# Irksome names for children **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 13, 2003, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434 "2003-04-13T15:04:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/201 "2003-04-18T05:28:14Z")
I’ve mentioned this before on this forum, but I have this book called _The Baby Name Countdown_ by Janet Schwegel. You wouldn’t believe some of the names in there: Two-Million Precious Angel Cash Money Weyekin-Ilp-Ilp Western-Li Chicago Curry Downy February etc, etc., etc. Kinda makes you wonder what those parents were thinking… As for current names, the only really current sample I have is the kids at church. In Awana, there are three Brandons, two Stevens, two Brians, three Erics, two Jessicas, and two Michaels; there also used to be two Jonathans, two Michelles, and two Justins). As for the rest of the church kids… there are two Adams, two other Justins, two Emilys, two Hannahs, two Andrews, two Ethans, two Christophers, and two Jasons. Among us older people, there are seven Karens, two Sarahs, two Justins, two Phils, two Helens, three Joes, two Anitas, two Johns, two Erics, etc. When I was in school (1981-1994)… I knew at least five Andrews, four Scotts, five Angelas, six Lisas, four Melissas, five Brians, five Nicoles / Nikkis, eight Chrises, three Jonathans, six Kevins, five Stevens / Stephens, ten Sarahs, ten Matthews, fifteen Michaels, six Jamies (both boys amd girls), four Darrens, eight Daves / Davids, four Heathers, ten Christines / Christinas / Kristens / etc., twelve Jennifers, and a bunch more people I can’t remember right now. I’m sure when my brother (1986-1999) and sister (1988-2001) went to school, the names were a bit different… but the general principle remains the same! I don’t like those really misspelt names for children, either. Sometimes, I’ll scan the birth announcements or glance through the book I mentioned earlier… Teighlor, Ashlee, Brandee, Rylee, Bayleigh, Kayleigh, etc. Yuck. I’ve heard of a set of quadruplets named Jennifer, Jenny, Joshua, and Judith. What’s up with that? I mean, Jennifer and Jenny? (then again. I was on the Twinsburg site once… I read about a pair of 56-year-old twins, both named Beverly) For the person who mentioned knowing brothers named Dirk and Eric (I think), that reminds me of this family I know. The parents’ names are Eric and Brenda, and their kids’ names are Erin, Derek, and Darren. F\_X ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/202 "2003-04-18T10:23:10Z")
Count me as another who despises trendy names. Among family members: Sister has son named **Colby**. Cousin #1 named her children **Dillon** (sic) and **Brittany**. Cousin #2 named her children **Cody** and **Shelby**. We really went out on a limb and named our daughters **Catherine** and **Elizabeth** … ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/203 "2003-04-18T11:23:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crafter\_Man \* > \*\*Count me as another who despises trendy names. Among family members: > > Sister has son named **Colby**. > Cousin #1 named her children **Dillon** (sic) and **Brittany**. > Cousin #2 named her children **Cody** and **Shelby**. > > We really went out on a limb and named our daughters **Catherine** and **Elizabeth** … \*\* I have met a zillion Elizabeths in my years as a preschool teacher. (Not too many Catherines.) Just as with Sarah, Matthew and a few other _classic_ and/or biblical names, these monikers seem able to hold their own and never feel trite to me. I guess there can be a hazy line between seeking originality and being practical. I have a somewhat unusual name (been spelling it all my life). Hated it as a kid but grew to like it as an adult. Funny how one person’s trendiness is another person’s brilliant idea. Back in the early 80’s, I warned my brother-in-law that Jennifer was becoming awfully common, but he was determined that this would be his daughter’s name. To my husband and me, naming our son Ethan seemed fairly straightforward and a bit out of the ordinary. Now it’s twenty years later, there are hordes of Jennifers, and quite a few Ethans popping up. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/204 "2003-04-18T13:23:18Z")
My name’s Jonathan. See, nice, normal translation out of the Hebrew. People can’t keep from misspelling it. I have no idea why. One time I snapped and told them to look it up in 2 Samuel. ---
**Author:** ![House](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/90db22/32.png) [@House](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/House)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/205 "2003-04-18T13:38:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ruadh \* > \*\*I’m not suggesting you made it up, but as I’ve never come across it here in Ireland nor can I locate it in any of my references, I am doubtful as to whether it is actually an Irish name. There are a lot of names that people _think_ are Irish, but aren’t in fact. > > And in the Irish language a word spelled “rein” would be a one-syllable word rhyming (more or less) with “hen”. \*\* Sorry for my smart-assedness (not a word, i know), I must have been having a bad day. I saw the name on a web site somewhere, so I guess you can’t always believe what you see on the web, huh?☹ If I remember correctly the site claimed the name “Rein” is an old (maybe ancient) one. I’ll have to see if I can find that site again… Thanks for your input though. I acknowledge that if you’re from Ireland, you would probably know better than me! 🙂 (Boy this crow tastes good. After that, I’ll eat my foot…) ---
**Author:** ![House](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/90db22/32.png) [@House](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/House)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/206 "2003-04-18T13:40:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by asterion \* > \*\*You monster! You’re going to name your daughter after a Styx song! 😛 \*\* Crap, I didn’t know that! Thanks alot, you just ruined that name for me.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/207 "2003-04-18T14:09:39Z")
I worked at a Japanese restaurant for a while. Most of the employees were actually Chinese, Korean, Filipino, etc. One of the servers was Korean, but had been adopted at a young age. Her name was “Milydia” (not sure about the spelling). Yeah. Rhymes really well with “chlamydia.” WTF??? ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/208 "2003-04-18T15:29:51Z")
