Were our names so bad?

Question

I know I'm not the only one thinking this. Why don't people these days name their kids regular names? I see so many people on here asking advice on their kids names, and I swear it's never even a decent list they put together.

It's like, "I'm having a boy, I was thinking about naming him Hunter or maybe Sterling!" And, all I can think is, "Yeah, that's great. If you want him to be the lead character in a cheesy romance novel!" Or for girls, "Kylynn, or maybe Sierra!" And, I'm thinking, "This kid's career choices are going to be stripper or flight attendant!"

Was your name so bad? Did growing up just another Jessica REALLY get to you that bad you have to start making up new names, or spelling normal ones weird ways? Guess what, it's KAREN not CARRIN.

I have a great name, and I RARELY come across it any where else. Gwendolyn. Beautiful, classic, something I could be president with if I wanted.

I'm just saying, there will never be a president "Oasis." Don't scar your kids for life.

Answer 1

I am so glad that someone finally said what I've been thinking! I'm 13 weeks pregnant and my husband and I have pretty much settled on our name choices, but I do like to look through these on Yahoo just to pass the time. As I read some of them, I feel so sorry for these children. I am all for giving your child a name that is not very common, but come on! - I'm sorry, but would you want to be an 80 year old with some made up name? I think not. And I'm all for variations on spellings, too - but there is a line that people just shouldn't cross.
People can argue all they want that this made up name trend has something to do with a new generation, but I'm here to tell you, it does not. I am 21 years old (of this so called "new generation") and my husband and I do not plan on naming our child something that we dreamed up. And when our child is 80 years old, I'm sure they will look back and thank us for naming them either Blake or Natalie. I'm only in my 20s and thank God everyday that my mother named me something classic!

And contrary to what others of my generation are saying about the old names being boring and "who says your name is so great?" I think you have a beautiful name - very timeless, very classic, and most importantly, very uncommon. My point - you can have a unique name without making it up.

Answer 2

Actually, there very well could be a president with any of those names. And most of the names that come up are not made up (although, I will agree that a few are). They are names from other generations and other countries, or surnames being used as first names. Kylynn is a variation (although a horrible spelling) of the hawaiian name Kailani.

How many people your mother's age or grandmother's age were named Jessica or Brittany or Amanda. As the generations change, so do the taste in names. Just because you like tradtional names, doesn't mean that everyone else has to.

Answer 3

I think , in part, it depends on the parent's experience with their name. My mother is Lynda. There were 201 girls in her high school graduating class.
13 Sue/Susan/Suzanne
9 Linda/Lynda
7 Janice
6 Janet
5 Marcia/Marsha
5 Mary combinations (Anne, Ellen)
4 Connie
6 Names had 3 repeats
28 names appeared 2 times

59% of the girls had original names. My mother wanted that for her children. She didn't want 5 people to turn around when their name was called in a crowd. She got that with my name, Marni. I wasn't crazy about it when I was growing up, because I had to repeat it several times. (no, not Marty, Marcie, Marlene, etc) I wanted unique, but not outlandish when my kids came along. I picked Jacob for my first because 1; it was an old family name and 2; I didn't hear it very often at the time. There were about 90 boys in his graduating class this year, and only 1 other Jacob. I think that Young parents should look to the past for different names. Especially to their familiy's past to honor those that came before.
My youngest is Patrick (14 y/o) and he has come across a few more in his age group with that name.

Answer 4

I'm with you on some of the odd and made-up names and misspellings we seem to see so often, but thought the example using your own name a bit ironic. Gwendolyn is actually a misspelling of Gwendolen, literally a combination of the Welsh "gwyn/gwen" and "dolen." Is a misspelling somehow more "correct" if it's a more common one? LOL I think not.

