To think people should take naming their children seriously?

[DreamsOfDownUnder]

Do they not imagine their name choice on the top of a CV or whatever when naming their child 'Ballerina' or 'Buttercup' or 'Tulip'. I find it tends to more girl names than boys.

The irony of that typo in my post!

Two of our DGCs have unusual names (and the third, one which apparently makes teachers shudder when they see it on the register - he's the most hardworking, well-behaved child ever). I don't dislike the names, but I was slightly nonplussed at first.

Ask any teacher at the start of the term as they look down their registers and they are able to pick out certain individuals who they know they'll need to watch out for (or their parents). Sometimes we're wrong... mostly we are not. I'm going to guess the same applies to CVs in the workplace. Awful but IME true.

Its a really shit world we live in when you feel you have to westernise your name just to get an interview despite your qualifications, but discrimination is alive and well.

And in a society where women are often not taken seriously, I wouldn't want to put a girl at any more of a disadvantage by giving them a frivolous name.

That. There are a lot of cutesie names going around at the moment. Sweet for a three year old, but a bit of a handicap for a 30 year old wanting to come across as an assertive professional.

Do tell more about how you look at a list of unknown children’s names through a lens of class prejudice, Nilly.

I learn something new every day!
I would have thought that Khaleesi was an Arabic origin name and thought nothing of it. Apparently it means queen in a made up language from Game of Thrones.
No-one rushed to name their son Bilbo or Aragorn did they?

@pinkstripeycat

Yes but this child was a female Oh-shun pronounced Ocean by her parents.

There are some silly names out there. I use to work at a nursery and the names include-
Saskia
Peculiar ( yes seriously)
Twins named Mary and Joseph with sister pearl
Cosmo
Reese ( like the cups)
Cinderella 😂

Oh yes I cannot forget baby ember ( bet she grew up to be a bright spark 😉)

@Kennehora yes this true
Chardonnay?? Tyler?? Brandy?? Jordon? lexi?? Normally seen as trouble makers

I have two with fairly mainstream names, and one more unusual one. Not made up though, it’s just an old Gaelic variant on a common boy’s name. He loves the fact that he was the only boy in Scotland given that name in the year he was born! I have met people with some cringey initials though (think Brenda Ursula McDonald) that would bother me more than a unique, but meaningful to the parents / culture, name.

Saskia is a perfectly regular name, what’s wrong with that?

Saskia, Cosmo and Reece are ordinary enough, surely. As are Mary and Joseph, and putting them together would not be an odd decision to someone not from a Christian background.

And Oshun is a Yoruba river goddess, and used by Nigerians and some other cultures as a name.

I also remember a boy called nacho . His family were Spanish, so I assume it's a common name in Spain.

I can’t believe Reese and Saskia are being used as an example of a ‘silly’ name!

'Nacho' is a nickname for Ignacio.

I have an unusual name and I was never made fun of. I got a lot of compliments on it and still do regularly.

My DD also has an unusual name and gets lots of compliments on it. People some times struggle with it, when I say it the first time, but meh. It suits her and it has important meaning to my husband and I.

It’s know siblings called Mary and Joseph. There’s another sibling as well with a biblical name - chosen precisely because they are Christians. Saskia, Reece, Cosmo and Pearl are normal names. Cinderella is a Romany name. Peculiar is probably an African name meaning special, unique- its original meaning.

Silly used here seems to be more a cover for ignorance.

Game of throne children have already started school

I know a few Arya’s a Sansa and a Theon . I really like the names

Not keen on kahleesi but then I wasn’t a fan of the Neveh when it was doing the rounds either

Just personal preference

In my day Charlene, Crystal, daisy had the same reactions from some people. ‘Ohhh can you imagine a ceo of a company called charlene’ as it happens my HR manager is called Daisy and no one bats an eyelid

In my organisation, names are going to be removed from CVs prior to them being screened due to any unconscious or conscious prejudice of any sort which I think is an interesting approach (although obviously you cannot prevent prejudice further down the line). Will be interesting to see what impact it has on shortlisting.

I worked with a lady called Boo.. Was actually her first name.
Her brother was called Roo