# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/101 "2003-04-14T21:55:48Z")
I gave my kids nice old-fashioned names that belonged to nobody I knew. Of course the year of the second, it seemed everybody else came up with the same one. She always had several people in her class with the same name. We did luck out though. One name considered and rejected was “Christine,” and later on there were 2 girls on our street with that name, and one Christopher. It would have been bedlam yelling “Come home, Chris!” ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/102 "2003-04-14T22:26:19Z")
Mr Splitfoot, Oisin (OSh-een) is a boy’s name in Ireland. The son of Fionn Mc Cool in myths, who went to the land of youth, and returned 800 years later and died. I’m Kathleen Ann, my sisters are Rebecca Claire and Lucy Hannah. All nice, old-fashioned names. We go by Katie, Becca and Lucifer…seriously…she’s been Lucifer since she was about 4…she likes it. I went to school with a Binky Moorehead (which is asking for a career in porn), a Diva McIlroy (which is asking for trouble), and a Marlon Dean Such-and-such (after Brando and James). I’ll be calling mine Danny, Paddy, Isaac and Samuel… a girl would probably be Lehane. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/103 "2003-04-14T22:33:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dogface \* > \*\*Recently came across a youn girl named “Indiana”. \*\* [Sean Connery]We named the _dog_ Indiana![/Sean Connery] My personal least favorite: “Avery” for a girl. Blech. I don’t particularly like one of the Averies I know, either, which doesn’t help. The hubby was fixated on “Loki Coyote” for our first-born. I have talked him down to just Loki with a normal middle name, in case the kid hates it, but I think I’m going to avoid the whole issue by not having children. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/104 "2003-04-14T23:07:57Z")
My name is the trendy name for boys now, Jacob. I can’t pass a schoolyard without hearing my name called. Fortunately I was born well ahead of the trend. My older sister was one of the countless Jennifers born in the '70’s. My younger brother’s name is neither trendy then or now. My surname is very common, so I would never name my kid John or William or Robert. I hate Hunter, Jordan, and Brittany. I grew up with a lot of Jasons, Stephanies, and Katies. I really like the name Heather, but I think it is a little too common. I wanna name any eventual kids I might have Preston for a boy and Gretchen or Gertrude for girls. We’ll see if I can find a wife who will like those names. My sister just had her first child, a girl. Her friend was pregnant at the same time. Friend’s daughter is Sophie, my neice is Sophia. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/91b2a8/32.png) [@Earl\_of\_Sandwhich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_of_Sandwhich)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/105 "2003-04-14T23:54:31Z")
Something I think is cool, but which no one seems to do anymore, is to give a kid someone else’s full name: the first name becomes the kid’s first name, and the last name becomes the kid’s middle name. Of course, maybe people never really do this on a widespread basis, and baseball great Grover Cleveland Alexander, inventor George Washington Carver, and M_A_S\*H doc Benjiman Franklin Pierce are more exceptions than rules. Still, I think it’s nice. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/106 "2003-04-15T00:57:54Z")
Can I use Holly if I ever manage to get married and have a kid? ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/107 "2003-04-15T01:25:40Z")
A friend of my husband met a small girl named Shithead. The mother pronounced it “Shith- heed” and thought it was pretty. Aagh. ---
**Author:** ![Siegfried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Siegfried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siegfried)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/108 "2003-04-15T01:33:25Z")
After much wrangling, my parents settled on Christopher Todd as my name. My mother originally wanted Austin James (so I would be A.J. and named after my dad) and then tried to get Kristopher Todd. Yeah, there were always other kids in the class with my name, but I never really saw it as a bad thing. Plus, it takes forever for people to guess my middle name (even when I tell them it starts with a “T”). My sister’s name is Jaime Shay. She’s sometimes expressed frustration at having it spelled “Jamie,” at being assumed to be male, or having it pronounced the Spanish way (hi-me). I can tell my mother had a thing for slightly off spellings. My mother is pressuring me to find a woman, get married, and start producing grandchildren for her. I’m threatening to name my children Siegfried and Brunhilde if she keeps the pressure up. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ShadiRoxan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@ShadiRoxan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadiRoxan)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/109 "2003-04-15T01:36:31Z")
my mother picked my name because she wanted one that would translate in to english easily. so far i’ve only met one american that has my name. (it is a common persian name though) and you’d be amazed at how my name gets hacked up. it’s simple. spelled like it sounds. maryam. it never failed year after year of school having to go to the office to correct it from maryann. various other hackings… mirium, maryum, marium, myram, miriem. that’s just in spelling. for some reason no one can say my name. i once got called morgan. i personally like lela. it stems from the persian name layla, but some how eric clapton ruined that one for me. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/110 "2003-04-15T02:14:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fizzestothetop \* > \*\*My parents named me Bailie 19 years ago (waaaaaay before it became a trendy name). Bailey is my mother’s maiden name, so at least they had the decency to change the spelling just a bit to make it not look so much like a last name. > > I’ve never met another Bailie/ey anywhere near my age. They’re all under 5 years old and their name is spelled wrong. You don’t know how crazy it makes me to see Baylee, Bailea, Bayleigh, Baylie, and Bailee all running around. Everyone they ever meet in their entire lives will spell their names wrong. I know, I’ve lived with it my whole life and my spelling isn’t that weird at all. \*\* I went to preschool with a girl named Bailey back in the early 80’s. Haven’t thought of her in years. I wonder what she’s up to now? I’ve been cursed with a name that no one can pronounce. The third letter of my first name is e. No one pronounces the e. The vowel is there for a reason and it would like to be used. I eventually gave up and hacked the first three letters off my name and I’m trying to go by the last three letters instead. Count me among those who hate the name Jennifer. Every single girl I’ve ever met (in person) who goes by Jennifer is an irredeemable bitch. The Jen(n)s and Jennys are nice but I hate the Jennifers. Ashley and Caitlyn and their variant spellings are making the Hate List as well. The strangest name I’ve ever seen I can’t remember how to spell, but it looked like someone tried to spell Sacajawea sideways. ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/111 "2003-04-15T04:38:19Z")
