I am a male with an unusual first name – “Brannon.” I don’t like it very much. People insist on turning it into “Brendan” or “Brandon” or whatever. Even when they’re looking at it clearly written down, they still, for unknown reasons, put a D in it. :mad: Lately, when I introduce myself, I say, “Brannon, it rhymes with the yogurt.” That eliminates most of the hassles, but now I occasionally get people who equate “rhymes with” to “is,” and they call me “Dannon.” :mad: :mad:
Please, please, do not give your child a strongly unusual first name. Euphrosyne? Pelagian? A lifetime of hell awaits the child who is given a name like this in 21st-century America. Well, with the exception of kids who grow up with billion-dollar trust funds; if your family owns the private school you attend, you can get away with any name you like.
This has come up as my wife and I discuss naming the children we will eventually have. Her younger sister was named Diana (she died tragically a few years ago), and we both like the idea of referencing the name. However, Diana had a nickname growing up, one I think is quite pretty. When my wife was very young, and looking at her infant baby sister, she couldn’t say “Diana,” turning it instead into “Nyah.” (Choose your spelling. Rhymes with a British pronunciation of “dryer,” sort of.) I love the sound of this. It is, however, a little odd, and I wouldn’t wish an odd name on a kid, due to my own experience. (Years on the playground of having “Brannon” turned into “Bran-buds.”)
Although the sound of the name is beautiful, spelling comes into question. If you spell it “Nyah,” which is probably the simplest, it also looks like a playground taunt – a one-syllable “ñaa,” instead of the two-syllable “ny-uh.” If you spell it “Naia,” sort of suggestive of “Gaia,” you get mystified people trying “nay-uh? nuh-ee-uh?” and such. “Nia,” of course, is “nee-uh.” And so on.
So we’ll probably stick with “Diana,” and try to get “Nyah” to stick as a nickname, same as with her sister.
But please, stay away from oddball names. Your child will thank you later.
P.S. Kids are cruel, yes, and any name can be turned into an insult. Isn’t “John” a toilet? Isn’t “Peter” a penis? Isn’t “Mary” what kids say boyfriend and girlfriend want to do? This happens no matter what your name. The point is, you don’t want to make the kid an easy target.