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Baby names

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

Original poster

Alexa

82 replies

Chriss82 · 12/12/2018 09:34

Hi, our 2.5 year old toddler is called Alexa, before the amazon device was around. However we are increasingly worried about the impact for her now as the name has now been highjacked and we are considering changing it to Alexandra. Are we being paranoid?

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itisitis · 16/12/2018 08:42

I spoke to my colleague regarding her Alexa. She is 8, so beyond the name changing stage, so changing it now isn't an option. But her daughter LOVES her name. No one else in the school is called Alexa. Having said that, she did say that if she would have been naming her now, she wouldn't have picked Alexa. It's a tough one.

Original poster
Chriss82 · 15/12/2018 20:15

I think it just confirms my fears recently as my wife went to her hairdressers and as soon as she mentioned our daughters name this device kicks in as she plays her music through it. My mum went to her brothers my uncle and couldn't mention her grand daughters name as he said he now has an alexa..... this is a joke! After Christmas this will only get worse with more people receiving them as gifts, so when can we say our daughters name? What a situation

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SenoraSurf · 15/12/2018 10:38

@Chriss82 yes these are both older girls (Alexa is 12 and Lexie is 15) as I teach in a secondary. Would be interesting to here from primary teachers as to whether they have come across more alexa's

Original poster
Chriss82 · 14/12/2018 22:42

@SenoraSurf thank you for your honest reply, this is what I'm hoping to gain by being on here so we can make a rational decision. I feel for the Alexa you teach as at that age your name is established and your vulnerable for bullying and like us she is probably thinking why this name? The Alexandra though shows me she can still use Alexa if she wants or have more options plus she can formally introduce herself as Alexandra has no social prejudices being such an established a name.

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SenoraSurf · 14/12/2018 22:01

@Chriss82 in my opinion, yes. Even though it's likely a fad, everybody in her generation and likely the one above her will remember what 'Alexa' is and I do think they will use this as lighthearted banter throughout her life.
The Alexa I teach has a lot of issues with her name- kids don't taunt her now as we have really cracked down on it, but I've no doubt she hears it beyond the classroom walls!
Likewise, an older student named Alexandra used to be nicknamed Alexa, she now goes by 'lexie'.
Good luck in whatever you decide to do. Raise a trooper and she'll be fine whatever her name is :)

avoschmado · 14/12/2018 19:30

Don't change it. Just use "known as" on school forms etc. She could be "known as" alexia, alexis, lex, allie.

WitWicky · 14/12/2018 19:12

We have an Alexia (3mos). We had originally liked Alexa as our chosen girls name before TTC but changed it when we fell pregnant due to the Amazon prevalence-not so much your subservience point, more just that it went from unusual to really familiar!

We did consider Alexandra but with our preferred middle names being quite traditional the combination was a)very long b) made it sound like I was birthing a forty-something accountant. That said, our intention was to always call her Lexi as an abbreviation so in your position I wouldn't change it (although I appreciate you don't love that as an abbreviation which is a bit more challenging!)

There isn't an easy answer, you have to go with your best judgement I think but I would probably try and raise a child with the strength you felt that name embodied when you chose it to push back against anyone that may try and disrespect her (Amazon-inspired disrespect or otherwise!) Smile

GrannyHaddock · 14/12/2018 19:09

Don't change it, OP. It's a beautiful name, it's been around for thousands of years in one form or another, and people you know will get used to it. You don't have to justify it or explain to anyone.

Original poster
Chriss82 · 14/12/2018 18:50

Maybe I'm over exaggerating, but I can't say her name at the moment without feeling sad

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MarshaBradyo · 14/12/2018 18:46

I know I’m surprised more haven’t answered

Original poster
Chriss82 · 14/12/2018 18:42

This s tearing me apart as I feel so stupid for giving her a unique name and I know she will be laughed at because of this. I really can't bear the thought of changing my little girl's name but really can't see any other outcome. This is why I asked on here in the hope that parents of other Alexa's would say if they feel the same way?

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KismetHardie · 14/12/2018 18:41

I can really see why you're struggling. Yes, the technology may well have been and gone by the time she's 20, but it has a very specific role at the moment which will grow for the next few years at least. It's a beautiful name and you couldn't have foreseen this, but I understand the decision to change it.

MarshaBradyo · 14/12/2018 18:35

The I think is more in relation to changing it

I know it would annoy me

MarshaBradyo · 14/12/2018 18:34

It’s hard I understand what you’re saying as it’s so ubiquitous

Plus it’s tech where people say ‘she’ and know the name well

But then I thought I wouldn’t change dd’s name if it was hers although it would annoy me a lot (I think)

Can you find parents of older Alexas and see what the child thinks? Although best place is probably on here

RavenWings · 14/12/2018 18:31

Alexa is a lot nicer than Alexandra imo. I wouldn't be overly concerned about the tech.

Original poster
Chriss82 · 14/12/2018 14:43

This technology has grow quickly in the past year and this conglomerate have thrown so much money at it to make it work. I don't think we can wait, I believe it needs to be done before she is in school.

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tammytoby · 14/12/2018 14:02

Why don't you wait until she is old enough to decide for herself? Maybe a new technology will have replaced amazon's device anyway. It's s beautiful name!

Original poster
Chriss82 · 14/12/2018 12:46

Thanks for your replies, I worry this technology is going to grow into bigger things and our window of opportunity to do this is now or never whilst she is still young enough.

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tammytoby · 14/12/2018 12:03

I agree, don't change her name! Alexa is beautiful and she will know her name by now.

I think you can change the command name on the device to another name.

TurquoiseDress · 14/12/2018 11:59

Definitely keep it as Alexa- its a beautiful name, one that you don't hear that often

The Amazon thing is annoying, I agree, but really do not think you should change her name because of it

She's 2.5 now and she will clearly be an Alexa not an alex, alexandra or anything else

babydreamer1 · 13/12/2018 22:48

I know a Lexi, short for Alexandra. Lovely girl, lovely name.

Original poster
Chriss82 · 13/12/2018 22:34

Hi itisitis I pleased in one way to hear that we are not the only parents with the same concerns. Alexa was a beautiful name before this pointless device came along. I feel the Alexa software will be around for quite sometime given the amount of advertising of it.

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Original poster
Chriss82 · 13/12/2018 22:29

Hi LittleBirdBlues thanks for your message. It just seems like this Alexa device is taking over the world and its not fair on people called Alexa. Do you know if the parents of the Alexa you know concerned or are we being paranoid?

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itisitis · 13/12/2018 22:27

My colleagues daughter is called Alexa and has been having similar thoughts to yours. But never has she mentioned she doesn't like the name because it's something you can order about and be submissive, it's more because people say "oh Alexa? Like amazon?". She doesn't like the association. But, she's not going to change her daughters name, instead her Alexa has renamed their Alexa device to Elsa.

I agree with previous comments that the device won't be around forever. Alexa is a beautiful name which will grow with your daughter. Please don't change it.

LittleBirdBlues · 13/12/2018 22:25

This is just one opinion or course but I know a 4 year old Alexa and it would never have occurred to me to associate her with the device. I don't think it will be a problem to be honest. Plus as others have said in the long run the technology wilk be replaced and/or there will be more devices with other first names so people will get used to separating between the two.

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