Do you think that you can get used to almost any name?

I like Walter!

Yeah. I have some friends with unusual names and I totally forget and when I mention their name and get a shocked reaction from someone who doesn’t know them it confuses me until I realise.

There is one name I just can’t get used to though. It’s not even unusual. My friend has a baby boy called Walter and I wince every time. I don’t know why but I just can’t get used to it.

Honestly, I think if you live in ethnically diverse places and/or travel, you grasp that 'normal' is very culturally and linguistically-relative. The baby in my London NCT group who stood out was the one was called 'James Ethan'. We had a Thiago, a Tadeusz, a Greta, an Iris, a Caoimhe, a Phineas, a Soren, a Kofi, a Zuri, an Ada and others I can't remember. DS was possibly the only child with his name born in the UK that year (is it three or fewer where they don't give an exact number?) but it's common enough elsewhere in Europe.

Having said that, I did encounter years back someone whose children were called Bibi-Dee and Betsy-Mae (and two other cutesy girl names), which I thought should get some kind of twee prize.

My niece and nephew have very unusual names. Niece's name is made up. Shes 3 and it has grown on us all. Nephew is only a few weeks old and I'm sure his will as well.

We hope they grow up confident and outgoing because they will get strange reactions to their names. And privately think BIL and wife were a bit barmy.

I think you can - was at school with a Caramel and it was only funny for the first couple of weeks.

Also know an Asian family who have given their kids some quite odd English language names. Plum anyone?

I think it depends just how ridiculous it is.

A name you didn't like on a person you really like ? Yes, readily.
A completely ridiculous name - nope.

My brother was at nursery (a posh one!) with a Bunny-Love and Candy-Darling (sisters). I couldn't get used to that!

I’m not sure. I know a woman called Sweetie. Not a nickname, that’s the whole of it. I’m still not used to it and I’ve known her several years.

@HalfTermHalfTerm

It was, with a dated but relatively normal ‘filler’ type middle name. They were massive fans of the show and the book series but I don’t know why they couldn’t have named the child Arya or Margaery or elite rally any other name. Even Georgia after the author.

Lovely girl though, and lovely family, very easy going cheerful people. I always wonder if she might use her middle name in future, as I think it would be a lovely first name while being a bit overdone as a middle name.

yes

when I was pg with DC5 the older ones picked the name Yoda.
Yoda Shark for a boy, Yoda Yogurt for a girl🤣
When people asked what names we might choose I brought up that convo so many times I started to quite like both options 🤣

I used to get irrationally annoyed at people calling their daughters that (as it’s a title not a name, and not brilliant title either!) but having seen the last series of GoT I now just feel really sorry for the children

I used to teach a girl with a horrendously racist name I though registrars were supposed to refuse to allow certain names to be registered if they were offensive?

[quote Musmerian]@tintodeverano2 - did you really say that to her? What if it had been her name?[/quote]
Arthur?! As if.

I went to school with a girl called Cyd which I always found weird, particularly for a girl. But now when I look back and think of her I don't think about her weird name, I just think things like 'Wasn't it funny when me and Cyd did ..' whatever. You absolutely do get used to it, and then when you tell people the name in passing their reaction reminds you that you once thought it odd, too.

@tintodeverano2 - did you really say that to her? What if it had been her name?

It depends on the name.

Years ago I met a half Chinese half Danish guy who was called Orm. Orm means worm in Danish. Had he been half Chinese and half any non Scandinavian country i would have got used to it. I just never have been able to get used to the fact his dad knew he was calling his so worm (he could speak Danish too so he knew it)

However names like Precious Promise Tiare', Echo, Ransom and Snow (all people i have lnown) their names i got over the ohh weird sensation after a few days.

Does Fudge live in Cardiff?

I used to teach a girl with a horrendously racist name. Goodness knows what her parents were thinking! The school told her that she couldn't be called that and so she had to be known by a different name.
I don't think i would ever get used to her real name.

I also asked one tiny little girl her name and in a cockney accent she said "Arthur miss" I said don't be silly that's an old mans name and then she showed me her planner and it was Arfaa. I did feel weird calling her that 😂

I reckon you're right and you can get used to it after time. Although I know a Winterbelle and
I misheard it for wind turbine the first time, everytime I see her I'm reminded of that. Also another child called Annamae which is literally pronounced animae, so I think of Pokémon.

I couldn't get used to someone being called Fudge...

People with ridiculous names will continue to meet new people throughout their lives, and have to go through the same waiting for it to grown on people process again and again.
Why do it to your child?

I think there are exceptions. I doubt I could ever get used to a child called Satan, for instance.......

I know a Memory, a Rainbow, an Echo and an Ocean. All female.

All seem pretty bonkers every time I hear the names.

I know a girl named Happy and at first I thought it was funny but after a few days it seemed normal.