Too cruel to choose a name with a geek/nerd connection?

[spence24]

OH and I are both self-confessed pop-culture geeks/nerds (whatever you wish to call us!) - I work in the comic book industry, he is a cartoonist and illustrator. We both love Sci-Fi, and always have.

We keep wanting to pick a name (we don't know gender) that has a link to the world we live in, and it will grow up in, but we also want it to be "normal" enough sounding just in case it decides to rebel and be into something like football... shudder

We also have the issue of the fact that our names already rhyme, something our friends and family bring up at every possible moment. He also has a daughter who name ends in -y, like ours both do, so ideally we want a name that doesn't do that, otherwise we may as well just join the circus as the rhyming family...

sigh - I think my hormones have kicked in because right now, the fact that I honestly believe we will NEVER agree on a name is really getting to me, and it seems to be the Number 1 challenge, which is ridiculous now that I've typed that...we're not even due until January!!!

Oh! And he also vetoes any name that ANY of his work colleagues have, or are married to, or have called their children, despite me not knowing ANY of them. ARGH.

Sorry, rant over. Going back to my corner now.

[QueenElsaOfArendelle]

I have an Anya, named after the Buffy character. I'm a massive fan.
No-one has ever mentioned the Buffy link to me but I do enjoy telling people that she was named after a 1000 year old vengeance demon

[eatscakefornoreasonwhatsoever]

did anyone say that Joss could be short for Joselyn/Joscelyn - a unisex name!

[TondelayoSchwarzkopf]

We are in the entertainment industry too (not as SF/cool as you) and our DSes have names that have cult / film connections but are also traditional names too.

Can't post them as they will out me but I wanted to say that it isn't cruel at all! I like that they have names that have resonance and meaning and make us think of stuff we love.

[weebarra]

My DD is named after a Norse goddess, who rides on a chariot drawn by cats. I would also have liked Anya or Willow.

[spence24]

I feel much better knowing that I won't be judged if I give them a name from "my world" - quite frankly, I don't give a toss what parents in the playground will say, but we spend a lot of time at/running conventions, so we'd be among friends anyway!

Oooh, I feel a lot better now!

Oh, and mummybare - OH may sound mean for not allowing Tyrion, but if I'm totally honest he probably gets a lot worse thrown back at him from me...we're a "banter" couple, not lovey-dovey at all! He teases me for liking midgets, I berate him for telling me he liked Titanic...and it goes on, and on, and on...

[misspamela]

If I'd have had a girl I'd have called her Hopey - remember Love and Rockets? It is a 'ey' name but she could be Hope?

[TortoiseUpATreeAgain]

Yeah, but you see the difference there is that you're right and he's wrong...

[spence24]

Oh Tortoise you have just stepped onto the tip of the iceberg (pun not intended) - the amount of public yet hilarious disputes we have via Facebook has resulted in a number of my customers/clients commenting that we are the most entertaining thing on their News Feed.

Usually because I end up winning by calling him a bell-end for burning my toast because he thought they were crumpets. Or similar nonsense.

[WaffleWiffle]

Warren (off-of Buffy, he made a Buffy droid).

Also Glory (not Gloria), talk about a strong woman!

I'm a massive Buffy fan. Must get the box sets out again...

I like the idea of Joss

Also Seth (Oz the warewolf also voice of older son in Family Guy) is a cool name.

[WaffleWiffle]

I recently read a book that has a character in it called Crighton (spelt that way rather than with a Y). I could not read it without thinking about Red Dwarf!

[GwenStacy]

Heh, my husband is a huge comics fan and the amount of names we got through - although we did nearly end up with a Gwen Stacy! My daughter's middle name is Kara which is a Battlestar/Powergirl reference :) Ramona (referencing Scott Pilgrim!) was also a strong contender…

I fought long and hard for Astrid, but it was vetoed as a friend of my husband wrote a comic where the lead character was called Astrid…

[Hakluyt]

This is a baby, not a lifestyle accessory!

[spence24]

Yes, thank you Hakluyt, hence my wishing to keep the name relatively "normal", while still honouring the things that I enjoy and have made me who I am today.

[RiverTam]

there's a Thorin at DD's nursery, he's as cute as a button. And, as I've mentioned before, I've worked with an Aslan - no idea how life was for him growing up but you got used to that being his name pretty quickly.

GoT have a lot of 'normal' names, especially for boys - Ned, Robb, Jon, Robert, Jaime (Jamie), Peter. Arya for a girl, not too 'out there'.

Han, Luke, Leia

Arwen's a fairly normal-sounding name

Firefly/Serenity names:
River (Tam, natch!)
Simon
Kaylee
Mal
Zoe
Inara

will keep thinking!

[TortoiseUpATreeAgain]

Yeah, and the poor thing will be just mortified if she has to go through life with a name like Elizabeth or Jennifer. People will stop and stare and say "What were the parents thinking???"

If the OP were thinking of Bav-Tek or Dzirot then you might have a point.

[Allalonenow]

Ursula or Andre for a girl surely?

[weatherall]

Luke is a vamp at the v start of btvs.

You could spell Anya, Aine to distance from the show.

Caleb
Tara I think more of gone with the wind but it's a lively name too.

Lorne could be unisex.

Scott

Kendra is def a fan name.

Joyce?

[spence24]

Haha, Tortoise - I like you!
I almost take offence (if I were easily offended) at the "lifestyle" remark though - my child WILL be brought up in my lifestyle though, just like yours are raised in yours. So what's the big deal? We are hardworking creative people who work in an incredibly talented, hard-working and creative industry - why wouldn't I want to be proud of that, and pass that on to my child?

So....Cthulu it is then!

[GwenStacy]

Oh shit, really Hakluyt? I was hoping I could swap her for a newer model towards the end of the year?

I don't know her, but I'm pretty sure Spence is going through the same thing we did - wanting a name that doesn't immediately scream "my parents watched Buffy/Star Trek/GoT when pregnant and I got stuck with this name!" but that at the same time, reflects our interests - and allows people who know you to guess where you got the idea for the name from with a knowing smile.

Now, if you'll excuse me, Tony, Bruce, Natasha, Thor and Steve need their tea cooking.

[spence24]

HA! GwenStacy you are also now on my "Favourite People on MN" List!

...are you seriously telling me I can't get an upgrade after two years? Shit - what if it's all scratched and start being glitchy and stuff?

[spence24]

Also Hakluyt, you are aware that babies don't stay babies for long? We are trying to find a name for the person were are bringing into the world - a name that will be on their driving licence, that they may stand up in church/registry office and say out loud if they get married, and that they need to put on their CV when they apply for jobs.

...another reason I can't get on board with "cutesy" names...I'm an employer, and I know I'm a terrible person for it, but I do judge people based on the name at the top of their CV - they're representing my company - if they sound like a toddler, my business won't work!

If they're called Odin however....

[GwenStacy]

I think we're meant to try and keep them in mint condition :-(

[TortoiseUpATreeAgain]

You can get a refund if you haven't damaged the original packaging while getting it out.

[GwenStacy]

Her head was on the 99.6th centile. Believe me the packaging is no longer in mint condition.

[spence24]

...what if I keep the recipt? And only drop it once but it was totally an accident...