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Baby names

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Too cruel to choose a name with a geek/nerd connection?

139 replies

spence24 · 11/07/2014 11:48

OH and I are both self-confessed pop-culture geeks/nerds (whatever you wish to call us!) - I work in the comic book industry, he is a cartoonist and illustrator. We both love Sci-Fi, and always have.

We keep wanting to pick a name (we don't know gender) that has a link to the world we live in, and it will grow up in, but we also want it to be "normal" enough sounding just in case it decides to rebel and be into something like football... shudder

We also have the issue of the fact that our names already rhyme, something our friends and family bring up at every possible moment. He also has a daughter who name ends in -y, like ours both do, so ideally we want a name that doesn't do that, otherwise we may as well just join the circus as the rhyming family...

sigh - I think my hormones have kicked in because right now, the fact that I honestly believe we will NEVER agree on a name is really getting to me, and it seems to be the Number 1 challenge, which is ridiculous now that I've typed that...we're not even due until January!!!

Oh! And he also vetoes any name that ANY of his work colleagues have, or are married to, or have called their children, despite me not knowing ANY of them. ARGH.

Sorry, rant over. Going back to my corner now.

OP posts:
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RiverTam · 11/07/2014 15:18

there's a Thorin at DD's nursery, he's as cute as a button. And, as I've mentioned before, I've worked with an Aslan - no idea how life was for him growing up but you got used to that being his name pretty quickly.

GoT have a lot of 'normal' names, especially for boys - Ned, Robb, Jon, Robert, Jaime (Jamie), Peter. Arya for a girl, not too 'out there'.

Han, Luke, Leia

Arwen's a fairly normal-sounding name

Firefly/Serenity names:
River (Tam, natch!)
Simon
Kaylee
Mal
Zoe
Inara

will keep thinking!

spence24 · 11/07/2014 15:17

Yes, thank you Hakluyt, hence my wishing to keep the name relatively "normal", while still honouring the things that I enjoy and have made me who I am today.

OP posts:
Hakluyt · 11/07/2014 15:12

This is a baby, not a lifestyle accessory!

GwenStacy · 11/07/2014 15:07

Heh, my husband is a huge comics fan and the amount of names we got through - although we did nearly end up with a Gwen Stacy! My daughter's middle name is Kara which is a Battlestar/Powergirl reference :) Ramona (referencing Scott Pilgrim!) was also a strong contender…

I fought long and hard for Astrid, but it was vetoed as a friend of my husband wrote a comic where the lead character was called Astrid…

WaffleWiffle · 11/07/2014 15:03

I recently read a book that has a character in it called Crighton (spelt that way rather than with a Y). I could not read it without thinking about Red Dwarf!

WaffleWiffle · 11/07/2014 14:58

Warren (off-of Buffy, he made a Buffy droid).

Also Glory (not Gloria), talk about a strong woman!

I'm a massive Buffy fan. Must get the box sets out again...

I like the idea of Joss

Also Seth (Oz the warewolf also voice of older son in Family Guy) is a cool name.

spence24 · 11/07/2014 14:45

Oh Tortoise you have just stepped onto the tip of the iceberg (pun not intended) - the amount of public yet hilarious disputes we have via Facebook has resulted in a number of my customers/clients commenting that we are the most entertaining thing on their News Feed.

Usually because I end up winning by calling him a bell-end for burning my toast because he thought they were crumpets. Or similar nonsense.

OP posts:
TortoiseUpATreeAgain · 11/07/2014 14:37

Yeah, but you see the difference there is that you're right and he's wrong... Grin

misspamela · 11/07/2014 14:35

If I'd have had a girl I'd have called her Hopey - remember Love and Rockets? It is a 'ey' name but she could be Hope?

spence24 · 11/07/2014 14:25

I feel much better knowing that I won't be judged if I give them a name from "my world" - quite frankly, I don't give a toss what parents in the playground will say, but we spend a lot of time at/running conventions, so we'd be among friends anyway!

