Jonah:

The odd thing about that business of mainstreaming-by-name is that it ended by making the name-bearer’s Jewishness more obvious than ever. I mean, if you hear of someone named “Irving” or “Sheldon,” you assume he is Jewish.

(Similarly with a “Clarence,” who is black and over 40, to a high degree of

probability.)

I’d like to know more about the social mechanics here. Was it a case of “gentile flight” from names that were being preferred by Jews for their Waspiness? Or were these names always unusual among Wasps, and Jews just picked them for some auspicious or euphonious quality they had, the way Chinese people go for “Amy” (sounds like “pretty” in Chinese)?

The idea of naming a kid “Harvard” is kind of cute. Best to start with low expectations, though: Should Mrs. Derb favor me with further issue, I shall consider “SuffolkCommunityCollege” as a possible forename.