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Baby names

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

Original poster

Hyphenated first names?

159 replies

Sunmoonstars33 · 20/10/2023 16:50

My DH chose the name for our baby who is due in 3 months. Its a name that has a lot of meaning to him and as I basically chose the names of our last two children (we agreed on them together and he likes them its just they were suggested by me) I think I want to use his chosen name for this child. However this name is only two letters.
The name is Io (eye oh) as in one of Jupiter's moons. My husband loves anything to do with space.
I just feel like Io is very short so I was considering hyphenating it with another more traditional name to make it longer?
I wondered what peoples thoughts were about this.... the name we would use is Celeste. So it would be Io-Celeste.
I've never actually met anyone with a double first name but I know they are common, lily Rose, Anne Marie, Lisa Marie, etc
Interested to hear peoples thoughts

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CoffeeBean5 · 20/10/2023 18:17

Io looks like Lo. She'll be forever asked how to spell it or what it stands for (thinking it's her initials). She'll also be named after a girl who is raped and turned into a cow. That's unfortunate even by Greek mythology standards. Maybe keep Io as her middle name.

Original poster
Sunmoonstars33 · 20/10/2023 18:11

@RogersOrganismicProcess welcome to Greek mythology. As I said I have the name of a Greek goddess with a dark tale and my husband has a middle name from a tragic Greek mythology..
But my husband loves this name because of the moon and a personal story I won't detail here but involves that moon

OP posts:
JustMaggie · 20/10/2023 18:09

Io is a beautiful name. I think Io-Celeste is nice, but I think if it were me I would keep Celeste as a middle name and leave out the hyphen.

Original poster
Sunmoonstars33 · 20/10/2023 18:08

Ok. I think general consensus is no hyphen! Taken on board!

OP posts:
RogersOrganismicProcess · 20/10/2023 18:07

Raped and then turned into a cow? 😳

Why does he want to saddle his daughter with the name again?

Lifeinlists · 20/10/2023 18:05

Yes give her a double barrel then she can at least drop one.
Unique's all the rage these days.

Not19foreverpullyourselftogether · 20/10/2023 18:03

Is your husband Elon Musk?

if you do insist on saddling your child with this name, please don’t use a hyphen, too.

I’ve surprised myself as I usually love unusual names.

LylaLee · 20/10/2023 18:00

Hi ho silver!

Danielle8 · 20/10/2023 17:59

I actually LOVE io i think it's unique and has meaning plus your child !

Ifyoulikealotofchocolateonyourbiscuit · 20/10/2023 17:59

io- Celeste has got to be one of the most random names I’ve ever heard of.

really not a good choice

Original poster
Sunmoonstars33 · 20/10/2023 17:58

@SkyePye two in Scotland wow! Its on the up!!

Guys the name Io is not up for debate. That will be her first name.
Yes I'm aware of the Greek goddess. I am also named after a Greek godess with a dark story!! And my husband has the middle name of a Greek hero who died horribly lmao... this is the way with those names!

I was just wondering about hyphenating it with Celeste. That is what I was asking about. Husband is completely set on Io and I won't be 'putting my foot down' as I think its a beautiful name myself and it means something to me that he chose it.

And I wouldnt worry about bullying. I live in an area rife with quite out there names. In my daughters class there are two Ophelias, a Florian, an Atlas, a CeCe... one of my sons friends is called Lux. Thats his real name, Lux.
Io will be fine 😄

OP posts:
Withnailandsigh · 20/10/2023 17:54

Don’t do it. My mother cursed me with one. Since the age of four I’ve had to beg every official organisation from primary school to university, doctors and employers to not use the stupid name printed in my passport. It’s ridiculous and classless just like my mother.
the names she chose make me sound like my uncle, father and brother are all the same person too 😅 she’s a drunk and a fruitloop and it shows in my name. For the love of god imagine your child as an adult and not an extension of you or reflection of your creativity, as a barrister, pilot or headteacher, police sergeant or surgeon. Please select normal sounding names that fit a professional. If they want to unique and stand out, then that’s what fashion is for.

MaloneMeadow · 20/10/2023 17:53

Io is absolutely ridiculous, tell your husband to get a dog if he wants to name something after space! Would he not even be satisfied just having it as her middle name? A nickname maybe? Much more reasonable in my opinion

Celeste is beautiful, please just name her that and save her a lifetime of embarrassment having to spell/explain a name her dad somehow thought was a good idea at the time

CurlewKate · 20/10/2023 17:51

How about Juno? She was the god Saturn's daughter...

SkyePye · 20/10/2023 17:49

Unless you're worried about its rising popularity...?

(Scottish stats)

Hyphenated first names?
jammyhand · 20/10/2023 17:45

If hyphenated, I think Io would work better with another 1 syllable name than with a 2 syllable name like Celeste. With the right 1 syllable name could sound romantic. Just my opinion but with something like Celeste it makes it sound like a robot prefix like iOS, the latest Celeste edition in store now. Just to me though

Acheyknees · 20/10/2023 17:44

Agree with posters saying he will be called Lo by mistake. I know a Iola, she's always being called Lola.

Reddog1 · 20/10/2023 17:41

Io isn’t great really, and hyphenating it would just make it even worse. I like the idea of Ivy Olivia (for example) with Io as a nickname.

Bellabluea · 20/10/2023 17:40

Sorry but it’s awful and hyphenated names are grim. You need to put your foot down.
Celeste is lovely.

Sugarfree23 · 20/10/2023 17:38

She's going to spend her whole life saying it's not lo (low) it's eye oh

Or over the phone how do you spell that? Indigo Oscar.
What does it stand for?

Op it sounds like you are calling her two letters. Why not call her actual names like Ivy Oliva that can get shortened to IO and gives her an option if she wants a name rather than initials

Member589500 · 20/10/2023 17:37

It’s a ok name. Better spoken than written. Like Ngaio pronounced Nye Oh. Would be massively made worse by hyphenating with something. Io-Celeste is awful to expect someone to call her so why do it?
In my line of work an IO is an immigration officer.

EmpressaurusOfCats · 20/10/2023 17:36

Do kids still play Old McDonald? Ee-I-Ee-I-O?

LostMyEclairs · 20/10/2023 17:35

My thought was the Italian phrase "Io sono", meaning "I am" pronounced e-o. Howecer, if the name Io is pronounced Eye-o, it brings to mind the phrase "I owe". So, when paired with Celeste, it gives off the impression of owing something to Celeste.

strawberry2017 · 20/10/2023 17:28

She's going to spend her whole life saying it's not lo (low) it's eye oh
Don't make it worse by hyphenating just give her a sensible name to start with

bakewellbride · 20/10/2023 17:28

Celeste is nice but Io is ridiculous and cruel and subjects your child to a lifetime of 'what?' 'How do you spell / say it?' 'Huh?' / confused looks. It looks like a typo. Hardly fair on a child.