Why do people insist on naming their children such horrible names?

Question

I'm all for being original. Afterall, everyone wants their child to be named something special and unique; but with some of the names I've seen over the past few years, children are (at best) doomed to a lifetime of spelling out their version of their name, or teaching people how to pronounce it.

It's gotten to the point where you could name your child Matthew and be totally original again, lol. Does anyone else think it's gotten out of hand?

Actually hyphenating last names isn't such a new fad. In Spanish cultures, the children have hyphenated last names and then when they get married they drop the mother's name and just keep their father's. Then their children take on the mother's paternal last name and the father's and hyphenate again.

It all comes down to personal choice though

Answer 1

I think people want their children to stand out. They want their kids to have unique and special names.

Recently, I noticed there's been a trend toward names that rhyme with "Jayden"-- Brayden, Taiden, Cayden, Peyton. There are several in my son's daycare. I think when some of these new names began being used, parents thought they were unique and unheard-of names. But now there will be several "Jaydens" in every class. It's the new "Jessica."

The other thing that's been bothering me is kids that have perfectly normal names that are spelled in a ridiculous way: I've seen Courtney spelled "Kourtneigh," Danielle spelled "Daniyael," and so forth.

A friend of mine actually named her twins "Jaya" and "Janae," but this is how she spelled them: "Je'ah" and "Je'neh." Silly. Another girl I know named her kid Jymarriah. It's a bit too much.

I named my son Calvin. A lot of people thought it was a boring name. But he's the only Calvin in his daycare, and I've never met another child named Calvin. And yet everyone knows how to spell and pronounce his name. I like simple names that are easy to spell but still memorable and unique.

Answer 2

No. I find that I like about half of the "original" or "unusual" names I meet, and hate the other half. So it's painfully obvious that these judgments we make about names, are biased and are only based on what feels familiar to us individually. Some people get actually get all bent out of shape when someone is named something that makes them feel alienated. It annoys me. "Doomed to a lifetime of spelling out their version, or teaching people to pronounce it" - I've had to tolerate some of that in my own life, and my name isn't what you'd call "original." But within limits I don't think realistically it's that big of a burden.

I'd rather have to learn a totally new name for each person, than have to figure out how to differentiate between people with the same old forgettable names. Although I like a lot of those names still, anyways. Why can't names be as individual as we want them to be? No reason, except convention - and it seems convention is changing. I'm going to go along with it, because it hurts less than fighting it and getting all mad at people who name their kids weird things.

Answer 3

Really, I think it's all a matter of opinion. Name fads come and go. If people didn't try new things, we'd all be named Esther, Bertha, Ida, Harold or Franklin. Personally, I think it's a good thing to see some variety out there, otherwise no name would sound special or unique.

Answer 4

I can relate to where you are coming from. When choosing name for my children I picked names that were not popular but also not off the wall. I grew up with the name Jenny. Not Jennifer. It has given me a lot of grief through the years not only was Jennifer a very popular name within my age group I also had to deal with people thinking that my name has to be Jennifer. It amuses me when people make up names for their kids. Those poor children will never be able to find their name printed on anything like key chains or pencils.

Answer 5

Gotten out of hand- yes. Also Dateline or 20/20 had a segment on people with weird names & getting hired. They had people with great references but weird names. The exact same resume but with "regular " names- the regular named people were called into an interveiw the people with weird names were not called back. Also remember Grace Slick from "Jefferson Airplane " named her kid "god" well that kid changed his name to Dave or John or something normal when he was 18. Of course Dweezil & Moon Unit Zappa hung in their with their birth names- but they are celebrities & can afford to have a unique name, good luck.

Answer 6

After chatting about all the horrible names and stuff, just wanted to let you know about a nice name I've heard, that I thought was very unique. It's a girl's name, her name is Kaydra. Different, unique, but not totally off the wall, and entirely pronounce-able!

Answer 7

I think that the kids probably suffer from it the most. Kids love to find ways to pick on other kids and what other way to make fun of another kid than to use their name against them.

However I think that once those same kids grow up alot of them will probably tell you that regardless of being picked on as kids they like the unique quality of their name. It sets them apart from the crowd.

My daughter has the name Zoe Ambrosia...that's her first and middle name. I don't think it is unusual but others might. It has special meaning to me especially the name Zoe because it means "life"...Ultimately I think every parent has the right to use their own discretion. I find that I don't really have to worry about misspelling people's names but I guess it depends on who you are and what you do...some people might have to enter names into a computer for a living and that might be annoying to have to type out a name that is normally spelled a different way. I think that people are just bored of the same old names. I do think though you are onto something if we brought back something as primitive as Jane or Eric....

Answer 8

I agree, and another thing that gets me is the silly nicknames they give them too. I have my kiddos names that was almost impossible to give a nickname to.
I was 10 before I knew my legal name. I thought my nickname was my real name and hated it. I was getting a savings bond or something at a bank when I signed my nickname and my mother corrected me and told me "sign your real name not your nickname" I was so embarrassed, and relieved that it wasn't my real name after all. From that day I have refused to be called that nickname.

Parents really need to think about ten fifteen even six years from birth, what problems is that child going to encounter with the name, spelling, pronunciation, kids making fun, etc.


another thing, is making the first and last name make a statemetn, like Payton Cash, sounds like paid in cash. or Stormy Weathers. come on give the kiddo a break

Answer 9

It has gotten completely out of hand. Its cute to name your child something original, but then they go to school and have to learn to spell it, not to mention all the grief they get from the kids on the playground. I'd imagine teachers have a terrible time pronouncing some of the names out there now days.

Answer 10

To some extent. I think most kids still have largely traditional names. My annoyance is the creative spellings. You stand there, stuttering out a name, only to learn the child is named Melissa or Peter. It's not cute...it makes you look like you need hooked on phonics.