Do you like the name Meeno for a Boy?

[Magical_mommy]

My sister will be naming her son Meeno when he is born in a few months... at first, my husband and I thought it was too weird, never heard that name before but more and more we think it could be adorable for a likable boy. Would you talk her out of that name? 

Never liked unusual names, seems like it could make life hard for a kid growing up but DS is in first grade and has a new best friend with a first name just as odd as Meeno. But he is an awesome kid who seems like he is able to shrug off any teasing of his name. And now that this boy has been over to our house so many times in the past few weeks, we are used to his name and think it's cute. What do other people think?  

[KungFuPanda]

Everyone will try to call him Nemo for his whole entire life and he will tire of correcting them.  His mother will likely get annoyed with the whole world because she'll see it as everyone else's problem and not a package deal that is included with an unusual name.  

[vonfirmath]

4 minutes ago, Magical_mommy said:

My sister will be naming her son Meeno when he is born in a few months... at first, my husband and I thought it was too weird, never heard that name before but more and more we think it could be adorable for a likable boy. Would you talk her out of that name? 

Never liked unusual names, seems like it could make life hard for a kid growing up but DS is in first grade and has a new best friend with a first name just as odd as Meeno. But he is an awesome kid who seems like he is able to shrug off any teasing of his name. And now that this boy has been over to our house so many times in the past few weeks, we are used to his name and think it's cute. What do other people think?  

I would not talk my sister out of a name for their kid because I wouldn't want her poking her nose in on how I name my kids.

I still remember that my FIL tried to get us to change the name orders on our daughter.

[Lawyer&Mom]

I’d worry that Meeno is awfully close to “mean.”  Kids could do lots with that. 

[catz]

It wouldn't occur to me to negatively react or try to talk someone out of a chosen name unless it's someone I am really close to AND they directly ask for my opinion.  

Not a fan but hey, not my kid.  If it has some cultural or familial significance, I give a lot of leeway.  

[Hilltopmom]

Odd first post on a homeschooling forum.

But no, that sounds like a nasty nickname , not an actual name.

 

Edited December 28, 2021 by Hilltopmom

[vonfirmath]

I didn't even notice it was a first post. WOnder if our answers will even be seen.

[Farrar]

This is why no one should share the name until after the kid is born. People feel free to critique it for an unborn kid but know to shut up once the kid is born.

I don't like it, but I doubt the OP will ever even come back to see! And they probably shouldn't say anything.

[Kassia]

34 minutes ago, vonfirmath said:

 

I still remember that my FIL tried to get us to change the name orders on our daughter.

My maternal grandfather insisted my name order be a certain way and my mother (a compulsive liar) told him that's what she did but she didn't!  So, that side of the family called me by my middle name until he died when I was 15.  After he died, we told them to call me by my legal first name.  

[73349]

I like unusual first names for kids with very common last names, and vice versa.

Meeno Smith, sure--Why be just another William or Henry Smith?

Meeno Haakonson-de Montpensier, not so much; people will always be messing it up somehow.

[vonfirmath]

14 minutes ago, Kassia said:

My maternal grandfather insisted my name order be a certain way and my mother (a compulsive liar) told him that's what she did but she didn't!  So, that side of the family called me by my middle name until he died when I was 15.  After he died, we told them to call me by my legal first name.  

We didn't lie and tell our In-laws we did it their way and my FIL still calls my daughter by her middle name. We just shrug it off as "Grandpa's pet name" --but I know its because he didn't like the namne we chose for first.

 

[Junie]

1 hour ago, Farrar said:

This is why no one should share the name until after the kid is born. People feel free to critique it for an unborn kid but know to shut up once the kid is born.

I don't like it, but I doubt the OP will ever even come back to see! And they probably shouldn't say anything.

Not only did we not share the name until after the baby was born, but we also did it while the video camera was rolling.  No one dared to criticize the name because they knew it was being recorded. :)

[HS Mom in NC]

Answering the question asked, no, I don't like it.  It doesn't have a pleasant sound in and of itself and it's way too strongly associated with the word mean in English speaking cultures. All around a bad choice. Would I try to talk sis out of it of she didn't ask me what I thought? No. If she asked me? Yes.

