When you don’t like a name given to a new baby close to you

[Paige]

I don't think anyone on my side of the family likes my youngest's name. He's only 8mos and it apparently hasn't been enough time to grow on them. It was a last minute name and DH's preference which I yielded to because he went with my preference for all the other kids. Some people are insisting on calling him by his middle name which I find rude and ridiculous. Baby is never ever called by his middle name by anyone he sees and it would be confusing and dumb. Baby has an adorable nickname, IMO, that was already an option for people who didn't like his name. 

They didn't like some of my other kids' names and they've come around on them but this time it seems to be a personal point of pride for them to reject. I think it's because the other names were traditional American/English and this one reflects my DH's ethnicity. His family, on the other hand, is ecstatic about the name! They are so happy about it that I'm slightly offended on behalf of the other kids whose names were not met with such ecstasy! ?

[Guest]

42 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

How rude!!

People have straight up said to my DH, “Why did your parent’s name you a girl’s name?” 

I’m sure it’s tempting to reply, “Why did your parent’s teach you to be an @$$hole?” 

[Ravin]

On 6/5/2018 at 8:22 PM, elegantlion said:

If ds had been a girl, my former MIL would have hated the name we picked out. 

The only baby name I've heard that gives me pause is Anakin, and I've known more than one. I just want to tell them, you know he ends up being the bad guy right? 

Personally, I don't like my first or middle name. I'm 51 and still cringe a bit when I hear it. It's dated and was never really popular, so there isn't a lot of us, but common enough that probably everyone of my generation knows at least one. My middle name is a shortened version of an aunt's name. I wish my mom had just used the longer version. I'd never change it because it sounds all right combined with my last name. 

 

 

Anakin was on my short list at one time, before we narrowed it down to Tolkien. Feanor was on my short-listed Tolkien names for DS. DH vetoed it because he thought it was too dark.

[Ravin]

18 hours ago, Teacher Mom said:

Well, it could be worse; my niece named her son Beowulf. I am going to call that child Beau or Buddy or something -- just can't do that.

 You can call him Wulf or Wolf or Ulf for short. Beowulf is an epic name!

[musicianmom]

*

Edited May 21, 2022 by musicianmom

[Lang Syne Boardie]

I gave my son a biblical name that is also extremely common in early American literature and history. It's only slightly less common than Matthew or Thomas. He's gone by a nickname almost exclusively for about five years, though, because nobody has ever heard of it. And his co-workers and church are fifty percent Hispanic - they know the Spanish version but it's a long way from the English, and the English is not pronounceable at all. 

The nickname is fine, it suits him, but he'd started with a very traditional, biblical, historical, and literary three syllable name that I'd never have dreamed would become obsolete in one generation. Also, we have a single syllable last name. So instead of being something like Benjamin Bird, he is Ben Bird. (Not the actual names.)

[Miss Mousie]

On 6/5/2018 at 5:01 PM, Quill said:

It’s interesting to me and I would like to know the psychology behind the parents choosing this name. The father has a name that sounds like a common name, but it is spelled differently and is slightly different. (Think sort of like if you named your son “Bendimon” instead of “Benjamin.”) No doubt, he has had to clarify his name all his life. The mother has a pretty, feminine name that is neither unusual not super popular. I am curious what the dad thinks about having had a name that surely confuses many people, because I think that will happen with the baby, too. 

This name is like a surname of a celebrity. That is part of what I dislike, because I can’t put the name together with that precious little baby. I just keep thinking of the celebrity. Kind of like if you named a baby Clooney. Or Paltrow. 

 

Many of these posts have me dying to guess, in a goofy sort of way.  If I accidentally do that with the kid of a poster, I apologize - I'm trying to contain myself to the ones with a story about somebody else's kid.

So for Quill's story - I think the name is Kardashia.

 

On 6/5/2018 at 5:48 PM, RootAnn said:

Yep, I have relatives who pick some real doozies. No specifics, but think of naming a kid after a country (like "Czechia") or a name that sounds like you are going to go around setting things on fire. We have our own internal nicknames for these kids, but I'm so bad at names that I can't hardly remember what the nicknames are & what the real names are. This is true for me for just about everyone, though, so people generally just figure I don't remember their real names. (Because I don't.)