Ps. And please don't take that as an attack on your name. I adore Gwendolen (especially when spelled properly). I'm just saying the misspelling trend is by no means a new one. Your own parents did it -- purposefully or not -- and I can't count the number of children named Jessyca, Kellie, Linsey, Aimey, Jayson, Johnathan and Shawn I knew back in the 80s. Certainly not a new creation. ;)

Edited to add: the "Scout" mentioned above may well have been named from To Kill a Mockingbird. I much prefer it as a nickname -- as it is used in the novel -- but I don't think it's fair to compare a classic, literary name with something misspelled or made-up. I understand if you aren't familiar with the work yourself, but I'd be willing to bet her parents are. Certainly seems more classy than classless to me. ;)

Answer 5

Whats so wrong with being a flight attendant? Anyone can be anything they want to be if they try hard enough, and dedicate themselves to being something! What about Oprah? Never heard that name before in my life, and was she held down just because of having a unique name, no. Its just people that judge others, that makes uniqueness a bad thing. I'd rather be unique than be one of the 6 Jessica's in a class.
I guess it all depends on what you think is a "strange" name.
I personally would name my child something like,
Hunter for example, or Serena, but I would not name my child for example, Apple or Orange. Not because they are different though~I just dont care for them.

Answer 6

I love venting on this topic so I will take my chance to list the newest most ridiculous names I have heard recently:

A student in my twins class, Major, has a brother Dragon, and a sister Coyote.

Ran into a Scout (girl) at the park.

Went to Chuck E. Cheese's (and the is the classiest of all) and De'Actress was having a birthday party.

Then there were the twins my husband grew up with Lightning and Thunder.

And Colen (said just like colon) gets picked on a lot in my 12 yr old's class.

.....What are they thinking?

And yeah, I like my name just fine. It is not normal for today exactly more traditional Pauline, I could have done without Esther for a middle though "polyester,"... yeah. That's why I encourage lots of thought into potential nicknames.

Answer 7

Yes, my name is Jessica, and it really did bother me to be one of SIX Jessicas in my grade at school. There is nothing wrong with being original with a name as long as it doesn't look ignorant or difficult to pronounce or spell (for instance Nyaldara, Sh'Tonque, or Peachtasia...yes, I know people by these names...nice people, silly names). Sounds like you're pretty happy you don't know literally dozens of other people with your name. I'm calling my son Xander, which sounds like it would be too far-out for your tastes, but think about it...it is a nickname for Alexander. A lot of names are that way. I think it would be boring if every Alexander in the world was called Alexander, never Alex or Alec or Al or Xander. Or if we all named our daughters off the top 100 list and it remained the same forever and ever (meaning this "Jessica" which you find so normal never would have been on it, because that certainly wasn't a "normal" name 200 years ago). It's just as confusing (and more close-minded, and less open to the individual, which is something we should encourage in children so they don't TRY to be all the same, because they simply are not and having a unique-but-not-stupid name ENCOURAGES individuality from a young age). You have a smart sentiment in some cases...no one should be allowed to name their son Shithead (yeah, I know one of those too), but there's nothing wrong with Sierra or Sterling...those are REAL WORDS with interesting meanings and possibly important stories behind them for the parents!

Answer 8

I agree. These people say they are trying to be different but there are soo many Jaydens and Kaylins and Ashton's running around that those names are not different - they are trendy and common and make the parents look like they watch too much television by naming their kids after celebrities or their children. I cringe whenever I hear any of those so called original names. I'm more of a believer in naming children after relatives and good friends.

Answer 9

This topic really interests me for I have also felt the same way about the names that some parents are naming their kids.. Why are parents naming their kids such weird, awful names?
I do not argue that it is the right of every parent to name their child whatever name they want. And that is all right. I except and can understand parents wanting to give their child a name that is unusual and different. But there is a difference by different and awful.
I would never want to tell any parent what to name their child but some of the new names are beyond different, there are awful. Why would any parent name their precious child such awful names? I understand it is all a matter of taste and what one parent finds musical might sound terrible to another and what I find awful might be musical to the ear of some parent.
But you have to stop and think of the child, it is his name after all.. Have some pity on the poor kid. He will have to live with his name his whole life and it might not sound musical to him after years of teasing and fighting back.
Give me some of the old names back.

Answer 10

What I don't get is how many people mess up common names - my husband's name is Steve - people always want to call him Steven - they act like Steve is ONLY a nickname and not an actual name. Whenever he has to fill out paperwork, like at a new doctor's office or when we buy new vehicles, the workers always tell us we forgot to put the 'n' in his name! Excuse me?

I had a student named Porch. Spelled that way. Everyone pronounced it portch - it was actually Por-sha. Why not just spell it Portia to keep the kid from being called porch all the time?

Just read my new baby magazine today - one of the models named her new son Kenya Brooklyn - sounds feminine to me!