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Baby names

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

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:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
CornChips · 11/07/2014 12:46

oooh... Giles. Great name. [swoon Anthony Head]

parques · 11/07/2014 12:46

It's got to be 'Thor' if it's a boy! But then I've got a Cosmo (not sci-fi, I know), but a bit 'out there' for some people's taste!!! Grin

thatstoast · 11/07/2014 12:45

I'm a massive Buffy fan and my son has the same name as a character from the show as well as a similar surname. Only one person has mentioned it. You're not thinking of made up fantasy names, just 'normal' names that happen to be used in a TV show you like. At one point we were very close to giving him the middle name Tiberius but decided not to go that far with it.

I love Cordelia, it was one of our top girl names. Tara for a girl? Harry Potter Fans? Hermione is good.

Alexander is great for a boy. Good classic name, shortens to Xander Harris or Lex Luther as previous posters have mentioned. William (Riker). Barclay? I love Barclay.

MasqueradeWaltzer · 11/07/2014 12:45

I like Tyrion! Apparently Katniss is big in the US just now.

CornChips · 11/07/2014 12:45

Faith from Buffy? (goes back to read thread in case has been mentioned)

MaryWestmacott · 11/07/2014 12:44

I know a couple of girls called Willow,I've not thought "buffy character" for either (although I have thought of the film Willow)

Xander/alexander is good.

Cordelia is a lovely girls name, and not automatically 'Buffy' character.

mummybare · 11/07/2014 12:43

Although in light of your most recent post, I think you should go for Tyrion...

BumpAndGrind · 11/07/2014 12:42

If I ever have a boy it will be Emmett, after Dr Emmett Brown. Inventor of the Flux Capacitor.

I'm so with you about names OP.

FatalCabbage · 11/07/2014 12:41

Um, I may have a Spike...

... but that isn't what's on his birth certificate. So while I may call him Spike, I didn't name him Spike.

For what it's worth, nobody makes a Buffy connection anyway.

mummybare · 11/07/2014 12:41

Arya is lovely and you could do Edward nn Ned or Brandon nn Bran. Catelyn could work too...

Fwiw, I also think Willow is lovely.

BumpAndGrind · 11/07/2014 12:40

Incidentally... the Spike I know had a cat called Giles.

BettyBolognese · 11/07/2014 12:40

Wet normal? Too normal mean!

BettyBolognese · 11/07/2014 12:39

Keiko, Kes, Tasha, Kira, Seven of nine, Deanna, Dax. All girls.

Don't know about boys names... They all sound wet normal like James, Jonathan, Julian etc... Or very weird like Spock!

spence24 · 11/07/2014 12:38

I think as I get more hormonal I'm less likely to worry about the "normality" of a name, and just go with one that has such positive connections to me, memories of what I watched/read and loved growing up, and I'd love for my child's name to be a representation of that. If they decide to become some chavvy hooligan to act out against me, then they can take their nerdy name with them and spread it out to the masses!

OP posts:
BumpAndGrind · 11/07/2014 12:37

I know a 31 year old Spike. Great Name.

TortoiseUpATreeAgain · 11/07/2014 12:37

Giles? I know a 6yo Giles and have heard of a couple of other small Gileses, so it's not too out there as a name in its own right and non-fans wouldn't realise there was a connection.

TortoiseUpATreeAgain · 11/07/2014 12:35

Hugo for a boy, Nebula for a girl Grin.

What SF authors do you like?

We have friends who were going to name their DC1 Spike if it had been a boy (she was a girl, though, and that would have been a level too far).

spence24 · 11/07/2014 12:35

I like Dawn, but reminds me of a child I lived next door to when I was younger who always smelled of wee....I have issues, maybe I should address them.
Oooh, Sunday, I hadn't thought of that one!

I love Alexander, but I also like Alex as a girl's name. I also don't want an overly "girly" sounding name for a girl, as I'm not girly at all, and if we have one, I don't think she would be, being brought up with us as parents!!!

I'm being WAY too picky...we both have Elizabeth as a strong maybe, which is what Buffy is a nickname of - it also offers many nicknames as they grow up, if they decide they don't like what we call them.

OP posts:
MasqueradeWaltzer · 11/07/2014 12:34

If I had more dds I'd want to call them Arya and Sansa Grin.

BettyBolognese · 11/07/2014 12:34

I know a Seska, named after a star trek character.

SanityClause · 11/07/2014 12:33

Ramona (Flowers)
Sasha (Attack on Titan)

MasqueradeWaltzer · 11/07/2014 12:32

SIL is a huuuuuge Trekkie and called her ds James after Kirk. She has given her dd a Star Trek name too, which is much more distinctive. I won't tell you what, for fear of outing, but it's very pretty and apparently a version of a real Polish name.

I think it's cool and most people wouldn't make the connection.

spence24 · 11/07/2014 12:32

WaffleWiffle - We both LOVED Dexter, until OH watched the season finale, decided he didn't like it and threw it off the table as "I can't name my child after something I'm disappointed in!"

This is where being a nerd becomes too much!

Did someone REALLY name their child Spike?!

OP posts:
MuttonCadet · 11/07/2014 12:30

Alexander, Willow, Dawn, Anya?

weatherall · 11/07/2014 12:30

People wouldn't see willow as a Buffy name. It is a reasonable normal name now.

Spike on the other hand...

Sunday was such a good character I'd be tempted to use that.

But if not a y name

Faith?

Something that could be nned as oz?

Drew? Not exactly the character name but sounds the same.

Adam- no one would connect this to btvs

Darla and Glory/Gloria are old traditional names which would be fine but some people may connect them to the show.

Same goes for Cordy/Cordelia.

Harmony?

Alexander is xander's full name.

I think Dawn is lovely.

Lily Chanterelle would only be noticed by the most committed of fans!