What's the difference between a Pilgrim and a Puritan? And what do they have to do with Thanksgiving anyway??We'll look at the roots of a beloved American holiday and how they connect with the Protestant Revolution. Raise y...

Here comes Peter Cottontail! It's almost time for Easter! But what does Easter mean? How did it get its name?Did the Catholics just piggy-back off a holiday for an ancient goddess??Let's "hunt" down the answer toget...

I bet you know a lot of Kevins, but when was the last time you saw a baby named Kevin?Today we explore Kevins journey from Celtic Saint to American scamp. Learn just how popular (or unpopular) this name really is!Sources:...

After a stupidly long hiatus we are back with more naming fun!Join us this episode for an in-depth look at the journey of orange, both the color and the fruit!Links:

Ah the immortal Bard.  We can credit Shakespeare with many things: shaping the English language, bringing theatre to the common man, giving High School drama departments something to perform that's in the public domain. But can we ...

It's an old story:The Vikings gave Greenland and Iceland their names to fool people. But is that actually true?Grab and oar on the dragon boat as we sail to the icy heart of this naming mystery!Sources:Articles:

You've probably seen a meme circulating that shows the so-called "Princess Qajar." It's a set of black and white photos showing an Iranian woman with a mustache, unibrow, and unusual clothes.  A typical caption reads something...

She's pink! She's fun! She's complicated!The world loves Barbie. She's a staple of American girlhood. But how did Barbie get her name? Is Barbie a person or a species? When/why did Barbie become a derogatory  term against w...

1/8/22Here's another Moniker Classic episode to start the New Year. We here at Moniker have been rethinking the format of the show for 2022 and will have updates soon. But don't worry!Lot's of naming fun is coming your way!<...

Kris Kringle! Saint Nick! Sinterklaas! Old...beardy! Children all over the world love Santa Claus. But how did he end up with so many names? Are they corporate creations or semblances of somber saints?Join us as we delve...

We're finally back with part two of the names from Jane Austen's Emma. Today we'll explore the histories and meanings behind the names of 3 male characters: Mr. Knightley, Frank Churchill, and Mr. Elton. Prepare for my unfiltered opinio...

Today we explore the mystery behind John Singer Sargent's enigmatic "Portrait of Madame X." Who was this mystery woman? Why did Sargent paint her? Why did he keep her identity a secret? Sources:

What started as one creator's vision of the ultimate animated feature became a decades-long struggle resulting in a butchered direct-to-video throw away.  Join us as we discuss with Mandy Gearhart how Richard Williams' "The Thief, ...

How much do we know about the young Native American woman who helped Lewis and Clark explore the west? Today we try to separate fact from fiction as we explore who Sacagawea was in real life, her mythic legend, and how the heck her name should ...

Medical names are weird. Like who decided that it all had to be in Latin? We'll look at two medical terms that are a lot more serious than their silly-sounding names imply. Our journey will take us from ancient Egypt, to the caravans of the...

Hello peeps! This week we'll be re-airing our classic episode all about how the wonderful state of Oregon got it's name. Some beefy new episodes are in the works so stay tuned for lots of fun new naming stories!

If you like reading books that really make you work for it, you may have ventured into the world of Russian literature. Anna Karenina is my personal favorite. What's weird about the works of the most famous Russian authors like Tolstoy is the...

Today we'll dive into Jane Austen's Emma and investigate the meanings of the names of three of the main women: Emma Woodhouse, Harriet Smith, and Jane Fairfax. What is the history of these surnames? What do the names tell us about their...

We see hundreds of them in a day! But how did Memes and GIFs get their names? Did they exist before social media? And what on earth is the correct way to pronounce GIF??We'll answer these and more questions as we look at the histories o...

If you have a tiny bit of Latin in your naming toolbelt, you can see how Mortimer seems like it has to do with the dead sea: Mort=death and mer=sea. But is this the whole story?? Why on earth would that be a person's name? Why is Mortimer both ...

In an episode inspired by a stupid quote from the movie Hercules, we aim to trace the popularity of the 90s darlings Jason and Brittany. But were these names as big in the 90s as we think? Join me as I go down the naming rabbit hole from ancien...

Today we're going to mine the depths of the Golden State! Hopefully we'll find some good nuggets! It'll be a real rush! (I know, I hate me too). More to explore on the Latino/a and Mexican American experience of California:

Today I'm joined by my sister and favorite collaborator Mandy Gearhart (still technically Bozart but hey, who cares). We'll explore the trajectories of our names from their Greek and Latin roots to their late 20th century explosions. Beware of ...

What do you think of when you hear the word Bohemian? Do you think of a province of Czechia? Me neither. You probably think of Moulin Rouge, La Boheme, and Rent (yuck), right? So how did the word Bohemian become avante garde? Join me as we diss...

Today we kick off our Moniker Miniseries on How the States Got Their Names! We'll start with my home state of Oregon. No one knows for sure how Oregon got its name but historians have provided us with some pretty cool theories. Join us on a jou...