Atticus, is it too much?

[yorkshiregirl29]

We LOVE the name Atticus but we've been getting lots of negative feedback.
What are your opinions?

Awful as a first name, maybe as a middle name.
Strikes me as wanky and pretentious.

I don't like it much, but it's no because of the TKAM reference. I just don't like the sound of it.

I love it, it’s your choice, don’t worry about what any one else thinks. We went for an unusual name for dc and got negative remarks from everyone, 18 years on its now become quite popular and there are lots of children with this name

I like it, but prefer Atlas

I like it! And I know a toddler one who goes by ‘Atti’. I actually think all the people saying ‘you haven’t read a book since gcse english’ are probably inadvertently talking about themselves as it has much wider connotations than just To Kill A Mockingbird!

Pretentious. Horrible.

I like it, but how it will be received depends on where you live and your social 'tribe'. Leafy west London? You could throw a stick in Kensington Gardens and you'd hit an Inigo, an Atticus and a Cosmo.

Probably more likely to raise eyebrows in an area dominated by Jacks and Noahs.

I'd use it but it wouldn't stick out at all in my peer group. That's probably your best guide ; does it work with your friends and general life?

I really love it. Knew someone called Atticus, really down to earth guy nothing pretentious about him at all. I mean, kids have ALL sorts of names now, I'm not sure what IS pretentious or how long it's pretentious for until it becomes common/chavvy/hated. You just have to pick a name you love and go for it. I think it's a brilliant, strong and cool name.

This is our Atticus! It’s a great name.

"The Sophie and jack tribe are out in force" you don't know what any of us named our children. If someone doesn't like a name it must mean they've given their child a popular name?
My children's names are personal to me. I thought long and hard about the names. Knowing they won't stay babies and will go to school/college/work and live with that name.

If you like it then choose it and ignore others. We had a name not that unusual - and much more common now - and I told my mum and she told me she hated it. Only person to say it and I thought how awful to say that. It’s our choice and our name as parents. Luckily she was only one. A friend of mine chose a name for her baby in summer I didnt like and none of our mutual friends liked. None of us would dream of saying and 7 months on we are used to it and you can’t imagine her being anything else. You’ll be same.

I like it.

Atticus is a lovely name..he sounds like when he's older he's going to have a cool job like be in a band!

Awful

I'm not sure how it can be both pretentious and also make it look like you're showing off that you haven't read anything since GCSE English?

It's a really nice name OP, and If I'd thought of it at the time I bet I'd have a little Atticus running around right now.

In the real world, when you haven't deliberately asked people to pull a name apart people just think "oh that's nice/not nice/meh" They don't spend time considering you might be pretentious or might not have read a book since GCSE English. Atticus is a just a nice sounding name, that's what matters.

@footphobic

Atticus is clearly proud of his very fancy tail

Also kids don't get picked on because their name could be turned in to a weird word.

Their name gets turned in to a nickname because they are a child who gets picked on.

So a child that is different will have their name picked on (or hair, or disability) but a kid that is conventionally pretty /handsome cool will be fine even if their name rhymes with smelly arse biscuits.

Yuk. Don't call him that.

@VeggyGravy
Indeed he is. It’s the best part of two feet long and is usually completely vertical.

OP, our youngest dd has an unusual name mainly associated with a very well known person. DH was worried everyone would comment on it. I loved the name and convinced him to stick with it.

The reality is no one ever mentions the famous association and so many people comment what a beautiful name it is.

I don’t agree with the comments that it’s pretentious. I would also advise new parents-to-be not to share planned names ahead of the birth.

If you love it go ahead and use it.

The Rottweiler across the lane is called Atticus, he's a mighty fine boy !
The postman refers to him as Tw**ticus, so I wouldn't, kids can be cruel.

What a nice postman you have, sugarpie

I know an Atticus - great name :-) Agree though it depends on your situation

You need to consider all possible abbreviations, nicknames it could lead to, then remember that his friends will find one you never thought of! I quite like it but would never have used it.

Lovely name.
However it's really trendy at the moment. Trendy names tend to end up sounding a bit tacky and they date easily.

In the real world, when you haven't deliberately asked people to pull a name apart people just think "oh that's nice/not nice/meh"

I'm not so sure. People might not say that they think a name is try-hard and pretentious, but they will think it. I know it's not a good thing that people judge on these kind of things, and we should all be less judgemental, but it's human nature. And whilst I'm not saying every child should be Jack or Sophie there are a lot of names that are neither super popular or appear to make a statement about how different and special you are (and maybe you're not trying to be different, you just like the name, but as this shows people will make those kind of judgements if you choose an unusual name whether they tell you or not).