That is odd - I actually have a cousin who named her daughter (who is about six days younger than my son) Sophia Magdalynn (the Magdalynn is after her mother’s MN). She’ll be tickled to hear that there’s another little Sophia Magdalene out there.
As far as Sagan - I think it’s one of those names that could grow on me. And I actually like it more for a girl than a boy. I don’t like Ripley at all, especially not for a girl.
I can’t see where it’d be open to more teasing than any other name - if kids want to tease another kid, they will find a way.
This is why God invented middle names. My merciful parents even normalized my middle name - it’s Jean, after my grandmother who is a Eugenia. Every time I think about that I feel I dodged a bullet. If a kid wants to go by their more unusual middle name, great! Fantastic! If they don’t, they have a nice normal first name the substitute can pronounce. Michael Sagan Cynic. Evelyn Sagan Cynic. Ellen Sagan Cynic. I like these names quite a bit.
Heck, I’ll put in another plug for “Ellen.” I think it’s a wonderful name. Not terribly common, but completely well-known and perfectly acceptable in all its goodness.
One thing to consider with all these cautionary tales of teasing and oddness – once a person is named the name “becomes” them and uniquely them. They are more than the genesis of their name. If you think you’ll always think Satan Sagan, you’re wrong. The living person with her own unique personality will override all the theoretical horrors of the name.
As an example, in my family Stanton is a beloved family name. It’s a little unusual and old-fashioned sounding, to be sure. In a vacuum, it’s hard to imagine a little Stanton toddling around, going to school, whatever. It sounds like a boring old judge. (heh) But when the name was bequeathed it quickly became his own name and synonymous with HIM. And he has a wonderful distinguished name to take him through life!
I haven’t read the whole thread, I’m going to message board hell, etc. blah, blah, blah.
I have an ‘odd’ IRL name. I hate it. Don’t do it to your kids - they will not thank you for it. I’m 35 years old and I still put up with stupid name jokes (and yes, they’re pretty well all stupid).
Give your children nice, easy names like Sue. Or Bob. Or Ellen. Or Frank.
I prefer traditional – i.e., “boring” – names, for two reasons. First, it’s hard to predict whether something that sounds cool now will still sound cool in 30 years. Second, even if a name stands the test of time in your eyes, you have no way of knowing what your child will like. While it’s possible that your child will dislike any name, I think it’s a much higher risk with a novel name that carries some message or association.
It sounds like you want to name your child after Carl Sagan because you admire him. But will your child? What if she grows up to be deeply religious? She might not like being named after a famous atheist.
If you just want an uncommon name, you can simply take a baby book and cross out the current Top 20. Or, you could check out the Social Security Administration’s baby name list , which allows you to search all the way back to 1879.
I actually know of someone who named their child Darwin (a friend of a friend). Considering the political climate/issues of our day, the first thing I thought was that the parents were making a strong anti-religious statement. I have no idea if that was their intention, but that was my first thought (and, I found out later, my husband’s, too). Whether or not that’s a fair connection to make is debatable (I’m a God-believing evolution-believing person myself), and I don’t think people will have quite the same reaction to “Sagan,” but it’s something to think about.
Makes me think of actress Marley Shelton ( who is sort of my archetype of the stereotypical blond actress ) before Bob Marley, but that just might be me.
Can’t say I’m a fan of Sagan for several of the reasons already put forward. An old French teacher of mine ( an odd duck in many ways - American born francophile Chinese man with a model train fetish who decorated his train-filled garage with dozens of playboy centerfolds ) was a pianist and absolutely besotted with Fats Waller and promptly dubbed his first-born son ‘Fats’ and so referred to him. But at least he had the good sense to name him ‘Thomas Fats’ on his birth certificate, so the poor kid had an out when he got older.
Ripley I’m more tolerant of, as it at least flows nicely and I identify it with Weaver. But of course the character’s full name is Ellen Ripley ( I assume someone noted this already, but I missed it ).
I have a rather rare, if nonetheless traditional, first name as well, Nikola. Hated it as a youngster and when I was very young I wanted to be called Scott, my unofficial middle name ( left off the birth certificate ). Now I like it, but it took many years to grow on me.
When I read the OP, I was pretty sure I had heard of an actress named Sagan and the IMDb has listing for 3 people with that first name, all women. The one I was thinking of is Sagan Lewis, who was a regular on St. Elsewhere. But her real first name is Susan, FWIW.
Well, at least the kids at school won’t know that one. Once she’s an adult, anyone who aspires to sound well-read will quote it upon first meeting her.
