Do you think if you really are something you don't need to prove it by name choice?

[atthewelles]

I have a really edgy, creative friend who is also married to a very quirky artistic guy. Their kids are called Edward (after his grandfather), Laura and Hugo.
I also know another couple - she is a designer, he is a composer - and their dd is called Alice.
All lovely names but quite ordinary.

On the other hand I know people who are not particularly arty but have bent over backwards to find 'creative' or 'different' names for their DC.

I was just wondering if people sometimes try to compensate for something they lack but would like to have when choosing their DCs names??

No. I decided on a name because i liked it. If it some something I lack he would have been called "Singer" or "Small Arse"

LOL. I would call mine 'Organised' or 'Goodatmaths'.

This seems to be becoming a regular weekly thread.

My children all have unusual/ uncommon names. 2 reasons for this - 1) I like those names and (2) I had a top 100 name growing up and didn't want my children to be one of 6 in the class with the same name.

As it turns out 2 of them are arty/creative but not my doing.

Hes siblings if had any would be "height" "attention span" and "common sense"

This is funny!

Mine would be called Willpower, Patience and Sense of humour at certain times of the month.

DS1 and DD don't come out of that one too badly, but DS2 would be gutted

Would 'knowsoneendofahammerfromtheother' be a bit of a mouthful do you think?

Mine would be named for all the things I fear they will never get from their genes. "Grace" "poise" and their little brother "alwaysfirstintheeggandspoonrace".

What a ridiculous question!

We chose names for our children that we love, that sound good with our surname, that work in the necessary languages (in our case anyway) and, most imporantly, that IDENTIFY them, which is more easily achieved if the name isn't already used by thousands others.

We are not 'proving' anything. We are simply choosing names that work well for us!

Surely people just choose names that they love??

Mine has biblical names because my DH and I are evil in human form.

Strange question, op. Do you mean I should call my dd 'bemoreorganised' and my son 'commonsense'...? Or do you mean names like 'Grace' or 'Constance' or other virtue names?

And, by the way, we too chose names that we loved and that aren't overused. I had never considered that there was anything 'lacking' in me or dh?!

You might not be proving anything shoobidoo but I am sure some people are.

People call their children names they like.

But, on further reflection, my name ought to be 'bemorepatient'?

But what about all the obviously creative but batty people who call their kids things like Moonunit and Blue Ivy? That does not fit with your thesis OP!

I chose my kids names so that it would be perfectly clear that they came from a middle class, trying too hard, poncetastic, attention seeking.... family without having to speak to people.

I think it makes me and my kids easier to judge.

Of course once the hoiked judgy pants realise I am a principal lecturer and my DH is an artist they can then feel vindicated in their snap judgement, so in essence I'm a people pleaser. Folks enjoy judging me almost as much as they enjoy being right

Am I the only one who thinks 'Hugo' sounds a bit Hooray Henry, not actually at all 'ordinary'?

BadTaste I haven't seen you around here in a while!

Hugo isn't a "ordinary" name to me but then again my sons name wont be "ordinary" to others

Been too busy trying to make a decent snowman Fanjo And failing dismally

Me and my DH are both have creative careers. My two dcs have very 'normal' names. When I named my first dd, I had plenty of comments that they were surprised that our choice wasn't more 'imaginative' (re, we were choosing a boring classic name). When I named our second ds, again there were comments about 'normal' names.

I don't really get the whole name thing. We simply chose names we liked. My dd is currently the only one with her name in her school (although its a very normal/classic name). My ds is one of plenty with his name. It matters not one bit to me either way.

I did feel with my peers that there was a underlying urge to find the most unusual name so their dc would stand out or be individual....people soon discover that their dc is an individual anyway.

Are you writing about me?

Op, you have two of my ordinary children's names in your post.

I have a degree in art and also did fashion in college so come from an artsy background. My husband from a science background. He wanted less artsy names.

I think I' m getting what you are trying to say.

Do you mean the life they would like to have? Choosing arty names or you saying people are pretentious?

I think there is an element of that in names. Surely names can be aspirational.