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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU - to ask you for your worst girl and boy names

484 replies

Mirrorlolo · 22/08/2026 08:38

Asking on behalf of DD who is expecting. What are in your view the worst girl and boy names. for me they are the made up ones like Nevaeh and Jayden

OP posts:
Undertherainbow00 · 22/08/2026 11:52

Coinkidinki · 22/08/2026 08:49

Oh, dear - this is going to be one of those threads where people sneer at names from demographics or cultures they perceive as inferior.

Why does your DD need a list of 'the worst names'? Why not post some names she is considering and get people's opinions?

If you're naming your baby, it seems an odd way to go about it - take every single possible name and start crossing off those that Mumsnetters don't like.

Exactly this. IMO this is just judgemental - I am a teacher and some names reflect different cultures. I just wish you well OP with your grand baby, regardless of their name.

bloblob · 22/08/2026 11:51

AgnesMcDoo · 22/08/2026 11:46

I hate made up names, hyphenated ones, initials and surnames as first names

Yes to surname style names- copper, Taylor, Montgomery, Ferdinand, Fergus, Logan, hunter etc

localnotail · 22/08/2026 11:50

I'm really conservative so basically any non-traditional name, with some exceptions. Anything with weird spelling so it's "special". Name from other counties/ cultures you have zero connection to.

Also, pet hate - names that should be a short for something but used as an actual name. Like Vicky unstad of Victoria. You get the idea. Imagine a 60 year old Archie or Alfie, so stupid.

Sproutling · 22/08/2026 11:50

Fanny and Roger...

EmmaB1309 · 22/08/2026 11:50

I’m not a fan of overly fancy, pretentious or trendy names. I don’t want to give examples so as not to cause offence to anyone who might have used one! But think being named after a designer brand, for example. Or words spelled backwards.
I like simple, possibly slightly old fashioned names.

BogRollBOGOF · 22/08/2026 11:49

Purplecatshopaholic · 22/08/2026 08:47

I don’t like it when nice names have a butchered spelling. No need, just awful. I know an Aalivyah (work it out, lol) - wtaf!

I don't like it because it complicates and adds frustration to the child's life when they constantly have to correct pronounciation and spelling for life.

In the era of electronic registers, you can't put a little pencil note of the phonetic way to say it so have to manually remember (made even harder if there's accent differences) when you already have hundreds of names to remember each day.

I'd also swerve ambiguous names like Sara and Louis because of the potential for frequent confusion. I like the names in their own right, but again it's easy to have mistakes when there's an equally commonly used variation which must get irritating.

Ironically I can't remember the most youneek names I've encountered because my brain always struggled with the disconnect between spelling and pronounciation of them, but I encountered them most in the late 2000s. Presumably more people are aware of the online safety hazard of a name being too unique to an individual now as I've seen far fewer in the last 10+ years.

NormasArse · 22/08/2026 11:49

There are names that have sounds that make me uncomfortable, and I’ve no idea why. Caleb is one of those. I wonder whether I met an evil Caleb in a previous life…

ZeroMotivationWithTeens · 22/08/2026 11:48

Olive - such an ugly name imo whereas Olivia i quite like.

Chocobuttons2 · 22/08/2026 11:47

Heard a woman talking about her Granddaughter Arcadia, it stuck out to me as one of the worst I’ve ever heard. Lots of influencer baby names that aren’t actually names, I can’t get on board with.

NormasArse · 22/08/2026 11:47

SleeplessRoads · 22/08/2026 09:08

The toddler called Barry willl for most of his life be a man called Barry, and no one would think it odd if you said you met a man called Barry the other day.

I’d prefer people named their children “adult” names, rather than the cutesy trends we have at the minute because a man named Barry is less cringey than a man named Freddie or Alfie.

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Hasn’t harmed Freddy Flintoff (yes, I know his name is Andrew), or Alfie Boe.

bloblob · 22/08/2026 11:46

Yes also ‘Kit’ don’t understand the love it gets on here. My immediate association is ‘wayne rooneys son’ which then makes me think football kit.

AgnesMcDoo · 22/08/2026 11:46

I hate made up names, hyphenated ones, initials and surnames as first names

Original poster
Mirrorlolo · 22/08/2026 11:45

PurplebudsWhitebuds · 22/08/2026 09:11

What an unpleasant thread.
Are you really trying to make people feel bad about their own names or the names they have chosen for their children? How would you like it if a lot of pp came onto the thread and dissed your name or your children's,

Not likely to happen as my kids don't have made up names. They may not be to everyone's taste but that's fine. I have a marmite name myself but it kind of suits me in later life

OP posts:
Mamalasira · 22/08/2026 11:45

ToWhitToWhoo · 22/08/2026 11:40

Most of these names are fine - just not to everyone's taste; but no name will be.

But I did once come across someone with a truly awful name. His parents had named him 'Hitler'.

Where was this?

sparrownetsuke · 22/08/2026 11:42

We had Tamari and D'artagnan living next door. D'artagnan was particularly hilarious yelled in a broad Aussie accent.

One of my kids' name is on this thread and meh. My other kid's name is inevitably called posh.

TigerRag · 22/08/2026 11:42

NancyThompson · 22/08/2026 11:39

I'm a Selling Sunset fan, and the worst name I've seen is one of the agents/cast naming their baby Legendary Love Cannon.

Sounds like a pornstar name!

ERthree · 22/08/2026 11:41

AnnoyedAsAllHeck · 22/08/2026 11:03

Sangria
Mojito
Daquirina
Molsen
Guinness
Porshie
Kia

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Tia Maria, Sherry and the classy Kristal
.

sunflower85 · 22/08/2026 11:41

Kyttiol · 22/08/2026 08:42

Someone named their daughter Dusty dove.

And another named their son lucifer. Also twins named Reggie and Ronnie.

These are people I actually know

Just off the back of this post, I know of a little boy named Kray

NancyThompson · 22/08/2026 11:40

TrojanDonkey · 22/08/2026 11:31

Nevaeh is terrible. Always followed with ‘it’s heaven backwards’. We know, everyone bloody knows. It doesn’t make it better.

It sounds kind of blasphemous, like wouldn't heaven backwards mean hell or something?

ToWhitToWhoo · 22/08/2026 11:40

Most of these names are fine - just not to everyone's taste; but no name will be.

But I did once come across someone with a truly awful name. His parents had named him 'Hitler'.

NancyThompson · 22/08/2026 11:39

I'm a Selling Sunset fan, and the worst name I've seen is one of the agents/cast naming their baby Legendary Love Cannon.

dustabsorber · 22/08/2026 11:38

Kev and Bev

ChocolateCinderToffee · 22/08/2026 11:38

The worst one I’ve personally known was Jersey.

Catwalking · 22/08/2026 11:37

I don’t like names for girls that are actually boys names…..also find it very peculiar that a baby could ever be given the name of a town.

AnitaCam · 22/08/2026 11:36

Roxy ruby and Lola.. ok if you have three cats. But not ideal for actual people.