Atticus, is it too much?

[yorkshiregirl29]

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

Although, as a caveat to my above post, it maybe depends where you live, as others have said. If it's somewhere where such names are the norm it won't have the same connotations as it will elsewhere, so people might not silently judge.

I think it’s a lovely name. It was on our list although we didn’t choose it in the end. Wouldn’t be remotely out of place in my sons class which is full of unusual but not made up names. It’s pretty much the norm these days to choose an unusual name unless you have some kind of family connection/lack confidence.

@festivedogbone but not everyone can call their kid Sophie. Our kids are mixed with no Western European heritage at all. If we picked a common ‘white’ name it would look a bit try hard, if we chose a name connected to our children’s heritage we’d be making them into a stereotype. Ultimately we chose unusual English names. Every single names comes with a preconception. I would rather have people think we were a bit eccentric than that we were trying to be something that we are not.

I like it, but it depends how much you want other people to like it?

How about Otis?

I know one at primary. Very pretentious family , regarded as loons in our village backwater.
Anyway, yes, the postmans Tw**cus name is used in undertones.

I think it's nice, but it only has one connotation - TKAMB. (Not so many people have read GSAW and even if they had, Harper Lee never intended it to be published - it wasn't her true view of Atticus -it was an early, abandoned draft novel she was persuaded into signing over when she was old and frail.)
I know a few Scouts and tbh always just think: her parents loved the book, which is what most people will think of that name, until it becomes more commonplace and more Atticuses make their mark on the world.

A thumbs down from me - please don't saddle a child with a name like this unless you want them to have the life teased out of them. What if he doesn't have the self-confidence to cope with it? Sorry, just no.

Fair point, Racecardriver. I think that's a slightly different situation, though.

It’s pretty much the norm these days to choose an unusual name unless you have some kind of family connection/lack confidence.

That's not what the statistics show (or the threads on here where people ask if names are popular). As I said before there's a big middle ground between Jack/Sophie and pretentious.

I quite like it.

I’d agree with Veggy that it’s ironic that accusations of pretentiousness are being levelled at a name which is primarily known for featuring in a novel that even total knuckle-draggers have often been forced to read. If you were considering calling your baby Des Esseintes, the pretentious lobby might have a point.

Sorry but to most people it really will appear try hard. Your kid would have that name for life and will definitely not have an easy ride through school.

(May be repeating pp as haven't rtft, but I'm meant to be working...)
I think it's going to become quite popular. I like it too. Lots of children have unusual names in my DC's school and they're not mocked (nice word play, OP!) for their names.

I like Atticus and believe you should go with what you love. It is a mouthful and it isn't heard of lots in some circles but who cares? So boring hearing the same names over and over again.

@footphobic LOVE your cat! Sorry to completely jump on here but interested to know what your little boy is called?

It's awful.

Wow, I'm surprised how many people lack confidence and feel the need to judge an Atticus or his parents as being 'pretentious' or 'wanky', whatever that means .

I've never read TKAM nor do I feel that I'm pretentious or wanky, but I really like the name Atticus. I think it's cool, strong and interesting. Does that really make me pretentious?

Also, why would Atticus be any more tease worthy than say Alexander, William or Arthur? It's not like Poobear or Willy?!

I love it

What's confidence got to do with giving an opinion about a name we've been asked to give an opinion on?!

If you mean lack of confidence as in 'Oh I love the name Atticus but I just don't feel confident enough to use it' then, no, that's really not what's happening here. People can dislike things without strange ulterior motives.

I'm not overly keen on it. Not because I think it's wanky I just don't like the sound of it.
If we're talking wanky and try hard etc surely Ptolemy takes the crown.

I also agree with Fraula. We have lots of unusual and ‘posh’ names at our schools and clubs, some affluence but generally mixed demographic and rural Suffolk so not exactly cosmopolitan or cool and trendy here. To my knowledge there’s no cruel mocking of unusual names. Pretty nice kids around here.

@Ipanema01 It’s our daughter and her name is Camilla. Not way out there but she’s the only one at her secondary school. It was the (negative) Royal connection at the time.

@footphobic Camilla is gorgeous :)

My DH was very keen on Atticus for first born (who turned out to be a DD anyway.) I don't hate it but it failed my hometown test, eg. I had to be able to take my baby back to my northern home town and introduce him to school friends without looking like the twat who moved down south and gave her child a poncy name.

Ati

I really like Atticus and it's a name we have very high on our list for future children. I come from a northen town and don't feel like it makes any difference, it's a lovely name.

I have a feeling he'll be nicknamed Lofty, whether or not turns out to be tall.

I like the name Atticus very much but whatever you call a child there will always be those who mock. I have a very traditional name, very ordinary for the period in which I was born but even so I was the object of ridicule. There are a number of famous women in history with the same name & that was used as ammunition for more teasing/bullying etc.

Knightly makes a valid point.