Call them “Culs-brûlés”! The inhabitants of the village of Olley, 230 inhabitants in Meurthe-et-Moselle, chose a gentilé, Saturday November 2, 2024, and they prioritized tradition over a more classic appellation.
“There were 89 voters: 42 votes for the Culs-brûlés, and 25 votes for the second proposal, the Olleysiens, more classic”says the mayor of the town, David Buono.
“The vote shows that the residents wanted to keep this nickname and make it official, we are very happy”he added. According to the mayor, this name “Culs-brûlés” comes from a centuries-old tradition.
A historic nickname
“There are two hypotheses: that of the village producing oil in the Middle Ages, poor quality oil which blackened the bottom of the lamps”explains David Buono, citing the work of Kévin Gœuriot, historian of Lorraine. “ Or it could be linked to the Swedish invasions: the region suffered quite a few invasions, and the Swedes burned everything in their path..
The consultation, open to all residents aged 10 and over, was organized over several days and proposed eight terms to designate the inhabitants of the village, including “Olleyon”, “Olleumien” or “Olleyjoie”. Other proposals such as “Olley hands” or “Olley hearts” were not accepted.
This gentile must now be officially adopted by the municipal council, and the deliberation will be transmitted to the prefecture.
“I believe that there is a commission which must validate the thing, so that we do not call ourselves any name, but I think that it will be a formality”David Buono anticipates. “This nickname is historic, it is at least 500 years old, if not 1,000 years old, I don’t see why we would be challenged”. According to the mayor, “around 1,000 municipalities in France do not have a gentilé”.
