However, names with a distinctly ethnic flavor (such as African-American name choices) generally use more unusual spellings, or are relatively rarer to start with--and are thus more likely to remain available without any need for an added defining number (though, note "K3ISHA" below -- the KEISHA spelling may already have been in use).

PERSONAL NAMES & NICKNAMES
PLATE	EXPLANATION
AARON AZ	Aaron from Arizona?? The state was not recorded for this plate, too bad!
ABERNATH	Likely ABERNATHY (but the Y wouldn't fit)...
ADACHI	In Japan, at least, this is a family name (a surname); not sure, in this case
AEWJM	Don't think this is short for anything, could be just a collection of inititials...or short for a nickname of some sort...?
AFRODITE	Variant spelling, but it gets the message across! Aphrodite was the irresistable Greek goddess of love, beauty, and sexuality. The Romans, who coopted much of the Greek mythological pantheon, called their equivalent VENUS. So, this driver has a VERY high opinion of herself!
AJOY	No space between the A and JOY, so not sure if that's the reference here...
AK RAISO	Unusual...
ALEESHA
A LIBERO	First initial and last name?
ALLORA
AL NOOR	Self-explanatory...
AMW	Initials...
AMMODAWG	Cool nickname. Perhaps a military supply person who delivers ammo to the front line troops? A machinegunner's ammo carrier? Or, just someone who enjoys handling rounds?...
AMO JR	Junior Amo?...
AMOGSUS	Perhaps a nickname--no idea what it stands for...this one remains a mystery...
*AMYJ*	Self-explanatory...
ANNAWOOD	Self-explanatory
ANNYHALL	Someone's name, or a reference to the Woody Allen movie character?
APIX	Unusual for a nickname...The top of two intersecting angles...the top part of a mountain that includes the peak; the high point of an issue?...
APRILMAY	Not sure why this person has a special thing for this pair of months--but, I could be overlooking something...
ARTDOG	Could mean an artillery hound (a soldier in the Field Artillery branch who has a lot of the tougher tasks to do...Or, could be an artist of some sort...A nickname for sure...
ARYOM	Odd nickname...
ASTARIRN	Most likely, a nurse named Astari...? Otherwise an unsual nickname...
ATRUS	No idea on this one--a nickname of some sort...
AV8ER-ROX	A pilot that rocks? Or, maybe a pilot (aviator) named Rox[anne], Roxy...?
AYANNA08	Name?
AZASHKA	Sounds a tad Japanese (Asuka, for example, is a Japanese girl's name), but probably this is not...
BABYBEAR	Definitely a nickname--and someone who's a fan of Little Red Riding Hood...
BAD DUDE	This guy certainly thinks he's cool...
BADKIHI	??...
BAGLADY1	If she's driving a car, then she's clearly not a homeless bag lady...
BANG	This makes a definite statement...
BAMA #1	A fan of the president? Or, a geographical reference?
BAMAS#13	Interesting...this time with an "S" and a high number...?
BCARRIEL	Initial and last name, most likely...
BARN	Odd...
BARRETT	Family name...
BATGIRL	Interesting! Either she's a student of flying mammals, or she is fan of the super hero character (maybe her real name is Barbara Gordon, haha--both were played by Yvonne Craig in the original TV series)...
BECCA B	Rebecca B, most likely...
BECCA'S	This plate's owner is not in doubt...
BEN JON	looks like a full name
BETTZ	Family name...?
BIGBABY1	This plate implies that there's already a "Big Baby" out there, at least; wonder if there's a BIGBABY2 as well? I also wonder if this is a size reference, or a self-evident character truth?
BIZ BLDR	This one's pretty clear...
BLAIR	Male, or female? I think the feminine version is spelled with an E, but these days, practically anything goes... This was a Virginia plate, seen on I-95 heading North though Fayetteville, NC...
BLNDIE	This driver must be a blonde (hence the nickname)...but then again, I once owned a Yorkie that I named Blondie--so this could be the name of a pet...
BLDSUCKR	Cool plate!
BRIAL YN3	Name, or nickname most likely, but not sure on the YN3...
