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Original poster

Anybody got a daughter called Alexa

112 replies

Chriss82 · 27/01/2019 18:36

I know I asked this before Christmas but we are getting more pressure about this. Our daughter is called Alexa before the amazon thing came our and we were thinking about changing her name for obvious reasons but we stayed firm with it as it is. However we have come under pressure from other parents and friends to consider changing it, which if we had to it would be Alexandra as its close to what it is now. We have even been called cruel for not doing it! We have had one parent apologise for the way her son might speak to our daughter as he is very rude to Alexa at home....Has this world gone mad?? Our daughter will be 3 in a few weeks and this is causing us so much worry at home as the next years are crucial to her finding her identity.

Has anyone with a daughter called Alexa really finding it so much of an issue? So sorry to ask again but if we have to act it will have to be soon, thanks again.

OP posts:
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WomanWithAltitude · 03/02/2019 14:18

We've heard there's a toddlers dance class which have one so how will our daughter feel if she was stood there and they are shouting Alexa do this do that, very confusing for her. It feels as though her identity has been taking.

So you think that hearing her name in a dance class will be confusing, and will affect her sense of identity. But that changing her name won't?

And that's leaving aside the fact that you could, as a paying customer, politely ask the dance class to give their device another name (which it is entirely possible for them to do).

It is you who is the problem here. Stand up to your 'friends' and make clear that you won't accept their children being rude to your dd.

WomanWithAltitude · 03/02/2019 14:06

Mixed replies? Hmm

OP - the person who is most concerned about this is you. Somehow I manage to go about my daily life without regularly seeing people shout 'Alexa'. And someone would have to be staggeringly ignorant to not be aware that Alexa is a real name.

If you were so concerned about your daughter's identity, you'd realise why its a ridiculous idea to change her name.

This has got to be a wind up.

Original poster
Chriss82 · 03/02/2019 13:16

Ummm some mixed replies! Trust me we wish this was a wind up and is the most bizarre/sad thing we have talked about. Seeing children the same age as our daughter shouting commands to their 'Alexa' and her generation accepting this technology as electronic servants we find very disturbing. Our little girl doesn't understand why they are shouting her name to do things and the next few years of her finding her identity in the world is important and could be difficult sharing the same name.

In relation to defending the name, on occasions when we have introduced her to new people some of the comments have just been, like that device thing or twice we have had is that an actual name! We also see now the several car brands have 'alexa' built in on models this year so this thing seems to be growing in popularity so the idea of it being old hat soon doesn't appear to be so.

Please understand we are asking on here because we just want to know if anyone else experiences issues with a daughter called Alexa before we even consider taking such a drastic decision that we really don't want to have to. However though if it really is going to be a issue then as her parents, like most parents we would do what we can to make life less difficult, we did give her the name after all.

OP posts:
tammytoby · 03/02/2019 10:54

I'm starting to wonder if this is a wind up..!?

tammytoby · 03/02/2019 10:53

We have had one parent apologise for the way her son might speak to our daughter as he is very rude to Alexa at home...

This is unbelievable. Are you serious?

grenadezombie · 03/02/2019 09:33

This thread is bizarre. I remember your last one, it was bizarre too.

This bit...

We have been defending our little girl's name now for the past few months

Who are you 'defending' her name to? Because from your posts it sounds like yourself.

You need to get over it.

SavoyCabbage · 03/02/2019 09:31

I think you are over thinking this. Alexa isn’t a negative name. It’s not the name or a murderer or a porn star. And loads of names have more than one meaning.
Scarlett
Hope
Poppy
Clementine

Pearl
Lily

My dd has a friend called Alexa and she has an amazon dot in her bedroom and she hasn’t mentioned it being weird.

tammytoby · 03/02/2019 09:22

Ridiculous to even think of changing such a beautiful name because of some amazon device that may we'll be obsolete in a few years time.

qumquat · 03/02/2019 08:49

It's a beautiful name don't change it! Alexa devices will be landfill in a few years when the next big thing comes along. Your daughter is more important than that.

Megan2018 · 03/02/2019 07:50

I have a 45 year old work colleague called Alexa. No-one has suggested she change her name.
There are plenty of Alexa’s managing just fine OP.

ScottishDiblet · 03/02/2019 07:40

Hello!!! We have a DD called Alexa!! It is such a pain and we have to just laugh about it! We make a joke about how when we go to peoples’ houses and I ask Alexa to pop her shoes on because it’s time to go home an electronic voice says “I do not understand what you mean” 🙄. I also won an Alexa at the school fair!!!! After swearing we would NEVER have one in the house! But we just call it Echo. Honestly we laugh it off and it’s not a big deal and we still LOVE the name Alexa and would never change it.

Fiddie · 03/02/2019 07:23

Alexa will be old tech by the time she starts school.

TheWanderlust · 03/02/2019 05:27

I'm 36 weeks pregnant and Alexa has always been a favourite for us... we can't have Alexis or similar as our surname ends in -cis which makes everything sound too long.

