As Alaskan governor, its should come as no surprise that Sarah Palin has a particular fondness for all things ice hockey-related.
And with boys already called Trig and Track, the Republican’s vice-presidential candidate has certainly shown she isn't shy of giving her children unusual names.
But even by her standards, naming a child 'Zamboni' - after the machine that makes the ice smooth during hockey matches - is perhaps taking things a little too far.
Room for a Zamboni? Sarah Palin (C) surrounded by her family members. From L-R back row: son Track and husband Todd, second row: daughter Willow, Governor Sarah Palin, daughter Bristol, at front daughter Piper. Palin has suggested that Zamboni might be a good name for a future child
Palin was quizzed about future names for children during a wide-ranging interview with People magazine in the US.
When asked whether she and her husband had any more unusual names up their sleeves, the politician said: ‘We did. We never got to get our Zamboni in. I always wanted a son named Zamboni.’
Her husband Todd, however, seemed less than impressed with the suggestion. ‘I don't think that would have flied,’ he said.
Luckily, the possibility of Palin inflicting the bizarre name on any future offspring seems unlikely as she also admitted that her current brood of five is enough.
Zamboni is the brand name for the large machines that smooth and condition the ice during ice hockey games.
A Zamboni machine smooths the ice during an ice hockey match
Palin’s five children all have unusual names. A dedicated runner, she named her 18-year-old son Track because he was born during the athletics season.
Her eldest daughter, Bristol, was named after Bristol Bay, the area where the Palin clan goes fishing.
The youngest of the clan is four-month-old Trig Paxson, whose first name is Norse for 'true' or 'strength'. Paxson is one of his mother's favourite spots in Alaska.
Her other daughters Willow, 14, and Piper, 7, also believed to be named after places in her home region.
Experts have said the offbeat names suggest Palin wants to give her children an edge in life.
'A lot of times when parents choose unusual names they're looking to make their children stand out above the crowd,' said Albert Mehrabian, a professor emeritus of psychology at UCLA.
‘Short names like these are given by people who want their kids to be masculine. She's athletic, she's coached kids, so maybe that's part of her value system.’
It is unclear what message naming a child Zamboni might give.
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