Celebrity name regret

[BookishZen]

Me and a friend were talking recently about names that we loved for years but when it came round to naming our DC these names were very associated with a celebrity at the time.

Mine were Megan and Ariana. I was pregnant at the same time as the Royal Wedding and Ariana Grande was everywhere so I straight away decided against using them.

I have to admit that although I don’t regret DD’s name I do regret crossing those names off the list straight away when they were names that I loved and in 20/30 years people probably wouldn’t even make that connection.

Does anybody else regret not using a name because of the association with someone else?

Not keen on either name, but if you always liked the names you could use them if you have another DD.

I wanted George and Charlotte a long time before he royals but I didn’t use either of those because of them.

Lovely names, I don’t really regret it though.

I wanted sienna but DD would have literally had the same name as the actress. Luckily I don’t like it as much as I once did.

I love Robyn but our surname is the same as the famous actor Robin W and I can't bring myself to use it if DC2 is a little girl

I liked Raphael but it was the name of Amanda knox’s boyfriend. Sadly, fromt page news when I was pregnant. Exactly. No one even remembers now.

I always loved the fabulous name Mathghabhain which means "bearcub" and conveniently reduces down to Math. Too many Maths in the family already though. Does that count?

@MrsBonnie

I love Robyn but our surname is the same as the famous actor Robin W and I can't bring myself to use it if DC2 is a little girl

That's a shame, but wise.

People always say their school friends won't know, but their friends parents, teachers & people they mix with as adults will.

@BookishZen

Me and a friend were talking recently about names that we loved for years but when it came round to naming our DC these names were very associated with a celebrity at the time.

Mine were Megan and Ariana. I was pregnant at the same time as the Royal Wedding and Ariana Grande was everywhere so I straight away decided against using them.

I have to admit that although I don’t regret DD’s name I do regret crossing those names off the list straight away when they were names that I loved and in 20/30 years people probably wouldn’t even make that connection.

Does anybody else regret not using a name because of the association with someone else?

I think Ariana will be remembered for many many years, more for Manchester than her music.

I posted in MN a couple of weeks ago about Dominic as a possible name for our baby boy due in Feb, I’d say half the replies were people slating it because of Dominic Cummings.
I’d made the association before but never thought of it as that big a thing but now it’s definitely ruined it considerably for us!

@MJMG2015 yeah unfortunately there is that connection.

@Piccalily19 yes I think I remember your thread, it’s a shame because at the minute that’s the only thing you can associate with the name, however you know that in a few years most people won’t even remember who Dominic Cummings is.

I think as long as it's not a name that pretty much uniquely belongs to a celebrity (think "one namers" like Beyonce, Zendaya, Ronaldo etc) then you can generally get away with it. I wouldn't automatically think of Megan Markle for "Megan" or Ariana Grande for "Ariana" - as depending on where you live, they are reasonably common names, (but even if you did think of the celebrity, they are not awful associations).

However you do have to consider that if you use a much less common name (say one that's never been in the top 300 or so, even historically) and then that person commits some horrible crime, that may then be the association people have with that name for a long time (I feel sorry for 90 something Adolf's or Myra's in their 60s).

@Piccalily19 tricky, my fiancé likes / liked the name Dominic

I really love the name Luna, but it's so popular now. I think it's because of Harry Potter maybe? That's a name I wish we thought more about but just too popular at the time

My name is Megan. I get the Meg from Family Guy thing thrown at me alot rather than Megan Markle. Also, my DH has two DC called George and Charlotte, aged 10 & 12 so prior to the Royals.

I think with Megan the reason I thought of Meghan Markle was because DD was born literally 9 months after the Royal wedding which is why I thought there may be more of an association.

A woman I used to work with ages ago had a teenage girl called kylie. Apparently her oh had wanted to call her Charlene because he really liked that character off neighbours- but the mother decided that was a bit obviously after a soap character and went for kylie ( as in the actress who played her) instead. Bet she never thought kylie would be even more famous 30 years on!

I had always always always wanted to call a son Joseph. I married someone who’s surname is Kerr.

I’m still gutted 5 years on!!

Oops, just realised this thread was about celebrity names, not just general “people who ruined my dream baby name”!

I always liked Tiffany then as I had my eldest Tiffany was a character in Eastenders which was hugely popular back then

@Piccalily19 Dominic is a lovely name and established enough that it's not just associated with one person in a way that a name like Boris or Elvis is. I mean there's Dominic R who also is in a prominent government role too. I'd still use it

I work with people in their 70s and 80s and 8 years or so ago one name I came across was lovely. Classic but not heard much, so I had 'Elsa' in mind for years... then Frozen happened!

I love the name Victoria but dislike the Vicky Pollard/Posh Spice associations (although I feel like these are lessening now?). I also like Hermione but it's very Harry Potter and, to be fair, it is where I first heard the name so I can't even deny the connection!

I loved the name Nellie but it's now closely associated with Billie faiers daughter also love the name Kristen but I think everyone would just think of kris jenner