Anecdotally, people I know prone to choosing very unusual names (I would categorize Meeno as very unusual) tend to be wildly unrealistic about how others will respond and they tend to be genuinely surprised about school yard taunts. I've seen them take waaaaay too much offense at people not hearing it correctly, not spelling it correctly, not reading it correctly, and not pronouncing it correctly. They also tend to be floored when a child with a more introverted personality is given a name that requires constant explanation and correction and resents that the name forces them into the spotlight of attention frequently because of it.

Also, it's worth noting that the international adoption agency we used when youngest came to us strongly advised us to rename our Korean children with a first name that was a "normal" American name (normal does not equal common; it can be uncommon, just not unheard of) because of the social consequences to children. This was advice based on 50+ years of international adoption experience with adoptees and their feedback. Weird names, regardless of good intentions, are an undue burden on children-not every child, but frequently enough to make it not worth the risk. Kids have enough to deal with. If we wanted to keep part of their Korean names, it needed to not be the first name and the name they're called.  We kept her birthmother's last name as one of her middle names out of respect. That name is weird to Western native English speaking ears, so it's not Kim.

[gardenmom5]

Mil's Armenian grandmother's name was Osana. . . . She was insisting sil name her daughter Osana (sil used the english version of the name.  Suzanne.)

She was born on Sep 11 (1988).  Everyone is glad she gave her the english version.

[Catwoman]

I don't like the name, and whether or not I would say anything about it would depend entirely on my relationship with the parents. 

Welcome to the forum!  🙂 

 

[marbel]

I think that name would be burdensome to a child in US culture. 

[gardenmom5]

My 2exsil is from South America.  My brother gave their daughter the same first name as one of the most famous (and loved) English women in the world. Only - he used the spanish pronunciation. In the US.  He would get angry at everyone who used the English pronunciation.  (there is a fairly common spelling version in the US that is phonetically the spanish pronunciation.) 

[hippymamato3]

What does it mean?

[Magical_mommy]

Thanks for the responses! DS is homeschooled and deals with loneliness. He is lucky to have the friend with the funny name. 

DS started kindergarten at the public school here but was teased because kids thought he wss too girly. When kindergarten began his name was Cameron but there was a girl in his class with that name and he hated being mistaken for a girl! So, we changed his name to something common and a boy’s only name.  

Dad is a librarian and a skinny boy at the library is named Arafat and some of the youngest kids will ask is he fat? 

Yes, Meeno is close to mean but people could always say, Don’t be a Meanie, be a Meeno. Make a nice joke…  

You adopted from Korea? That's awesome. My white friend married a Korean and all three children look Asian although they are bi-racial. 

My sister chose the name just because she liked the sound of it. No special reason. I am optimistic my nephew won’t have the problems my son had in public school and I am already getting used to his cute name, haha. 

 

[hippymamato3]

I don't hate it...I think it's cute.

[Magical_mommy]

We are a white Christian family living in America but my sister chose Meeno which means little fish in Hindu. He will be the first boy in the family since my son was born six years ago, so this little fish is eagerly awaited.  

My sister told me yesterday she hopes in about five years, Meeno will study ballet like my DS. Wow, that means a lot to me because few people in the family have been supportive of my son's dancing. She thinks Meeno will try ballet as well as some other more traditional boy's sports. Meeno could be an awesome kid and DS could teach his cousin about being a male dancer which isn't always easy. That's just too cool. 

[historically accurate]

I wouldn't use it as it's too close to the word mean. I try not to bother about other people's name picks, although I've been known to be like, "Wha? Why?" in my head a few times. I simply smile, and say, "I'm sure he/she will make a lovely [picked name]." because after a bit if you're close to the family, it'll just be the kid's name and it's all fine.

I usually like unusual names. I used 3 unusual names for my kids although all of them have become more uncommon than unusual or "out there" over the past 15-20 years. In my opinion, we can't all be Liam's, Noah's, Olivia's and Emma's (all fine names but too common for my taste). 

 

Edited December 28, 2021 by historically accurate

[Magical_mommy]

15 minutes ago, hippymamato3 said:

I don't hate it...I think it's cute.

Thanks a million, you seem nice! My sister and her husband are both good-looking and athletic so I could have an adorable, little jock nephew who happens to be called Meeno. Aren't we lucky? 

