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.

[RiverTam]

seriously - I think that certainly GoT names will become more and more popular - I'm working on an annual Baby Names book right now and the number of GoT connections in the listings is loads - it gets far more of mentions than just about any book/TV series (bar maybe Harry Potter).

[idahobeachhouse]

Spike's real name is William.

[GwenStacy]

Keep quiet about the dropping, might buff out? Get it signed by Stan Lee and you're on to a money maker!

[Hakluyt]

"Also Hakluyt, you are aware that babies don't stay babies for long? "

Yes. Which is why you shouldn't give it a name that links it to a particular interest group that is might want to drop like a stone as soon as it's old enough.

[spence24]

GwenStacy I am literally giggling to myself at that one! Good job I'm the only one at work right now!

Stan Lee autographed babies would probably fetch a pretty penny on eBay...

[GwenStacy]

But we're not naming our babies Buffy or Drusilla or Willow - we're deliberately choosing names that link in but aren't obvious that's the reason they were chosen. If I met a baby Anya I wouldn't think Buffy - I doubt anyone other than a very small amount of people will get that Kara is a reference to anything either.

[spence24]

idahobeachhouse - We both like Willam, annoyingly, OH's surname has a lot of Ls in it, so it would sound like a tongue twister to say! Same reason his DD didn't get called Lily as him and EXW wanted...

[GwenStacy]

Reckon it's worth paying the £80 to meet him this weekend and taking my daughter along? ;-)

[spence24]

Hakluyt - How do you suggest a name is chosen then?! Surely you pick a name because you like it, and I'd wager that more often than not, people like a name because it has a connection to them, whatever connection that may be - we have already agreed that middle names will be family names, but we don't actually want them as a first name, because they aren't "us" - sadly we don't like a world where you can determine the personality of your child before birth, so you have to choose based on your own desires.

Maybe we should just all not name our children, and call them all a generic name until they can choose for themselves.

I'm really not understanding what you're missing from my original post, where I stated my wishes for a "normal" name, just steeped in the culture I am a part of - if I were looking for a name of a certain ethnic origin would you also tell me that my child isn't an "accessory"?

[captainproton]

Oh I'm a big trekkie (if you can't tell from my name).

There is no way DH would allow me a sci-fi name.

But if we get a fluffy rodent as a pet (one day when the kids are older) I am going to call it Tribble.

I like Dax, we had a neighbour called Dax he was a lawyer. Also like Paris instead of Tom. Both names are unisex.

[spence24]

GwenStacy - Do it! I met him a couple of years back and he is a lush little man that I just wanted to squeeze - so I did! Made for an awesome photo!

Helps that he's a boob man - he happily gave me a hug for the picture! DSD thinks it means I'm friends with the man who invented Spider-Man, and keeps asking me to phone him about a new character she's invented that week...

[GwenStacy]

looks at chest I think we'd get

[GwenStacy]

Oops!

looks at chest I think we'd get on just fine then! That sounds like an awesome photo to get!

Do you find being a woman in the comics industry hard? I'm very much on the periphery and find the totally overt sexism incredibly hard to deal with sometimes - sorry to go so off tangent!

[GarlicJulyKit]

Robin. Unisex and versatile. Job done

[PatriciaHolm]

Could go really old school and do Isaac (Asimov), Ray (Bradbury), Arthur (C Clarke), Phillip (K Dick)?

DS has one of those as a middle name and I'm not sure DH has ever twigged exactly why...

[Callmegeoff]

There are siblings at dc's school called Lucus and Layla. I thought nothing of it till I saw them and their parents dressed in Star wars outfits for the local carnival !

[spence24]

GwenStacy I'll probably end up outing myself on here if I go I to much detail, but sod it - I own a comic book store and I am also a comic convention event planner. I've found being a woman interesting but also incredibly liberating, but I also don't let any of the sexism get to me - it's there because it's been allowed for so long and people have just come to accept it - I feel the only way to break it down is to just jump right in and be all "Hey guys! I'm here doing what you do, and I'm doing it pretty well!"

No one has ever challenged me or found it odd that I'm a woman which I love, but some of the "older" die hard fans assume that I'm the face and I have a husband behind the scenes doing all the "manly" things. On the contrary, I met the OH because he happened to be shopping in my store and struck up a conversation. He then tried to impress me my drawing a personalised poster of me as a cartoon character surrounded by heroes and villains - and it worked!

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

Stan, if you like Marvel stuff.

[thatstoast]

^ And it should be Stan-Lee rather than Stanley!

[MoominKoalaAndMiniMoom]

My DD is Callie - after the character in Battlestar Galactica. Her middle name, Teagan, was a happy coincidence being the same name as a classic Who companion

We also considered Kaylee, from Firefly, and Arya.

[PitchSlapped]

I like Josslyn/jocelyn with Joss as a nickname - joss is tomboyish and cool and jocelyn is pretty and feminine if she does end up being a girly girl

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

Callie is nice, also Cally (Blake's Seven).

But you might have gone for Little My or The Mymble, Moomin.

[MoominKoalaAndMiniMoom]

Ahh Tinkly she gets referred to by some people as the Mini Moom (hence the username ) but I'm not mean enough like my parents to inflict a Moomin-related nickname on her that will stick with her for at least the next 20 years and still going strong... not that I'm bitter

[Angelto5]

All my dcs(5) names come from our fav film/tv progs.
My ds2 is called xander (& on his birth cert) & some people don't even know it's a nn of Alexander!!!i also say we got his name from vin diesels character in xXx!
I'm also a huge btvs & angel fan. We even had a cat called cordelia!!!
Btw Liam is angels real name.
My dh has also been doing our family tree & came across the name Titus. Also looking @ film/tv credits give some good ideas.
Charisma
Connor
Jesse