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Original poster

Friends awful baby name

737 replies

ThisIcyHare · 01/01/2025 16:26

My best friend is due to have a baby soon, they are having a girl and she has been talking baby names with me, which feels super special. She has got a few very lovely traditional girly names, and a couple of more unusual choices, but not ‘offensive’. They are names I would expect from her. However, she has one absolutely terrible name, that actually just feels very cruel. It would be bad even by American standards and ‘tragedeigh’ names. It’s not that I wouldn’t choose it, it’s just crazy stupid and the child will be ridiculed by peers and adults. Some of her choices are genuinely wonderful, but I’m so worried she will madly choose this one awful name, I can’t say anything can I?!

OP posts:
Alconleigh · 03/01/2025 14:16

Someone better tell Honor Lisle it's an American name......

RavenQueen · 03/01/2025 14:04

Grammarnut · 03/01/2025 13:24

Pray disagree, in English the word is spelled 'honour'. It's origin is indeed 'honos' after the Roman god of that name. But I am not speaking Latin, I am speaking English, as originated in England, and we spell it as 'honour' - as the default version of English (not Latin) that is the correct spelling, USians can 'Americanize' it as they wish, they may not tell a native speaker of English that they are wrong. And 'honor', 'favor' etc look very wrong to a native English speaker here.

Edited
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Well Honor Blackman was English and that is the spelling she used. She was born in 1925. Maybe people are just taking her spelling. And as far as I'm aware she didn't change her name either that was her original name.

DaringlyPurple · 03/01/2025 14:00

@Grammarnut Yes, my husband's grandmother was called Honor. She certainly wasn't American and that is the correct spelling of the name. As a native speaker of English I can certainly tell you that you are wrong.

SemperIdem · 03/01/2025 13:40

Hello @Grammarnut, native English speaker here!

Honor is the correct spelling of the name in the UK. It does indeed differ from our accepted spelling of the word, honour.

Grammarnut · 03/01/2025 13:24

HugoYorway · 03/01/2025 12:21

I disagree. The origin of the word is from honos. The -our spelling of the name looks wrong.

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Pray disagree, in English the word is spelled 'honour'. It's origin is indeed 'honos' after the Roman god of that name. But I am not speaking Latin, I am speaking English, as originated in England, and we spell it as 'honour' - as the default version of English (not Latin) that is the correct spelling, USians can 'Americanize' it as they wish, they may not tell a native speaker of English that they are wrong. And 'honor', 'favor' etc look very wrong to a native English speaker here.

OneZippyWasp · 03/01/2025 13:21

BucketBouquet · 01/01/2025 21:54

I have triplets called Independence, Discovery and Potential. Everyone tells me what beautiful names they are.

You have got to be joking!

Catandsquirrel · 03/01/2025 12:37

Pukicity? Arsity? Undercookedeggicty?

ilovesushi · 03/01/2025 12:28

Sobriety, lucidity, insipidy, vomity, villainy?
Any of the above?

HugoYorway · 03/01/2025 12:21

Grammarnut · 03/01/2025 11:16

And you spelled Honour correctly. It's true, they are not popular, except Faith turns up occasionally.

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I disagree. The origin of the word is from honos. The -our spelling of the name looks wrong.

Grammarnut · 03/01/2025 11:20

FizzyBisto · 02/01/2025 23:52

All well and good until they start learning vocabulary for various foodstuffs in their French lessons - and the lad is henceforth forever known as Mushroom, or Mush for short!

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I'm guessing that's not Fun Guy?

Grammarnut · 03/01/2025 11:16

ThatNavyGoose · 03/01/2025 03:50

I think virtue names are generally much less popular in Britain, to the point that I can remember reading in a magazine in the midwife’s waiting room that you should avoid virtue names like Hope, Honour, Grace, Faith, Joy etc incase your child turned out to be the complete opposite as an adult!

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And you spelled Honour correctly. It's true, they are not popular, except Faith turns up occasionally.

pomers · 03/01/2025 11:04

Chastity?

ridl14 · 03/01/2025 10:45

ThisIcyHare · 01/01/2025 17:01

Oh no, think ‘Integrity’. That’s where this is going! I’m not badmouthing actual names!

