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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

What is wrong with names beginning with A?

37 replies

looki · 20/09/2013 22:56

Just out of curiosity,I've read a few threads where names beginning with the letter A have been discounted.

I was wondering what the reason for this is?

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EastFife5Forfar4 · 21/09/2013 14:02

I have an A name, it was by far the most popular initial at school, I reckon in a class of 30 girls, at least 10 were A names!
Wonder what the actual stats are.

RunnerHasbeen · 21/09/2013 11:35

I think you are only noticing it because you have an A named child. People tend to veto first letters because of their other children's names, their surname etc My mum did happen to veto A, because, as she wanted to use her maiden name as a middle name, my brother would have had the initials ASS. I haven't noticed it as a general trend.

ChristineDaae · 21/09/2013 11:33

I've ruled out A, only because mine, DD's and DP's 'official' name all start with A. Gutted, my favourite girl and boy names for DC2 have been ruled out due to this, but 4 of us would just be too Kardashian for my liking.

MsJupiterJones · 21/09/2013 11:32

I think the person who said it was twee was saying they & their DH also have A names, so matching initials for a baby too would be twee.

Probably the person who'd ruled A names out on another thread had a similar reason.

karamcleod · 21/09/2013 11:29

Well I like having a k name and I think there are lots of lovely A names too, honestly who actually gives a rats arse about which letter your babies name starts with as long as you like the name?

Original poster

looki · 21/09/2013 11:01

DD1 is one of the above mentioned A names too. Will avoid again as don't want same initials. It's quite difficult to find names with diff letters in a similar vein though.

Not a fan of K names either, many seem to be either too modern or creatively spelled.

I read somewhere that the name Aaron is the laziest parents name as its the first name in many books. It's one I like though.

Anyway the surname answers make sense as to why some people don't use A names, something that would never have occurred to me.

OP posts:

HorryIsUpduffed · 21/09/2013 09:59

The objection to K- names stems from creative spellings of C- names and/or using a K where a C is customary. Think Kardashians!

Krystal, Khloe, Karter, Kourtney.

Trouble is, lots of names that look like English-names-but-with-a-K are actually Polish names. So it becomes a race issue as well as a snobbery issue.

UpTheFRIGGinDuff · 21/09/2013 09:55

My DS has a name beginning with A...the only reason I'd discount A names is so as not to have matching initials.

UpTheFRIGGinDuff · 21/09/2013 09:53

How are Burk and Berk pronounced differently?

SmallBee · 21/09/2013 09:53

What's wrong with K names?

karamcleod · 21/09/2013 09:47

Why are K names frowned upon? :(

Arrtttiiieee · 21/09/2013 07:29

To those that say twee what in earth is twee about names like Alice, Anna, Alexander etc. I would say they are some if the strongest, least twee, classical names!

StitchingMoss · 21/09/2013 00:05

My eldest has an A name, as do all of the first born men in his dad's side of the family. Except, er, his dad!

A quick look at the naming threads will show you far worse crimes to baby names than names starting with A tbh !

usualsuspect · 21/09/2013 00:00

I thought it was K names that were frowned on,on MN.

Lurleene · 20/09/2013 23:58

Maybe people think the parents are lazy readers and can't be bothered to read further into the baby naming book?

Original poster

looki · 20/09/2013 23:55

Ah I see - I say Burk' rather than 'Berk' and wouldn't have got the Berk/idiot thing either. I understand why A names are sometimes dismissed now though. Thanks everyone.

OP posts:

elQuintoConyo · 20/09/2013 23:54

burke = twit or silly person.
'A' names are lovely. My DH is an A name, DS an O. They both have a foreign surname that means 'digger': A Digger and O Digger (sounds like a sonnet: O, Digger, thou art muddy and proud... etc!).

StitchingMoss · 20/09/2013 23:53

BIWI - had never heard that one!!

BIWI · 20/09/2013 23:51

Burke is rhyming slang:

The Berkeley Hunt/Cunt

Original poster

looki · 20/09/2013 23:51

StitchingMoss - you are right of course but I meant 'going first' in primary/swimming lessons etc

OP posts:

StitchingMoss · 20/09/2013 23:51

Is it a regional thing?

StitchingMoss · 20/09/2013 23:50

Burke = berk, means idiot, no?

Original poster

looki · 20/09/2013 23:50

I get the 'A Pratt' but what is wrong with A Burke???

Fwiw my surname isn't Burke but I'm rubbing my chin trying to figure it out!

OP posts:

StitchingMoss · 20/09/2013 23:50

looki, registers are done by surname not first name so and A first name wouldn't be called first .

twentyfourcarat · 20/09/2013 23:39

I'm not sure the initial A will be your biggest problem if your surname's Pratt...

Alexandra Burke's faired ok!

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