Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Do your initials spell anything? Do you care/have others commented?

66 replies

trueblueari · 21/04/2018 15:59

More importantly, would you be put off using a name if the initials spelled a negative word?

The word in question is "LESS" - so nothing vulgar, just not something you'd necessarily want your name to spell.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
QuietNinjaTardis · 24/04/2018 19:58

Yes and I’ve had people snigger at least until I got married and changed my surname. Don’t do it.

yawning801 · 24/04/2018 19:53

I had a teacher who was EEP.

Patal · 24/04/2018 19:26

My friends DS is JEW and only realised two or so years after he was born. She now would rather she hadn’t chosen it but no one else seems to have noticed either.

Glumglowworm · 24/04/2018 19:08

I knew a woman who’s initials after she married and changed her name were OK

Mine are ET and despite my parents assuring me that everyone had forgotten about the movie when they named me, nobody has forgotten the movie yet and it’s 30+ years later! I had one manager who couldn’t write them (in meetings when assigning actions etc) without sniggering Angry

I also know a couple of ITs and a RAT

and someone who for example first name Robert known as Rob, middle names Oliver Bernard Surname so letters came addresses to Mr ROB Surname (not his actual names)

TinDogTavern · 24/04/2018 17:33

One of my nieces is FAO. Never remarked upon, I think it’s not used as an abbreviation so much any more.

Footle · 24/04/2018 17:13

One of my sons would have been GBH if we hadn't noticed in time.

Luckingfovely · 24/04/2018 16:40

I personally really wouldn't give a child initials that spelt LESS.

Others clearly think it's fine - I think it's pretty grim. It's a negative word - why set them up for teasing (which yes, may or may not happen depending on if their school used full initials etc, but it's always going to be a risk)? Many of the other mentioned here aren't as actively negative.

mrjoepike · 24/04/2018 16:21

REM

hotstepper4 · 24/04/2018 14:21

Before I got married my initials were VHF. Very High Frequency. My parents did it deliberately. They're odd like that..

Woshambo · 24/04/2018 14:13

If I have a boy the names I have chosen will spell out JAM I love it but OH doesn't lol.

If it is a girl it will spell out ELS which is sort of an abbreviation of the first name anyway

RosaBaby2 · 24/04/2018 14:01

Mine spell RAW it has never once been brought up in my 30 years of life!

DN4GeekinDerby · 24/04/2018 14:00

One of my kid's initials spells FRAG. No one has ever commented. My spouse did stop me from giving one of my other children's names which would have spelled out MOG or MEG as he thought it was weird and due to comments he had as a kid with similar initials.

It took me until one of my other kids was 3 or so before I realized their first three initials were ASL. Thankfully they won't be in chatrooms in the '90s...

I'm not sure about LESS, I don't think I would change it if the names were important to me but I can certainly see why someone would want to avoid that. In my experience, though, middle names after the first one often get dropped by automated mailing services and such. Whether LES is better for someone to have is another question.

starkid · 24/04/2018 13:40

Do you think it would be awful to have HAM as your initials? Asking for a friend...

starlightmeteorite · 24/04/2018 13:38

Pre marriage mine spelt an Irish swear word. My parents are Irish. Confused

An ex-colleague was SOS. It suited him.

WhingyNinja · 24/04/2018 10:26

My DD's name spells EMU Grin

FlowerPotMum · 24/04/2018 09:42

Bikerunski.. whoops! Not wanting to out myself but I know a little girl who's initials are FGM. It wasn't a 'thing' when she was born -and she might be my daughter-

FlowerPotMum · 24/04/2018 09:40

Just realised my mum's spelt out a short version of her name when she re-married as well. Never realised before!

BikeRunSki · 24/04/2018 09:37

Oh yes, I gave a friend who would have been IRA. It was mid 70s. The registrar was Hmm, and she became RIA instead.

FlowerPotMum · 24/04/2018 09:37

I had a friend who's initials spelt out a shortened version of her name ( KAT, her name was Katherine). I thought that was fab. Mine sound like an old ladies name when said aloud. My work mate has a similar one and we get called that at work.

BikeRunSki · 24/04/2018 09:35

I know a ten year old RED, he loves it, and it’s a commonly used MN for him. Less so with dd’d friend FLEE.

Could you make LESS, LSES?

longtompot · 24/04/2018 09:32

My dh 'joked' he wanted our dd middle name to be Ursula so her intitals would be BUM! Didn't happen btw ;)

FairfaxAikman · 24/04/2018 09:25

Mine are KLM - It's a running joke that DH has his own personal airline.

Ohyesiam · 24/04/2018 09:20

Better than anal.
Yes really

yellowplumpreserves · 24/04/2018 09:18

Yes, my initials spelled a word that led to certain nicknames (nothing derogatory). I changed my name on marriage and they still spell something.

I don't really mind but having initials that spell nothing was a stipulation for me in naming our kids. They have initials like RJER or HCRR.

SarahH12 · 24/04/2018 09:15

@Lifeaback has nobody really ever commented? I only ask because the names DP and I love would give the initials EGG and he's slightly put off by that and feels the (future) child may be bullied for it.