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If it's 'Serenity' I know one and it actually suits her so well! I was quite surprised tbh but it's lovely.

You can definitely praise the other names and maybe pointedly not say anything about the one you don't like. I remember feeling very sorry for a friend of mine who discussed baby names with some colleagues of ours and people actually laughed at one of her suggestions saying "you can't name him Ralph!"

That said, I assume people talking baby names want feedback or they wouldn't bring them up. DH and I aren't sharing ours because we're confident in our choice, want it to be a surprise (there's some honour names in the mix) and also didn't want feedback from people with different tastes. If she does go for it, it will end up suiting the baby. I've known close people who've gone for what I'd consider questionable baby names (one a flower that is not used as a name and one rhyming with -ayden that isn't to my taste at all) and you just get used to the name on that child.

HugoYorway · 03/01/2025 10:34

Grammarnut · 03/01/2025 10:21

Honour is the correct spelling (the origin is French). Americans spell it wrong. It's an unusual name but perfectly ok.

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The name is Honor. The word is honour.

Grammarnut · 03/01/2025 10:21

FizzyBisto · 02/01/2025 23:40

Out of interest, why are some people indignant about the idea of a British couple calling their DD Honour?

I know it's more usually spelled Honor, but why is it so frowned on to anglicise it in the UK? I presume the root meaning of the name is exactly what we're assuming: the virtue?

Honour is the correct spelling (the origin is French). Americans spell it wrong. It's an unusual name but perfectly ok.

Grammarnut · 03/01/2025 10:19

Loyal, perhaps? Honesty?

Surgz · 03/01/2025 09:20

Ignore my previous post!!!. Thats a nice name, if unfortunate connotations . I would suggest Candice as a possible alternative

Surgz · 03/01/2025 09:16

Why not? If the rest are ok i would just wince slightly at the dodgy one and say wow thats a bit random/ out there, where did you get that from? ( could be a nice story behind it!) I take it she' s asking your opinion or at least tesing reactions. It could be a joke/ friend test😃😃
Please tell us what it is. Is it an incorrectly spelled amalgamation by any chance ???🤣

Someonelookedatmypostinghistorysoichanged · 03/01/2025 09:00

Tell your friend chastity is an awful name

marmia1234 · 03/01/2025 08:48

My money is on purity or humility. I don't think you answered my question OP about the first letter. You could add in the last letter and it won't be goggleable.

Rosscameasdoody · 03/01/2025 08:43

Swishytwip · 03/01/2025 08:24

Nooo! Please tell me you're joking?

You'd be better off calling a kid Thrush, at least that's a bird

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Not used to having coffee come down my nose so early in the morning - that’ll teach me for reading MN at the breakfast table !!

The name Candida is a girl's name of Latin origin that means "white" or "radiantly bright". It comes from the Latin word candidus. Throughout history, the name Candida has been associated with purity and innocence. In ancient Rome, the name was often given to girls as a symbol of their innocence and loveliness, and during the early Christian era, the name became prominent in a religious context, associated with saints and martyrdom. There was an even a pop song dedicated to a girl called Candida (think it was Tony Orlando and Dawn, in the 70’s).

I still wouldn’t burden a child with it as a name !!

CatherinedeBourgh · 03/01/2025 08:36

Swishytwip · 03/01/2025 08:24

Nooo! Please tell me you're joking?

You'd be better off calling a kid Thrush, at least that's a bird

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In Spanish and Italian it means 'without malice, straightforward' (for a woman).

Like candid in English, but with the a ending to show it's for a female.

Swishytwip · 03/01/2025 08:24

NetZeroZealot · 01/01/2025 17:54

I know several adult women with this name.

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Nooo! Please tell me you're joking?

You'd be better off calling a kid Thrush, at least that's a bird

martakeithy · 03/01/2025 08:08

ThisIcyHare · 01/01/2025 19:49

I must admit some of these suggestions are top drawer

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Top drawer - also good name 😁.
My favourite answer so far was from the verrucacella person 🥇

Catandsquirrel · 03/01/2025 07:36

HelenaWaiting · 03/01/2025 04:18

I'm guessing Embezzlement.

Is that Bez's full name from the Happy Mondays?