Baby Names - You're kidding Right???

[Veronica]

In at least one country, Sweden I think, the government has the ability to veto the name.  I am normally pretty much against government interference, but I think in this case it might be necessary.  They just vetoed a couple who wanted to name their daughter Metallica.

Then there is the other extreme.  My parents thought they were giving me a relatively unusual name.  It ended up being the most popular name of my year.  My brother's last two girlfriends have had the same first name.  There were 3 other girls in my kindergarten class with the same first name.   

[hellgirl]

I wonder what Brits think of American kids named Randy...

As a Kiwi, and thus sharing quite a bit of language and humour with the Brits, I can say that Kiwi's at least find it very very amusing to meet people named Randy.

I was especially amused seeing "R Randy lastname" I had to wonder what his first name was that Randy was preferable.

Also funny is "Chuck".

Even more amusing is that trend a while back of taking "maid" type names... names like "Fanny". Which in my country refers to a different part of a person's bottom. (leading to the subsequent amusement of a 'fanny pack')  

[tabigarasu]

At one time (in a past job) we had a patient named Anal.  The nurses swore to me that it was pronounced "Uhh Nawl".  Yeah.  To everyone but THE REST OF THE WORLD.

That's actually a pretty common Indian name, although the transliteration . . .well, leaves something to be desired.  I've seen it as Ahnal and Anahl.

[Ticia]

My cousin's little boy is named Jackson Daniel... but they call him Jack. I don't know if they thought about it when they named him. I laughed when I heard it, though.

[Emmy]

I worked at a hospital several years ago in a very poor, run-down section of town.  One of the doctors there told me about a very young girl, probably about 14 or 15, who had given birth and named her daughter Sh*thead.  She prounced it "Sha-tayd" and thought it was simply the prettiest name ever.   

My father works at a hospital and is friends with one of the pharmacists.   One day, he had to call someone's prescription and the name was "Sh*thead."  So...he pronounced it "Sh*t head."  A very angry woman came up and said "my son's name is Sha-thead!"

I read the book "Freakonomics" as well and this was a true story along with the twins named Lemonjello and Orangejello.  I wonder why the mother would insist on spelling her son's name Sh*thead when she wants to pronounce it Sha-thead.  Imagine the teacher in kindergarden taking roll in that class.

I think it is interesting that a lot of people have different expectations based on somebody's name.  A lot of 'newer' names are becoming more common now.  I wonder if people will have different expectations for somebody with a newer name such as Kayleigh than for somebody with a more traditional name such as Katherine.  I am also not a big fan of the uni-sex names (names common for both girls and boys), but that is just a personal opinion.  However, in a few cases, I heard girls named names that are almost strictly male like Michael which I think is a pretty cruel thing to do to a child (haven't heard a boy with a strictly girls' name yet). 

[Maggie]

I worked at a hospital several years ago in a very poor, run-down section of town.  One of the doctors there told me about a very young girl, probably about 14 or 15, who had given birth and named her daughter Sh*thead.  She prounced it "Sha-tayd" and thought it was simply the prettiest name ever.   

My father works at a hospital and is friends with one of the pharmacists.   One day, he had to call someone's prescription and the name was "Sh*thead."  So...he pronounced it "Sh*t head."  A very angry woman came up and said "my son's name is Sha-thead!"

I read the book "Freakonomics" as well and this was a true story along with the twins named Lemonjello and Orangejello.  I wonder why the mother would insist on spelling her son's name Sh*thead when she wants to pronounce it Sha-thead.  Imagine the teacher in kindergarden taking roll in that class.

I think it is interesting that a lot of people have different expectations based on somebody's name.  A lot of 'newer' names are becoming more common now.  I wonder if people will have different expectations for somebody with a newer name such as Kayleigh than for somebody with a more traditional name such as Katherine.  I am also not a big fan of the uni-sex names (names common for both girls and boys), but that is just a personal opinion.  However, in a few cases, I heard girls named names that are almost strictly male like Michael which I think is a pretty cruel thing to do to a child (haven't heard a boy with a strictly girls' name yet). 

A Boy Named Sue lol

[Balletmom]

My cousin's little boy is named Jackson Daniel... but they call him Jack. I don't know if they thought about it when they named him. I laughed when I heard it, though.

I really wanted to name our oldest daughter Kendall Jackson (Jackson is a family name dating back to Andrew Jackson) but my wine salesman brother-in-law laughed it right out of existence.

Fast Forward 14 years: My daughter is in middle school and the boy with the locker above her is named....

Well, fortunately for us we listened to BIL.

[extranormal]

There's an old Saturday Night Live sketch about this. Nic Cage's character gets a package and the delivery guy says he has something for A$$wipe (and pronounces it accordingly). Cage gets indignant and points out huffily that his name is pronounced Ahz-WEE-pay.

Ahz-wee-pay has been in my lexicon ever since.

[hellgirl]

However, in a few cases, I heard girls named names that are almost strictly male like Michael which I think is a pretty cruel thing to do to a child (haven't heard a boy with a strictly girls' name yet). 

Keep in mind this may just be a cultural/language difference.

Princess Michael of Kent anyone? Of course before she was Princess Michael she was Baroness Marie-Christine Agnes Hedwig Ida von Reibnitz, and Princess Michael is her title, not her actual name... so maybe this was a bad example  

Maybe this is better? Michael Learned anyone?

[Joannie81]

Maybe this is better? Michael Learned anyone?

Yes, that's just what I was thinking.

[artk2002]

I'm surprised that I haven't seen a link to Baby's Named a Bad, Bad, Thing

[MadMadge43]

I used to do a lot of work for the royal airforce and after meeting tons of them, finally exploded with "Are all Englishmen named after penis's!" when I was introduced to, Jock Cockran, Woody Babcock and one other doosey that I don't remember now.

Half were laughing so hard they couldn't breath the other half were staring blankly because they didn't realize what Jock and Woody meant in America. They at least understood the last names.

[AprilRenee]

Meet Aryan Justice.

http://www.newbabynews.net/hospitals/mmc1/public/mmc1birthannouncement.pl?babyID=h1-4161

[hkkatie]

I don't understand the Randy thing. What does it mean to the British and NZers?

There's a girl at my church (she's 11) named Michal. Her parents are both incredibly smart and sophisticated people, so I'm not sure why they gave her a "boy" name, but it works for them, so whatever.

Then again, there is my sister who named her second son Cougar. Not joking. But again, it works for them, and now I can't picture him ever having been named anything else. (He's 4.)

[hellgirl]

I don't understand the Randy thing. What does it mean to the British and NZers?

And this just in from dictionary.com (since I couldn't think how to word it nicely)...

rand·y      /ˈrændi/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ran-dee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation adjective, rand·i·er, rand·i·est, noun, plural rand·ies.
–adjective 1. sexually aroused; lustful; lecherous. 

I'ts not in overly common usage (how often does one really say "Fancy a quick one, I've been feeling randy all day?), but it's common enough that most people know what it means.