Count me as one of those “never knew anyone with my name my age, now turn around constantly at the mall” people. I’m a 36 year old Christina. Went to school with a ton of Christines and Chris’s, but I’m one of the few Christinas my age I’ve ever met. Sometimes you can’t win for trying. So we named our daughter Elinor. She’s three. Its a pretty uncommon name - classic and old fashioned, with good roots (Eleanor of Aquitane, Eleanor Roosevelt, its a variation on Helen, which is my grandmother’s name, spelled Elinor in honor of Jane Austen - a less common spelling, but still a traditional one). And friends named their daughter (born within a week) Eleanor, and aquaintences named their daughter born two months later Eleanor and my OB says to me last checkup “I thought you were nuts when you named her that, and I’ve delivered 30 Eleanor’s since then - you were the first on a really popular trend.” We don’t call her Eleanor or Ellie, she is the very old fashioned Nell - and she is the only Nell we’ve come across - which may be what saves her from being the leading edge of the next “Jennifer/Brittney” wave. My son’s name is Alex. Like Michael, its been a top name for years and years and years. He’ll never be the only Alex he knows, but he’s the only Alex in his daycare class (where there are two Josh’s and at one time were three Austins) ---
**Author:** ![ecugrad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac8455/32.png) [@ecugrad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ecugrad)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/209 "2003-04-18T20:07:36Z")
I’m a 39 year old Anne Elizabeth, named for my grandmothers. My sister is a 35 year old Mary Katherine named for two aunts, but we call her Katie. My mother was Marjorie Eleanor (“Margie”) and my father is John Frederick (“Jack”). Katie has a baby boy they named John Michael for his grandfathers. Had the child been a girl, she would have been Eleanor Ann for her grandmothers. My 51 year old husband is Coby (he hates the name but I love it). I don’t like the name Anne and God help you if people see that it’s spelled with an ‘e’ at the end - they pronounce it Annie every time! If we have children it would be Marjorie for the girl because my mother died when I was a child, and probably Wilson for a boy because my father-in-law is Woodrow Wilson. I’ve always had a thing for the names “Hannalore” and “Talmadge” but I’ll tag those names onto my new beagle puppies. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/210 "2003-04-18T20:24:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zoogirl \* > \*\* > > My own name is kind of a funny story. When Mom was a teenager, there was a popular actress named Joan Leslie. Mom decided that Leslie was a great name and she’d just have to use it when she had a little girl. Flash forward several years. Mom meets Dad. And his name is…Leslie! I ended up Lesley Ann, but no one has ever actually used the Lesley, except to confuse teachers every September! 😃 Everyone always assumes I was named after Dad too, which isn’t helped by the fact that I’m an only child. :rolleyes: It’s also let to some interesting mixups. For instance, I went to renew my driver’s licence a few years ago after letting it lapse for a number of years. I was informed that there was indeed a Leslie A K— on their records, but the birthdate was in 1913 - that wasn’t right, was it? Uh, no! \*\* I just had to comment on this. My fathers name is Leslie and so I ended up with the name “lezlie”. Which has grown on me in 25 years, but I _do_ get tired of having to explain the spelling to people (and they _always_ ask). And my last initial is “K” too. I feel your pain. ;j ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/211 "2003-04-18T20:27:30Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by House \* > \*\* I acknowledge that if you’re from Ireland, you would probably know better than me!_\* Well, I’m not a native. But I have lived here long enough (and studied Irish, and worked in a field where I come across hundreds of Irish names a day) to feel reasonably confident in knowing whether a name is Irish or not. Of course, you could be right about it being an ancient or obsolete Irish name, and then I might have to eat some of that crow 😉 ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/212 "2003-04-18T20:27:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Flamsterette\_X \* > \*\* You wouldn’t believe some of the names in there: > Cash Money > > F\_X \*\* Dude. I’m _so_ naming my kid “Cash Money.” 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/213 "2003-04-18T20:52:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LifeOnWry \* > \*\*Likewise, location names bother me personally, but I understand the desire to name your child after a place that’s special to you - I just find it hard to believe that Wyoming, Dakota, Indiana and Cambridge are ALL that special to you. > \*\* We were fleetingly acquainted with a couple who named their kid Eiffel. I believe the significance was that they had gotten engaged in Paris. (Might have been that she got pregnant there) Anyway, whenever they introduced this kid to anyone the whole explanation got tacked on as if his name were actually, “EiffelwegotengagedinParisweloveitthere!” ---
