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Baby names

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Original poster

What do *you* consider to be "horrible" names?

270 replies

HappyWifeandMum · 27/04/2011 05:34

I was reading another thread here, where many people referred to a particular name as being "horrible". So it got me to thinking... What constitutes a "horrible" name, and how does that perception change from region to region?

Please... This is NOT to offend ANYONE... I just truly want to get a feel for what you think are truly awful names. Opinions vary greatly across the globe, and I would love to be able to compare them.

Here's the deal... I would be very grateful if each poster would post (as nicely as possible) the names they dislike the very most, and why, without taking merciless jabs. Also, if you are comfortable with it, would you please list the continent or country you are from as well. I am hoping this will be fun and informative!

Here goes... My uncontested, most disliked name of all time is "Nevaeh". Why? Because I think it is beyond senseless to reverse the spelling of a common word and call it a name. (North America)

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NotaMopsa · 27/04/2011 20:24

Gosh I saw a designer named Dierdre today and thought it just sounds so droopy

I am awful with names - tend to loathe all popular ones and love oddities

My cat is called Margot

Casey76 · 27/04/2011 20:20

I have never liked Ian, Alan, Neil, Duncan, Gordan, Bernard, Stuart, Simon, Marcus, Kevin, Geoffrey, Keith, Richard,Peter, Brandan, Dylan, Tyler, Taylor

Girls names I have never liked Lisa, Joanne,Dierdre,Donna, Dawn, Jayne, Patricia, Katherine,

Probably lots more too...

exoticfruits · 27/04/2011 20:18

A very reasonable name if you are French.

farkthatforagameofsoldiers · 27/04/2011 20:17

I didnt say it wasnt the correct way to pronounce it, I just don't like the name at all really.

Bunbaker · 27/04/2011 20:14

"Louis, pronounced Lou-ey, just sounds so poncey."

No it isn't. That is the correct way to pronounce it - think Louis Armstrong, Louis Vuitton, king Louis I - XVIII of France. Pronouncing it Lewis is simply incorrect.

I'm not keen on:
Alternative spellings to well known names - just makes the parents look thick.
Made up names
Hyphenated names - I won't say why because it is bound to offend someone.

Agree with jellybeans that names that invite teasing are out as well.

exoticfruits · 27/04/2011 20:11

It is just personal taste. I would never ask what people think!

NotaMopsa · 27/04/2011 20:10

my DC4 name is a shortened version - if you knew it you may agree that the long version may have set him up for some mockery. i WANTED to put the long version as i do agree it's a little frivolous to put a short name on BC but just couldn't !

LeMousquetaireAnonyme · 27/04/2011 20:10

"Amelie" it is a malformation of the fetuses which means "no limbs". Why would you call anybody that! Of course you have to have done some medical studies to know that but for me it is a no no. And I am sure in greek it means something else (nice, I hope!).
As my name have 2 different meaning if you follow the greek or the latin roots, everything is relative!

bananamom · 27/04/2011 20:03

Oh and old lady/man names will be so passé in a few years so I'd avoid those too.

MayBankHoliday · 27/04/2011 20:02

I like several of the names on here too exoticfruits! And I sometimes suggest a name I don't like if I think the OP would like it. All just personal taste after all.

bananamom · 27/04/2011 20:01

Like many, I dislike the -ayden caze. Plus all the surnames as first names - Mason, Taylor, Tyler, Parker, Harvey etc..

All the shortenings Charlie, Alfie, Archie, Millie, Daisy etc

All the twee Milly, Molly, Dolly, Tilly, Poppy, Daisy etc

...and all things double barrelled!

exoticfruits · 27/04/2011 19:51

I like lots of the names on here!