 

Arsonio.

On 6/5/2018 at 9:22 PM, SquirrellyMama said:

My daughter has a friend with a fairly common name. It is a trendy name from the 80's that is also a common word in the English language. I've never been fond of the name. The original spelling has no double letters. This girl's name has 3  sets of double letters. It drives me nuts. 

A family we know just had a boy. The name they gave him is the same as a very well known pedophile church leader.

My youngest daughter's name was suggested by my husband. When I aske him why that name he said, "There was this girl in high school with that name..."

I told him it was rude to suggest a former girlfriend's name. He swore it wasn't. Not sure if I believe him. We don't run into many people with her name. There was a very destructive hurricane with the same name 5 months after she was born. 

Kelly

 

HHeattherr?

 

[RootAnn]

17 minutes ago, Miss Mousie said:

Arsonio.

Well, there are two kids that have names that fit my description of "setting things on fire". One is a real name (if you put "fire" into a thesaurus, the name will likely come up albeit it is spelled differently) and you are VERY close to the second real name. Kudos. 

And, the sister of a friend of mine named her newborn, "Odin." Now, that's a name that will be tough to live up to!

[RootAnn]

4 hours ago, fairfarmhand said:

One my kids is Emily. 

Nobody *ever* spells it right. Plain boring traditional spelling. 

She has people want to spell it 

emilee

emiley

emylie

emyly

emyley

but they never get the traditional spelling right. 

How about Emma Lee or Emma Leigh?

So, I knew there was a Sheila & an Emma in a family. I thought the mother was Sheila & the daughter was Emma. I was wrong.

[Caroline]

Quill, we had neighbors named Danielle (wife) and Robin (husband). People were always thinking they were Daniel and Robin. 

My niece has a name that I think sounds like a country music star if you leave off our Indian last name. Her mom said it came to her in a dream. 

It never occurred to me before this thread about sibling names going together. My kids all have standard American names, so I guess they go together. Three of the four start with vowels. I wonder if people think we ran out of vowel names. Now I am thinking about that more. Hmm...

[Tangerine]

1 hour ago, Miss Mousie said:

 

Many of these posts have me dying to guess, in a goofy sort of way.  If I accidentally do that with the kid of a poster, I apologize - I'm trying to contain myself to the ones with a story about somebody else's kid.

So for Quill's story - I think the name is Kardashia.

 

 

Arsonio.

 

HHeattherr?

 

Heather was my first instinct for that name too! Maybe Ammberr. 

[Daria]

44 minutes ago, Tangerine said:

Heather was my first instinct for that name too! Maybe Ammberr. 

 

I was thinking Melloddee  

[barnwife]

2 hours ago, Tibbie Dunbar said:

I gave my son a biblical name that is also extremely common in early American literature and history. It's only slightly less common than Matthew or Thomas. He's gone by a nickname almost exclusively for about five years, though, because nobody has ever heard of it. And his co-workers and church are fifty percent Hispanic - they know the Spanish version but it's a long way from the English, and the English is not pronounceable at all. 

The nickname is fine, it suits him, but he'd started with a very traditional, biblical, historical, and literary three syllable name that I'd never have dreamed would become obsolete in one generation. Also, we have a single syllable last name. So instead of being something like Benjamin Bird, he is Ben Bird. (Not the actual names.)

I really want to know which name it is. Mostly because there is a Biblical girls' name I'd love to use  if ever given the chance that everyone thinks is made up. So you have my  curiousity piqued.

[SquirrellyMama]

1 hour ago, Tangerine said:

Heather was my first instinct for that name too! Maybe Ammberr. 

Nope,  It is Desstinniee. Drives me NUTS! Sweet girl, though.

 

[SquirrellyMama]

My dh's name is Kris. When we have to spell his name for people and say, "It's spelled with a K", it often gets spelled Khris ? I find that funny. 

And, people are always calling me Kris. He's been called Kelly exactly once. I'm surprised since Kelly can be a man.

