---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Tennessee. Now there's a name for you…"
description: "\"“Tennessee. Now there's a name for you. His mama named him that on account of their last name being so regular. 'With a plain vanilla name like Jones, ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/kathi-appelt-34237_quote_tennessee-now-there-s-a-name-for-you-his_1442411.jpg"
---

#  Tennessee. Now there's a name for you. His mama named him…

![“Tennessee. Now there's a name for you. His mama named him that on account of their last name being so regular. 'With a plain vanilla name like Jones, you gotta have a first name that's special,' she'd said.” quote by Kathi Appelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/kathi-appelt-34237_quote_tennessee-now-there-s-a-name-for-you-his_1442411.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/kathi-appelt-34237_quote_tennessee-now-there-s-a-name-for-you-his_1442411.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/kathi-appelt-34237_quote_tennessee-now-there-s-a-name-for-you-his_1442411.jpg)

> ““Tennessee. Now there's a name for you. His mama named him that on account of their last name being so regular. 'With a plain vanilla name like Jones, you gotta have a first name that's special,' she'd said.””

[Kathi Appelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathi-appelt/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A mother gives her child a distinctive first name to offset an ordinary surname, highlighting the desire for individuality.

**In simple terms:** Give a unique first name to stand out.

Key Takeaway

Embrace distinctiveness.

Themes

identity family naming individuality

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

literary character insight

When to use this quote

- parenting
- character naming
- personal branding
- identity formation
- cultural expectations

Key Concepts

sociology personal branding cultural norms

Questions to Reflect On

- How does a name influence self‑perception?
- Can a name change alter others' expectations?

A Different Perspective

A unique name may not guarantee personal distinction.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

## Related quotes

> [“I wonder if I'm being disloyal, if being with Didier means I'm forgetting about Jones. But every time I go in a drain, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-williams/i-wonder-if-i-m-being-disloyal-if-being-with-didier-means-i-m/)

[Gabrielle Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-williams/)

> [“She definitely heard the words for airplane and airport, which delighted some little-girl part of her soul (“Yay, going on a trip!”) even as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/she-definitely-heard-the-words-for-airplane-and-airport-which/)

[Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/)

> [If you want to put golf back on the front pages again, and you don't have a Bobby Jones or a Francis Ouimet handy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-jenkins/if-you-want-to-put-golf-back-on-the-front-pages-again-and-you-don-t/)

[Dan Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-jenkins/)

> [I was named after my two uncles. Roger Lee and Richard Allen. They simply changed the spelling to Leigh-Allyn to make it more feminine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-allyn-baker/i-was-named-after-my-two-uncles-roger-lee-and-richard-allen-they/)

[Leigh-Allyn Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-allyn-baker/)

> [My name, my real name, is Tracy. I always thought I was like a boy named Sue. So I made my friends call me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-t/my-name-my-real-name-is-tracy-i-always-thought-i-was-like-a-boy-named/)

[Ice T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-t/)

> [“Mom and Dad named me Theobald Rodrik. They regretted it afterward. It's not a good idea to give a small baby such a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-parr/mom-and-dad-named-me-theobald-rodrik-they-regretted-it-afterward-it-s/)

Maria Parr

> [I was named Margaret Yvonne. Margaret because my mother was very fond of one of the derivatives of the name. She was fascinated at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvonne-de-carlo/i-was-named-margaret-yvonne-margaret-because-my-mother-was-very-fond/)

[Yvonne De Carlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvonne-de-carlo/)

> [My dad's name is Vernon and my mom liked the initials, V. V. My sisters and I got named Victoria, Valerie and Vincent so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-vaughn/my-dad-s-name-is-vernon-and-my-mom-liked-the-initials-v-v-my-sisters/)

[Vince Vaughn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-vaughn/)

> [My nickname is Mishti... I am named after mishti doi!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhea-chakraborty/my-nickname-is-mishti-i-am-named-after-mishti-doi/)

[Rhea Chakraborty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhea-chakraborty/)

> [I have a friend named Jay. We call him J for short.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-a-friend-named-jay-we-call-him-j-for-short/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Names I am most commonly called by telemarketers: Simone, Slain, Siobhan, Flo, Stacey, Susan, Slater, Leanne, and Slow (Yes, my parents named me "Slow".…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-crosley/names-i-am-most-commonly-called-by-telemarketers-simone-slain-siobhan/)

[Sloane Crosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-crosley/)

> [The short story and the truth is that I was taking vocal lessons here in New York... One day, instead of my lesson, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-gore/the-short-story-and-the-truth-is-that-i-was-taking-vocal-lessons-here/)

