Are we crazy to name DD this?

[Amelia786]

Ok - I'm ready for the onslaught here...

But I loveeee the name Ithaca. Our surname is very common, one syllable.

Thoughts?

Nickname of ‘Iffy’

@Gastontehladybird

Reminds me of the film Road Trip. Not a connotation I'd want for my child, sorry!

Exactly what I thought!!

@bourbonne

Yeeesss... But there's Clara, and then there's Ithaca.

So the difference is that you think one is nice and one isn't?

OP loves Ithaca.

I don’t like that it has the sound “thick” in the middle of it. Could easily turn into “Is she thick er”?

It makes me think of the liberal arts college in New York of the same name

@Itsnotlikethiswithotherpeople

I don’t like that it has the sound “thick” in the middle of it. Could easily turn into “Is she thick er”?

That's a stretch. It's not even catchy.

I don't think you can predict which names will lead to taunting like that. One of the most memorable from my school days was, 'Colette- the best a man can get!' (used to taunt very shy nerdy bespectacled girl, based on Gilette advert).

@WineInTheWillows no, the difference is that one is a recognisable name, and the other isn't.

Clara might be misheard, but virtually everyone has heard of the name Clara, or Lorna. There will be an "oh, Clara, I get it now, silly me" moment.

Ithaca is not even going to be recognised as a place name by most people, let alone as a name. It's more difficult for people's brains to hang onto when they have no point of reference for it. They will always be learning it for the first time. Since the OP has not given any particular reasons in favour of this name, other than she thinks it sounds nice, I would say why do this to your child? Take it to Starbucks and see how you (OP) feel actually giving it as your name.

I like it a lot. Very cool.

Since the OP has not given any particular reasons in favour of this name, other than she thinks it sounds nice, I would say why do this to your child? Take it to Starbucks and see how you (OP) feel actually giving it as your name.

Sometimes that's all you need. If you're really struggling to find a name you can envisage your child with and come across one you absolutely love, should you settle for one that you think is a bit 'meh' just in case your favourite one is considered too out-there?

I don't know, maybe it's because I work in a very multicultural environment so I'm used to coming across names I've not encountered before, but it doesn't bother me when people don't pick a bog-standard English one.

Well personally, I'd say yes, you should rethink if the only one you love is as out-there as Ithaca. I've never heard anyone say "I hate my name, it's a pain to live with, but my mum loved it so that's absolutely fine". I loved lots of out-there names but when push came to shove, I didn't give any of them to my child, because I'm not the one who has to live with it. I chose (well, agreed on) a very nice name that is also easy to live with. There are loads out there.

I take the point about multicultural names, but I don't imagine anyone relishes having to explain their name all the time or have it misspelt and mispronounced, so I wouldn't do that if there's no cultural reason to.

Don’t do it

It's a bit spitty and geographical.

Have heard much worse on here, though.

Is it really that out there though? I have worked with an Ikara- not massively dissimilar and didn't seem to cause her any problems. The beauty of the UK is that we've got quite a mix of cultures here, so a Greek name really shouldn't be a huge issue, even if it's not a massively popular one.

It's lovely

shrug it's subjective, isn't it? I bet Ikara did get her fair share of "IK-uh-ruh"/"ih-KAR-uh"/"eye-KAR-uh" etc. And maybe she didn't care. And maybe a child with a common English name will move abroad where their name is considered difficult. All we can do is try and make the best judgement call, and I stand by my advice to the OP on Ithaca in this situation.

@thistimelastweek

Sounds a bit like something said with a speech impediment

PAHA

I bet Ikara did get her fair share of "IK-uh-ruh"/"ih-KAR-uh"/"eye-KAR-uh" etc. And maybe she didn't care.

You get this issue with Sara, Helena and countless other more common names too- heck, even Clara has two pronunciations). I do think Mumsnet has a tendency to exaggerate the issues inherent with a non-standard name, ignoring the fact that many more standard names have the same issues.

Jessica with a lisp

How about Tabitha or Talitha? Venetia or Phoenicia?

Or um, Istria, Iberia or Ibiza?

Ooh, Isolde, Iseult or Ines, if you like 'I' names.

no. i wouldn't.

@Lifeinaonesie

I thick a, you thick a

This was my reaction as well.

She will spend her life correcting people's spelling and pronunciation of it.

I can't see the problem with pronunciation at all and quite like this name.

She'll end up as Iffy - then Sniffy Iffy - or Whiffy Iffy. I wouldn't.

Sounds like someone with a speech impediment.