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Baby names

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

Original poster

Do initials matter?

39 replies

Alexandra6 · 27/11/2013 15:18

One of the choices of middle names we like for a boy leaves us with the initials JAP - does that sound a bit weird? Do initials even matter and have to have a ring to them? I suppose he could use the initials JP and only use the middle name when using his full name?

Am I overthinking this? Grin

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curlew · 28/11/2013 19:22

Children do go through a phase of trying out initials and signatures and writing names backwards and so on- I would avoid initials that spell our any word, to be honest.

brokenhearted55a · 28/11/2013 19:19

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Layl77 · 27/11/2013 18:33

Yes they do matter, jap could be problematic but isn't as bad as BJ or ASS.

Strongecoffeeismydrug · 27/11/2013 17:57

JAP would be fineSmile, but I really wanted to call our first ds Billy Alexander but our last name begins with B and I changed my mind as the initials BAB would have been awfulWink

Fasterkillpussycat · 27/11/2013 17:31

Apologies - I had been thinking of a different meaning for the initials.

Ham69 · 27/11/2013 17:08

You may not be worried about JAP, Faster, but it can be seen as an offensive abbreviation. That would make it a big no no for me.

Fasterkillpussycat · 27/11/2013 16:50

At work I am frequently referred to by my initials in meeting notes etc. This has been the case in my last few roles so I would say yes, they can matter. However, I would not be worried about JAP - there are lots worse!

Iwaswatchingthat · 27/11/2013 16:46

We decided against a name due to initials. It can matter I think.

AbiRoad · 27/11/2013 16:44

If either DD had been a DS, our first choice name was Benjamin (Ben). I always wanted James for a middle name for a DS - family name on both sides. But the dilemma was we did not want BJ for the initials. Not sure if we would have gone with it.

Ham69 · 27/11/2013 16:39

I think these initials would bother me as the word can be seen as a derogatory term.

Bowlersarm · 27/11/2013 16:22

Only when it spells a proper word. And even then only in exceptions.

picnicbasketcase · 27/11/2013 16:21

As long as its not BUM, PIS, FUK etc, it's really not a problem.

Frikadellen · 27/11/2013 16:19

JAP would not bother me ASS would.

Bakingtins · 27/11/2013 16:17

I think you seldom use just initials. It would be J.Potter or J.A.Potter, or JP. I doubt anyone outside immediate family knows what my middle name is and it's never used.
The names we like give us initials MMR so we have the same dilemma but don't think it is important enough to change our minds.