My dislikes are:

  1. Made up or deliberate 'wrong' spelling to be different (and give the poor DC a lifetime of correcting people).
  2. Surnames as first names.
  3. Nicknames as the only name, e.g. Kitty, Teddy, Alfie etc.
  4. All popular early 20th century names, Hilda, Ivy, Maud, Mabel, Edith, Stanley, Albert. Reginald etc.
  5. Hyphenated names.
  6. Celebrity names.
CocktailQueen · 27/04/2011 19:38

Hate old peoples names for babies - Mabel, Edith, Stanley etc.
Hate misspelled names - ie Jorja.
Don't like hyphenated names - Honey-Mae etc
Don't like made up names - like CheerfulYank said - Zayden, Brayden, Jaiden, Carson, Caydon, Kaidin and Peyton - bleurgh
Don't like chavvy names - Chardonnay, Madison, Chelsea

I like traditional names I suppose.
From Aberdeen.

Psammead · 27/04/2011 19:38

lockets then we will have to agree to disagree Smile

It is a lovely name!

shellbell72 · 27/04/2011 19:34

I dislike 'ee' names
Chloe
Sophie
Naomi
Heidi etc

and the awful Caidon,Braydon, Jayden thang - yuck!

lockets · 27/04/2011 19:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Psammead · 27/04/2011 19:24

lockets please don't get me wrong. I think Kitty and all the other names I listed are perfectly charming, but I prefer the name Katherine on the BC.

I have one of those names with several obvious shortenings and would have disliked to have been narrowed down to just one.

It's a dislike of the practise rather than the names.

ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie · 27/04/2011 19:21

Other than the obvious Jayden/bradon/Tyquondini sort of names, I can only think of three that I actively hate (apologies in advance to parents/owners of any of these names):

Alex as a girl's name
Guy
Seth

MayBankHoliday · 27/04/2011 19:17

Harsh names - Ingrid, Astrid, Gertrude

Slightly posh frilly, wet or foppish names - Jemima, Tabitha, Alice, Matilda, Cordelia, Justin, Crispin, Benjamin, Robin, Rupert, Toby

Trendy names which may be quite unfashionable soon - Jack, Finlay, Freya, Erin, Isla, Molly

Nicknames without a full name - Charlie, Alfie etc.

Surnames as first names - Lewis, Harrison, Brandon, Blake, Harvey

satsumaish · 27/04/2011 19:16

Gosh, what a 'horrible' thread!

rachel234 · 27/04/2011 17:03

Actually, a person can be horrible, but a name? It really is just a collection of letters. Yes, some names may have negative associations (due to our previous experience) and others are considered too popular, but do so many of really find so many names 'horrible'?

I too dislike names that are overused as well as names that are too 'cutey' and 'babyish' as well as old fashioned names (Helga, Gertrude etc) but I don't really find any name 'horrible'.

tammytoby · 27/04/2011 16:55

Anything in the top 10 (William, Thomas, Oliver, Lily, Grace etc) because these names are so overused that they loose the ability to identify (the whole point of naming someone or something imo).

I know so many adult Steves and Mikes that again, I find it hard to remember their names (and have to add a mental adjective to their names e.g. big Steve, fat Steve, Steve B etc).

There are so, so many lovely names to choose from that there really is no excuse for so many of us choosing the same few ones Smile.

Tuschinski · 27/04/2011 16:40

Another one for the awful made-up Kayden/Leyton/Braydon type.
Also agree about overly cute and trendy girls names like Tilly which only work if you are 4.

chipmonkey · 27/04/2011 16:28

Anything ending in -May or -Mae. I quite like some hyphenated names but have an irrational dislike of that one.

Surnames as first names. Particulary Bradley but I think that dates back to a holiday where the parents were constantly shoutling at Brad-LAY!! and telling him off.

To whizzyrocket and others who wonder why not give a full name on the BC, my reason with ds3 was that I don't like Thomas at all and I love Tom! Now, you might say, use Thomas on the BC and just call him Tom but when I did this with ds1 ( BC Gregory, we call him Greg) MIL insisted on calling him Gregory for two years and used the fact that Gregory was on the BC as an excuse. I was not giving her the opportunity to do that again!

SnailWhaleTail · 27/04/2011 15:43

Its -ie names for me, cute-ish if you like that sort of thing when the DC is small but awful on adults. Katie, Rosie, Archie, Alfie, Bertie etc

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