It’s my birthday today. Hooray! Happy Birthday to me 🙂

I was talking to someone about naming children, and how they had great difficulty doing just that. For me the choice was always easy: a boy would be called Hercules (or Herakles); a girl Momo. But I suppose some really stress over it, evidenced by the library of books and websites intended to help you name your child.

I’m lucky in that 44 years ago my parents selected well. My name is strong and regal, and impresses everyone I meet. “That man”, they think, “has the name of a king.” If I could rename myself, I wouldn’t change a thing!

My parents once told me I was named after one of Dad’s relatives – an uncle I think – and had I been a girl my name would have been Irmgarde. Here’s a photo of me if I had turned out as Irmgarde:

The gentlemen would have been queuing at the door!

It’s a good story but I have long had my doubts. For decades now I have believed I was actually named after someone else. Specifically one of these guys:

Consider the evidence:

1) Mum was always a rabid Sesame Street fan
2) This pair was ‘born’ in 1969, and first on Australian TV in late 1970
3) My brother was born early 1971 – less than 4 months after Sesame Street first aired
4) Both my and my brothers names are the full versions of the names of this pair
5) Both me and (especially) my brother bear strong physical resemblances to these dignified muppets:

Putting aside the fact that my parents were in Papua New Guinea at the time (and more likely to spot a dinosaur than a television), this evidence seems incontrovertible.

So next time someone tells you that Irmgarde story, you can nod knowingly and say “cool story bro” while inwardly smiling at the truth behind my name 🙂