Re: Buffy Anne Summers

[danspector@xxxxxxxxx]

Mike, 

The use of "Elizabeth" always gets my goat, too. The canon evidence
against it is very strong (and no, there's no "Elizabeth" in the movie).

?Buffy is never called Elizabeth, ever, at all.

?Dozens of official records (school transcripts, Ms. French's seating
chart, the dorm listings Spike checks in "The Initiative) all use
"Buffy". In contrast, Xander's full name of Alexander appears on his
school library card ("Witch") and his Driver's License ("Tabula Rasa").

?Dawn never teases her with the "full" name and Joyce never scolds her
with it. In contrast, Willow mock-scolds Xander with "that's none of
your business, Alexander Harris" in "Homecoming".

?As mentioned, the tombstone of "Elizabeth Anne Summers" might read
"Buffy Summers" or it might have the full and formal name, but it
wouldn't read "Buffy Anne Summers".

?When Buffy's "fiance", Spike, tells her he doesn't like the name (in
"Something Blue", of course), neither Buffy nor Spike mentions the
"full" name. Buffy merely defends the name, saying that it was Joyce's
idea.

?Rupert Giles, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, and Quentin Travers have all
called her "Buffy". I would guess that if there were a formal name,
just one of those stick-in-the-muds might have used it.

?Just because "Buffy" can be short for "Elizabeth", that doesn't mean
it has to be. Plenty of people are given shortened versions of
"Elizabeth" as their full and legal names.

Just ask Eliza Patricia Dushku.

Dan

PS--Quin's tale sounds like it comes from a Buffy novel or something,
and therefore is not quite canon. But it does track with the idea that
"Buffy" is the legal name, so what am I complaining about?

PPS--Don't let the dueling birthdates in "I Robot, You Jane" make you
suspect Joss of incompetence or anything. That was just an in-joke, to
illustrate the difference between MovieBuffy (a senior, like the first
record) and SeriesBuffy (a sophomore, like the other). Joss must have
been hanging around for post-production a lot on that ep--he also did
the voice of the radio announcer.