Not sure if we will end up calling our little girl Alexa due to the stigma attached to it now :( OH does like Lexie though so she may be Alexa on her birth certificate but nn. Lexie

Original poster
Chriss82 · 29/01/2019 21:56

@Ngaio2 thank you for your understanding reply. Trust us we don't want to change it but seeing what has happened in the last few months with the name and how it is now socially received we just don't want to make our DD's anymore difficult than life need be. If only we had a crystal ball!

OP posts:
Ngaio2 · 29/01/2019 21:41

If you really feel you need to change her name then why not Alexis? Easy enough to change the a to is but sounds very similar as far as your DD. Is concerned. Alternatively there is Alexia. If you change it to Alexandra on the birth certificate then you will need to call her that or use a nn everyday.
I understand your anxiety about the future — this year one lot of technology, next year another lot etc and who knows where it might end.
Basically, at the end of the day it’s up to you to do what you think best. I feel that it’s too early days to be able to tell what the ramifications will be so you’d need a crystal ball.
Good luck and bless little Alexa

Original poster
Chriss82 · 29/01/2019 20:27

Sorry my last message was a bit jumbled! We see it as amazon now own the name Alexa and they have the money and power to do what they like with name...... and this seems to be the case as we have read it will be in cars later this year. They want to humanise their version of AI as people accept it more, as though it's a person hence calling it a persons name Alexa. What we don't like is the fact you have command over it and our DD's generation are growing up immersed in technology and will see Alexa as their electronic servant and it will do what you tell it. We've heard there's a toddlers dance class which have one so how will our daughter feel if she was stood there and they are shouting Alexa do this do that, very confusing for her. It feels as though her identity has been taking.

This is why are asking on here to see if any girls called Alexa are finding it an issue, as it's not ideal but changing her name at 3 might be kinder for her in the long run. Do you remember what happened at the age of 3..... probably not a lot but you do remember any bullying or horrible things in your school life. Trust me we really don't want to do this through choice but having had these stupid comments and confrontations with people where we can speak up for ourselves, is this fair on our little girl for the next few years of her life where she is establishing herself in the world?

OP posts:
Didyeeaye · 29/01/2019 19:27

I agree with a lot of previous posts. I would keep her name Alexa as its her name but call her a nickname day to day. Alex, Allow or Lexi would work. It is a horrible situation for you and your DD but agree that it is an issue given how popular the stupid device is x

StateofIndependance · 29/01/2019 16:32

There was a similar thread about the name Elsa and apparently a lot of people have changed their child's name as a result of the Disney thing. I know 2 Elsas and never think of Frozen in relation to them. Once you know a person their name just becomes them so it's bizarre that people you know well think that your dad's name should be changed.

DrinkFeckArseGirls · 29/01/2019 16:26

I think people you know are thick. And I have no words for the parent of the child who apparently would be confused how to speak to your daughter as he’s rude to the Amazon device. Tbh I woyld bot let me child be rude even to the stupid computer as why engrave bad behaviour at all.

RCohle · 29/01/2019 15:09

Speaking to Alexa the device like a servant is fine, speaking to your DD isn't.

If people can't grasp that the problem is with them, not your DD's name.

lilyblue5 · 29/01/2019 15:05

As soon as the next gadget comes out this will be soon forgotten, call her Lexie in the meantime?

WomanWithAltitude · 28/01/2019 20:11

Alexa is not going to be ubiquitous in a decade's time. Don't make a long term decision about your daughter's name on the basis of a gadget that will be superseded in a few years. Alexa isn't even the only version of that kind of gadget.

Original poster
Chriss82 · 28/01/2019 19:58

Hi, thanks all for the replies. It really is interesting to see so much support to keep the name as we seem to have had a mixed response around us. This is why we wanted to find out from any parents with daughters called Alexa if it really is an issue? From the 'well mannered' people saying change it I think they are trying to say that unlike products with the human names it's the fact you engage with it as though it a person in the corner of the name but one you shout commands though, like a servant and you have to say Alexa every time you want it. Which if we were choosing names now we wouldn't choose it now. It feels that our little girl's name is no longer socially acceptable for her generation. We have had many an argument with people who refer to her name in a negative way.........such a bizarre situation

OP posts:
Butterfly84 · 28/01/2019 13:33

Wtf. It is no one else's business what you and your partner chose to name your child. Disgustingly rude and so weird to pressure someone to change their child's name. And the comment about the boy being rude because she's called Alexa...yep, he needs teaching some manners not to be rude.

Alexa is a lovely name. Strong, classic and feminine.

Cbeebiesrehab · 28/01/2019 12:53

I honestly don’t think it’s that much of a big deal. I can think of a few names which are associated with products (Henry the Hoover is very popular, Felix the cat food etc) and when used on a child it just becomes their name. I think you might be overthinking it-just tell people to shove off and enjoy your little girl. I don’t think I’ve even come into contact with an Alexa device recently🤔

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