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Names that became negatively viral

114 replies

Theblackdogagain · 18/02/2024 19:53

Just wondering what names became negatively viral and how people feel about their name now.

My name was in a UK sketch show early 2000s and I hated it for a while but now no one remembers it and its gone back to being a classic name again.

OP posts:
Candleabra · 18/02/2024 22:16

Alexa must be annoying. Shame as it’s a nice name.
I hate what’s been done to the name Karen.

AinsleyHayes · 18/02/2024 22:18

I wondered if you might be a Julie who suffered through the days of Ali G!

Fox111 · 18/02/2024 22:19

You would never see anyone called Adolf however it was popular name in the Germanic and French speaking countries in the past two centuries.

TrustPenguins · 18/02/2024 22:21

Candleabra · 18/02/2024 22:16

Alexa must be annoying. Shame as it’s a nice name.
I hate what’s been done to the name Karen.

I agree with this.

VERYBRUISEDPEAR · 18/02/2024 22:29

I have zero clue what the issue with Emily is/was?

Duh · 18/02/2024 22:34

@VERYBRUISEDPEAR I think ‘Emily’ was the “I’m a lady” character in Little Britain? Sounds like the right time

gemini1990 · 18/02/2024 22:40

Maddie

LauderSyme · 18/02/2024 22:42

WulfWuman · 18/02/2024 22:14

You don't get many Adolfs these days.

I think it is actually illegal in some countries to name a child Adolf.

Roxanne always seems to inspire people to start singing badly.

CoalTit · 18/02/2024 22:42

I was astonished when I met my first Oscar, and was surprised that anyone would name their child that, but Oscar has clearly overcome the Sesame Street association and it's popular now. The name Kermit didn't do so well. Neither did Grover.

D1LL1GAF · 18/02/2024 22:46

I know a Jo Lee, and someone always sings Jolene to her

LauderSyme · 18/02/2024 22:46

gemini1990 · 18/02/2024 22:40

Maddie

I'm sorry because I am sure you did not intend this, but the juxtaposition of poor missing Maddie with names that just happened to feature in TV shows is horribly distasteful.

captainsudoku · 18/02/2024 22:57

I've seen 'Brenda' used a lot on social media to describe Brexit voting older women.

captainsudoku · 18/02/2024 22:58

CoalTit · 18/02/2024 22:42

I was astonished when I met my first Oscar, and was surprised that anyone would name their child that, but Oscar has clearly overcome the Sesame Street association and it's popular now. The name Kermit didn't do so well. Neither did Grover.

Maybe Elmo will start to take off now!

ItsAllAboutTheDosh · 18/02/2024 23:01

I was worried when choosing names that I would inadvertently choose the new Sharon or Karen name. It is horrible when this happens to perfectly ordinary names.

AinsleyHayes · 18/02/2024 23:01

CoalTit · 18/02/2024 22:42

I was astonished when I met my first Oscar, and was surprised that anyone would name their child that, but Oscar has clearly overcome the Sesame Street association and it's popular now. The name Kermit didn't do so well. Neither did Grover.

Yes, Sesame Street hasn’t been on UK TV since 2001. I think there are very few under-20s who would recognise any of the characters apart from Elmo, Cookie Monster, and maybe Bert and Ernie.

likepebblesonabeach · 18/02/2024 23:03

A girl at my primary school was called Myra, she was born in the 70's so the connotations would have been known before she was named. I obviously didn't know anything about Myra Hindley at primary school but when I was older I did think it was an odd choice of name

bloodyBorat · 18/02/2024 23:37

I've namechanged for this as I rant about it constantly in real life. My maiden name is unusual and spelled somewhat similarly to Borat (but is very much NOT Borat and isn't pronounced as Borat. You could not possibly think the name was Borat with even the most basic grasp of phonics).

Before Borat became a thing, literally nobody had a problem pronouncing my name when they saw it written down. As soon as it did, whenever I was called by the bank/doctor's surgery/etc etc, they'd address me as Ms. Borat. People would see my name written down and chuckle and start saying 'Very Nice!' etc etc. Even now, anyone who hasn't heard me say the name automatically pronounces it as Borat. I've even, on the odd occasion, had letters addressed to me as bloody Ms Borat.

My mother was baffled by the whole thing as she had the same experience but didn't know who on earth Borat was or why, all of a sudden, people were having a chuckle over her surname.

I'm very fond of my maiden name apart from the ridiculous Borat connection and, having changed it when I got married to avoid the Borat annoyance, I've since gone back to it. But fucking hell, it annoys me intensely. I don't believe anyone sees my name written down and genuinely thinks it says Borat- I think they want^^ my name to be Borat because it gives them amusement. Thank god nobody can seem to remember the Borat catchphrases any more or I think I'd lose it.

Bloody fucking Borat.

I feel better for getting that off my chest, thanks OP!

Lunatone · 18/02/2024 23:58

I had a friend named Rosemary West. She was about eighteen when her namesake was plastered across the front page of all the papers and, being an adult, she changed her surname pretty quickly…

NeurodivergentBurnout · 19/02/2024 00:04

I read Emily and I assumed Emily in Friends? Everyone disliked that character..
I knew of an Ella who hated her name for a while, when Umbrella by Rhianna was released her mates would point to her singing ‘Ella, Ella, Ella, eh eh eh’ every time it was played but I doubt that happens any more!
I met a lass in her 20s called Shakira. People would randomly sing ‘Shakira, Shakira’ then apologise. She kept saying ‘It’s okay, I’m used to it!’ but it must have been annoying! This was years after the song was released too.

DontLeanOnTheKeyboard · 19/02/2024 00:12

Missing the point but I sometimes decide on a new name for one of my DDs when we’re flying or somewhere busy: ‘Demon - do you want diet coke or water?’. ‘Voldemort, take your earbuds out for a second’.

Palindrone · 19/02/2024 01:24

Bye Felicia / Bye Felipe

Palindrone · 19/02/2024 01:43

I shared my name with someone widely pillaged in the media for being a gold digger/ having a car crash lifestyle. I have a different surname since marriage but I can't say it bothered me in the past when people brought it up. I just thought: I'm nothing like her, so what?

My considerably younger BIL and his wife chose the name of a well-known Eastenders character (first name plus surname) for their child. They claim they'd never heard of her namesake and I hope, going forward, the name's association fades...

I went to school with a Michael Fox (middle initial also J) and a Phil Collins, born before those stars hit their heyday. Both of them seemed pretty chuffed about it.

Amid the Gulf War crisis, a refugee named Sadam Hussein joined the school my DM taught at and changed his name pretty swiftly...

youmustrememberthis · 19/02/2024 02:22

Jook · 18/02/2024 22:05

My friend called her son Damien. Luckily he turned out not to be an omen, but still I wouldn’t have chanced it 👹

Reminds me of only fools and horses

JamSandle · 19/02/2024 02:22

Alexa

HappyDaze23 · 19/02/2024 02:30

D1LL1GAF · 18/02/2024 22:46

I know a Jo Lee, and someone always sings Jolene to her

My dad wanted to call me Jolene! He apparently tried to talk my mum round for ages but thankfully didn’t win the argument.

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