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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

Ready for everyone to come at me, but...

112 replies

Tucancrossing · 21/12/2021 20:08

...why on earth do some people not understand that they're naming a person who will be a child for a decade but an adult for the vast majority of their life?!

A friend of a friend just named her baby Ralphie... full name on birth certificate. I actually think it's a very cute nickname for a little one, but real name Ralph, surely?! Imagine being a 45 year old man trying to be taken seriously with a child's nickname 😬

OP posts:

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Blubells · 21/12/2021 20:16

I agree. All these cutesy names like Archie, Alfie, Charlie, Teddie, Ralphie may suit a toddler but not necessarily a grown man.

statetrooperstacey · 21/12/2021 20:28

Well they don’t suit a grown man now, but in 20/30 years they will, because huge numbers of them will be called ‘cutsie’ names.

normanthegonk · 21/12/2021 20:30

But it will be shortened to Ralph.

Echobelly · 21/12/2021 20:30

I always advocate for giving them the Full Name officially - our son is known by a name that he may or may not want to keep as an adult, but has the full length version on birth certificate, passport etc.

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 21/12/2021 20:34

While I sort of agree with you, I think Ralphie only sounds worse because it's not very commonplace - I suppose logically it's no different to all the other y/ie ending "nicknames as given/BC names" so popular now - Archie, Alfie, Teddy, Frankie etc.

I think they often sound too cutesy for some/many of us to imagine on adults now, but at this rate by the time these kids are grown up, those sort of names will be everywhere (so perhaps it then won't feel unusual meeting a 30 year old Ralphie). If not, I'm sure he'll just claim ignorance and say his name is really Ralph.

toastofthetown · 21/12/2021 20:38

Very few people are going come at you; your view is shared by most people on Mumsnet. The problem I have with this thought is that the -ie/-y nickname as a full name trend is an incredibly popular one, has been for some time and shows no signs of decreasing in popularity. In the top 100 in England and Wales in 2020 are Harry, Archie, Charlie, Freddie, Alfie, Tommy, Teddy, Albie, Reggie, Ronnie, Frankie, Bobby, Sonny, Ollie, Rosie, Evie, Elsie, Millie, Maisie, Hallie, Molly, Lottie and Ellie. And many many more further down the rankings. This means that the 'but what about when they are an adult?' question doesn't really make any sense as there will be literally thousands of adults with these names. Of course names will work for adults because of the volume of adults with those names.

That doesn't mean you have to like them. Personally they aren't the style of name I would choose, but I don't assume that my taste is the correct one. Does the friend of friend know you are ridiculing her new baby's name on an online forum?

TheCloudBotherer · 21/12/2021 20:42

Yep. I suppose that if, like Alfie or Archie, it becomes quite popular then it won't be so bad as there'll be lots of them (also, in the case of Archie, Archibald is no real improvement) but, generally I agree.

It's even worse with girls' names. A name which will get people cooing "Awww, so cute xxxx" on Facebook might not be well appreciated by a 40 year old accountant/teacher/police officer.

JenniferWooley · 21/12/2021 20:44

I know a Ralphie, he's 3, & I totally agree with you OP! Fine for a baby/toddler/child but once he gets to teens/adult it's a bit babyish

Original poster

Tucancrossing · 21/12/2021 20:45

@normanthegonk but there are so many situations in life where you have to give your actual name...

@toastofthetown I doubt she knows or will ever know... as you pointed out, she's probably not the only person to have had a baby Ralphie recently

@TheCloudBotherer yeah I think you're right, it depends how popular it becomes. Bit of a gamble though!

OP posts:

LadyWithLapdog · 21/12/2021 20:46

Is it pronounced Ray-fee?

DigitalGhost · 21/12/2021 20:47

Totally agree.
I've never actually called my daughter by her full name but at least she has the option when she's older.

KeyErro · 21/12/2021 20:49

Agree with you, but better a cutesy name than a dreadful one.. Hunni-Crimplene or whatever doesn't work at any age.

Trixiethewhore · 21/12/2021 20:51

I hate all these wet fluffy names too.

TheRedTowel · 21/12/2021 20:52

I agree that children should be given the full name and then the choice of their nickname. We have done this with our kids.

My pet peeve is when people clearly don't know the full/formal name and call their kid something ridiculous like Harrison. Everytime I hear Harrison shouted in the park it grinds my gears.

TheRedTowel · 21/12/2021 20:53

@KeyErro

Agree with you, but better a cutesy name than a dreadful one.. Hunni-Crimplene or whatever doesn't work at any age.

🤣🤣🤣 I actually encountered a Mable-Ene in real life.

lovelychops · 21/12/2021 20:56

But an adult (or child) can use the 'proper and grown up' version of their name regardless of it being on the birth certificate or not !
But yes Ralphie is terrible and Ralph isn't much better to be fair!

Original poster

Tucancrossing · 21/12/2021 20:56

@LadyWithLapdog no, that would be better. This is ral-fee.

OP posts:

toastofthetown · 21/12/2021 20:57

@TheRedTowel

I agree that children should be given the full name and then the choice of their nickname. We have done this with our kids.

My pet peeve is when people clearly don't know the full/formal name and call their kid something ridiculous like Harrison. Everytime I hear Harrison shouted in the park it grinds my gears.

Why is Harrison a ridiculous name? For reference it's currently more popular than Daniel and David. Why do you assume that parents of Harrisons name their child that because they didn't know another variant of the name?

HalfShrunkMoreToGo · 21/12/2021 21:01

Yep, we deliberately went for a long name that could be shortened into lots of different variations to suit whatever kind of adult DD ends up being.

Worst name I ever encountered in real life was Theone, pronounced The One. Imagine the poor man as a solicitor or MP or Teacher being called The One Smith (last name made up)

IKissedSantaClaus · 21/12/2021 21:03

Don't disagree on Ralphie. That sounds like a nickname.

Archie I don't agree with as it's always been used in Scotland and the majority of the Archies I know are men in their 50s/60s.

IKissedSantaClaus · 21/12/2021 21:04

Harrison is a very normal and not ridiculous name

TuftyMarmoset · 21/12/2021 21:11

Totally agree.

And I wouldn’t know how to pronounce Ralphie either - Raffie? Ray-fee? To rhyme with Alfie? All around a terrible choice imo!

floatinginmyhomie · 21/12/2021 21:14

Names like Archie, Harry, Alfie, Reggie etc are all quite popular now so they will end up suiting adults because it will just become an adult name.

dittheringdoldrums · 21/12/2021 21:15

I all also dislike the -ie names, but posters are right when they say they'll he totally run of the mill adult names in 20-30yrs as they're so popular now!

Lou98 · 21/12/2021 21:21

@Blubells

I agree. All these cutesy names like Archie, Alfie, Charlie, Teddie, Ralphie may suit a toddler but not necessarily a grown man.

The majority of Archie's I know are men in their 60's - it's a common name where I am (Scotland)

I agree though OP! I have a god daughter that we call Gracie but her actual name is Grace Marie.

I think it can be nice to give them a cute nickname when they're wee but it's ridiculous making it their full name

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