BRITT 3
BROCK
BUBA
BUFFETT5	Hmmmh, name or a fan of Jimmy Buffett? Or the billionaire Buffett?
B-WADE	First initial and family name (unless I'm missing something...)
CAMPBL	As in the famous soup? Surname CAMPBELL or CAMPBEL...
CANARCIE
CARMI	Likely a nickname...
CDT	Initials, I surmise...
CHJ 3
CINDY J1	This plate resides on a hot, white Corvette; the vehicle was driven by a blonde who I assume, was Cindy herself...
CIZANERO	An Italian family name?
CONNELS	Almost certainly a family; the driver was female.
COOK JR	Does this mean one parent is a cook and this driver is the Junior? An apprentice cook? Or, is the family name COOK, and this is a Junior?
COUTO	No ideas on this one...
COZZY	This one seems unique (unless it's COZY spelled with two Zs)...
CPT KURK	Likely a nickname for a driver who is probably a "Trekker" (i.e., a Star Trek fan, like myself)... with the actual spelling "KIRK" having almost certainly been taken already; or, he is a military person, he is a Captain, and his surname really is Kurk (or perhaps is given name?)...
CREDLE	Probably a surname, but can't be certain...
CRIOLLO	It's rare that one has a chance to query a driver as to the motivation behind a plate. Waiting for service at the Hyundai dealership, I saw this plate; the driver (also waiting) explained that this was the nickname of his home town in Puerto Rico...Cool!
CURRITUC	This is an odd one...
"CYDNEY"	No mistake about who this driver is...
DALON-07	Sounds like a video game character...
DANETRY	Family name? I suppose, it could be a first name...
DARIUS G	Self-explanatory...
D DIAZ 2
DEKE	Name?...
DENI	Probably a nickname--maybe short for Denise? Just a guess...
DEONDRIC	An ethnic name?...
DEVERX	Kind of an odd one...
DK JONES	Self-explanatory...
DLWITT	First initials and family name?...
DOBEANI	Sounds Italian...
DOMINIQE
DORINDA	Self-explanatory...
DORINE 1	There's already a Dorine out there. How about Dorine 2?...
DORINDA	Self-explanatory...
DOUG	Self-explanatory...
DRIGO	This one's somewhat unusual...
DSTEVEN$	Pretty self-explanatory...
DUNN	Family name?
EDWARDS6
EDYTKA	This is apparently a Polish name for females--and the name of a dancer on Dancing With The Stars...
EMILY'S	A very nice name that you don't hear very often these days. I parked in a movie theater lot, and the Honda parked across from me had this plate. In the theater, at the counter to buy popcorn (not the movies without popcorn!), I noticed the clerk's name tag read: EMILY. I asked, "You wouldn't by chance happen to drive a blue Honda with..." -- she finished for me "the Emily license plate? Yep, that's mine."
ENZZO	Not sure what this nickname might stand for...
EPPY	Intriging! Probably a nickname unless it's someone who has to carry an "EpiPen" around with them (Epinephrine autoinjector pen) in case of exposure to an Allergen (like peanut butter) that can cause a severe allergic reaction (an EpiPen is a life-saver)...
ERIN G	I have always liked the name Erin...
FENTON 2	Apparently a member of a/the Fenton family
FERG	Short for Ferguson, maybe? A Fergie fan?
FLETCH06	Fletch(-er) seems to be a fairly popular name
FOXANIE	positive thinking / self-confidence on Anie's part!
FRANK B	Haven't yet encountered Frank A, but he must be out there somewhere!
GARRETS	Sounds like the name of a store...
GFV II	Interesting...
HAYNE$	Family name? Or just someone who likes Haynes trousers?!
HEATHER1	No sign yet of Heather2--but we'll keep looking!!
HINSHW	Most likely the surname HINSHAW...
HIROMI 1	A male Army soldier was driving this car. "Hiromi" is a Japanese girl's name, so this guy either: (1) stole the car (unlikely), (2) has a wife of Japanese heritage and borrowed her car, or (3) has a girlfriend of Japanese heritage...same-same.
HONEY-BB	HONEY BABY -- for her birthday, my supervisor's husband gifted her with a vanity plate, so she joined the crowd...
