Do initials matter?

[Alexandra6]

One of the choices of middle names we like for a boy leaves us with the initials JAP - does that sound a bit weird? Do initials even matter and have to have a ring to them? I suppose he could use the initials JP and only use the middle name when using his full name?

Am I overthinking this?

I think you seldom use just initials. It would be J.Potter or J.A.Potter, or JP. I doubt anyone outside immediate family knows what my middle name is and it's never used.
The names we like give us initials MMR so we have the same dilemma but don't think it is important enough to change our minds.

JAP would not bother me ASS would.

As long as its not BUM, PIS, FUK etc, it's really not a problem.

Only when it spells a proper word. And even then only in exceptions.

I think these initials would bother me as the word can be seen as a derogatory term.

If either DD had been a DS, our first choice name was Benjamin (Ben). I always wanted James for a middle name for a DS - family name on both sides. But the dilemma was we did not want BJ for the initials. Not sure if we would have gone with it.

We decided against a name due to initials. It can matter I think.

At work I am frequently referred to by my initials in meeting notes etc. This has been the case in my last few roles so I would say yes, they can matter. However, I would not be worried about JAP - there are lots worse!

You may not be worried about JAP, Faster, but it can be seen as an offensive abbreviation. That would make it a big no no for me.

Apologies - I had been thinking of a different meaning for the initials.

JAP would be fine, but I really wanted to call our first ds Billy Alexander but our last name begins with B and I changed my mind as the initials BAB would have been awful

Yes they do matter, jap could be problematic but isn't as bad as BJ or ASS.

Children do go through a phase of trying out initials and signatures and writing names backwards and so on- I would avoid initials that spell our any word, to be honest.

Yes-if you are the child!

And Jap is a racist word. I've just checked with my 12 year old and he said that people would most definitely notice at school. He knows all his friend's middle names, by the way- I just asked!

Think Jap is fine wouldn't give it a second though we came up with an alternative middle name when my mother pointed out to us that our dd initials would be GBH

I just asked my 13 year old DS if he would notice someone's initials spelling the word JAP. He looked at me as if I was quite unhinged and said 'no, why would I? It doesn't even spell a word"

The name I like if I ever have a girl gives the initials ARS. Can you not stick another middle name in to break it up?

My dd has initials IRA
I didn't even notice for a fair few weeks after naming her and so far no one else has noticed either

Bowlersarm-you are lucky in your child's school and circle of acquaintances! Mine, sadly, isn't.

Lol Sapphire friend of mine, born in mid 70s was going to be IRA, until the registrar questioned it. She was RIA instead. I think it was a bit more pertinent then!

Curlew - would Jap be seen as an insult at your DSs school?

OP, I think I would go with the suggestion of adding a second middle name. The fact that you are worrying about it now before the baby is born, may mean that you will always have an issue with it.

It is certainly a word that my 12 year old knows is racist.

My DC would know it's racist but wouldn't connect it. I highly doubt most people notice initials, especially JAP etc;

My ex boss was called FART though (well, his initials were). We loved it! He had a double (but no hyphen) first name (for example, Frank Andrew, not his real name btw, as a whole first name) so he was FAT if they didn't need a middle name!