Kelly

[Corraleno]

2 hours ago, SquirrellyMama said:

Nope,  It is Desstinniee. Drives me NUTS! Sweet girl, though.

 

Yikes. Why would someone do that to a child??? ? 

[RootAnn]

 

On 6/5/2018 at 11:38 PM, Farrar said:

Oh my gosh. So with you.

I do not like either of my young nephews' names. The first one for political reasons. It's an okay name in how it sounds... it just conjures a certain political reference that I know the parents don't even like, so then I don't get why they gave the kid this name. I think they just didn't think about it and liked the way it sounded. The second one I just don't like as a name. I don't like the way it sounds with his brother's name - together they form the name of a famous person, but it's clearly not intentional on the parents' part, which makes it weird to me.

Hm, reading this reminded me of a boy we know named Rush. But I don't think his brother's name is Limbaugh. 

On 6/6/2018 at 12:17 PM, Farrar said:

I've never heard of Fourth or Sixth as a nickname. But I have heard of families using "Trey" for the third of the name and "Quinn" or "Quint" for the fifth. Latinate nicknames, basically.

I can absolutely see one of my girls naming a son Septimus.

On 6/5/2018 at 10:50 PM, Homeschool Mom in AZ said:

About 16 years ago a friend with the last name Rhodes had a baby boy.  She proudly announced they were naming him Dustin so they could call him Dusty Rhodes...on purpose.  "Is that adorable!?" she asked me.  All I could do was smile and say, "Wow!" I didn't tell her what I thought because he's not my kid.

Twins in a small town in farm country had a last name like Valley or Lake. The identical boys are named "Canyon" and "River." I guess if you have a last name like that, just go with it??

[kitten18]

1 hour ago, happysmileylady said:

I once took pics of a kid named Andrea. 

Except when they filled out the paperwork the kids name was Auhndrheah.  I don’t know the purpose of all of those H’s. 

I keep looking at that name and I can’t stop twitching. 

[Another Lynn]

3 hours ago, Miss Mousie said:

 

Many of these posts have me dying to guess, in a goofy sort of way.  If I accidentally do that with the kid of a poster, I apologize - I'm trying to contain myself to the ones with a story about somebody else's kid.

So for Quill's story - I think the name is Kardashia.

 

 

Arsonio.

 

HHeattherr?

 

I know!  I want everyone to post the names they're talking about, leave them in the thread for 20 minutes and then go back in and edit them out.  Ready.... GO!  ?

[Farrar]

Oh gosh. Twin names is a whole other thing. When I found out I was having twins, the first thing my father said to me was actually, "Well, whatever you do, don't name them (rhyming name) and (rhyming name)." The names of his aunt and uncle who are twins.

[Ausmumof3]

On 6/6/2018 at 11:52 AM, SquirrellyMama said:

My daughter has a friend with a fairly common name. It is a trendy name from the 80's that is also a common word in the English language. I've never been fond of the name. The original spelling has no double letters. This girl's name has 3  sets of double letters. It drives me nuts. 

A family we know just had a boy. The name they gave him is the same as a very well known pedophile church leader.

My youngest daughter's name was suggested by my husband. When I aske him why that name he said, "There was this girl in high school with that name..."

I told him it was rude to suggest a former girlfriend's name. He swore it wasn't. Not sure if I believe him. We don't run into many people with her name. There was a very destructive hurricane with the same name 5 months after she was born. 

Kelly

One of Dhs friends did this.  To this day he and his mates all wonder if his wife knows...

[Ravin]

So here's a question: Would you cut a man some slack or else think less of him, if he couldn't spell his kids' first names, and his defense was that the kids' mom chose the names? Would your opinion change if you saw the kids' names and they are creatively spelled as well as unusual?

[Tangerine]

1 minute ago, Ravin said:

So here's a question: Would you cut a man some slack or else think less of him, if he couldn't spell his kids' first names, and his defense was that the kids' mom chose the names? Would your opinion change if you saw the kids' names and they are creatively spelled as well as unusual?

