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Baby names

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Original poster

Hyphenated first names?

159 replies

Sunmoonstars33 · 20/10/2023 16:50

My DH chose the name for our baby who is due in 3 months. Its a name that has a lot of meaning to him and as I basically chose the names of our last two children (we agreed on them together and he likes them its just they were suggested by me) I think I want to use his chosen name for this child. However this name is only two letters.
The name is Io (eye oh) as in one of Jupiter's moons. My husband loves anything to do with space.
I just feel like Io is very short so I was considering hyphenating it with another more traditional name to make it longer?
I wondered what peoples thoughts were about this.... the name we would use is Celeste. So it would be Io-Celeste.
I've never actually met anyone with a double first name but I know they are common, lily Rose, Anne Marie, Lisa Marie, etc
Interested to hear peoples thoughts

OP posts:
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Fleur405 · 20/10/2023 23:19

I rather like Io

But Anything-Anything is horrible.

if you want to call her Io Celeste just do that. No need for a hyphen. Io-Celeste is particularly not good because “lo” looks like some kind of weird prefix.

MaryMaryx3 · 20/10/2023 23:25

I know an Ayo - it's a Nigerian name pronounced exactly the same as Io (Eye-oh). I love it. When I first saw it written down I wondered if it was pronounced Ay-oh, but she explained straight away. I find it strange that people do so much hand ringing over not knowing immediately how a name is pronounced. I can only assume they don't live in very culturally diverse places, because it's the norm where I live to sometimes double check the pronunciation of an unfamiliar name.

renata2485 · 20/10/2023 23:25

CurlewKate · 20/10/2023 17:08

I don't like hyphenated first names- people will drop the second one anyway!

I like Io. The only problem is that people might think it's Lo.....

Do they assume Ione is Lone?
or Iona is Lona?

I like Io. It's strong and distinctive.
Why fancy it up with a silly-frilly name like Celeste?

jammyhand · 21/10/2023 00:04

Daffodilwoman · 20/10/2023 21:48

Yes I’ve come across a couple of people with double barrelled fist names and double barrelled surnames. Neither of them had names which flowed. So not Mia-Mae or Jonathan-James but more like Lilac-Nadine Somersby-Gothenburg. Or Arlo-Brain Thompson-Bottomley.
Must be a growing trend.

Brian-Brain

mathanxiety · 21/10/2023 01:26

Sunmoonstars33 · 20/10/2023 20:04

Thanks to all the people who have been reasonable. I am not going to hyphenate the name, I agree with pp that actually it makes it too much.
The name Io was never up for debate. That will be her name.

You can all unclench with your 'child abuse and 'saddled' comments. Out in the real world I dont think any child given a name out of love would resent her parents for it.. (although it may become an issue if their relationship with their parents is damaged in many other ways too) its possible she won't like it and will change it when older which is up to her.. but I had a friend called Sarah who did that.. kids can dislike any name. Hopefully she will love it.
I like my unusual name. My husbands first name is very unusual and he's a psychiatrist.. contrary to what a previous poster tried to say, they do not prevent you from entering medical school if your name isn't in the top 10 names of that year.
Kids today do not have the same type of names as in the past. Some of the names on the top hundred baby names at the moment would have been considered very out there only a generation ago. I won't be naming my child simply to try and fit in. I will be naming my child something out of love that was personally chosen. Everyone is free to do as they please but some of these comments are downright ridiculous. Fair enough if its not to your taste but there is no need to be rude. Children get bullied for anything and everything. Its the bullying that's the problem not the child's name, or how the child looks or speaks.. I dont think its a great lesson to not name a child something you love for fear they will stand out. Everyone stands out anyway for various reasons. Personally I like the name Io and do not see what makes it more socially unacceptable than names like Ivy or Erin... I had thought it a bit short hence my idea about the hyphen. However I do agree with pp saying it actually lessens the beauty of the name and becomes clunky were I to do that. So I'm just going to have Io as the first name and Celeste as the middle.

THIS ^

I sincerely applaid you for this post.

LylaLee · 21/10/2023 01:42

mathanxiety · 21/10/2023 01:26

THIS ^

I sincerely applaid you for this post.

Show quote history

So OP will take the opinion of random people about the general consensus towards hyphenation. But NOT about their general impressions about the suggested name. Got it.

Original poster
Sunmoonstars33 · 21/10/2023 01:57

@LylaLee yes. Because that is the question I was asking as i had not made my mind up about it. That is what I asked for opinions on.
I did not say in the OP 'do you think I should name my child Io?' That is something I had already decided on and is not up for debate.

OP posts:
eurochick · 21/10/2023 07:20

It's a pretty dreadful name. Don't make it worse by hyphenating it. Give her a nice easy to use middle name so she can go by that if she chooses.

Orange67 · 21/10/2023 07:51

Io is probably the worst name I've seen on this board :(

CoffeeBean5 · 21/10/2023 07:58

Sunmoonstars33 · 20/10/2023 18:54

@TemporarilyshyAF one of those is my name! And I do get asked how to spell it and it is considered 'out there'.. and it does have a dark tale involving SA attached to it as per many Greek myths. Ive always liked my name though and honestly do not see why people think its such a big deal to have to spell your name to people sometimes? That happens with extremely common names too as there can be variations of spelling with those.. for example Kristin, Kristen, Kirsty, Kirstie, Kirstin etc theres loads like that.. even Sarah/Sara
No I don't think I will be hyphenating it now. Mumsnet has spoken lol.
But im sticking with the name Io. That wasn't up for debate.

