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Do initials matter?

39 replies

Alexandra6 · 27/11/2013 15:18

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? Grin

OP posts:
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hawkmcqueen · 30/11/2013 21:18

I would avoid to be honest, anything that can be picked up on will be picked up.

Thants · 30/11/2013 21:28

My mums ex was Peter Ian guy. Apparently no kids at school even noticed! I think it doesn't matter unless it's something really rude!

sykadelic15 · 30/11/2013 22:08

In a lot of administrative positions I've been in people are referred to as their initials in documents, while leaving messages etc. My sister was KAP growing up. Married I'm now VBO. As an adult that's fine, but I have no doubt if I was as a kid it would have sucked!

You cannot predict what career your child ends up in or whether it will or won't matter in the future but given the racist connotation I wouldn't use it. The risk is too great that at some point in his life it might come back to bite.

RussTDaviesBear · 30/11/2013 22:13

My uncle is ASS, it never seems to have bothered him.

One thing you might want to consider is their future email address -I once had an email from someone called Lee Rather - their email was leerather@xxx

HenD19 · 30/11/2013 22:18

Our DS is MAD and he is a wild one! Hopefully not our fault for naming him with those initials!

JCMSD · 01/12/2013 03:02

I have a MAD too! You have about a week where people like to think they're clever and point it out in case you haven't noticed then it is forgotten. Kids will always find something to bully or tease about if they want to, at least you can prepare for JAP related teasing! And if DC ends up in a job that uses initials I am sure bosses would understand using something else to avoid offence, such as JP or JPsecondletterofsurname.

if you want the names, go for it!

Brittapie · 01/12/2013 04:41

Me and my friends sometimes refer to each other by initials in text messages/forums/chat. For some reason, it does seem mostly confined to boys/men though, like calling each other by surname. I almost always use my middle initial when writing my name.

leolantern · 01/12/2013 05:06

We use initials all the time at work as all the teachers are refered to by subject and then initials on most. written documents.

However I think initials JAP is fine and wouldn't worry too much as long as they don't spell ARS or FUK etc.

curlew · 01/12/2013 08:14

What I don't understand is this. Why should anyone do something deliberately that even might make their child's life even a tiny bit more difficult? Yes of course you could go through life with the initials PIG and nobody would ever notice. Or people might notice occasionally. Or one smart kid might notice on the first day of reception and your child ends up calle Piggy til they leave school. JAP? Yes, people may never notice. Or he may end up with his little playmates doing that ghastly slanty eyes thing every day. Why risk it? Why be so wedded to a name that you would take even the tinyest chance that your child's life will be the tinyest bit less happy because of it?

HenD19 · 01/12/2013 08:43

Wow curlew I bet your children are called really boring, middle if the road names so as to not draw attention to themselves. Let's make sure everything is mediocre just in case anyone makes negative comments....

Morgause · 01/12/2013 08:45

My friend dropped her middle name of Olivia after she married in order not to be a COW.

It's amazing how often initials are used when you think about it, so they do matter.

curlew · 01/12/2013 08:48

No they aren't. One is the only one in the school, the other one of three. In a school with over 1000 pupils.

By the way, what's a "mediocre" name?

Bowlersarm · 01/12/2013 09:52

Russ if I were Lee I would definitely use my middle initial/name, and if I didn't have one, I'd make one up!

cheesypastaplease · 01/12/2013 17:56

My ds's initials spell JAM!

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