The Naming Algorithm

There are many English names that follow a similar pattern: consonant, vowel, double consonant, vowel, double consonant. For instance, Bennett, Garrett, Doggett, Carroll, Farrell, Bissell etc. Most of these names seem to end in double t or double l. Now since I’m an algorithmist, naturally, I want to apply this algorithm to all other letters of the alphabet to come up with hypothetical names that no one has ever thought of yet. Then maybe I could patent those names and sell them to people who were in search of a reasonable sounding but unique English name. For instance, let us take the name Carroll and retain the double r and double l. Now we work our way down the alphabet as follows:

Aarroll

Barroll (Good name not in use)

Carroll (in use)

Darroll (in use as a first name with a slightly different spelling)

Erroll (OK, a beginning vowel doesn’t have to be doubled)

Farrell (Any old vowel between the double r and the double l will do)

Garroll (Good name not in use)

Harrell (in use)

Irroll (a variation of Erroll)

Jerroll (OK, an e or an a as the second letter will not change the pronunciation. This might make it as a first name)

Kerroll (alternative spelling of Carroll)

Larroll (too silly)

Marrell (not bad)

Narrell (OK)

Oarrell (alternative spelling of Oral)

Parroll (very English sounding)

Quarrell (why not?)

Rorroll (a Chinese tongue-twister)

Sorrell (very pretty)

Torrell (good)

Uarroll (Steve Martin would like it)

Varrell (definitely)

Warrell (respectable)

Xarroll (would require a smart choice of first name)

Yarroll (not bad)

Zarroll (could work)

Now you can see we could do this more systematically going through every vowel for the second letter. The second vowel wouldn’t matter as much since any old vowel would be pronounced pretty much the same. Even a “y” would work as in Merryll Streep? Except her name ends in only one “l.” Too bad. This gives you an idea how a naming algorithm would work.