For thinking baby names are getting silly

[bulbarsaurus]

Hi everyone,

Recently read through a thread with OP who wanted to name her child something completely ridiculous.

I have noticed a lot of threads with the same comments of very odd baby names, think things Like Spartacus or Amicablalette. For some reason this now seems to be the norm.

It seems like people are now either trying to make their normal child sound like a WW2 veteran by naming them Albert or Rodney or the lord or lady of the manner with names like Tarquin or Agatha.

Is it just me or do some of these names not look ridiculous. I know a child at a local nursery with working class parents called Horatio.

I can't imagine naming my children anything other than something normal so that when they finally go for a job interview their names appear professional and easy to read/pronounce.

Are there a list of normal Girls/Boys names you can give me! And does anyone else agree with me?!

AIBU?

This originates from a book "Freakonomics" (2005) by economist Steven Levitt. He put forward some of the hidden consequences of actions. One of these was the trend in the 90s for African Americans naming their children what was perceived as 'made up' names. He suggested that this could be used as some form of profiling, potentially excluding individuals from certain jobs or professions at the CV stage of application. This was just one of their takes on many cultural trends. The book was v popular in the early 2000s. It's years since I read it but I remember this chapter!

Do some of these names not sound ridiculous?

😬😬

This made me smile..my current Year 3 class has all of your list apart from Willow in it (two Lucy's actually!).

I taught Willow last year, and have her sister Fern in my class in September.

All those names are lovely 🥰

No I can't list the names of the women in my office on here. Besides, does it matter which names? The point is that people are scoffing at names that are not in common usage amongst white British people and looking down on people who've chosen them. If people don't know which names may be used in other cultures and by other ethnicities, they'd be better not sneering at any name rather than asking for a list of names it applies to.

We also considered how his name might sound as the next prime minister, a Nobel prize winner for science, a teacher, or a dodgy used car salesman.

Better have a look at the names of Nobel Prize Winners then. Didn’t seem to stop several in the name department.

No, that was a joke.

Believe me Phoenix Rose is bland compared with some of the names I hear where I live!
And yes to interviewers removing personal details such as name, age and gender when selecting for interview.

how about theses names?

There was a Steven at my kids school and that also seemed strange. Perfectly normal when I went to school but unusual for that time.

It's up to the parents but admittedly some of the names are a bit silly. Why saddle your child with a daft name that ithe kids with take the piss out of? The names that sound made up are the worst, along with clunky double barreled ones that don't seem to flow

I grew up with lots of Stevens.

A friend of mine is a Steven and known him since we were in primary school in the 90s.

I work across several schools and I’ve been wondering if we’re on the cusp of a generational name shift. Recently I’ve come across little Alan, Derek, Penelope, Bruce, Bryan, Mary, Hannah, Margaret, Joy, and they’re the names that sound slightly unusual against all the Bear/Blue/Phoenix/Ava/Evie etc.

I agree about ridiculous names but there's nothing wrong with names like Albert. I know loads of all ages. Albert as a name never died out

All names are made up. Most names mean something, all the "traditional" names have a meaning from when they were first used as names even if it's in another language.

Would you find it ridiculous if someone said "I'm going to name my son the Hebrew word for red earth"? Which is just Adam.

I really dislike name snobs.

Why would kids take the piss out of names they’ve never heard of before?

I know for a fact my 6 yo isn’t going around making fun of his classmates’ names.

Wherever would they learn such behaviour?

Ochre.
I feel sad for the girl. Some parents really don't think for a minute that their child will be spelling and explaining that for their entire lives.

I've noticed a huge amount of kids in the years r-2 at my kids school have old fashioned names (think Audrey etc) it's just what's in at the moment. I remember the name Courtney being really popular in the late 90s

If those are the names of a monarch or their consort then I must have missed another coronation.

My 16 year old DS is called Terry, good old fashioned working class name. Never met another one either.

I don’t see the issue with Horatio either…it’s a perfectly acceptable name. My problem is with made up spellings…maybe I should have gone with Terriegh instead 😂

Loads of people have to spell their name though.

Its 2024. The country is incredibly diverse. People have names from all sorts of different cultures.

I don’t really see ‘Ochre’ as being particularly complicated to spell, pronounce etc.

I know a Phoenix.

I can't imagine naming my children anything other than something normal so that when they finally go for a job interview their names appear professional and easy to read/pronounce.
I know someone in their late 40s who has a very unusual, made up sounding, name and a very responsible job as a Coroner.

Is you 6 year old your first child?
Give it a few years

As a Primary School teacher of 30 years I have never known have a child have the piss taken out of them because of their name.

Edit: I've just remembered one. A boy in Reception said a girl had a dog's name. I told him it was a person's name before it was a dog's name and that ended that. It wasn't even especially unusual - it's quite common for people to call their dog's human names.

I’m more curious as to the why, but I wouldn’t feel sad for her.

Ochre is a pigment., a colour. Those who know art and fashion would recognise it.

Not much different then someone naming their daughter Ruby or Scarlett.

Denmark has such a list.