Names You Would Never Use

[AubernFable]

I am an absolute name nerd and love hearing other people’s preferences, but instead of being boring and asking for your favourite, I want to hear your least favourite baby names.

Disclaimer: I am not encouraging anyone to hate on anyone’s name choices—everyone has different tastes and it makes life interesting. I just want to hear the names that you personally dislike or would never use.

Some of my least favourites…

Boys

Hunter – also see Gunner or any other violence-based, American-sounding name (Nameberry Baby Name Trends 2025)
Kai – Jax and similar three-letter names
Kayden – Jayden, Brayden
Archie/Teddy – shortened names in general
George – just don’t like it

Girls

Luna – and Nova sound like pet names to me
Emma – Olivia and Amelia type names, just because I know so many DC with those names
Savannah – I don’t know why
Francesca – weird because it’s similar to names I love
Poppy, Rosie, Ruby – cute but I feel like they don’t suit adults
Angel – also see Honey or Princess (all real DC)

In general, I don’t like unique spellings or really modern names like Graeyson, Blakely, Azra, or Kyndall.

I think Robbie is cute but I wouldn’t use it, Robert isn’t nice.

Linda
Laura
Chloe
Kayleigh
Lottie
Olivia
Eva

Eric
James
Kyden
Logan
Liam
Callum
William

I have a friend who is Robert, goes by Rob.
I have no problem with names like Daniel > Dan, William > Will, Thomas > Tom. It’s just the ‘ie’ nicknames that put my teeth on edge.

you can tell a lot about the parent from the name they choose for their child

Unisex names Alex, Sam etc

Especially hate when girls are given typical boys names Charlie, billy etc just don't understand out of the hundreds of pretty girls names why would a parent choose a boy's name

I don't understand the point of this thread and think it's quite cruel and judgemental.

Oh yeah can't stand olive either why would you name your daughter after a small oily piece of food

Just a bit of fun both of my children's names have been mentioned on here plus my own I expect to see the husband's soon.

Frilly, flowery, or too many vowel names like Genevieve, Petunia, Arabella, Jessica, Kayleigh, Annemarie, Bethany, Lucinda, Bianca. They sound ok on children, but I don’t think works as well on an adult.

Generic, popular names from the 70/80/90s, like Daniel, Graham, Mark, James, Gary, Stephen, Alexander, Andy, Chris, Nicholas. We have about 3 of each at work, it gets a bit confusing (and I find the names a bit dull!).

Babyish names as full names for girls - Darcy, Lily

Aggressive or very hard sounding names for boys - Hunter, Ryan

Boys’ names given to girls - until it’s as Ok to give girls’ names to boys, it’s an underlining of assumed male superiority.

I’m not mad about nicknames as full names, although I think this might be because as part of some research I had to do for work, it was v noticeable that working class kids in 19th C Britain often got called Molly or whatever, because it was assumed they’d never be in any situation that needed a formal name. Same as in the US - enslaved people were often only given short forms, when they were freed they often adopted full names to say I am a full person, just like you. I appreciate it doesn’t have this association to others..

I don’t like names without some sort of history or meaning either (I don’t mind made up names, if there’s thought behind them, but I am interested in language so that’s probably why.

Phyliss is to much like Syphilis and Senga is just Agnes backwards.

To share our preferences! Nobody has been nasty, bashed on anyones taste or, what I was most afraid of, been classist or racist about certain names. It’s all lighthearted and everyone, even people with names we’ve talked about, are joining in and adding the names they don’t like.

I love hearing about names, even ones that aren't my taste and it’s possible someone else’s least favourite name could be my new favourite.

Roger

Violet - too close to violent
Pearl/Ruby/any gemstone name - feels ‘cheap’
Olive - drab colour, nasty tasting fruit

Max - went to school with a boy who was nicknamed ‘waxy maxy’
Sam & George - both bring to mind greedy little boys (totally unreasonable I know)
All the ‘son’ names but especially Jaxon

Overused names like Alfie, Archie, Oliver, Harry, Theo... you may as well be called Boy 1, Boy 2 etc

Same for Sophie, Amelia, Olivia, Isabella etc they are just sooo boring from overused

Disclaimer: these are my personal dislikes and I don't think any less of people who use them.

Albert - just don't like the "alb" sound

Wayne - sounds like whine, and the first Wayne I ever knew was very whiney

Trudy- I knew one who was very smug and spoilt, and it's a rare enough name that I can't shake the association

Anything ending with -belle when -bel world do, or with -ie when it's usually -y, e.g. Hollie.

Boys' names becoming girls' names, especially Rory because there's a Rory in my extended family and it just feels weird

Callum with two Ls and Connor with two Ns. Not the original spelling. If you wouldn't write Robbert or Allice, you're on the way to understanding why it just looks a bit strange to me.

Jade - totally unfair but I just happen to have known several annoying ones.

Anything double barrelled, or spelt differently e.g. no Mae or Louie

Gunner & Jagger- seems violent
Sophie- I love Sophia but Sophie is a bit dull
Season names
Robert, Roberta- I really dislike and I don’t know why
Jacob/Jake/Jack- overused and dull
Dustin- like dustbin
Farley- sounds like Farty
Nevaeh- absolutely hate, just seems tacky(sorry!)
Miley- tacky again
Bodhi- reminds me of body odour🤢
Crispin- reminds me of crisps
Everleigh- not a fan of Leigh names
Luna- dog name
Harrison- don’t like
Mason- tacky
Vincent- don’t like
Ronnie- reminds me of a snotty child
Maya/Maia- pronunciation difficulties, same with Kaia/Kaya
Cormac- tarmac?
Betsy- dog name
Lucy- very overused
Florian and Fabian- not a fan
Florentina- not a fan

Bad boy names: Kevin, Jordan, Nigel, Keith, Jeremy, Bear

Bad girl names: Deborah, Denise, Wendy, Lauren, Jessica, Mary

And mine 😂

Christian or Frederik. I like both names however I grew up in Denmark the last 20 kings have been Christian or Frederick and the pronunciation in English is SO different. I could never use it

Girls name Olivia and Jessica. I find them both really harsh unpleasant sounds.

It's not a nick name, it's a shortening. And there's not a lot you can do about it, people will always shorten names, unless you tell them very firmly not to, in which case you probably WILL get a nick name!

Yes sorry, my mistake. I have no issue saying my name is (for example) Millicent not Millie to people I am getting to know but when it’s people I’ve known my whole life it’s tedious to get them to change. Lol I’ve probably had a good few of those nicknames too.

Not waxy maxy! 😭😂 Kids really come up with some wild sh*t sometimes, i think Violent Violet is pretty hardcore though.

Hard agree, I hate all of those except Payton which is okay ish. Ryker is an insane choice, sounds like Rikers Island.