booth (Lincoln), Guiteau (Garfield), Czolgosz (McKinnley), Schrank (Roosevelt), Zangara (FDR), Collazo (Truman), Torresola (Truman), Oswald or The-man-on-the-grassy-knoll (Kennedy) Byck (Nixon) Squeaky/Fromm (Ford), Moore (Ford), Hinkley (Reagan).

Related are: Wiess (Huey Long), Ray (M.L. King), Sirhan (Robert Kennedy), Bremer (George Wallace).

Source: J. Clark, Presidental Assassins.

Heretics

Marcion, Montanus, Novation, Sabellius, Arius, Apollinaris, Nestorius, Eutyches, Honorius, Sergius, Pelagius, Caelestius, Zosymus, Luther, Calvin, Jansenius, Marcus, Priscillian, Elipandus, Felix, Wyclif, Huss, Molinos, Weishaupt, Ockham.

Source: M. L. Cozens, A Handbook of Heresies, 1928. http://cedar.evansville.edu/~ecoleweb/glossary/ has info on these and many related people.

Ranting and Raving

Over a fairly short period I heard the word ``screed'' used several times, and liked the sound (and meaning) of the word, and came up with this list of synonyms and near-synonyms:

rant, rave, screed, diatribe, tirade, harangue, invective, homily, oration

Big Words

A co-worker suggested this theme: words with 7 syllables or more. The only word I can think of is "arteriosclerosis" (thanks to the Spam-Ku for that word). But Jacob Remes comes to the rescue: industrialization, conceptualization, establishmentarian, reconciliatory, historiographical, epistemological, Garciamarquezian (does that count?)

Of course one of the most common hostnames on the net is 9 syllables: "www" :-)

Ancient Greek philosophers' terms

arete, aperion, quintessence, ergon, dike, theos, logos, kosmos, physis, taxis

The seven deadly sins

This is one of my favorites, I used to use it to name the computers for sysadmin classes. The latin equivalents are in parens, supplied by gkorsts@agronomy.org

lust (luxuria), avarice (avaritia), envy (invidia), sloth (acedia), gluttony (gula), pride (superbia), anger (ira)

A few related, sinful, names:

Babylon, Sodom, Gomorrah

Another companion theme, the latin names for the three cardinal and four pagan virtues (again, thanks to gkorsts@agronomy.org): fides, spes, caritas and temperantia, justitia, prudentia, fortitudo.

Cheeses

Originally taken from Monty Python's Cheeseshop Sketch

Leicester, Tilsit, Caerphilly, Bel Paese, Red Windsor, Stilton, Ementhal, Gruyere, Norweigan Jarlsburg, Lipta, Lancashire, White Stilton, Danish Brew, Double Goucester, Cheshire, Dorset Bluveny, Brie, Roquefort, Pol le Veq, Port Salut, Savoy Aire, Saint Paulin, Carrier de lest, Bres Bleu, Bruson, Camenbert, Gouda, Edam, Case Ness, Smoked Austrian, Japanese Sage Darby, Wensleydale, Greek Feta, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, Mozarella, Paper Cramer, Danish Bimbo, Czech sheep's milk, Venezuelan Beaver Cheese, Cheddar, 'Illchester, Limburger

Famous Horses

This borders on cutesy, but I'll include it anyway. Thanks to Leslie Young for compiling this list.

Silver (Buck Jones), Trigger (Roy Rogers), Topper (Hoppalong Cassidy), Fritz (William S. Hart), Blackjack (Allan Rockey Lane), Koko (Rex Allen), White Flash (Tex Ritter), Champion (Gene Autry), Diablo (Cisco), Loco (Pancho), Fury

Synonyms for Vomit

Inspired by an SNL Wayne's World sketch.

hurl, spew, barf, retch, vomit, upchuck, blow (chunks), toss (cookies), park (a custard (british slang?)), gag, technicolor yawn, driving the porcelain bus.

Synonyms for corpse

I was probably thinking about someone specific when I thought of this one :-)

corpse, stiff, cadaver, carcass, skeleton, carrion, remains,

related theme: ghost, spook, mummy, wraith, spirt, shade, phantasm, revenant, spectre, phantom, vampire

Bodily fluids

Another sick name theme. Keeping it to medical terms would keep this less objectionable than using slang.

phlegm, mucus, saliva, urine, feces, semen, vomit

Torture devices

iron maiden, rack, stocks, hairplucker, boilingoil, hotpoker, judas chair, branding iron, the wheel, clamp, press.

There is another, longer, list.

Others

Here are some other name themes... *I* wouldn't use them (or wouldn't use them again). Most of these were given to me by William McVey

Booze
rum, gin, scotch, tequila, vodka, &c.
X-men and other superheroes
xavier, cyclops, phoenix, storm, havok, colossus, nightcrawler, wolverine,
Planets and moons
phobos, deimos, amalthea, io, europa, ganymede, callisto, tethys, ...
Star names
Rigel, Antares, Polaris, Sirius, Procyon, Canopus, Izar,
Star Trek Planets
Thasus, Talos, Tarsus, Gothos, Cestus, Eminiar, Vendikar, ...
Star Trek Ships
Fesarius, Farragut, Exeter, ...
Roses
graceland, grandfloria, headliner, masterpiece, sheerbliss, pride, sunbright, caribia,
pasta
(spaghetti, fettucini, ravioli, ziti, tortellini, )
arthurian legend
(arthur, merlin, pendragon, morgaine/morgan lefay/morgana, nimue, viviane, lancellot, percival, )
Greek Mythology
(zeus, apollo, hercules, venus, mars, aries, orion, )
Emotions
(despair, morose, chipper, manic, )
Star Trek characters
(data, lore, spock, kirk, ro, )
palendrome
(deedeed, murdrum, repaper, reviver, rotator, sooloos, anana, arara, yaray,)
fish
(barracuda, shark, tuna, mackeral, trout, catfish, )
bodyparts
(arms, deltoid, glutomous, femur)
famous lovers
(romeo, juliet, anthony, cleopatra, bonnie, clyde, ...)
fantasy worlds
(narnia, klingus, cardasia, ...
Famous Crimefighters
(holmes, sherlock, watson, columbo, {dragnet guys},
US Government Agencies
(cia, fbi, nea, batf, nasa, nsa, senate, congress, dod, )
sitcoms
(cosby, allinfamily, 3scompany, 8isenough, familyties, fullhouse, seinfeld)
James Bond
(goldfinger, blowfeld, oddjob, moneypenny, q, spectre)
Xapplications
(xterm, dclock, xfontsel, xappres, xclock, xload, xlock, )
computer languages spelled backwards
(lrep, avaj, lobons, loboc, logla, yot, emehcs, htrof, cisab, xel,)
old root password
when we get a new machine, we make a new root password and assign an old one to the new machine, (my1stcsrp, xtimmfl, nrp;7zam, )
spices
(artemus, sage, thyme, rosemary)
viscious animals
(pitbull, doberman, grizzly, baracuda, piranna)

Last modified 26 Nov 02 by trent