[Excelsior! Academy]

All I can think of is the escape room movie.  Minos Escape rooms.

 

[Drama Llama]

3 hours ago, Lawyer&Mom said:

I’d worry that Meeno is awfully close to “mean.”  Kids could do lots with that. 

I don’t think any of the girls named Mina or Meena I know have had problems with that.

[Eos]

This is too weird for me. Must go check some other thread.

10 minutes ago, Magical_mommy said:

Aren't we lucky? 

 

[prairiewindmomma]

It’s a Persian name, so depending on where you are in the world, it could be a quite normal name. It means “heaven”, I think, but I have only really encountered the name with girls… In the US they usually give the anglicized version Amina or Ameena rather than Meeno. I have also seen the name with Urdu families….but it’s always been a girl name.

[Farrar]

With the context that it has a heritage and they didn't make it up, I like it a lot better. Though, again, I maintain that no one should tell the name until there's an actual baby with it.

As someone with a somewhat weird name, I have not found it to be an "undue burden." You know what sounds like an undue burden? Having the same name as thousands of other people and having that tied to an email these days. I literally just read an article about that and it sounded so annoying.

[Catwoman]

3 hours ago, Magical_mommy said:

Thanks for the responses! DS is homeschooled and deals with loneliness. He is lucky to have the friend with the funny name. 

DS started kindergarten at the public school here but was teased because kids thought he wss too girly. When kindergarten began his name was Cameron but there was a girl in his class with that name and he hated being mistaken for a girl! So, we changed his name to something common and a boy’s only name.  

Dad is a librarian and a skinny boy at the library is named Arafat and some of the youngest kids will ask is he fat? 

Yes, Meeno is close to mean but people could always say, Don’t be a Meanie, be a Meeno. Make a nice joke…  

You adopted from Korea? That's awesome. My white friend married a Korean and all three children look Asian although they are bi-racial. 

My sister chose the name just because she liked the sound of it. No special reason. I am optimistic my nephew won’t have the problems my son had in public school and I am already getting used to his cute name, haha. 

 

Ok, wait a minute.

You changed your son’s name because there was a girl in his kindergarten class with the same name???

You’re kidding, right?

[itsheresomewhere]

30 minutes ago, Catwoman said:

Ok, wait a minute.

You changed your son’s name because there was a girl in his kindergarten class with the same name???

You’re kidding, right?

I know, right.

Can you tell it is Christmas/winter break? Time for unsupervised computer time. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Farrar said:

With the context that it has a heritage and they didn't make it up, I like it a lot better. Though, again, I maintain that no one should tell the name until there's an actual baby with it.

As someone with a somewhat weird name, I have not found it to be an "undue burden." You know what sounds like an undue burden? Having the same name as thousands of other people and having that tied to an email these days. I literally just read an article about that and it sounded so annoying.

Yeah but you have a cool name! 
Sounds like an expensive car. 

[katilac]

25 minutes ago, Catwoman said:

Ok, wait a minute.

You changed your son’s name because there was a girl in his kindergarten class with the same name???

You’re kidding, right?

No, she gave more context than that. Her son was teased for being too girly (which is generally the most brutal form of teasing in schools), and it sounds like he wanted to change his name, not that they simply did it for him because there was a girl with the same name. It's a harsh reality that boys who act 'too girly' for the setting are usually walking a mighty tough road. If a different name makes him a bit more comfortable, there's nothing wrong with that. 

I am 100% on board with kids changing their names socially for any reason, and if the parents are good with paying for the legal change, I'm on board with that as well. 

As to the original question: I like the name a lot, although I'd spell it differently. No one should ever question a potential baby name. 

 

[lynn]

Hmm.  Don't care for it but a would not say anything unless directly asked.  (Poor kid, other kids can be mean)

[Farrar]

Okay, now I'm distracted by the name change and totally torn. Like, two things that I really believe - things I consider pretty core to my parenting - would conflict.

First... Gender conformity is the pits. It's one reason we avoided school in the early grades. Giving into it would make me nuts.

But also... Kids who really want to change their names should be allowed to do so.

Ack. Throw in there a very young kid who is probably too young to make the decision and this would really have been a dilemma in our house.