There would be no slack cut. No slack at all. I mean I can memorize a social security number, a meaningless string of characters, I can memorize the spelling of my kid’s name. 

[LMD]

1 hour ago, Ravin said:

So here's a question: Would you cut a man some slack or else think less of him, if he couldn't spell his kids' first names, and his defense was that the kids' mom chose the names? Would your opinion change if you saw the kids' names and they are creatively spelled as well as unusual?

There would be less slack for allowing that to happen to his own child...

Hello, my name is judgy mcjudgerson. My kids might have weird names but they're spelled correctly darn it!

 

I Also want to know Tibbie's obscure biblical name! I wanted Obadiah badly but dh said No, we ended up with another obscure one and one that seemed obscure 10 years ago but has gained popularity - but people seem to quite like both...

[musicianmom]

I’m going to guess Nathaniel for Tibbie’s son.

[Daria]

1 hour ago, Ravin said:

So here's a question: Would you cut a man some slack or else think less of him, if he couldn't spell his kids' first names, and his defense was that the kids' mom chose the names? Would your opinion change if you saw the kids' names and they are creatively spelled as well as unusual?

 

I used to teach preschool special ed, floating between multiple classrooms.  I'd memorize 100 name spellings before the first day of school so that I could label art work etc  . . right every time.  If I could do that, then I can't see how a parent can't memorize one name at a time.    The only thing that would change that opinion would be something like a traumatic brain injury.

[Guest]

51 minutes ago, musicianmom said:

I’m going to guess Nathaniel for Tibbie’s son.

I very much like the name Nathaniel and do know one IRL. When we named our youngest, it was a toss-up between Nathan and Mason. We went with Mason, which promptly rose to the tippety-top of the name charts in my state. He still doesn’t know very many Masons his exact age, but we know oodles of them a few years younger. 

And I just cannot reveal the new baby’s name after I’ve been somewhat ungracious about it. I am committed to liking it enough, if only from the perspective of knowing this name is, to my niece and her husband, the very best, most perfect name. So, that is something. 

[Ausmumof3]

2 hours ago, Ravin said:

So here's a question: Would you cut a man some slack or else think less of him, if he couldn't spell his kids' first names, and his defense was that the kids' mom chose the names? Would your opinion change if you saw the kids' names and they are creatively spelled as well as unusual?

I would.  I named my kid and it's a name with two common spellings and in the sleep deprived baby brain days I could never remember which we picked!!!

on the same subject

any other older homeschooled kids here that can't spell their full first name!  We always call middle dd by her nickname and I recently realised she can't write her full name!  We had a writing lesson with this.  I'm sure if she was at school she would have written it on a million worksheets and know it by now...

 

[Ausmumof3]

On 6/7/2018 at 7:41 AM, Daria said:

 

I have to admit that I kind of love Beowulf.  I wouldn't have the guts to do it, but I think it's kinda awesome.  

 

I do as well.

i think it's the incorrigibles that made me fall in love with it.

[Ausmumof3]

1 hour ago, Daria said:

 

I used to teach preschool special ed, floating between multiple classrooms.  I'd memorize 100 name spellings before the first day of school so that I could label art work etc  . . right every time.  If I could do that, then I can't see how a parent can't memorize one name at a time.    The only thing that would change that opinion would be something like a traumatic brain injury.

I don't know.  Some people have trouble memorising correct spellings for words they've read 100s of times.  I don't find it hard but I'm sure some people would.

[Guest]

Angel? Gabriel? Hopefully not Hell. Oh, maybe Damon. 

[kitten18]

49 minutes ago, happysmileylady said:

I know right? 

 

I also once took took pics of a little girl name Heaven. Not my cuppa, but it’s. It totally out there or anything 

When mom came to pick up the pics, she had son with her too. 

I would be interested if people could guess his name...

Earth

[busymama7]

i briefly knew someone who named their newborn boy Morbius. I cringed but tried so hard not to show it. I can't remember the name of the older brother but it was just as bad.  This story would be a million times better if I could remember the older brother ?.  I think I was too shocked for the name to sink in and stick in my brain.  All I remember is thinking nothing could be worse then Morbius and then it was. 