IVY 9	Ivy is apparently a name much in demand!!
J BELTON	Initial and last name...
JACI SUE	Self-explanatory...
JACKIE 2	Self-explanatory; no sign yet of JACKIE, or JACKIE 1...
JACKIE C	Pretty much self-explanatory
JACKGRIF	Jack Grif? or Jack Griffith?...
JACQLYN	Rather unique spelling...
JAKE
J BELTON	Self-explanatory
JARED	Same name as one of my nephews...
JARVIE99	This one's a bit odd...
JASSO	Sounds like a nickname, but not sure what the name would be...
JEDI JAY	Jay sounds like a real character. Fan of Star Wars??
JEAN
JEHU	Another one of the more unusual nicknames, most likely...
JEJ	Probably intials...
JMFASTER	This is eiter a person named JM Faster, or it's a challenge: JM [is] FASTER...
JOEGRINE	Self-explanatory...
J-RICH	Relatively self-explanatory, probably an initial and a family name--doubt it was the financial condition (the car wasn't a Merceded S-class, or a Ferrari)...
JSMTM	Must mean something, but I have no idea what--unless it's maybe JSM TEAM...
JOSEPH	Personal name...
KAP	A mystery--likely a nickname...
KARLITO	Name ?
KATIUK	Name?...
KATNHAT	A fan of Dr. Zuess? Sounds like it's being used a a nickname (CAT IN [THE] HAT)...
KB LOCAL	Wasn't sure where to put this one--sounds more like a place, but...Maybe union?...
KATSALIF	I'm putting this here, thinking it's a nickname...on the other hand, it could mean CAT'S ALIVE, or something...
KEEBLER	Surname--or a fan of Keebler cookkies...either a creative spelling using "3" for "E", like the TV show "NUMB3RS" -- or else, the "E" spelling was already taken...
K3ISHA	either a creative spelling using "3" for "E", like the TV show "NUMB3RS" -- or else, the "E" spelling was already taken...
KEITH B	Self-explanatory...
KENNETTA
KIELA
KIKA	Nickname?...
KILGO	Kind of an odd nickname...
KIMMERS	Interesting--a nickname for Kim, maybe?
KIM BONG	Could be a Korean name--KIM would be the surname (which comes first in Korean), then the first name BONG (usually 2 syllables, e.g., Bong-Soo, but with a shortage of space here...). Or, could be something completely differect...
KRYSTINA	Neat spelling for a nice name...
LILU 11	This is pretty close to "LEELOO" (at least in terms of pronunciation), the red-headed alien girl character played by Milla Jovovich in director Luc Besson's science fiction movie classic "The 5th Element." (Bruce Willis starred.)
LORI	First name...
LOU*V*A	Hard to figure this one, other than the name LOU...
LPT	Probably intials...can't think of anything that LPT could stand for...
LU-LU	Nickname for a girl? Or, used as in "that was a lulu of a performance!"? (i.e., like "doozie"--meaning something remarkable among its kind...
MALAMA	Likely a personal name (ethnic)...
MAUREEN	Personal name...
MCCRERY	Family name...
MEL	Short for Melvin? Melanie? Melinda?
MELBA J	Reminds me of Melba Toast...
MICA	This name in particular caught my interest because I watch ScyFy Channel's "Warehouse 13" series, with Secret Service agent Myka Bering (haven't seen THIS spelling on a plate yet!) played by Joanne Kelly.
MICKI 1928	Wonder which Micki this could be (the I suggests female), associated with 1928 -- unless there are over 1927 other Micki plates on North Carolina highways...
MISDEEL	Not sure about this one...; could be Miss Deal, though Miss isn't considered "politically correct" anymore. Or, could be a card player and it means "Miss Deal"...
MISS. BS	Not sure if this is a tongue-in-cheek thing, or not...?
MIZZ VEE	This one's pretty unique. Likely the last name first initial--else perhaps someone who thinks of herself as "Anna," the commander of the Aliens from the Visitors TV show...
MOOKA 86	possibly a nickname and a birth year--there can't be 85 Mookas out there...
