Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

W.A.R - initials

44 replies

Calmondeck · 14/08/2023 11:40

We think we’ve finally settled on William Arve for baby boy 2. But would WAR as initial rule it out for you?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 14/08/2023 11:49

No, it’s not a rude word.

CharlotteFlax · 14/08/2023 11:49

No, it wouldn't.

I work with lists of names as data and sometimes have to initialise them. I tend to notice abbreviations to do with work more than anything but wouldn't bat an eye at WAR!

WeAreTheHeroes · 14/08/2023 11:51

Swap the middle and first names around when registering his birth and call by the name you prefer. Plenty of people do this. Consider whether he needs to have a middle name at all?

calmcoco · 14/08/2023 11:51

WAR is fine. I'd add more names to make it WARRIOR though.

MangoMandy · 14/08/2023 11:51

Personally it would. I'd add an additional middle name.

WaitingfortheTardis · 14/08/2023 11:51

For me it would, I just wouldn't want those initials for my child.

MsMarple · 14/08/2023 11:52

WAR?

What is it good for? Absolutely nothing…

Sorry OP, I just wouldn’t do it. Could you pop one more middle name in to avoid trouble?

00100001 · 14/08/2023 11:53

How many times do you use your initials every day?

Next to zero I'd bet.

Nobody cares.

00100001 · 14/08/2023 11:55

Where I work the initials are based on forename and surname and depending on availability.

Sometimes they've ended up being STI, GIT, SUK, COC, BUM... You can't predict how the initials will go in life

KirstenBlest · 14/08/2023 12:04

WeAreTheHeroes · 14/08/2023 11:51

Swap the middle and first names around when registering his birth and call by the name you prefer. Plenty of people do this. Consider whether he needs to have a middle name at all?

Don't do this. People who don't know you well usually think you go by the first name.

Theoldwoman · 14/08/2023 13:10

It wouldn’t worry me one iota.

LilyLemonade · 14/08/2023 13:12

Wouldn’t bother me. Not rude / likely to lead to teasing.

BananaSlug · 14/08/2023 13:12

I wouldn't use it

whatchagonnado · 14/08/2023 13:13

I wouldn't use it either

My daughter was in danger of being KFC at one point and I soon vetoed that 😂

toastofthetown · 14/08/2023 13:16

It would rule it out for me. I don’t think it will be problematic in terms of teasing, but I still wouldn’t want my child’s initials to be WAR.

VenusClapTrap · 14/08/2023 13:25

It’s fine. It’s rare in life that initials including the middle one are actually used for anything. I think as a child I had a couple of personalised items with them on, like diaries and stuff that people had bought me, but as an adult it’s never arisen.

cruffinsmuffin · 14/08/2023 13:28

calmcoco · 14/08/2023 11:51

WAR is fine. I'd add more names to make it WARRIOR though.

This actually made me laugh 😂

William Arve Reginald Ralph Indiana Oscar RandomOPssurname does have quite a ring to it.

wherehastheyeargone · 14/08/2023 13:30

I have initials that spell out a word that could be made fun of. It's never been a problem to me until now but only because I've wanted a couple of things monogrammed and I'd never use them for that.

continentallentil · 14/08/2023 18:32

Yes. Just add in another middle name.

caringcarer · 14/08/2023 19:14

WaitingfortheTardis · 14/08/2023 11:51

For me it would, I just wouldn't want those initials for my child.

Me neither.

Daisybuttercup12345 · 15/08/2023 01:11

William Harvey?

LauderSyme · 15/08/2023 01:35

War is a powerful word so I understand your reservations but I don't think it would bother me overly if I had my heart truly set on the W.A. part.

Once William is here, his initials will become simply part of him and provoke only fond connotations for you.

A dearly loved one of mine's initials were A.S.S. No one ever remarked.

Northernsouloldies · 15/08/2023 01:56

MsMarple · 14/08/2023 11:52

WAR?

What is it good for? Absolutely nothing…

Sorry OP, I just wouldn’t do it. Could you pop one more middle name in to avoid trouble?

That was my first thought, great song by the late great Edwin Starr.

DappledThings · 15/08/2023 09:42

It's fine. People get really hung up on initials on here. Hardly anything anyone considers in real life. And it's not even a swear word.

KirstenBlest · 15/08/2023 09:50

Initial are used a fair amount IRL @DappledThings . It's definitely worth considering.

Swipe left for the next trending thread