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Recently discovered a podcast called Disastrous History and the first one I listened to was about the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens. Very interesting series.
Anyhow, one of the many things I learned is a word, tephra, which is the ash/bits of stone thrown out by an erupting volcano. The podcast talked about two guys who happened to be on the mountain during the eruption. Neither one of them was supposed to be there at all, but they both decided on their own to go exploring. They happened to meet up and barely survived the fumes and ash.
Later on, each man married and had a family. One gave his daughter the name Tephra as her first name. The other gave his daughter Tephra for a middle name. (I just found out the first name is Molly.).) Neither one knew the other did this at the time.
I wouldn't care for the name Tephra myself, but it's not an unattractive sound.
Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you criticize him, you're a mile away and you have his shoes!
Steve Martin
Anyhow, one of the many things I learned is a word, tephra, which is the ash/bits of stone thrown out by an erupting volcano. The podcast talked about two guys who happened to be on the mountain during the eruption. Neither one of them was supposed to be there at all, but they both decided on their own to go exploring. They happened to meet up and barely survived the fumes and ash.
Later on, each man married and had a family. One gave his daughter the name Tephra as her first name. The other gave his daughter Tephra for a middle name. (I just found out the first name is Molly.).) Neither one knew the other did this at the time.
I wouldn't care for the name Tephra myself, but it's not an unattractive sound.
Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you criticize him, you're a mile away and you have his shoes!
Steve Martin
This message was edited 4/5/2025, 9:22 AM
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Weird. I don't know if I would have appreciated being named after a cataclysmic event in my dad's life (especially something that means "deadly ash" - though if it actually was my name I'm sure I'd spin it some positive way like about how volcanos are lovely if you wait long enough or how it's like Cinderella).
It reminds me of Petra, Aphra, Tekla, Tryphena, all of which I'd prefer. But mostly it reminds me of teflon.
It reminds me of Petra, Aphra, Tekla, Tryphena, all of which I'd prefer. But mostly it reminds me of teflon.
This message was edited 4/6/2025, 7:14 PM
Weirdly, Tephra makes me think of Debra, which very seldom happens. Like New Chloe, in those fathers' places I'd use Helen, perhaps with Tephra as a middle name. But then, I like Helen!
Very interesting that they both named their daughters after this particular type of rock that almost killed them. I don't know if I'd think of that. If I wanted to commemorate this event in a name I'd probably just use Helen. But then, that's not a name that would urge people to go "Wow, what an unusual name, what does it mean." It's actually pretty narcissistic, now that I think about it. Obviously these girls grew up explaining the significance of Tephra to people, telling the story of how their dads were at Mt. St. Helens and almost died.
Anyway, Tephra is an interesting name idea. It feels kinda cheesy, like something an old 1950's Sci Fi movie would pick for a "futuristic" name, so it's satisfying in that way. But I also wouldn't want to be a Tephra.
Anyway, Tephra is an interesting name idea. It feels kinda cheesy, like something an old 1950's Sci Fi movie would pick for a "futuristic" name, so it's satisfying in that way. But I also wouldn't want to be a Tephra.