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Baby names

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

Which names do you IRRATIONALLY dislike?

415 replies

verelab · 25/10/2014 19:23

This is not certainly not meant to be a "bitchy names thread". The emphasis is on the word IRRATIONAL. i.e. there are some names that are perfectly innocuous, lots of other people like them, I've known some lovely people with those names (so no obvious bad associations) BUT for some reason I've always disliked them. Would be interested in hearing anyone else's bugbear names!

ANNA - just too symmetrical, and (to my ears) smug and boring

LUCINDA - I like Lucy, but for some reason the "inda" really turns me off this name

Anything with "BELLE"on the end.Annabelle, Isabelle etc Pretty on paper, but I just don't like the sound for some reason

BEATRICE again irrational, but the combination of sounds just doesn't do it for me, it does the opposite of "trip off the tongue"

This is not meant to be in any way offensive. My 3 children have really "Marmite" names, and I don't mind at all that some people don't like them.
I just think everyone finds that certain sounds "jar" with them. Do others find this?

On a different note, the Baby Names topic is brilliant and I have been a long time lurker!

OP posts:
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Gemzybelle · 26/10/2014 09:22

Surprised how much hate Chloe is getting. My DD is a Chloe and I think it's beautiful shrugs

ashesandfire · 26/10/2014 09:02

Oh and Heidi. Yuck

ashesandfire · 26/10/2014 09:00

Phoebe
Florence
Beatrice (agree with pp that the pronunciation Bay-a-TREES is lovely, but I always hear it pn Beer-triss which doesn't sound nice to me. At all)
Delilah
Daisy

There are plenty more names that I hate because of personal associations, or because they are misspelt or made up, or because I hear them all the time and am bored of them, or because they seem chavvy (I didn't want to use that word... but I couldn't think of an alternative!) But these are my irrational hatreds, all are perfectly nice names and I know are popular with other people, but I just hate them. For some reason they are all girls' names!

OhSoSharp · 26/10/2014 08:31

No no no, the worst possible name would be Terry Trott.

BikeRunSki · 26/10/2014 08:30

Georgina/Georgia
Not keen on George either tbh.

RosieProbert · 26/10/2014 07:54

Geraint. The worst possible name anyone could have is Geraint Gunter. I have no legitimate reason for this.

CaptainAnkles · 26/10/2014 07:53

Alice
Charlie (but only as a girls name, I like it for boys)
Annabel
Anything ending in 'ette'
Anything hyphenated

Inkspellme · 26/10/2014 07:51

fleur - not definite enough
Aimee/Amy - makes me think of a labrador
Keith - just grates for some reason
Katie - fine for a little girl but after that just seems silly
Jamie - same as Katie.
Audrey - I always think it sounds like orgy. That probably says more about me than it says about the people who choose that name!

I would add that these are defnitly irrational and I do know some people with these names whom I like.

verelab · 26/10/2014 07:43

Yes, interesting that names that are often touted as "beautiful classics" - Alice, Charlotte, Lucy- should provoke such strong negative feelings.

I wonder if it's because they have always been around through people's lifetimes (unlike faddy names that come and go in 5 years) so people have had time to build up strong reactions either way?

OP posts:
hippoherostandinghere · 26/10/2014 07:22

So much hate for Charlotte. I'm really surprised by that, I think it's the most beautiful girls name.

BikeRunSki · 26/10/2014 07:11

Charlotte
Caleb
Joshua

BlueBrightBlue · 26/10/2014 07:09

Simon for me too and Colin.

DogCalledRudis · 26/10/2014 07:01

Simon. Used to be a bully at my school. I still kill him in torturous ways in my dreams.

stripedtortoise · 26/10/2014 06:42

Olivia, Evie, Ava, Jessica, Amelia Loads of them and they are the sort of names (to my ear) given to bitchy girls who pinch people.
:/

I also dislike the name Benjamin as think it is massively wet. This is also true for names like Barney and Rupert. .

moxon · 26/10/2014 06:29

sunflower Grin

sunflower49 · 26/10/2014 06:15

Duane/Dwayne makes me think of drains.
Lee. It makes me think something should be on the end, probably a 'k'.

sunflower49 · 26/10/2014 06:10

I think 'Ian' is whiney too. snoring. And when It's spelt 'Iain' it annoys me.

OhSoSharp · 26/10/2014 06:10

Lily - it feels like my tongue gets stuck trying to get the L sounds out.

And YY to Olive "sounding round"!

Stella. No idea why, just seems harsh.

Barbara, Deniece, Tracey, Jean. All perfectly inoffensive but I really don't like them.

There are fewer boys names which have the same effect. Terry. Keith. Reggie. Reuben. Caleb. That last one is probably one of my least favourite names ever, of either sex.

sunflower49 · 26/10/2014 06:09

Rachel. I don't know why. To me it doesn't sound like a name for a girl/woman, more like the name of a cleaning or food product.

Stella. Nothing to do with lager connotations, I just don't like the way it sounds or the way my mouth has to move to say it.

Mia. Just because I knew one who caused me a lot of problems.

Dean. Because when I say it I think of 'bean'. This began in childhood before I could get my 'D' and 'B' the right way around.

Neil. I think it sound puny and vulnerable. Again, nonsensical, it means 'warrior' in some languages.

Robert. Because it sounds like ribbet/rabbit or the noise a fart makes And I remember seeing a sales assistant with a badge that said 'Pleased to help you and then 'Rob' . And I found it funny.

No offence to anybody who has or loves these names. I am well aware of how my mind works and how wrong it can be!

DixieNormas · 26/10/2014 06:08

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DixieNormas · 26/10/2014 06:07

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moxon · 26/10/2014 05:52

Amanda. Tarryn. Barbara. Karen. Dina. They just grate. Blegh.
Marcus. Lawrence and Larry. Vincent. Total shudder even just typing that last one! And yes, Jayden - wtf. Do like Haydn though. Hmm

tilbatilba · 26/10/2014 01:48

Jayden, anything with Rose stuck on to it - Nick, Chloe errrgh, Stephanie, don't like Lauren either, loath Alice.

Ohhelpohnoitsa · 26/10/2014 01:28

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Ohhelpohnoitsa · 26/10/2014 01:26

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