William - surname begins with C. Will the initials WC be a problem?

[GetOffOfMyCloud]

We are both really keen on the name William, we have both always liked the name and it has strong family connections. We haven't thought of any other boys names (4 weeks to go, don't know if boy or girl) but I am not sure if the initials WC are a bit cruel. We're decided on a girls name.

I'd only just got my head okay with William being shortened to Willy at school and then this pops into my hormone filled head , I'm not sure if I can do it now. We had pretty much decided that if it's a boy it will be William so now I'm torn whether we should stick with the name we both love, but possibly submit our DS to a lifetime of teasing and problems, or start again at this late stage and possibly end up with a name that is just "okay".

Honest opinions please, what would you do?

[poppydaisy]

No, WC is cruel imo, sorry.

[jandymaccomesback]

Winston Churchill survived.

[idobelieveinfairies]

probably will be. We chose a c name for our DS with the surname initials O'C...and children noticed once in secondary school. t was all a big laugh for DS...but he now goes under the initials of C.O

[GetOffOfMyCloud]

We have chosen a middle name as well, so on the rare occasions when you have to use initials, could we use the middle initial as well? So instead of WC he could be WBC, would that work or am I clutching at very fragile straws?!

Don't be sorry poppydaisy I asked for honest opinions so I shan't get upset at the replies, even if those replies do leave me completely stuck!!

[GlaikitFizzog]

Winston Churchill
Boris Johnston (not a good example I know)

I personally don't see too much of an issue. I don't think I knew what a WC was at school. And you never know he could be a Billy rather than a Willy!

Oh but BC is before Christ.

WBC is a boxing title too.

[GetOffOfMyCloud]

Thanks glaikit the initial B fortunately isn't the actual initial we have chosen - it's just an example as people who know us would recognise the real initials!!

Although I might now have to google the real full initials just in case there's something I haven't thought of!!

Any other opinions? Huge thanks to those who have already replied, but we're fairly evenly split at the moment, need some more opinions please!!

I'm thinking right now though (in a more positive mood this very second) that it is no different to naming a child Louise or Louis which can get shortened to Lou (Loo) is it? I know one of each and they managed through school absolutely fine. She says hopefully!

[idobelieveinfairies]

I am changing my mind here..i think it will be fine, my children certainly don't know that a W.C is a toilet.

[IndieNile]

I dont think it will be a problem at all. I dont know about you but when I use my initials I use all three.
I know a Louise who is known as Lou and it never even crossed my mind to think loo.
Primary school kids are unlikely to make a WC connection, and if anyone ever does at secondary school he`ll be old and tough enough to laugh about it anyway.
Go for it!

[MrsOzz]

Totally irrelevant but my initials used to be SV. And I noticed these are on little concrete sewer/water system slabs EVERYWHERE. I mean in every single street! I still don't know what they mean though.

WC just means water closet. I am sure there are worse initials to be had!

[hulabula]

While perhaps not used that widely in Britain, W.C does stand for toilet in most languages (I know). Personally I'd choose another name but it seems that many others don't see it as a problem.

[NormanTheForeman]

I know a William C (but he does have a middle name as well) but he doesn't seem to have any problems so far. Don't see it as an issue really.

[PercyFilth]

John has been popular for ever in the USA despite meaning toilet.

[EyeoftheStorm]

My surname begins with C and I love the name William and nn Will but I was put off by initials WC. Considered it for DS1 and DS2 and chose something else for both. A small chance that it would be a problem but kids have been crueller about smaller things. Luckily I did like other names too!

[Meteorite]

I would avoid the initials WC.

[GetOffOfMyCloud]

In my more rational moments I've been thinking that it means more to me to use a name that we both love and that has family connections, than not to use it just in case silly people might want to make something of it some time in the future.

And I hadn't thought about the fact that most primary age children probably wouldn't make the connection anyway as several people have pointed out.

Thanks all, I think we might stick with William

Until the next hormone induced wobble....

[mayanna123]

John means toilet ?

Personally, I'd avoid the initials WC but I grew up in Germany where it is used commonly as toilet and most children would make the connection. Perhaps not relevant in the UK though?

[bluelaguna]

I would also avoid WC. Use William as a middle name perhaps and think of another first name.

Matthew William
Jack William
James William
Luke William
Thomas William

Also, in minutes of business documents, people are often referred to by their initials so it wouldn't just be at school - WC would be at work! People still say in their 20s, 30s and beyond "what were your parents thinking?!".

[jandymaccomesback]

Come on, how often do you hear a loo referred to as a WC these days? I can't remember the last time I heard it, or saw it on a sign.

[mayanna123]

The signs are EVERYWHERE! Not only in the UK but everywhere on the Continent, where even the French refer to as 'le weecee' (short for double v c).

[evamummy]

Well, I'd avoid W.C. personally.

Just found this on google:

William and Catherine Change Monogram to Avoid Toilet Humour:
Prince William and his bride-to-be, Catherine Middleton, are thinking of the future and have broken with centuries of Royal protocol to avoid an embarrassing problem over their combined monogram. In a bid not to be saddled with ?WC? inscribed on millions of monogrammed goods, their initials will be reversed on the Royal monogram, putting hers before his.

[jandymaccomesback]

mayanna I live in the sticks. Next time I go to a town I will have to check!

[SuchFunSuchFun]

GetOffOfMyCloud here, I've name changed just to confuse everyone!!


Jandy When are you going to town, I'm curious to hear what you see. I don't go to town very often either so I'm not sure how common it is. From memory though there's usually just a male or female type picture on the door.

Surely bluelaguna he could use his middle initial as well though? I use my middle initial at work as there are two of us with the same initials and as I started after she did I started using my middle initial straight away and everyone else has just gone along with it. There are several other people who use 3 initials here instead of 2 for various reasons and it doesn't seem to cause any problems.

Still clutching at straws maybe; I so want to use the name but don't want to saddle him with a life time of problems.

[bagelmonkey]

There will always be teasing. If it's not initials it will be something else unfortunately. Stick with the name it's a lovely one.

[othersideofchannel]

Hmm, I think I'd avoid the initials W.C. At work we often get referred to by our initials (e.g. on to do lists, letters etc) and I wouldn't want to go through life as a WC, sorry.

[jandymaccomesback]

I know a VD and an ST which are surely worse than WC, aren't they?