[Lesley Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-gore/)

> [I don't have anything against Jon Jones. We are fighters and we do whatever we want with our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glover-teixeira/i-don-t-have-anything-against-jon-jones-we-are-fighters-and-we-do/)

[Glover Teixeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glover-teixeira/)

> [Well, for me, my favourite 'Indiana Jones' is 'The Last Crusade,' because you get tears in your eyes when you see the old guard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/well-for-me-my-favourite-indiana-jones-is-the-last-crusade-because/)

[Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/)

> [Harrison Ford has always been one of my favorite actors. I grew up with Han Solo and Indiana Jones, and 'Regarding Henry' is one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-north/harrison-ford-has-always-been-one-of-my-favorite-actors-i-grew-up/)

[Nolan North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-north/)

## More by Kathi Appelt

> [Humans are designed to be with other humans, even those with mixed blood. They need each other's laughter. They require each other's sorrows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathi-appelt/humans-are-designed-to-be-with-other-humans-even-those-with-mixed/)

[Kathi Appelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathi-appelt/)

> [“There's something to be said for visibility, something about being easier to love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathi-appelt/there-s-something-to-be-said-for-visibility-something-about-being/)

[Kathi Appelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathi-appelt/)

> [Resounding…with wit, courage, and compassion. Skinny will speak to everyone who has ever felt invisible or unlovable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathi-appelt/resounding-with-wit-courage-and-compassion-skinny-will-speak-to/)

[Kathi Appelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathi-appelt/)

> [Nosotros somos paisanos. We are fellow countrymen. We come from the same soil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathi-appelt/nosotros-somos-paisanos-we-are-fellow-countrymen-we-come-from-the/)

[Kathi Appelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathi-appelt/)

> [“He put his hand in his pocket and found the porte-bonheur, still warm. He looked back at the pier. The one-eyed cat waited. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathi-appelt/he-put-his-hand-in-his-pocket-and-found-the-porte-bonheur-still-warm/)

[Kathi Appelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathi-appelt/)

> [It's a soft-sounding word, 'never,' but its velvety timbre can't hide its sharp edges...Never pressed down on him. It grabbed him by the neck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathi-appelt/it-s-a-soft-sounding-word-never-but-its-velvety-timbre-can-t-hide-its/)

[Kathi Appelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathi-appelt/)

> [Paper Covers Rock is dazzling in its intensity and intelligence, spell-binding in its terrible beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathi-appelt/paper-covers-rock-is-dazzling-in-its-intensity-and-intelligence-spell/)

[Kathi Appelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathi-appelt/)

> [Memory is a slippery thing. When something terrible happens to you, like the loss of someone you love...memory can turn into a soft blanket…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathi-appelt/memory-is-a-slippery-thing-when-something-terrible-happens-to-you/)

[Kathi Appelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathi-appelt/)

> [(He) had not realized how much he needed this sweet, friendly sound. How much he needed someone to settle in next to him. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathi-appelt/he-had-not-realized-how-much-he-needed-this-sweet-friendly-sound-how/)

[Kathi Appelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathi-appelt/)

> [“Oh, I woke up on this bayou, Got a chain around my heart. Yes, I'm sitting on this bayou, Got a chain tied 'round…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathi-appelt/oh-i-woke-up-on-this-bayou-got-a-chain-around-my-heart-yes-i-m/)

[Kathi Appelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathi-appelt/)

> [They say that lightning never strikes in the same place twice, but the same is not true for courage. As it turns out, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathi-appelt/they-say-that-lightning-never-strikes-in-the-same-place-twice-but-the/)

[Kathi Appelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathi-appelt/)

> [Like the sweet moon keeps the sky Like the wind goin' whooshing by When those ol' sunbeams break the day I will keep you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathi-appelt/like-the-sweet-moon-keeps-the-sky-like-the-wind-goin-whooshing-by/)

[Kathi Appelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathi-appelt/)

> [Purring is not so different from praying. To a tree, a cat's purr is one of the purest of all prayers, for in it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathi-appelt/purring-is-not-so-different-from-praying-to-a-tree-a-cat-s-purr-is/)

[Kathi Appelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathi-appelt/)

[Explore all 14 Kathi Appelt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathi-appelt/)

## More Jones quotes

> [Harrison Ford has always been one of my favorite actors. I grew up with Han Solo and Indiana Jones, and 'Regarding Henry' is one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-north/harrison-ford-has-always-been-one-of-my-favorite-actors-i-grew-up/)