[HS Mom in NC]

45 minutes ago, katilac said:

No, she gave more context than that. Her son was teased for being too girly (which is generally the most brutal form of teasing in schools), and it sounds like he wanted to change his name, not that they simply did it for him because there was a girl with the same name. It's a harsh reality that boys who act 'too girly' for the setting are usually walking a mighty tough road. If a different name makes him a bit more comfortable, there's nothing wrong with that. 

I am 100% on board with kids changing their names socially for any reason, and if the parents are good with paying for the legal change, I'm on board with that as well.

 

My midwife is a Jewish woman born and raised in the US. Her son was named Ariel after Ariel Sharon, a general of the 6 Day War (if I remember correctly.) In Israel it was an extremely masculine name. When her son was in Jr. High The Little Mermaid came out. In the US Ariel is an extremely feminine name. He took a lot of crap for it and she let him legally change it to Ari.

My oldest legally changed her name to her pen name when she was 18 and had to go to court to do so to explain why in the state we lived in at the time.   She also changed it to take her husband's last name when she got married at 23. Depending on what state you live in, you can only change it legally once in addition to when you get married. Name changes can be a red flag for fraud and other suspicious activities.  So if you have a young child making those kinds of decisions, you have to understand that later if they change their minds, it could be harder to do. There is extra documentation required for people who change names for other than marriage reasons.  It wouldn't surprise me at all in the future there is no name changing allowed in the US for security reasons.

[Amy Gen]

My oldest’s name is Madeleine. My sister begged me not to name her that because “All of the other kids will call her Mad.”  
 

Guess who called her Mad? My sister. Fortunately, she turned out to be the least angry person on the planet. I know a kid whose middle name is Danger. He isn’t much of a risk taker. I don’t have an issue with the name Meeno. If fact, I like it better than many of the more popular names. 

[Catwoman]

3 hours ago, katilac said:

No, she gave more context than that. Her son was teased for being too girly (which is generally the most brutal form of teasing in schools), and it sounds like he wanted to change his name, not that they simply did it for him because there was a girl with the same name. It's a harsh reality that boys who act 'too girly' for the setting are usually walking a mighty tough road. If a different name makes him a bit more comfortable, there's nothing wrong with that. 

I am 100% on board with kids changing their names socially for any reason, and if the parents are good with paying for the legal change, I'm on board with that as well. 

As to the original question: I like the name a lot, although I'd spell it differently. No one should ever question a potential baby name. 

 

I think it is absolutely absurd to have changed a kindergartner’s name for the sole reasons that there was a girl in his class with the same name and he was being teased for being too “girly.” (Cameron is traditionally a boy’s name, anyway, so this is even more ridiculous.)

Changing his name does nothing to empower the child, and it teaches him that the only way to deal with being taunted is to change something as personal and identifying as his own name. That seems like a horrible lesson to teach a kid! Why not work on helping the child learn how to deal with things like namecalling, and why not involve the teacher and try to put a stop to the mean behaviors? Why would it even occur to a parent to change the (already-male) name of a 5yo boy?

I am not at all sure why changing the kid’s name from Cameron to Bob (or whatever) would make the slightest difference in whether or not he was picked on by the kids in his class. The OP seems to be indicating that he got a new name and all was well. 

What about next year when the child is teased about his new name? Will his parents change it again? Because if the main reason for the taunting is because the other kids think the boy acts “girly,” there isn’t a masculine enough name in the world that will solve that issue for him. What if he is teased about his hair or his body or his nose? Should he change those, too, to accommodate the bullies? 

Edited December 29, 2021 by Catwoman

[Catwoman]

1 hour ago, Farrar said:

Okay, now I'm distracted by the name change and totally torn. Like, two things that I really believe - things I consider pretty core to my parenting - would conflict.

First... Gender conformity is the pits. It's one reason we avoided school in the early grades. Giving into it would make me nuts.

But also... Kids who really want to change their names should be allowed to do so.

Ack. Throw in there a very young kid who is probably too young to make the decision and this would really have been a dilemma in our house.

The kid was 5 years old. He already had a masculine name. And his reasoning was that a girl in his class had the same name, so he thought that was why the other kids were making fun of him and calling him “girly.” 