I think Sagan is just fine for a middle name–just not a first name.
I like Marley the best, for boy or girl, Ripley second. I like unusual names better than unusual spellings for common names, which is just cruel, really.
I’m not feeling the love for Sagan. Darwin’s not bad, Coltrane is, though Cole is nice.
I like Sagan. I’m not sure I like it enough to name a child it, but it’s a nice name.
I much prefer it to Ripley, which will ensure “believe or not” jokes for her lifetime (although, maybe not–what with newspapers dying off and all, that part of the paper may no longer be a household name). I think Sagan is unisex. It does sound a bit yuppie, as in Logan, Reagan etc. But I still like it.
Sagan’s nickname may well become Sage–are you ok with that? (better than Sag).
I honestly think that parents who name their kids traditional names are truly the more radical among us. God knows there are a million Ashlee/Ashley/Ashleighs out there, but how many Franks?
May I plug my name, Eleanor? Traditional, feminine but uncommon. Eleanor Sagan Cynic–I love it.
LOVE IT! Both Sagan and Ripley. I’m more partial to the former though (and, since I don’t have any kids of my own, did the next best thing… named my Dalmatian this – which I’d like to add, we’ve never had anyone call her “sag” or “saggy” anything, but there IS lots of Pagan, Bacon, and when she’s especially naughty, Satan – also all because we’re great Carl fans ), but could see it’s use on either a boy or a girl. I also adore Marley.
However, I’m one of those people who truly like different names, last ones for first in particular are my favorites. I hate the idea of there being just one more Kimberly (my name, but spelled oddly) out there. Ugh. So, in my humble opinion, I believe the more chances at being themselves versus lumped in with someone else the better.
Regardless of what you decide, congratulations to you and Mrs. Cynic! New babies, especially girl #3, is awesome!!
ETA: I also don’t see any more of an issue with a woman having the name Sagan (IE: romantically, as mentioned up thread) than a similar sounding Meagan. I think it’d be right around the same issue as Meredith or Madison too. Names that are like that.
Sagan? No, no, a thousand times no. For all the reasons stated above.
Ripley? Whether it instantly evokes Ellen Ripley or Believe it or Not, it will instantly evoke something other than “nice to meet you.”
That’s the problem with a lot of these types of names. Why give your kid a name that will instantly make whoever’s meeting them go off on some sort of mental tangent?
You can choose an unusual name without it being totally out-there. I mean, there is a lot to choose from between “Mike” and “Sagan.”
One of my friends has a daughter named for a character on an SF TV show. So its an unusual name - probably not unique, but not common. Her daughter is now eight. Eventually, people ask where the name came from, and she answers - politely but with that sort of “yeah, I wish I wouldn’t have to explain this all the time” in her voice. Plus, it divulges something about their personalities that she isn’t always comfortable divulging. i.e. it takes a certain kind of person to name your kid after the Alien heroine - and a subset of people are going to look at you weird for doing do - you may or may not care.
I’m the worst person to ask - I prefer traditional names, as does my wife. Our kids are named Robert, Felicia and Henry, so you see how adventurous we’ve been in the naming department.
On the other hand, all of our kids have names that seem to suit them. So that’s saying something too.
I don’t generally criticize the choices of others - I’ll just note that the names on Diogenes’ list wouldn’t have been up for consideration in our family at all. Then again, that’s why different tastes exist, right?
The most important thing that should be said is, of course, congratulations for the new addition to the household - whatever name he or she has in the end.
Yep, that was my thought too. I don’t care for Ripley either, but then, I didn’t see the movie. In her lifetime, she’ll meet lots of people who didn’t see the movie.
I have never thought of Ripley as a girl’s name. Rip Van Wrinkle, Ripley’s Believe it Or Not, etc. It’s a guy’s name, and you will not convince me otherwise. Not one I’d pick, but not that bad.
Sagan is bad. Really bad. Depending on how you pronounce it, it is too much like saggin’ or Satan. No good.
I am not a fan of original names. Like it or not, they are a hindrance in life. No one is going to discriminate against a ‘Carl’ because it’s too normal - but certain people will discriminate against a ‘Hendrix’ because it’s too weird. Don’t make your kid suffer just so you can spend a few weeks congratulating yourself about how clever and original and non-comformist you were in picking ‘Hagia Sofia’.
( I assume someone noted this already, but I missed it ).
– also all because we’re great Carl fans ), but could see it’s use on either a boy or a girl. I also adore Marley.