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Original poster

What do you think your parents were/were not thinking when they chose your names?

112 replies

DrMadelineMaxwell · 31/08/2022 11:08

Mine were thinking...

Ooo that's a nice unusual name from a book I read that I've never seen before (Dad).

Let's go with a Welsh spelling for the middle name.

They were not thinking...

Noone will know how to spell either names and they will have to be spelled out every time. Tedious.

We live in Wales but not in a Welsh area and don't speak Welsh.

OP posts:

Razzlefrazzle · 31/08/2022 12:37

I have my late grandmother's name who died before I was born. I am really pleased to have this name but it was never my parents intention to call me by it. That didn't stop them making it my first name with the name I would be known by in the middle. Not a huge problem I know but when I was growing up my grandmother's name was very old-fashioned and so when it came to doing my GCSEs there was much hilarity and teasing when the register was called using the name no one had ever known I had!

I am known as a shortened version of my middle name but, when he registered me, my dad didn't know how to spell the long version. He and the registrar had a best guess and managed to break a basic rule of English. Doesn't bother me now as I quite like having an unusual spelling but I endured endless flack from a succession of English teachers who were convinced I couldn't spell my own name

Not the best start in life! My three children all have very mainstream easy to spell and abbreviate names.

Elleherd · 31/08/2022 12:37

BTW my teacher refused to have it "pass between her lips." I couldn't work out if it was my name, or her, that was the more ridiculous.

MintyGreenDreams · 31/08/2022 12:38

Mine thought ooh we'll pick the most popular name of the time.Not original!

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Families

eggandonion · 31/08/2022 12:40

Lets call the baby after a series of dead relations, a name last popular 50 years ago. Bonus points for awkward to spell. Add a middle name, also last popular 50 years ago. I hate my name, which is badly pronounced where i grew up.
Roll forward...both of my names are beloved on mumsnet. I don't know why.

Mamoun · 31/08/2022 12:41

My mum thought "I would have loved to be called that" ... not thinking we were 30 years apart and that name is rather old fashioned

HeyMicky · 31/08/2022 12:41

Mine were thinking it is a pretty version of the male name they liked, and uncommon in the country I was born. They were not thinking that it's considered incredibly "chavvy" in most other countries

itsgettingweird · 31/08/2022 12:49

Mine read the name in a magazine when a lady was talking about her granddaughter.

It's unisex and perfectly acceptable for both but more so now in the 21st century than it was common in the 80's.

Perfectly acceptable name but people do try and spell it the way they think females should spell it and not the way it's usually spelt or I do.

Mostly it's made my life easier getting rid of cold callers and advertisements letters because even now people see my forename - assume I'm male and ring up and say "can I speak to Mr weird". And I can legitimately answer "sorry, he doesn't live here"

overitall1 · 31/08/2022 12:58

Mine: let's call her by a really popular name, which will NEVER now be resurrected, my DSis copped it though as my parents couldn't decide on which middle name to have so jammed two together. Been a nightmare for her ever since. Think Mary and Susan becoming Marsan.

JurrasicCazza · 31/08/2022 13:00

My mum named me after a song. It's come and go in popularity over the years but was played to death last summer. I fucking hate the song.

SleepCheeseBeer · 31/08/2022 13:02

It's the 80's, let's name them the most common name for the decade.

SherwoodForest · 31/08/2022 13:08

My parents did not think that using a name popular in one region of the UK would cause problems with spelling and pronunciation when they moved to a different region. I have spent my life having my name mispronounced and spelt.
My children have well known, widely used names, which make life easier.

WH52 · 31/08/2022 13:10

My first name was a fairly popular name at the time, they chose a slightly less usual spelling for it but still common enough. My middle name is after my grandmother.

YellowRoad · 31/08/2022 13:20

My parents just picked one of the most common names for the area where I'm from.🙄I don't know what they were thinking, probably "Let's call her "Jane", just like everyone else!"

TastesLikeFlavourlessFizz · 31/08/2022 13:32

Well, I was supposed to be named something else and my mother's friend had a baby a week before I was born and called her kid that name. Outrageous, I know. Neither name is exciting, frankly.

I'm not sure how she ended up with my actual name...I do know that my dad wanted it to be spelled differently (stupidly) as he had a private registration plate that would be perfect for the other spelling.

PearlyPink · 31/08/2022 13:33

Mine watched a movie and liked the actor's name. Aside from the actor, I've never heard of or met another with my name. I used to hate it but now embrace its uniqueness.

Chelsea26 · 31/08/2022 13:43

My parents were thinking - it’s really annoying when your friends shorten your name, come to the door to ask for you and your mum says tartly “Sue/Will aren’t here but Susanna/William* are if that’s who you mean?” so they gave us all short names that couldn’t really be shortened…

They weren’t thinking “Just after our eldest daughter is born, some 70’s rockstar is going to also have a baby daughter and release a song about her and then EVERY girl born for the next year is going to be called that name”

*names changed to protect the fossils

Squirrelsnut · 31/08/2022 13:49

Let's call her xxxxxxx, the most popular name for girls this year by far. It's a beautiful classic and never dates.

No actually, let's call her a really unusual French name which no-one will ever spell correctly!

OK.

Ayupchuck1 · 31/08/2022 13:49

My cousin has a friend called Jemma Tull. Same cousin was almost called Hannah Bell, before her parents realised it sounded similar enough to Hannibal (Lecter)

Bukhara · 31/08/2022 14:05

Choose the most ordinary beige name possible, so that there’s no danger of her standing out in a crowd or looking as though we had notions, because that would be the worst of all possible fates

milawops · 31/08/2022 14:05

Mine were thinking there's 2 people in this room with the same name (midwives) let's add a third to the mix.

MegaClutterSlut · 31/08/2022 14:27

I quite like my name, I only knew 1 other person in secondary school with the same name. Also 1 more as someone my mum knew, liked the name and used it a few years after I was born. I don't really come across anyone else with my name

Topseyt123 · 31/08/2022 14:29

Catinthesun · 31/08/2022 12:33

Same @Topseyt123

Its a complete PITA!

It certainly is. Unfortunately I do see it suggested at times on here too.

My parents did have the grace to acknowledge that perhaps putting my names that way round and using my middle name wasn't one of their better ideas. I was already in my thirties I think by the time I heard either of them say it.

MegaClutterSlut · 31/08/2022 14:31

Can't stand my middle name though, extremely common back in the day

headinabook · 31/08/2022 14:31

Adopted at birth (1960s) by lovely couple who were both illiterate. My name has just 3 letters so it would be one word that they could write easily.

cptartapp · 31/08/2022 14:33

My DM had chosen a lovely name for me but her friend got to it first so my DF took over and I was named after a barmaid he knew! When he registered my name he got stressed as there are several ways of spelling it, so he left it up to the registrar to choose.
DH is fifth generation of an absolutely rare and hideous name. It stopped with him. Our DS have normal names.

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