R Kelly - how bad is that initial & surname?

[thefirstmrskelly]

We love the name Rowan and it’s out long term favourite for a boy, but our surname is Kelly. Is R. Kelly unusable? I’m leaning to no, even if people make the connection now it will fade throughout his life. But just want some outside opinions.

It's my surname too, and Rowan is on my list, I genuinely hadn't thought of this!

I don't even understand the reference.

When do you ever see someone's name written like that? We have two mick/ Michael Jackson's at work.

Row Wankily.

It’s like a synonym for the poncy part of the Henley Regatta.

Im sorry OP, Rowan is lovely but I don’t think it works

Avoid

Well you will be in the very small minority since he's pretty famous and most people would have heard of him.

I wouldn't. Rowan is lovely for sure

R Kelly is worse than Rolf Harris I think, unless I've missed some Rolf Harris information obviously Rolf Harris is a much more distinctive name.

Did you hear R Kelly died?

He believed he could fly....

It's so bad, it's good?! 😆

@mikado1 yeah you've definitely missed a few bits and pieces about rolf Harris, the convicted paedophile.

I definitely wouldn't

I don't agree with that. Rolf Harris was an absolute sicko.

Both terrible people.

Is that linked to an American pop star who did bad things , I seem to remember a bad man from many years ago when I had my second son many years ago .

I’ve got the initials of a famous rapper and people do actually call me by his name sometimes. Two friends always.

I think it's fine. Go with the name you like.

I see both sides. Oh one hand I think it's a popular surname, his generation won't know the connection etc. On the other hand, I totally understand your concerns as it's not a nice association.

Nobody is ever going to refer to your child as R Kelly, verbally, because we don't do that but 'first initial, surname' is a common way we list names written down for various things so he will definitely go through life having his name written down as R Kelly. Only you can decide how much that would bother you.

There must be tones of R Kellys out there who have to live with it. Would I, personally, give a child those initials now, knowing what R Kelly did? No. But I am not you. Rowan is a gorgeous name so I totally understand your dilemma.

Thanks everyone. I'm still so undecided and struggling to let go of the only name DH and I both love and agree on 😫 It would be easier if there were a short list, but no.

Not really sorry.

I wouldn’t do it.

I'd be more concerned that the name would be ro-WAN K-elly.

R Kelly won't be remembered. Kelly is a common name (maybe less common in the UK than Ireland) - and it wouldn't be like calling your child James Savile..

Robin or Ronan would work better.

Also (experience speaking) it will be written on every piece of post the child receives.

Miss R. Kelly

and on her bank card.

I don't know about that I can remember a bit of a stir about him from twenty five years ago . so even that is quite a while ago . He can cause quite a bit of stir about people have quite long memories this isn't recent. There is quite a lot of history there

He’s been in the news more recently.

BBC News - “In 2022, he was jailed for 30 years after being found guilty of eight counts of sex trafficking and one of racketeering in a New York court.
Months later, he was convicted of child sexual abuse in a second federal trial in Chicago.”

Well done for spotting this!!

Well his name is Robert Kelly not Rowan Kelly.

Kelly is a very common surname - there must be thousands of R Kellys. Rowan is a lovely name.