Are there any adults here whose parents gave them alternative names?

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The kind of names Jamie Oliver or Bob Geldolf gave their DC?

I played safe with solid sensible names for my DC. Do you wish your parents did the same or do you love your different name?

How was it for you as a child and how does it affect you as a adult? Do you find people have preconceived ideas because of your name?

Nice pitch

I have an alternative name. I love it. I never wanted to be ordinary.

I don’t think alternative names have the same “shock” value as they did when Bob Geldof was naming his children, or when we would have been children.
I live in a fairly small town, but there’s been 5 children named River and 3 Reign/Rain/Rayne this year so far. I find myself more shocked these days when I hear somebody’s had a baby called David or something traditional now to be honest, and think they’ll be the ones who’s name you’ll remember rather than all the “unique”/fad names.
At a club DC go to there’s Lily,Poppy,Daisy,Dahlia, Posy, Blossom and another one with Taylor, Tyler, Mason, Sailor. I end up thinking of them as “the girls with flower names” and “the boys with occupational names”, but struggle to remember which one is which- same as when we grew up and had 4 Louises and 3 Dereks in our classes.

Me. I'm 34 and have an unusual name. I like that it's not a common name but it's not the nicest name, unfortunately its common with pets! I also have a slight lisp so can't say it easily...but my parents obviously couldn't have predicted that!

Yes. I changed it early on.

Yes. I hate it. Haven't changed it because it means something to my dad but it is ridiculous.

My friend changed her name. Had some ridiculous name like Biscuit, now goes by Susan.

I thought you actually meant alternatives as in two names so they could pick, like second choice for a course. Must be tired...

I have a very sensible name but was called something unique almost immediately by my parents and family. Now in my 50s. Closest friends and family know me by it. Work colleagues and others use my "proper name" or diminutives thereof.
Most in each group don't realise I have this other name.

I thought you actually meant alternatives as in two names so they could pick, like second choice for a course.

My mum's side of the family going back for generations have picked which of their first and middle names they wanted to be known as. There is a also a distinct naming pattern that goes back generations, so eldest son is named after paternal grandfather, which means cousins would always have the same first names, so that might explain it.