Clonie Gowen is a professional poker player.
But “Clonie” is just a nickname.
Her real first name? Cycalona.
Cycalona Ann Gowen “was born in Florida during rough weather” in November of 1971. So her parents, inspired by the word cyclone, invented the name Cycalona for her.
(The word cyclone was coined in the 1840s by English sea captain Henry Piddington, who noted the circular nature of storm winds. It’s derived from the Ancient Greek word kyklos, meaning “circle, ring.”)
Cycalona is one of the more interesting names I’ve come across lately. What do you think of it?
Sources:
- Smith, Claiborne. “America’s love of poker a winning hand for TV.” Chicago Tribune 29 Jan. 2004.
- Wilonsky, Robert. “Poker Face.” Dallas Observer 1 Apr. 2004.
- Henry Piddington – Wikipedia
Image: Adapted from Clonie Gowan 2008 by flipchip / lasvegasvegas.com under CC BY-SA 3.0.
[Latest update: Dec. 2024]