None of the names this poster mentioned are 'out there'. I wouldn't be taken aback by any of those names. Io is just strange because it sounds like initials and then your daughter would have to say, over and over again, that it's her full name.

I also think of that song 'and on that farm he had a cow ee eye ee eye oh.' Which sounds disturbing because Io was raped and turned into a cow.

Iona sounds nice though.

Giggorata · 21/10/2023 08:18

I think it is a lovely name, but then I like those names from mythology. And space.
It doesn't sit well with a hyphen and a name tacked on, which is what so many people dislike about current hyphenated names, I think.
Awkward or clumsy combinations, “uneek” names, etc.

I have an old wave hyphenated name, which I keep because it is my given name, which I didn't know until I was about nine. (Care, adoption, etc)
I don't particularly love it, but I dislike the abbreviated version more.

LaurieStrode · 21/10/2023 08:42

SkyePye · 20/10/2023 16:55

I know someone with an uncommon hyphenated name. Most people assume it's her first and middle names.

I quite like Io on its own but be prepared for people thinking the first letter is a lowercase L.

How about Phoebe (moon of Saturn), Elara (moon of Jupiter), Andromeda (Anna) or Cassiopeia (Cassie)

These are great suggestions.

If he must use Lo, let it be a nickname or term of endearment. Give her a non-weird official name. Lo-celeste sounds ridiculous, with all kindness.

LylaLee · 21/10/2023 08:44

Sunmoonstars33 · 21/10/2023 01:57

@LylaLee yes. Because that is the question I was asking as i had not made my mind up about it. That is what I asked for opinions on.
I did not say in the OP 'do you think I should name my child Io?' That is something I had already decided on and is not up for debate.

It's just mildly amusing that you value the opinion of strangers in naming your child. But you also say that the opinion of strangers is useless.

AntsMarching · 21/10/2023 09:53

The first time I came across the name was through a podcast by iO Tillet Wright. By spelling it with a lowercase i and an uppercase O, I knew immediately how to pronounce it. I really like the name, it's strong and clear.

Sugarfree23 · 21/10/2023 11:57

Is io not the name for apples operating system?
I keep thinking it's familiar but can't think what.

LylaLee · 21/10/2023 12:18

Sugarfree23 · 21/10/2023 11:57

Is io not the name for apples operating system?
I keep thinking it's familiar but can't think what.

Yes it is. Just like Siri and Alexa were normal names once, but naming a child that AFTER it became associated with tech would be very odd. Unless maybe you promised your grandma Siri you would name your child after her or something, and you so it as a middle name.

EmpressaurusOfCats · 21/10/2023 12:20

LylaLee · 21/10/2023 12:18

Yes it is. Just like Siri and Alexa were normal names once, but naming a child that AFTER it became associated with tech would be very odd. Unless maybe you promised your grandma Siri you would name your child after her or something, and you so it as a middle name.

Show quote history

No, that’s iOS.

You might be thinking of Ding Dong Merrily on High or Old McDonald.

Sugarfree23 · 21/10/2023 13:18

iOS isn't any better.
Hubby where's Ios teddy, jacket etc.

Give the kid a space name that actually sounds like a name rather than initials Saturn, Jupiter, maybe skip Uranus, Mars and Pluto.

Is there not some minor planets with names?

KingsleyBorder · 21/10/2023 14:46

Sugarfree23 · 21/10/2023 13:18

iOS isn't any better.
Hubby where's Ios teddy, jacket etc.

Give the kid a space name that actually sounds like a name rather than initials Saturn, Jupiter, maybe skip Uranus, Mars and Pluto.

Is there not some minor planets with names?

But you don’t pronounce or write “Io’s” the same as iOS.

Sugarfree23 · 21/10/2023 15:08

Whats the difference?
I don't think I've ever heard iOS said.

FriedasCarLoad · 21/10/2023 15:24

How about Io, short for Iolanthe?

Then you have the non-negotiable name, and your daughter has options should she want them.

EmpressaurusOfCats · 21/10/2023 16:09

Sugarfree23 · 21/10/2023 15:08

Whats the difference?
I don't think I've ever heard iOS said.

IOS is said as the initials. I - O - S.

mydogisthebest · 21/10/2023 16:22

Why do so many parents now choose such ridiculous and awful names? Is it some sort of competition to see who can come up with the silliest?

I feel sorry for your daughter lumbered with that name. I read it as Low and that is what most people will think it is.

At least you are not going to hyphenate her first name. That always looks so common and chavvy

LouOrange · 21/10/2023 17:12

Io io it’s off to work we go…

Sugarfree23 · 21/10/2023 17:33

EmpressaurusOfCats · 21/10/2023 16:09

IOS is said as the initials. I - O - S.

Show quote history

Which is pretty much how the Op said Io was pronounced eye-oh.
So putting that into a sentence with belongings, Oh that's io's top.

It really does sound like initials, I've come across a few people known by initials but they all have proper names they could revert to if they wanted to.

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