**Author:** ![Infectious\_Lass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e56c9b/32.png) [@Infectious\_Lass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infectious_Lass)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/214 "2003-04-18T21:13:53Z")
In 70s England, it was compulsory for every class to have 14 Darrens. And all the girls who weren’t called Joanne were called Nicola. (apart from me) I was there, so I swear it’s true! I hate the name Nicola, it reminds me of the word ‘knickers’. I just think it sounds ugly. Why every 3rd new parents of baby girls in the UK from about 1968 to 1988 thought it was so fab I’ll never know if I live to be a thousand years old…horrid horrid name! (and it is really an Italian boy’s name anyway, as is Andrea-for some reason everyone in this country goes if it ends in an a it’s a girls’ name! duh.) ---
**Author:** ![fizzestothetop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e79b87/32.png) [@fizzestothetop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fizzestothetop)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/215 "2003-04-18T21:14:51Z")
Patrick and I have already done the baby name song and dance even though babies are a long way down the road. So far we’ve agreed on Abigail Florence for a girl and Ian James for a boy. I don’t think their overly popular, at least I don’t hear them very often here in SoVa. I really love the names Ophelia, Olivia, Nadine and Elizabeth (but I really dispise the nickname Liz. Ugh). For boys I’m fond of Noah, Nathaniel, Brian and Caden. Patrick didn’t like any of those either. Good thing we came up with Abigail and Ian before we actually have a kid otherwise our baby would probably be born without a name! ---
**Author:** ![fizzestothetop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e79b87/32.png) [@fizzestothetop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fizzestothetop)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/216 "2003-04-18T21:17:17Z")
Do I dare make a post pointing out my misuse of their in my other post? I don’t think _they’re_ overly popular! ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/217 "2003-04-19T17:26:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ceejaytee \* > \*\*My son is Aaron George, a nice old-fashioned name. If we could just get past all the people who think his name is “Erin” we would be set. \*\* Cool! My dad’s name is George Aaron! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2003, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/218 "2003-04-19T17:42:03Z")
**People, I have a request.** Someone’s name can be a very personal thing, so please don’t make fun of anyone’s name; you might as well be making fun of how they look. If you’re not fond of a name, that’s fine, and by all means say so. But saying, “Bleeech!” or “What were her parents thinking?!” or even “I hate that name. HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT!” is being insensitive. Some of the posts to this thread I consider offensive, but they’re confined (for the most part) to the first page or so, so hopefully they’re out of everyone’s system. Thank you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/219 "2003-04-19T17:52:32Z")
Garth and Sandy Brooks named their daughter Taylor Maine Pearl after James Taylor, Maine (where she was apparently conceived), and Minnie Pearl. I guess its a good thing they weren’t in Saskatoon when they conceived her (and that they were not huge Engelbert Humperdinck fans). The thing I didn’t much like about names that are really unusual is that you can never find things with your name on them. When I was a kid I was always disappointed when I’d look at racks of name tags and my name was never there. My name really isn’t all that unusual (Carla) and now I can readily find it. But I would hazard a guess that little Xerxes Jones will never see his name on a bicycle license plate. Same for kids with fairly common names with “out-there” spellings. (“It’s not ‘Kate,’ it’s ‘Khayte.’”) And parents who name their kids “cutesy” names (this seems to happen more with girls than with boys)–“Pebbles” for example–should be taken out and shot. Come on, parents, think beyond the baby stage and give them a name that will fit a teenager, an adult, and an elderly person as well! (Can you imagine–CEO Pebbles Martin?) For our kids, the hubby and I went with Charlotte Nicole, Jason Nicholas, and Sheila Marie. Occasionally people misspell Charlotte, but you would be amazed at the number of people who get Sheila wrong. It’s SheILA, not SheLIA! My mom, for whom she is named, gets that all the time, too. I guess there are hazards with any name! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2003, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/220 "2003-04-19T17:57:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Angel of the Lord \* > \*\*I’m a Rachel. And I hate it. Hatehatehate it. I can’t blame my mom, because I was her first child, and she didn’t know what the naming trends were at the time. She just liked the name. Technically, I’m named after my Great-Grandma (Rhea [they pronounced it Ray-uh]), my grandma (Roselind Elizabeth–my middle name is Elizabeth), and my uncle (Raymond). I still hate my name. > > It wasn’t so bad in elementary school–for some reason, I was the only Rachel in my grade. This made life fairly easy. For whatever reason, though, no one could ever spell my name right. It was always “Rachael” or “Racheal” or whatever the alternate spelling that I don’t use is.\*\* Well, I’m a Rachel Elizabeth, and I usually like it but can I ever identify with your spelling woes. I am NOT Rachael. I am NOT Racheal. (I hope NOBODY is Racheal. That’s just wrong.) And lastly, I am NOT EVER GOD HELP YOU IF YOU CALL ME Rach. I HATE that! I haven’t run into too many Rachels, though at one point I believe there were two others in a class with me. Funny thing, out of the Rachels I have met, exactly ONE didn’t have dark hair. As far as I know, my parents liked the name. I’d much rather have a normal name than some of the oddities mentioned in this thread. Any kids I have will not have creative names. Then there’s my brother David. I like THAT name, too, but do you know how many Davids there are out there? Then there’s my cousin Jenny. That name has already been discussed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434.md?page=12)