Anyone else think in the pursuit for a ‘unique’ name children are getting called more and more ridiculous things?

I don't agree with forcing parents to give their child a typically masculine or feminine name. We can all see how that would lead to problems.
Personally I don't like 'unique' names which quite often become common. Such as Jaxon , Jaxx, Hunter etc. Parents think their child will be the only one with that name and they are wrong.
I also think calling your child a name such as Hunter is incredibly short sighted. It conjures up a specific image because it is a description. It began as a nickname and the nickname suited the kid. It's like calling a baby Blondie when they grow up to have brown hair.

(Perfectly sensible, that is, apart from the unambiguously identifying the sex thing, which I think is a bit OTT and I expect will fall by the wayside soon)

Germany doesn't actually have a list of approved names, but registrars can refuse to register a name if they believe it would not be in the child's best interests to have that name. Common nouns (so sieve, airfryer etc as above), company names and insults are not allowed, neither are names whose purpose would be to 'mock and humiliate' the child. Names are also supposed to unambiguously identify the child's sex - you can give them a unisex name but you're supposed to then also give them a more unambiguously masculine or feminine middle name.

A name coming from a different culture is not, on its own, sufficient grounds to refuse to register a name. if you can provide evidence that the name is in use as a name somewhere in the world, you're good to go.

I think it's a perfectly sensible policy.

Not sure why people being the name Nevaeh up on these threads still . It's so mainstream now - and I suspect the name was in common use in some areas well before someone noticed that the letters spelled heaven backwards .

I always imagine that people who start these sort of threads live in a very middle class English village and never come across anyone from a class or cultural heritage different from their own .

Given the era in which her birth was registered could it not have been lack of education of her parents who spelled it as they thought it sounded? Having heard the name but not seen it written down.

Also a Londoner who works with children and I don’t bat an eyelid at any name. It’s so personal to taste, culture and many other factors.

I do get that you can’t always stop your own gut reactions to names, based on your own experiences. When I heard ‘Anders’ earlier in the thread, I thought ‘porn star’. But that’s my own (very unfair!) connotations with Sweden and dodgy 70s porn .

We all have reactions and our own connotations with certain names, but it edges into nasty snobbery when we pour scorn on other peoples tastes.

I am a massive name snob but I wouldn't dream of telling a parent or the child that I find their name horrendous. Unless it's a person specifically asking for opinions on that name. If a person asks for opinions, whether it's on mumsnet or in person, they should expect to hear an honest opinion.

I can't help but internally judge parents for the name choices. I try hard not to and think "perhaps there's something really sentimental attached to why they chose this God awful name"

@Blubells 😂😂😂 Consider me corrected. I thought there would be fairly consistent opinions that it’s ridiculous to call a child sieve or pinches. What’s next? Little saucepan? Darling egg-poacher? Little air-fryer. No doubt you also don’t agree that they would be ridiculous names!

And I’m not sure exactly why you’re insisting that finding a name ridiculous = telling children you think do and tell them to bully the child . Typical mumsnet. Suprised you’re not trying to report me to social services or tell my husband to ‘LTB’ 🙄🙄

I’m not a fan personally of weird and wacky names (and I also dislike a non- standard spelling) but ultimately weren't all names made up? Why do we have to say every name that got thought up up to x date is allowed but after that it’s fixed?

[quote Snowcov]@HumunaHey if someone calls their kids "kababala" or something ridiculous like that, do you think I'm going to remember a made up word like that when I bump into them every few weeks. Seems a bit mad to me[/quote]
How does your vraib know to differebtiate between a brand-new, made-up name and one that's established in another language but that you've never heard before?

Unfamiliarity does make it harder to remember but that doesn't mean people should only name their children something you've heard before.

@MarshmallowSwede I love the name Anders

@MarshmallowSwede that's so interesting.

I actually wanted to call my son Ivor which I suppose is an anglicised version of Ivar. But my DH didn't like the sound....

I don’t know why people get steamed up about names, but sometimes I wonder why newer ones are often long and elaborate when you could get a unique one just by altering a vowel. Eg Jan Jen Jin Jon Jun. Why not Jun. Poter, Ilesu, Hirry, Mergot. (Yes I am drinking wine)

Ah, yes. Olibia. A ridiculous, made-up, yoonique name. Imagine applying for a serious job with a name like that!

Except, if you actually look it up, there are plenty of Olibias around, including the Chief Financial Officer of a global investment firm.

Abcde (I’ve met a couple)
Sssst (Forest)
La-a (Ladasha)

I'd personally much rather be named Abcde or Falcon than Jack or Olivia.

I’m talking about ridiculous names.

In your opinion!

If you can't resist 'judging' these names, at least please don't encourage your children to.

There are also names in between the ridiculous and the top names of the country for those randomly insisting I’ve called children grace or Sophie 🙄🙄

I’m not talking about names that are from different cultures. I’m talking about ridiculous names. Looking for names myself here are some I’ve come across

Sieve (yes someone called their child after a sieve)
Olibia (yoonique version of Olivia)
Andreeea (why!!)
Pinches
Cub

I wouldn’t judge the child but I would certainly judge the parents!

That’s lovely also @PossiblyDreaming
My teenage best mate was Ursula. She was great. Still is

I was accused today of giving my child a made up name. It is in fact biblical so although it may be extremely unusual here, it is a genuine name.

We live in a very culturally diverse society so maybe don't hoik those judgey pants up too high OP. You may make yourself look silly rather than the parent or the child.