I have a child with a creative/unusual spelling. These threads always make me feel guilty but she's almost 20 and swears she loves her name so there is that.   Every one else is standard but two have names that have 2 very common spelling variations so they so have to clarify a lot.  We also call out oldest by his middle name and he also swears he doesn't care.  We named him after his dad but his dad already had one nickname and the other sounded horrible with out last name. I couldn't imagine using the whole first name so we didn't. If I had to do it again I wouldn't mind the whole first name. It grew on me.  The middle name thing really hasn't been a big deal.  More confusion comes when dealing with the shared first name so I still think we came out ahead 

[LMD]

busymama7, my kid's names are spelled correctly but I have a creative spelling and I've always loved it. Still do 34 years later! Not crazy creative, no doubles lol.

[Carrie12345]

After my first, I didn't announce names until kids were born.  #1 has a perfectly normal, not overly popular, not uniquely spelled name, and everyone seemed pretty happy with it. But, once it was out there, I spent approximately 20 weeks feeling like I couldn't change it if I wanted to.

#2 has a perfectly normal, pretty popular name, though it didn't seem all that popular at the time.  There is no "right" way to spell it (in the same way there are so many variations of Carrie) but I chose one of the more complicated, which people aren't always able to wrap their brains around.  She'd have to spell it out, regardless.

#5's is the most uncommon, though I've met a few.  I think a lot of people dislike his nickname, but I never intended to use a nickname. It just happened.

I'm not close to anyone with a name I *hate*, but plenty that I don't like very much.

[Katy]

I've recently met several girls named Nevaeh (Heaven backwards). But the first time I heard that, probably almost 20 years ago, news about a porn star with the same name had just gone viral. I couldn't believe the young couple who named their infant that hadn't seen the news (they were not the sheltered type), or that they decided they liked the name enough to ignore the fact they were naming their kid after a porn star.  Also I wondered if listing a word backwards as a name was the linguistic equivalent of hanging a cross upside down (also something this couple was likely to do).

I can't believe how many women I've met named Delilah. Pretty name, yes, but don't parents think about the implications of meaning and the story the name came from?

[Daria]

5 hours ago, Katy said:

I can't believe how many women I've met named Delilah. Pretty name, yes, but don't parents think about the implications of meaning and the story the name came from?

 

I think that some people care more about the meanings and histories of names than others.  

I know two very well educated families with daughters named Juliet.  One family in particular has parents who are avid readers.  I agree that the name Juliet sounds beautiful, but there is no way I can hear it without thinking of teenage girls making selfish impulsive decisions that lead to tragedy.  I simply can't disconnect the name from the character.  Clearly their parents can.  Both girls are lovely young ladies, and of course, I have not said anything to their parents about their names other than "What a beautiful name!"

[Miss Tick]

On 6/7/2018 at 12:02 PM, musicianmom said:

 

I have a friend who named her daughter a “normal” first name, and then added a middle name that makes it sound like a type of cookie when you say it together.

This is the one I can't stop guessing.

Vanilla Wafer Jones?

Snicker Doodle Jones?

Graham Cracker Jones?

Orr Eo Jones?

Pecan Sandie Jones?

[MysteryJen]

Ginger Snap?

[Emba]

Funny story: My youngest DS has an unusual name.  After he was born, my mother came to visit us.  She is hard of hearing, and sometimes forgets that not everyone has as hard a time hearing what people are saying as she does.  A couple of days into her visit, I was in the bedroom and I heard her in the living room next door, cooing loudly to DS "Oh, DS's name, Oh, DS's name. We don't like it, but we'll get used to it."

I must confess I dislike my nephew's name for a while, but now I don't think anything about it.

Edited to add: And I know my mother, so I am sure she wasn't trying to let me know what she thought about DS's name in a passive agressive way.  I was equal parts amused and offended at the time, and now I am just amused. ?

[Jean in Newcastle]

1 minute ago, Arctic Mama said:

I can never figure out how to pronounce that name when I read it.  Is it like “Nivea” the lotion, or “Ne-vay”, or something else?

