Bow for a girl?

[stacestation]

What do people think of this? Have you ever heard of this being used as a full first name?

Woman from school derides popular names. Apparently her daughter has a unique 'name' though to call it a name is a bit of a stretch as I recently discovered the girl is called Bow, as in a hair bow, not bow and arrow.

The unfortunate part is that the area they're in all the local accents, including their own, pronounce it as Bore. I feel sorry for the poor girl. I can't mention the middle name as that would be outing, but that's even worse. The poor girl, it doesn't aspire to much.

In some accents it would sound like “bore”

I think this is quite a mean spirited post. You don't like the name of someone else's child and so you want to post on a public forum to see how many other people agree with you? Nice.

For what it's worth, I quite like it. I've heard far worse. In fact there's a fab little book which I read to my daughter called 'I can catch a monster' and the main character, a feisty, independent, spirited little girl is called 'Bo the Brave' - different spelling but sounds the same, so it reminds me of her. Better than the millions of Evas and Amelias I'd say.

I know a woman who named her daughter Beau as she thought it was French to describe a beautiful woman.

Ulrika J has a daughter called Bo

I really like it. I wouldn't blink twice if I got a work related email from someone called Bow. And if anything I would probably think it's quite cool. But that's me.

Better than the millions of Evas and Amelias I'd say.

I disagree. There's nothing wrong with a popular name, they're popular for a reason. There are still plenty of 'proper' names to choose if you want something unusual.

My brother used to work with a woman called Bohemia 🤦🏻‍♀️ and they called her Bo but it did suit her she was very trendy

I like that ☺️

Ulrika's Johnson's daughter is called Bo.

Bodhi, Bo and Beau are proper names.

The inspiration for 'bow' being a hair bow, and the unfortunate local pronunciation, I found quite sad.

I have an aquaintence with a Dd called Bow Belle. Her father was a cockney, and it meant something to her.

@stacestation No, there's nothing 'wrong' with using a popular name if it's a name you love. But for me, when you hear the same names over and over again they lose their sparkle. I may not like some of the more unusual names I hear, but I find them refreshing and I like that there's more variety around these days.

I'd be interested to in which if the more unusual 'proper' names you'd find acceptable. I really don't think Bow is particularly 'out there' and it's certainly not cruel - no different to many other names - Clementine, River, Wren etc.

Maybe it was sarcasm? The 'no not as in bow and arrow, as in hair bow' sounds like a sarcastic retort to someone asking if their child was named after a bow and arrow.

There would be too many 'proper' unusual names for me to list - thousands upon thousands.

But, you know, use common sense (not you, the parent choosing) - a proper name, unusual or not, nothing likely to cause embarrassment to the child, something to suit an adult and child, no made up 'unique' spellings, and no pronunciation issues. That's my opinion anyway.

The girls own parents, in this case, pronounce it as bore, and they seemed quite proud about the hair bow connection 🤷‍♀️

I can't get my head around anyone saying BORE for BOW

Bo is a completely normal Swedish boy’s name.

Agree with PP that it’s a bit mean to start a thread slagging off someone’s name.

No, it wasn't the parents who told me that.

I've also seen/heard them explaining the name since.

It's more popular than I thought anyway (I should have looked that up first), though 'popular' being approx 20 girls a year registered. Beau is the most popular (144 last year) and Bo the least popular. Interesting

I would imagine it's a broad regional northern accent. Maybe the OP can clarify roughly where this is.

Names is a hobby of mine too. I certainly don't like every name I come across, but I much prefer talking positively about names I do like or general naming trends, than criticising names, especially those of people I know.

Well OP you are determined to be right i will give you that. A bit odd to be so defensive of opinions of a name that you have no connection to, but I suppose if you are bowerd it passes the time.

@RoseslnTheHospital

It is a broad accent, yes. Not everyone will pronounce it that way, as they don't all have the local accent, but the parents do and the child herself does. I probably shouldn't specify the exact region, but there are several areas in the north, and a couple in the south fitting the bill.

I'm not right by any means! Sorry if I've got carried away.

It's Beau as in beautiful. Not bow as in bow and arrow.

Who's that addressed to @LondonQueen

The child in my OP is Bow, as in hair bow. And beau, more accurately, translates to handsome. You're thinking of belle.

In Huddersfield, for example, the local accent would pronounce 'bow' as 'bore'.