How much do you need to worry about initials of first and middle name?

[careynurse]

Would the initials of the first and middle name together put you off naming your child something?
We have a family name of James which we'd like to use (in honour of his nan and grandad), but we love the first name Ben. This would make his first initials BJ would this stop you from using the names together or am I thinking too much into it?

Thanks

I wouldn’t use BJ at all even if it was a middle name and first name but then I didn’t give my child a certain middle name because it would have spelled a body part and I don’t want initials to spell anything either!

I always look at initials, at work we initial to sign things off. Our school also uses initials. It’s a bit cruel to have BJ as initials, it will get out at school and children will be mean.

Another consideration is to have the initials unique within your household otherwise post and admin can be a pain as they get older.

add an extra middle name?
eg Benjamin Niall James Smith
Benjamin Matthew James as the BMJ is a medical journal and he might become a doctor!

Dzhs initials are D.R which have caused some amusing assumptions at times.

Can you put an extra name in the middle?

Is 2 middle names a bit too pretentious?

His overall initials would be BJM but we've already spotted the BJ and I'd hate to do it to him if it'll cause him issues at school etc? My only thought is that middle names only seem to come out when you complete official documentation...why do they use them at schools?

Thanks for the feedback so far!

Why not give him the first name James but call him Ben?

Lots of people use a middle name as a given name and it solves the initials problem.

I this case I would use a second middle name. Two middle names is quite normal.

I think the J is fine, as it’s a middle name. His initials aren’t BJ, they are BJM or BM - but there’s the problem. BM is an initialism for bowel movement, and it’s the first thing I thought of. It’s in the dictionary, so not an obscure meaning. Lots of people will have the initials BM, but if you are concerned about problems with initials, best to be aware.

My husband's initials are BJ. It's literally no problem.

He wasn't relentlessly bullied for his comedy initials at school. Occasionally, I chuckle when I see his bank card. That's it.

They're just initials. It really doesn't matter.

I wouldn’t give him the initials BJ, no.

If you’re set on those names then either reverse the order or what I would donis add an extra name so he has two middle names. Eg Ben Wilfred James Morgan

Definitely wouldn't use BJ. Kids find out about this stuff and are merciless in their teasing. Two middle names is less worrying.

Also to add, I think there's just limited humour to be had from someone's initials. Like, 'Oh, your initials are BJ, like blow job that's funny' is about the most you can wring out if it.

If that's the best thing kids at school can come up with to laugh at, he'll be doing quite well.

We wanted to use initials that would give our daughter B O Surname. We added an extra middle name so she’s now B J O Surname. Two middle names isn’t pretentious in my mind - both DH and I have two each and we come from two completely different backgrounds 😄

Gah, I was trying to hide what the initials were! It’s not BJO, that would literally be what you’re asking about in this thread! We gave her an extra middle name so it was BXO not BO because of the body odour connection.

Those are my first 2 initials. No one knew at school, the register is just first name surname. In work, when we initial things it’s just first and last initial, never all three.
i don’t think it matters at all!

James is a bit of a filler middle name, but nice as a first name

Don't call him by his middle name as it's a PITA

I wouldn't use BJ..

Well, it didn't do B.J. Novak any harm!

Other kids at school probably aren't going to know his middle name. Growing up, I didn't know the middle names of most of my classmates. I would be more concerned if the first and last initials were BJ, because that's the only set of initials his school friends will probably know.

If you're really concerned, you could use a second middle name to break up the initials. I don't think it's pretentious.

I wouldn't use the initials BJ.
All the people saying they or dh have never had a problem grew up when BJ wasn't a common well-known phrase.

We gave DD 2 middle names for this very reason. With both mine I looked at what their initials spelt out, what their shortened names might be and how this sound with their surname etc. Don't give him these initials, just think of another name. Do you not like James as a first name so JB?

What?! Me and my husband were teenagers in the 00s?!

I wouldn't personally use BJ. I always try and check initials don't spell anything!

I used to work with a Beejay. It was no issue for him but we also weren’t kids in a play ground, so I don’t know what that experience was. I feel like kids at some point always make a game out of initials but it will be a long time before BJ means anything to them hopefully.

🤣