Baby Names - You're kidding Right???

[Visiting Crazy Town]

a girl i when to school with was names Alika (i like hea)

[audrey1962]

My mother said that she almost named me Michael (I am female) b/c she didn't want me to be discriminated against on job applications. (It is my understanding that Essence (?) had made a similar case a few years ago to African-American parents re: ethnic names).

[WHATSNEW]

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.   

Germany and, I think, Austria also have rules about what you can and cannot name your child.

As does France.

[WHATSNEW]

And to think of the trouble my son is going through at 4 yrs old.  His name is Marshal not Marshall.  What have I done?

[Meridian]

And to think of the trouble my son is going through at 4 yrs old.  His name is Marshal not Marshall.  What have I done?

I really don't see how that would be a problem.  I've seen that name spelled both ways.  He's actually experiencing problems already?

[WHATSNEW]

And to think of the trouble my son is going through at 4 yrs old.  His name is Marshal not Marshall.  What have I done?

I really don't see how that would be a problem.  I've seen that name spelled both ways.  He's actually experiencing problems already?

Not really problems, just people adding the extra "L".  That includes family. 

I used to work customer service and I knew to always ask the customer "And how do you spell that?".

[Meridian]

And to think of the trouble my son is going through at 4 yrs old.  His name is Marshal not Marshall.  What have I done?

I really don't see how that would be a problem.  I've seen that name spelled both ways.  He's actually experiencing problems already?

Not really problems, just people adding the extra "L".  That includes family. 

I used to work customer service and I knew to always ask the customer "And how do you spell that?".

Ohhhhh.  I see. 

[Amy Rose]

On the link someone posted, they're talking about "Charles d'Artangon" as being a crappy name. If the parents are literary buffs, why is that a bad name? Charles d'Artangon was a pretty good guy. And yes, I realize that wasn't the parents' intents, but I don't see the problem with naming your child after a literary character. (And I know someone is going to say "Well, why don't you name your kid Gandalf or Frodo?")

Then again, I'm not dead-set against names out of the "John", "Michael", "Ryan", "Dan" bit. I knew a kid named Zebulon. I'm marrying a Bernard. I went to grade school with a "Leftarius", a "Geraldine", and graduated High School with a "Nomiki". (Lefty and Nomiki are Greek. Nomiki was named for her Grandma Noma.)

[WHATSNEW]

I remember my father telling me that they used simple rules when naming my sister and I.

Rule 1: Cannot be shortened (esp. nicknames) or be short for anything.

Rule 2: Easy to spell.

Ok......

Donna (check, check)

Kathy (whoops)

Rule 1: I called her Kat and people always wanted to know what it was short for (Kathleen, Katherine, etc).

Rule 2: Is that a "K" or a "C" and does that end with E, I, Y, IE, EE, EY?

I guess 1 out of 2 is not bad.
 

[IndianInlaw]

I worked for an organization that featured group rates for people who worked for certain companies.  They printed a list in the membership guide.

One of the membership groups was the US Marshals (Kind of like the federal police).  EVERY SINGLE time the booklet came out, we would get a call from them pointing out that we had printed "US Marshalls".

I had nothing to do with the printing of this booklet.

Honest.

[oogyda]

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

A customer of mine.....a really awesome and *gorgeous* man (not that it has anything to do with this thread....it just makes me smile to think of him   )  was named YVON.  Pronounced IVAN.  But my middle name is Yvonne, so you can see what I first thought.

[IndianInlaw]

My mother said she chose normal names that people would not laugh at when we're old.


We ended up with

Kathleen

David

Donald

Marilyn

Linda

(This was when the "other" Marilyn was still Norma Jean)

[Meridian]

What kills me is when people KNOW their names might be mispronounced, and get an attitude about it.  For instance, I have a friend whose name is spelled Waternedia.  Her mother was born in the south, and was (at the time) reading challenged.  She actually meant to name her daughter Juanita.

When I first met Juanita, I had never saw her name in writing and we always called her Juanita.  A few years later, she attended my baby shower.  As my hostess was reading the cards and we were opening gifts, the hostess said, "and this nice card and gift is from Water-nee-dia".  She had a FIT, and said, "can't you read?  That says Juanita!"  No big deal was made of her reaction, but since then, behind her back, we all call her "Water".  

[IndianInlaw]

I was in line to register at a large hospital.  The lady ahead of me was accompanied by a girl of about 10 or 11. (This was in the early 90's).

They were explaining to the registration clerk that the girl's name was Ecstasy, but she went by her middle name of Claire.

I remember thinking that besides the obvious, her name was E Claire.

The lady was also extremely quick to point out that she wasn't the girl's mother, ostensibly to show she wasn't responsible for that name.

[kethria]

Best friend's mom has had a Sh!thead in her kindergarten class. Mom has had several Phuc's in her school (apparently a traditional asian name not pronounced the way we would....)

MY mom wanted to name me Sarah Lee (my father was Lee)... I am glad very very glad that Dad overruled that one...

My first name is Leonora (I go by my middle name for some reason... everyone has always called me that) and in my highschool yearbook it is spelled Leondra...

In my yearbook there is also an Orangejello and twins called Diamondy Sparkle and Pearly Twinkle...

We had an intern once, a lovely african american girl called Lauren. She said she was upset at her mom in middle school because all her friends were named Shaniqua or Lakeesha etc, then she started applying for colleges....

So I guess it does matter what your name is.

Oh and my best friend in high school went to prom with a girl named KEITH Marie. Keith. Yeah.