Oooh, I feel a lot better now!

Oh, and mummybare - OH may sound mean for not allowing Tyrion, but if I'm totally honest he probably gets a lot worse thrown back at him from me...we're a "banter" couple, not lovey-dovey at all! He teases me for liking midgets, I berate him for telling me he liked Titanic...and it goes on, and on, and on...

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weebarra · 11/07/2014 14:23

My DD is named after a Norse goddess, who rides on a chariot drawn by cats. I would also have liked Anya or Willow.

TondelayoSchwarzkopf · 11/07/2014 14:18

We are in the entertainment industry too (not as SF/cool as you) and our DSes have names that have cult / film connections but are also traditional names too.

Can't post them as they will out me but I wanted to say that it isn't cruel at all! I like that they have names that have resonance and meaning and make us think of stuff we love.

eatscakefornoreasonwhatsoever · 11/07/2014 14:17

did anyone say that Joss could be short for Joselyn/Joscelyn - a unisex name!

QueenElsaOfArendelle · 11/07/2014 14:13

I have an Anya, named after the Buffy character. I'm a massive fan.
No-one has ever mentioned the Buffy link to me but I do enjoy telling people that she was named after a 1000 year old vengeance demon Grin

parques · 11/07/2014 14:07

Loki is fab too! Betty!

villagecorner · 11/07/2014 13:54

Josiah nn Joss
Giles

villagecorner · 11/07/2014 13:54

Josia

villagecorner · 11/07/2014 13:54

J

mummybare · 11/07/2014 13:41

Your DH is so mean! Tyrion is a fabulous name! Grin

ToniWol · 11/07/2014 13:38

Daniel if you wanted to go very obscure (Oz's actual first name!)

Tara, Ben, Rupert, Wesley, Olivia, Anne, Jenny, William, Adam?

from Angel you could use Winifred (shortened to Fred) - not as hot on Angel but there's probably other semi-regular characters.

Kaylee, Zoe, Jane or Simon from FF? - or Bridget (YoSaffBridg!)?

TortoiseUpATreeAgain · 11/07/2014 12:50

There's Clara, but that sounds more Doctor Who than Back To The Future these days.

spence24 · 11/07/2014 12:49

thatstoast - We've toyed with Tiberius too! But we have also suggested "Danger" as a middle name, and force a sense of humour onto the poor child...

Maybe I shouldn't have been allowed to conceive....

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HercShipwright · 11/07/2014 12:48

Kara (Thrace)?
Kira (Nerys)?
Asha (because the books are better)?
Jim (because he's the second best captain)?
Ben (because he's the BEST captain)
Tom (best pilot)
Jadzia (best Dax - although I do like the old man too)
Miles (best alamo re-enactor)
Irisa (Defiance)
Alak (ditto)
Ro (as in, ensign Ro)
Kor (as in Kor Kang and Koloth - it's a real name, I know Dutch people called this)
Nyssa (crap companion, great name)
Tegan (good companion, great name)
Ellaria
Sarella (gotta love the sand snakes...)

spence24 · 11/07/2014 12:47

mummybare - I WANT TYRION AS A NAME! OH won't accept it as he claims I have an unhealthy obsession with midgets - I don't, I just LOVE Peter Dinklage and find him attractive in a weird way...

We are studying names from Back to the Future very carefully too, as we're both huge fans, and being that it's our first child together, and it's due in 2015, we're taking it as a sign. Jennifer is on the table as a girls name...but one of our close friends is called Martin, so Marty is a low on the Maybe list!

I'm now realising with all of your help that there are a lot more choices out there than I first thought! I'm loving having posted now - was so nervous, and thought I'd be judged as a cruel parent!

OP posts:
BettyBolognese · 11/07/2014 12:47

Ooh no not Thor. Loki. You MUST have a Loki.

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