[Nolan North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-north/)

> [Well, for me, my favourite 'Indiana Jones' is 'The Last Crusade,' because you get tears in your eyes when you see the old guard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-winstone/well-for-me-my-favourite-indiana-jones-is-the-last-crusade-because/)

[Ray Winstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-winstone/)

> [I don't have anything against Jon Jones. We are fighters and we do whatever we want with our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glover-teixeira/i-don-t-have-anything-against-jon-jones-we-are-fighters-and-we-do/)

[Glover Teixeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glover-teixeira/)

> [The short story and the truth is that I was taking vocal lessons here in New York... One day, instead of my lesson, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-gore/the-short-story-and-the-truth-is-that-i-was-taking-vocal-lessons-here/)

[Lesley Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-gore/)

> [I love Florida Georgia Line. I love 'Round Here.' So if a fan wants to listen to that, and if a fan that wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scotty-mccreery/i-love-florida-georgia-line-i-love-round-here-so-if-a-fan-wants-to/)

[Scotty McCreery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scotty-mccreery/)

> [Nobody has ever said anything about Marion Jones every using performance-enhancing drugs and they never will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/nobody-has-ever-said-anything-about-marion-jones-every-using/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

> [Some say that Jesus is the rock, or the anchor. I say that your friends and family are your anchor. And you can really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gale-harold/some-say-that-jesus-is-the-rock-or-the-anchor-i-say-that-your-friends/)

[Gale Harold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gale-harold/)

> [As far as I'm concerned, Parnelli Jones was the greatest driver of his era. He had aggressiveness and also a finesse that no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-andretti/as-far-as-i-m-concerned-parnelli-jones-was-the-greatest-driver-of-his/)

[Mario Andretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-andretti/)

> [You will most appreciate 'Freddy and Fredericka' if you are familiar with the story of the Fall, the Good Hermit, 'Tom Jones,' 'Huckleberry Finn,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/you-will-most-appreciate-freddy-and-fredericka-if-you-are-familiar/)

[Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/)

> [I was not proficient in Latin and so was not able to go to Oxford or Cambridge. However, I did enter the first-rate chemistry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-smith/i-was-not-proficient-in-latin-and-so-was-not-able-to-go-to-oxford-or/)

[Michael Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-smith/)

> [It's unbelievable how good Jon Jones really is. It's the minute he steps out of the octagon, you never know what's going to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-white/it-s-unbelievable-how-good-jon-jones-really-is-it-s-the-minute-he/)

[Dana White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-white/)

> [I think what's beautiful when you're looking at artists like Macklemore and you're looking at artists like Ayron Jones, they're proud of Seattle and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-mix-a-lot/i-think-what-s-beautiful-when-you-re-looking-at-artists-like/)

[Sir Mix-a-Lot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-mix-a-lot/)

> [Me calling out Roy Jones is disrespectful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-diaz/me-calling-out-roy-jones-is-disrespectful/)

[Nate Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-diaz/)

> [“May Your Dow Never Jones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-rasbold/may-your-dow-never-jones/)

Eric Rasbold

> [Manchester was a fantastic place to go out in. There were 10 clubs with world-class cabaret and comedians. You'd go in and Tom Jones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-lee/manchester-was-a-fantastic-place-to-go-out-in-there-were-10-clubs/)

Francis Lee

Browse all 177 Jones quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Tennessee. Now there's a name for you. His mama named him that on account of their last name being so regular. 'With a plain vanilla name like Jones, you gotta have a first name that's special,' she'd said.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Kathi Appelt"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathi-appelt/tennessee-now-there-s-a-name-for-you-his-mama-named-him-that-on/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Jones"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathi-appelt/tennessee-now-there-s-a-name-for-you-his-mama-named-him-that-on/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/kathi-appelt-34237_quote_tennessee-now-there-s-a-name-for-you-his_1442411.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/kathi-appelt-34237_quote_tennessee-now-there-s-a-name-for-you-his_1442411.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5a/kathi-appelt-34237_quote_tennessee-now-there-s-a-name-for-you-his_1442411.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Tennessee. Now there's a name for you. His mama named him that on account of their last name being so…” — Kathi Appelt",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Kathi Appelt",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathi-appelt/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Tennessee. Now there's a name for...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathi-appelt/tennessee-now-there-s-a-name-for-you-his-mama-named-him-that-on/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathi-appelt/tennessee-now-there-s-a-name-for-you-his-mama-named-him-that-on/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