The students I've had with that name pronounce it like the lotion. 

[freesia]

23 minutes ago, Arctic Mama said:

I can never figure out how to pronounce that name when I read it.  Is it like “Nivea” the lotion, or “Ne-vay”, or something else?

The one I knew was na-vay-uh

[Guest]

8 hours ago, Katy said:

I've recently met several girls named Nevaeh (Heaven backwards). But the first time I heard that, probably almost 20 years ago, news about a porn star with the same name had just gone viral. I couldn't believe the young couple who named their infant that hadn't seen the news (they were not the sheltered type), or that they decided they liked the name enough to ignore the fact they were naming their kid after a porn star.  Also I wondered if listing a word backwards as a name was the linguistic equivalent of hanging a cross upside down (also something this couple was likely to do).

I can't believe how many women I've met named Delilah. Pretty name, yes, but don't parents think about the implications of meaning and the story the name came from?

The name Delilah, along with the trendier Lyla does have a beautiful, current sound. I think many people are just deciding the sound of it means more to them than the connotation of the Biblical Delilah. 

But I know what you mean. I knew someone who named her son “Ivan” and I could only ever think, “...the Terrible.” Taken objectively, it makes sense for Ivan to be just as popular as the plethora of two-syllable-with-an-n names for boys. (My sons both have two-syllable-ends-with-an-n names.) Ethan, Aiden, Hayden, Caden, Evan, Collin, Mason, Peyton, etc., etc., etc. But it seems more people than not still hear “the Terrible” and so don’t choose Ivan. Think about it though: Ivan. It totally makes sense with all those other names. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

47 minutes ago, Quill said:

The name Delilah, along with the trendier Lyla does have a beautiful, current sound. I think many people are just deciding the sound of it means more to them than the connotation of the Biblical Delilah. 

But I know what you mean. I knew someone who named her son “Ivan” and I could only ever think, “...the Terrible.” Taken objectively, it makes sense for Ivan to be just as popular as the plethora of two-syllable-with-an-n names for boys. (My sons both have two-syllable-ends-with-an-n names.) Ethan, Aiden, Hayden, Caden, Evan, Collin, Mason, Peyton, etc., etc., etc. But it seems more people than not still hear “the Terrible” and so don’t choose Ivan. Think about it though: Ivan. It totally makes sense with all those other names. 

You appear to have forgotten about Ivan the Great. 

[Guest]

21 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

You appear to have forgotten about Ivan the Great. 

Too right...wasn’t that Alexander? ? 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Just now, Quill said:

Too right...wasn’t that Alexander? ? 

There are a number of "Greats".  Alexander is certainly one of them.  So is Peter.  And Catherine.  And Ivan.  Oh and I almost forgot Frederick! 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Ivan the terrible was the grandson of Ivan the great.  I guess he didn't follow in grandpa's footsteps? 

[historically accurate]

On 6/6/2018 at 5:42 PM, Alice said:

 

I went to a church once and there was a family in the bulletin with the kids: Matthew, Mark, Luke and....

 

 

Tiffany. 

 

 

I had a pastor with 3 brothers, Matthew, Mark, and John. His name as the third son... Greg. Why? His last name was Luke. Why would you do that if you knew you couldn't follow through?

[ThisIsTheDay]

On 6/7/2018 at 3:53 PM, SquirrellyMama said:

Nope,  It is Desstinniee. Drives me NUTS! Sweet girl, though.

 

 

DYING! I'm sorry, it is sad, but it's funny too!

 

On 6/7/2018 at 9:05 PM, Quill said:

 

And I just cannot reveal the new baby’s name after I’ve been somewhat ungracious about it. I am committed to liking it enough, if only from the perspective of knowing this name is, to my niece and her husband, the very best, most perfect name. So, that is something. 

 

Definitely don't share here. You wouldn't want this popping up if they googled their kid's name. ?

[Katy]

3 minutes ago, ThisIsTheDay said:

Definitely don't share here. You wouldn't want this popping up if they googled their kid's name. ?

 

This.  But feel free to DM it to those of us who've expressed interest (me and everyone who likes this!)