My name is Laurene, feminine derivative of Laurence, after my grandfather. His comment on the naming at birth, “Well, thank God I’m not Uriah!” It’s a nice name, and I loved my grandpa, so am happy enough with it. But, buyer beware, if ya name your little girl this, it just never gets pronounced right in the school situation. Seems pretty simple, but gets the “must be a typo” Laurence (happened at high school graduation; My grandfather, bless his heart, had flown from California to see his 1st grandchild graduate, stood up after the mispronounciation and shouted across the gym “It’s LAURENE!!!”) also often read as LaVerne. I was a shy kid, so the odd name readings were embarrassing. Ya get over it, though. Some names I love that are family names: Ruth, my grandmother, what a great name. And Hollis, my aunt, goes by Holly, named after my grandfather’s cousin, a beautiful woman who died young. Hollis just rolls off the tongue, nice and solid. Lily is a fave, too, think it would be nice to have Lil as the calling tongue recognition. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/112 "2003-04-15T05:37:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by featherlou \* > \*\*[This](http://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/babynames.cgi) site has the top ten baby names for 2001 (most recent year available) for all you parents-to-be out there so you can make an informed decision if you want your child to be one of the five Jacobs or Emilies at their pre-school. \*\* That link did not work for me, but this one did: [http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/](http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/) Designer baby names suck. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/113 "2003-04-15T05:39:14Z")
Also I have just become **extremely** alarmed over the prospect of me one day naming a child. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/114 "2003-04-15T06:51:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dogface \* > \*\*So how is this bizarre construction proncounced, anyway? > > Cauch-ROH-na is how it would be pronounced were it a Gaelic name (which I doubt that it is), or is it one of those daffy American names? \*\* It’s _almost_ a Gaelic name - Caitriona is a fairly common name in this country. It’s pronounced “Katrina”. ---
**Author:** ![Loneraven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c0e974/32.png) [@Loneraven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loneraven)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/115 "2003-04-15T09:38:37Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Earl of Sandwhich \* > \*\* M_A_S_H doc Benjiman Franklin Pierce are more exceptions than rules. Still, I think it’s nice. \*\* I’d love to call a kid “Hawkeye.” I really love the name… and it’s unusual, easy to pronounce and spell, and if the kid hates it, get 'em to read _The Last of the Mohicans_ and watch M_A_S\*H. Wahey! Decision made! ---
**Author:** ![summerbreeze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@summerbreeze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/summerbreeze)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/116 "2003-04-15T13:46:02Z")
All five of my children have names that were on the Top Ten list for 1900 – and still are. Andrew always has at least 6 other Andrews in any group he’s in. A friend once wondered why “store” names – like “Tiffany” are so popular. Suggested I name my next child Papa John. And oh, yes, **Mercy** , using shopping as a teaching tool is a big nuisance. I work retail & have customers allowing 4-yr. olds to attempt to count out the correct change while a long & grouchy line forms. ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/117 "2003-04-15T14:19:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by psychonaut \* > \*\*Yes, and would you believe the same ignorant cretins are known to read aloud the name “Raymond Luxury-Yacht” as “Raymond Luxury-Yacht” instead of using the correct pronunciation, which is “Throat-Warbler Mangrove”? Really, when will these morons ever learn? I mean, how on earth could they make such an _obvious_ mistake? \*\* You’re right. If ignorant rednecks want to keep mispronouncing Caitlin as “Kate-linn”, they have every right to advertist their stupidity to the world. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/118 "2003-04-15T14:23:09Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Podkayne_\*\*[Sean Connery]We named the dog Indiana![/Sean Connery]\*\* We named our kid for our dog. So there! ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/119 "2003-04-15T14:24:47Z")
I was quite surprised to learn my Aunt Jean’s given name was Genevieve (actually, the Polish equivalent, which I can’t recall) My dad’s name was Thaddeus, but he went by Ted. Mom’s name is Loretta - and she’s nothing like Loretta Tortelli. 😃 My FIL’s given name is Bobbie. I’m sure it was a perfectly adorable name for a teeny tiny baby, but he’s now 73, nearly bald with whisps of white hair - the name just doesn’t fit. He goes by Bob. My daughter was born in 1985, and when she was in middle school, she had four friends named Jessica. I decided the new rule was that all her friends had to be named Jessica - easier for me to remember. Brat of a child chose to disobey that rule. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434/120 "2003-04-15T14:29:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Yllaria \* > \*\*Seems like people take more liberties with their daughter’s names than with their sons. I have nieces named: Aubrey, Ali, Portia, Myra, and Natalie. My sons are much plainer at Kevin, David, and Eric. > \*\* Lessee. My nieces: Victoria (Vicky) Katherine (Katey) Alexandria (Al) Samantha (Sam) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irksome-names-for-children/168434.md?page=7)