Raymond

The name Raymond is a boy's name of German origin meaning "wise-protector". Now that the show has gone into reruns, does anybody still love Raymond? Though it's been long dormant, some parents -- including Jack Nicholson -- are finding its cool name component, largely through the nickname Ray. Raymond was introduced into England by the Normans and was a favorite in the time of the Crusades. Raymond was a Top 20 name in 1900, and continued to be popular through the era of Raymond Chandler and Raymond Burr and Raymond Massey. More recently there was the eminent short story writer Raymond Carver. Some livelier Raymond relatives: the sultry Latin Ramon and Raimondo, the Irish Reamonn (with nickname Rea) and the surname Redmond. Bottom line: Raymond is a new member of the Geek Chic contingent, on the heels of nickname Ray.