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

[quote BlueFlavour]@PossiblyDreaming
If your name is Ariel it’s one of the most beautiful names ever imho[/quote]
I think it might be Ursula.

@PossiblyDreaming
If your name is Ariel it’s one of the most beautiful names ever imho

I was born in a country with a list of permitted names and then went to school in the UK. I was bullied mercilessly for my name (well, I was ok before the Little Twatting Mermaid came out and I was forever associated with an octopus drag queen). It was actually more the parents who encouraged their kids with their little sniggers at my name. People just like yourself OP, actually thinking how superior you are because you named your children Sophie and James.

I know two men who had to change their names aged about 8 after bullying

Stupid bullies!

All the primary school girls seem to be called Olivia, Ava, Ivy and Isla. I don’t come across many “ridiculous” sounding unusual names in real life.

Names are such a personal thing. It's easy to be offended or cause offence. Words mean different things to different people. There was a thread about the name Marina. Which to many is a lovely seaside name. To me it's a smelly car park for boats. I just have a different perspective. I wouldn't say anything in real life, but if you ask for opinions on here I will be honest.

I think generally as long as you avoid clangers like Adolf or pornstar names you're ok.

I like double barrelled names and unusual names.
I don’t like mn snobbery about names. Really find it quite distasteful.

I say to the dc ‘Wouldn’t the world be a boring place if we all liked the same things’
Does that resonate with anyone?

I know two men who had to change their names aged about 8 after bullying re said name ruined their small lives.

Silly, thoughtless parents damage,

The idea that names are made up isn't really accurate. Most names track back to a noun or concept of some kind in a language, old or new.

All words are made up. Every sound we make as human beings is made up!

The idea that names are made up isn't really accurate. Most names track back to a noun or concept of some kind in a language, old or new.

If your boys are called Peter, Henry, and Thomas, they are really Rock, Ruler and Twin, for example, but you aren't necessarily conscious of this all the time because those words are of another language.

A really made up name would be something that had no meaning in any majority language, like, maybe, Wuzdt or Frelek or Hikjula.

It's odd because, as adults, the common names don't make you think anything at all of the wearer.
If I get a cv of a Charlotte or a James or Steven, I don't think, "gosh, I'm not hiring them. Their parents had no imagination"

If I get an unusual name, I think "that's unusual" and that's about it. Unless it was offensive, I don't think anyone else cares once you're an adult!

My kids don't have unique names but certainly the youngest two are very uncommon and the eldest is uncommon. Thing is, when you see their names amongst their peers, they won't overly stand out (it appears one of them raised pronunciation qns but I don't understand why). Kids go to a diverse school.

I don't get that overwrought about youneek names, but I do get annoyed at parents who give one to a child, tell the school how to spell it, and then themselves spell it inconsistently on school paperwork thereafter.

If you're going to call your kid Dixi-Jo, stick with it. Don't confuse the poor little sod by spelling it 'Dixsy' half the time, with the odd 'Dixi-Joe' thrown into the mix.

*Name changed to protect the innocent.

I feel sorry for all the children whose parents seem to want a unique name to satisfy something in themselves without any regard for the poor child saddled with the name.

I feel sorry for you, op, for being so judgmental and making assumptions about parents' naming choices.

I really dislike the name snobbery on mn. I often hear names that o don't personally like, but my children's names are also unusual, so presumably some people don't like them either. One of my best friends has a very unusual name and she loves the fact that she's never met anyone else with the same name, and doesn't struggle to think of email addresses. It makes less sense to me to call your child a name knowing they will share it with many others, probably even within the same class group, but I totally respect that decision.
I also agree that there are often undertones of racism and classism in these discussions. And I would get very cross with my children if they ever laughed at someone's name.

I agree 100%

We live in London and thankfully many people are very open minded, and we come across all sorts of lovely and interesting names!

If people judge on names, why are we blaming the parents doing the naming rather than the people doing the judging?

Exactly.

Every single name was made up. Unusual names are much more interesting and memorable than a top 10 name like Harry or Sophie.

I know soo many adults called Steve - very difficult to remember their name!

@FayCarew I have a cultural name that some people don't know how to pronounce, although lots recognise it these days. I have no problem with someone checking the pronunciation with me.

We live in a multicultural area and I love that there is such a variety of names. Very different to my school days where the class was full of Claire's, Sarah's and Emmas.

The only time I raise an eyebrow is where parents give their child an unusual name that sounds like a common name. I know a little Pax that everyone hears as Max, and a little Maple that everyone calls Mabel. That must be so annoying for the child.

And those pretending "it's other people with the problem if they don't like the fabulous yoo-neek name I've imposed on my child" are only demonstrating how self absorbed they are, because it's their child that has to deal with their choices.

Yep, children (and adults) might be kinder nowadays than a few decades back. But, even if no one says anything, i doubt there are many people introducing themselves to new classmates or colleagues as Phoenix-Blu or Rainbow-Belle who are unaware that people are thinking to themselves "the fuck?! Poor sod."

Instead of the "Can you imagine a doctor/CEO/ Prime Minister called x?", I think that what would probably be better is thinking "Would I want to introduce myself as Moonbeam/Chastity/Bitsy-May for the rest of my life?"
I'm guessing most people wouldn't.