Repeating Themselves Thomas Thomas Among The Double-Named Residents Of Walla Walla

Thomas Thomas goes through life answering the same questions with each new person he meets.

Yes, he tells them, that’s his real name.

Yes, he was born and raised in Walla Walla.

No, he doesn’t know why his parents, who are dead, named him as such.

And no, he never asked why. It just didn’t pique his curiosity. Really.

“It’s just my name,” said Thomas, 49. “I’ve had it all my life, and I’m used to it.”

But still the fascination, the unbelieving question, lingers: “How could this be?”

Thomas’ name isn’t all that unusual. A handful of other double-namers - or near double-namers - live in this double-named town.

Some were born into their names, and some married into them. For others, circumstance brought them names that would always be noticed.

Michael Michels, 45, usually goes by Mike. He said his name generates raised eyebrows and occasional snickers, although the comments were more intense when he was a child.

Steve Stevens likes the name Steve better than his given name, which he detests and hasn’t used since he was a young boy. He will only say the initials are F.M. His wife didn’t even know Steve wasn’t his legal name until they were filling out their marriage certificate, and he was required to write down his legal name.

Rob Roberts said strangers haven’t given him too much trouble about his name.

“I’m 200, 300 pounds, so they don’t joke too much,” Roberts quipped.

Roberts, who grew up as Errol Roberts, took on the name “Rob” out of convenience. Stationed as a soldier in Germany 30 years ago, Roberts said it was hard for Germans to pronounce his first name, so they just shortened his last.

Sheri Sharie married into her name 17 years ago, when women virtually never kept their maiden names, she said. She’s OK with her name but said she probably would have avoided it if she were to marry today.

“When we were dating, people would always say: ‘Do you know what your married name is going to be?”’ said Sharie, whose husband’s name is Larry.

Gene Frank and Jean Benefiel had unremarkable names until they married 48 years ago, making the couple Gene and Jean Frank.

They say they hardly ever think about their near-identical names and neither do their friends. They’re occasionally reminded, however, when a stranger telephones, asks for “Jean Frank,” and is quite confused when asked, “Which one?”

Many of Walla Walla’s double-namers say they don’t mind the attention - though they wonder at what point a name is considered normal. Both of Walla Walla’s Jack Jacksons say they sometimes get comments, but Kenneth Kennedy says he doesn’t get any.

Jimmye Angell, a Walla Walla clinical psychologist, said she wouldn’t advise parents to select names that are unconventional - to the point where the names would make children feel awkward when introducing themselves. Adults, she said, are likely to have less difficulty with the attention their names attract.

“When children are growing up, it’s often detrimental to be different,” Angell said. “Later on, something that’s different can become much more acceptable, even a point of interest.”

Angell herself has an unusual name, and strangers who see it constantly assume she’s male. She said she disliked her first name until she was 13, when she found out she was named after her father, who died in World War II and whom she never got to know.

Michels says he likes his name, too. He was named after his grandfather, and so was a cousin.

He likes the name so much, he decided to carry on the family tradition by naming his son Christopher Michael Michels.

All those with similar first and last names share one clear advantage: Few ever forget their names.

Double names have helped catapult many otherwise-difficult-to-remember foreign names into the memory banks of Americans. Take for example, Boutrous Boutrous-Ghali, the United Nations secretary general; Bora-Bora, a tiny island near Tahiti; or mahi-mahi, Hawaiian for dolphin. Even Walla Walla, Native American for many waters, is known nationwide because of its name.

Perhaps that’s how most area residents can relate to Thomas, Michels or any of the others with near-identical names. Many Walla Wallans are used to jokes and comments about the city when they travel.

The double-namers say they just have it twice as bad.