I just don’t think that’s a good reason for a name change, and I also think it sets a very bad precedent, because the child is left feeling that the mean kids were right, and he had to change a big part of himself — his own name — in order to try to fit in. 

I think that is terrible. 😞 

[Guest]

49 minutes ago, Amy Gen said:

My oldest’s name is Madeleine. My sister begged me not to name her that because “All of the other kids will call her Mad.”  
 

Guess who called her Mad? My sister. Fortunately, she turned out to be the least angry person on the planet. I know a kid whose middle name is Danger. He isn’t much of a risk taker. I don’t have an issue with the name Meeno. If fact, I like it better than many of the more popular names. 

There’s a boardie here whose kid has Danger for a middle name. 🙂 

 

And I do know lots of females with Mad- names; my dd’s best friend is named Madison and they called her Mads and Mad Dog, lol. 

[katilac]

16 hours ago, Catwoman said:

_edited_

It's been a really rough year or two for everyone, but "be civil" remains a board rule worthy of following. 

Edited December 29, 2021 by katilac

[Shoeless]

1 hour ago, Amy Gen said:

My oldest’s name is Madeleine. My sister begged me not to name her that because “All of the other kids will call her Mad.”  
 

Guess who called her Mad? My sister. Fortunately, she turned out to be the least angry person on the planet. I know a kid whose middle name is Danger. He isn’t much of a risk taker. I don’t have an issue with the name Meeno. If fact, I like it better than many of the more popular names. 

Weird, I also know a kid with the middle name of Danger. 

[Catwoman]

20 minutes ago, katilac said:

It's been a really rough year or two for everyone, but "be civil" remains a board rule worthy of following. 

Thanks. Point taken.

I edited my post, so I’m hoping you will edit that line out of your post where you quoted me.

I’m not sure my post exactly qualifies as being super-civil even now, but I’m giving it my best shot. 🙂 

[Lisa]

It is an odd name. I would be concerned would change it and call him "meeny". Kids can be so mean!

[AbcdeDooDah]

All I can think of is the actor Meeno Peluce. His character on Punky Brewster was annoying. Lol

[klmama]

Obviously, it doesn't matter one bit if I like it - but I don't.  I don't like giving people names they have to spell all the time, especially if their family name already has to be spelled.  I'd be concerned about kids picking on him, too - "Meeno's a meanie," etc.  BUT, he's not my baby.  Congrats, Auntie!

[BakersDozen]

3 hours ago, MissLemon said:

Weird, I also know a kid with the middle name of Danger. 

So do I!

[Shoeless]

1 hour ago, BakersDozen said:

So do I!

I wonder if we all know the same kid! 🤣

[Tap]

16 minutes ago, MissLemon said:

I wonder if we all know the same kid! 🤣

Possibly (I know you are mostly joking)....but after working in healthcare for 20+ years, I see people's names all day long. The middle name of Danger isn't common, but I have seen in numerous times, in just my area. I imagine there are hundreds of people with that middle name. It is solely based on the saying and people thinking it is a funny name to use. 

 

[Magical_mommy]

8 hours ago, klmama said:

Congrats, Auntie!

Thanks, Klmama. I think my sister will be an awesome mom... when we were deciding if DS should start taking ballet, my sister told us not to listen to people who say ballet is for girls.  She knows it's not easy for a male dancer but can see other benefits for DS. 

Yes, our DS was bullied for being girly at the public school in kindergarten, his only year when he wasn’t homeschooled. It didn’t help that the prettiest kid in the class was a girl named Cameron. Kids at school saw it as a girl’s name because she had many friends.  Unlucky! 

My husband did not like the idea of changing his name and thought that he was still a cute Cameron in his own unique way. But I wanted to help the teasing any way I could and so far the past six months have been better. Now when he says his name, they know he’s a boy at least.    

Meeno Peluce is the brother of Soleil Moon Fyre who played Punky Brewster on TV at age 8. This Meeno was an adorable child actor with a mop of curly black hair known for TV shows like The Bad News Bears and a long, impressive list as a guest star of many TV shows including The Love Boat. Did anyone else grow up in the 1980s? 
 

[Catwoman]

Oops! Posted in the wrong thread. Sorry!

Edited December 30, 2021 by Catwoman
posted in the wrong thread!