Why "Worf"?

[LMFAOschwarz]

I was also aware of the John M. Ford convention that command-level Klingon officers would adopt the "K-" prefix for their names. (The "Klingon-names-start-with-K" pattern seemed a lot less silly to me than the Vulcan convention of starting male names with "S" and ending them with "K". Even fewer possible non-silly-sounding variations of *that* pattern.)

Seriously, I'd fully expected any representation of Worf as a captain or admiral in the future to be named "Korf". Makes me wonder if they'd actually do that if the rumored "Captain Worf" series ever makes it to reality.

The problem with stuff like that is that even to me, as a fan, it becomes unnecessary continuity baggage. When looked at retroactively, it brings up needless questions that have to be tap-danced around to explain, such as why Duras wasn't named Kuras. I'm convinced it's stuff like that which turns some potential viewers off, and I don't blame them.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

Worf, like Spock, is a real proper name, though usually spelled Whorf. Its pronunciation also starts with "war."

But, yeah, I'll take Kor or Kang over the name Worf any day.

 

[Christopher]

It is a single syllable or otherwise short, harsh-sounding name, which seems to be the norm for Klingons.

See, that's just it -- "Worf" doesn't sound harsh or powerful at all to me. It reminds me of Tim Conway's character Dorf, who's anything but tough and intimidating.

I have to admit, I do remember thinking when TNG first aired that "Worf" was about the stupidest character name they could have come up with ("Yar" was a close second. What was this, a pirate ship?) Both names have grown on me since then.

Tasha Yar was meant to be of Russian origin; Yar is a fairly common place name in Russia, though it doesn't seem to be a common surname there. Perhaps Roddenberry came up with it the same way he came up with "Sulu," grabbing a regional place name he read somewhere and using it as a surname.

I don't know about the rest of you, but reading the name Worf over and over... the more I read it, the sillier it sounds. Worf. Worf, Worf, Worf.

Now I'm imagining a Klingon version of the Swedish Chef song...

Really, though, most words start to sound silly if you say them over and over again.

 

[Nebusj]

Worf, like Spock, is a real proper name, though usually spelled Whorf. Its pronunciation also starts with "war."

But, yeah, I'll take Kor or Kang over the name Worf any day.

Hey, it fit the character better than 'Sapir' did.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

 

[Dukhat]

You think Worf is bad? I'd love to meet the guy who thought naming the ship's chief medical officer "Crusher" was a good idea.

 

[Melakon]

Worf always sounds like wharf to me. That may be my regional pronunciation though, as there really weren't any wharfs in Missouri. Though I lived near San Francisco briefly and visited Fishermans Worf a few times.

 

[2takesfrakes]

I've always thought the name Worf was a terrible name for a Klingon. I don't have any information on it, but I know Roddenberry didn't want a Klingon onboard. Maybe when he made that concession, he slapped that name on Worf like a big "F.U." or something. Which would make sense considering how absolutely absurd Klingons became, with their sniffing eachother, when in heat and when they howl like dogs when another Klingon croaks, or the taking of The Oath™ after they've lost their "flower." I mean, come on ... the Worf character never caught a break. And though I like Michael Dorn alot, the Klingon warrior outfit never looked good on him, either.

 

[SPCTRE]

I don't know about the rest of you, but reading the name Worf over and over... the more I read it, the sillier it sounds. Worf. Worf, Worf, Worf.

Now it has lost all meaning.

 

[dub]

It's fun to name your pets after these characters with strange names.

 

[loghaD]

I don't know about the rest of you, but reading the name Worf over and over... the more I read it, the sillier it sounds. Worf. Worf, Worf, Worf.

Now I'm imagining a Klingon version of the Swedish Chef song...

Really, though, most words start to sound silly if you say them over and over again.

wa'vatlhlogh vay' Dajatlhchugh, taQchoH wab 'e' Datu'bej. Duq. Duq! Duuuq...
("Well, anything sounds weird if you say it 100 times. Bowl. Bowl! Booowl...")

 

[Melakon]

It's fun to name your pets after these characters with strange names.

If I ever get another dog, I might have to name it Malkovich.

 

[Christopher]

You think Worf is bad? I'd love to meet the guy who thought naming the ship's chief medical officer "Crusher" was a good idea.

I believe that was intentional irony, a play on "bonecrusher."

 

[Timo]

Data's name is Ok-ish for me as it's 'self-chosen'

I got the impression that his creator chose the name, and that of Lore; certainly our heroes believe this, and Data doesn't contradict them, in ST:NEM.

Picard: "Bee-four? Doctor Soong's penchant for whimsical names seems to have no end."

The thread has taken me by surprise: "Worf" always sounded like the bark of a big, menacing dog to me (while "Mr. Woof" nicely tones that down a bit without ruining the effect). It's also a sound that could go on and on (say, if Picard's pet Klingon angered Kirk or something), while something like "Kang" is gone before you hear it.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Nerys Myk]

You think Worf is bad? I'd love to meet the guy who thought naming the ship's chief medical officer "Crusher" was a good idea.

I believe that was intentional irony, a play on "bonecrusher."

I don't think "doctor" when I hear it. Instead I think big, mean and brutal thug.

 

[alpha_leonis]

I have to admit, I do remember thinking when TNG first aired that "Worf" was about the stupidest character name they could have come up with ("Yar" was a close second. What was this, a pirate ship?) Both names have grown on me since then.

Tasha Yar was meant to be of Russian origin; Yar is a fairly common place name in Russia, though it doesn't seem to be a common surname there. Perhaps Roddenberry came up with it the same way he came up with "Sulu," grabbing a regional place name he read somewhere and using it as a surname.

My association with "Yar" has always been Peter Yarrow from "Peter, Paul & Mary". You know, the gentle guy best known for writing "Puff, the Magic Dragon". That made it harder for me to accept her as an actual security officer.

 

[Christopher]

I believe that was intentional irony, a play on "bonecrusher."

I don't think "doctor" when I hear it. Instead I think big, mean and brutal thug.

Yes, as I said, it's ironic. As in, something that's intentionally incongruous or the opposite of what you'd expect.

 

[suarezguy]

Not having watched the original series when I first started watching TNG, I thought Worf was an interesting-enough twist on wolf, gave some basic impressions of the character (without being too obvious or not-alien-sounding) while the character also showed that names and first impressions aren't everything.

 

[Dukhat]

You think Worf is bad? I'd love to meet the guy who thought naming the ship's chief medical officer "Crusher" was a good idea.

I believe that was intentional irony, a play on "bonecrusher."

Do you have a source for that, or is that just your opinion? Because now that you mention it, I do seem to recall reading something along those lines years ago, but I dont think it was in any official writing.

Either way, IMHO, if that was their intent, it was a stupid idea.

 

[dub]

Maybe we'll find out more about Worf and the mystery of his name in the new Mr. Worf television series?