MRCLEAN1	Is this a job reference, or an indicator of sound personal hygiene? Is there a No. 2 out there? Apparently, there's already MR CLEAN running around somewhere...
MR GE	Intriguing--see the next one down...
MR GE 2	2 ?? How many GEs are there?...
MR. JOE	Self-explanatory...
MRWEAVER	Self-explanatory...
MR. V.K.	Initials...
MOORE-01	Self-explanatory
MRS IJ	Now that's an interesting family name...
MRS TABBS	hmmmmmh!...
MS BETY	Self-explanatory...
MS CARTR	Self-explanatory...
MS FINE	Interesting!
MSFINESS	Wonder if MS FINE and MSFINESS are in any way related?
MSHURLEY	Self-explanatory
MS KLEEN	I like this one! Sense of humor here!
MRSPEREZ	Self-explanatory
MRS RITA	Self-explanatory
MRSOLO	Either Mr. Solo (wonder if his first name is "Han"?, or Mrs. Olo...
MSPIERCE	Self-explanatory
MS TAZZ	Self-explanatory, if rather unique...
MS. TISA	Self-explanatory
MZ D	Ms. D?...
MZ DEZ	Noy much different from the previous plate...
NASH 4	(unless NASH refers to Nashville...)
NATALKA	Interesting name, sounds almost Russian; ethnic of some sort...
NATE	First name, probably...
NELLY D	Self-explanatory...
NILLIE	Was kind of expecting to see a plate with "WILLIE" nearby--that would have helped put this one in a different category!
NOAH	Self-explanatory
NOOR	Self-explanatory
NONI 10	Self-explanatory
NUWANDA
OWENS	Self-explanatory
PAPPO	This one's pretty different...
P ARDIS	Self-explanatory...
REVIS	Must be a name, or a nickname...
RMG	Initials...
R8J-J8R	The first 3 initials are completely reversed in the last 3. I wonder at the significance? Perhaps I am missing something...
RAINBOJO	pretty colorful nickname for, perhaps, a Joanna/Joanne? Or maybe her name actually IS Jo...
RANDOL	another way to tell us "Randall"? Or, not...
RICKINNC	We know this driver is Rick, and that he is either from, or lives in, North Carolina...
ROBERTSR	Wonder if ROBERTJR is also out there?...
SANCHEZ	Self-explanatory
SHARNTEL	Not sure if a female or male ethnic name...
SILVIAM	Must be SILVIA M--though why the owner didn't add a space break after SILVIA, remains a mystery...
SONDRA
SONORA
SMOKYJOS	The vehicle had no signs of any type on it (i.e., as an advertisement), but this name sure sounds to me like it's for a restaurant...
STONEY1	a nickname, it seems; perhaps for someone with the family name Stone...
SWEETNS	Something that sweetens? Or, "Sweet'ns" as in a person (sweet thing)?...
TED PARK	This fellow has no problem with announcing his name...
THE G-MA	Not quite sure what this means. G-man (government employee, especially in Law Enforcement)? Something else? A bit obscure...
TIM-C
TONIPOY	The car being Toni's Pony? This might belong in the Vehicle category, if it's not a nickname.
TONNI	Girl's nickname, maybe?
TONY 5
TMAS	Suspect this is short for THOMAS--but I could be wrong...
TSALAG1	A rather odd name...there must be a TSALAG driver with the original plate, this example the second... If you were to reorder these letters, you can get STALAG1. Stalag was the German short form of STAMM LAGER (Lager being "camp;" Stammlager=POW camp); Luft Stalag=Luftwaffe (air force)-controlled POW camp. "STALAG 13" was the German prisoner of war camp featured in the TV comedy Hogan's Heroes, back in the day...
TRISSIE
TWIDZID	This is truly a weird nickname (assuming that's what it is)...
VHS	Assuming these are the driver's initials, rather than a reference to an outdated audiovisual format...
WILETTA	likely a female name
YOMAIRA	likely also a female name...
YUNG D	Probably a name--possibly Korean (YUNG, YEUNG, etc.)
WKJ	Self-explanatory
WW JO J	This one's pretty unique--as well as complex for a name as simple as JO

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