To think this really isn't a bloody name?

[ballinacup]

My cousin and her DP have just had their first baby together (she already has three sons, it's her DP's first).

Cute little thing, very sweet.

They've called her Thirteen.

Thirteen

Apparently this is because she was born in 2013 and cousin's birthday is on the 13th of June. I'm sure they think they're very unique and interesting, and yet I can't help feeling that they have forgotten that they're naming a person. Someone who has to go to school and introduce herself as Thirteen. Someone who has to apply for university as Thirteen. Someone who has to, every time she says her name for the next (hopefully) eight or nine decades, put up with a confused pause followed by '... Thirteen?!'.

I know name snobbery gets bashed on MN and I'm fully prepared to be told it's a beautiful, unique signifier and that no one will ever bully her for it but seriously... Fucking Thirteen?!

[IneedAsockamnesty]

Yep I've only seen adults get silly over stuff like this unless its children doing it in front of their parents who are quite open about being the type of people who think its ok to make personal comments so tend to encourage it.

They both picked the name they both love it, its up to them. Days numbers and places are used its no big deal. Perhaps they think the more usual names are odd or boring but are to polite to pass comment on someone else's choice.

[IneedAsockamnesty]

Children tend to pick up on different things

[Longdistance]

Idiots, the world is full of idiots.
Thirteen?
I've heard it all now.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

Sockreturningpixie - the bullying I suffered, using a nasty name based on my surname, was entirely the brainchild of the children who bullied me - I am absolutely sure of that. Children can be really nasty, right off their own bats, in my experience.

My parents had a friend whose 10th grandchild was a daughter, called Decima. I used to think that was a bit mean, until I read about poor Thirteen.

[ryanboy]

How is it six and seven are ok as names but thirteen isn't? If it is purely superstition then you are dafter than the parents!!
The Ops sister has (what are to her) meaningful reasons for their DDS name .You cannot second guess what name a child will like, and the child can always change it or use her middle name when she is older.If I came across a thirteen , I would feel a bit odd saying it the first few times but then I'd get used to it.
I actually think you atre being really rude to your sister in not respecting her choice of name and posting it up here for everyone to rip the piss out of.I really hope your sister doesn't join MN hoping for a bit of support as so many new mums do.

[TeWiSavesTheDay]

I am less concerned about bullying and more about her getting a job. How many superstitious people aren't going to look any further than her name on her CV?

It's just a bizarre risk to take with your child's future.

[ryanboy]

sorry cousin, not sister

[BlackeyedSusan]

I quite like the sound of it, but i agree that it will be irksome to live with all the unlucky comments.

[FreedomOfTheTess]

Oh dear God.

Fast forward 19 years, imagine Thirteen at university and she's out for the night with friends, and a rather dashing young man approaches her...

Guy: Hi - I'm Fred.
Thirteen: Hi - I'm Thirteen.

[DioneTheDiabolist]

If they are insisting on a numerical name, I've always found SevenofNine a lovely name.

[SoupDragon]

sockreturningpixie I must have imagined the constant taunting and silly rhymes I endured as a child then.

[ballinacup]

Actually Sock, I don't think my cousin does find the more usual names boring or odd. As I said in my OP, she has three sons already, all with boring unusual names, so she can't dislike them that much, can she?

[FreedomOfTheTess]

Sock must only know lovely children who don't taunt others.

Tess is a relatively normal name yes? However, even with my normal name, the bitchy girls at school called me 'Tess the Mess' (all because I wasn't into my appearance like they were, I wasn't perfectly groomed etc).

[SanityClause]

To be fair Soup the bullies used your name, but if your name had been Jane Smith, and they chose to bully you, they would just have made up a name to call you.

I have a very ordinary name, and I wasn't bullied because of it, but the school heavies certainly found some things to bully me about.

[FreedomOfTheTess]

Wasn't 'Six' in Blossom so called named, as her dad said that's how many drinks it took?!

[LtEveDallas]

I watched Blossom as a child. I always liked the reason given for the Six name

"My mum says that's how many beers it took for her to say yes"

Maybe your cousin has a better alcohol tolerance?

[UniqueAndAmazing]

zukie chill, i was only being norty

[LtEveDallas]

ha! cross posted with Freedom!

[FreedomOfTheTess]

LtEve - that's right, it was her mum, I knew it was or the other.

That made me chuckle.

NB: Off topic, but Jenna Van Oy (who played Six) writes a great 'baby blog 'on People magazine's website, it's well worth a read, well I think it is. She writes really well. Clicky link

[Loulybelle]

Reminds me of Jason Manford's stand up gig, where he takes about a 6 week old baby in 2011 called "Barry"

[WhereYouLeftIt]

"They refuse to be swayed though as their friends are all telling them what a wonderful name it is, and how their daughter's amazing uniqueness is reflected in their amazingly unique choice of amazingly unique name."
Is your cousin sure that her friends like her?

[JenaiMorris]

I think considering the number of times it will be used in any school day "9, 10, 11, 12, 13! ', plus the "I'm Thirteen" thing (regardless of any signifcance of the the age or the number) that they ought to reconsider.

Bullying is a bit of a red herring - bullies will find something to latch on to whether a child is called Amy or Ambulance.

[TheRealFellatio]

Good grief. I try and fail not to judge on these things but that is just shit.

[SimplyRedHead]

My son was born on 13/04/2013 at 00.13.

Still didn't call him 13 though.

Missed a trick there!