Can someone explain the term ‘try hard’ in the context of baby names.

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As the title says. I’m reading the threads and someone always uses the term ‘try hard’ to give their opinion on a name. I genuinely don’t know what this means?

it seems to be a derogatory term or even a euphemism?

I get if you love, like, dislike a name. I also appreciate names considered classics or historically posh etc but try hard I just don’t understand.

just curious

Excllent - use away if you think it makes you sound more interesting, but own it and honour the culture properly by educating yourself about it. Learn the language, visit the country etc - otherwise you'll be that try hard parent who simply pays lip service to it and whose desperation to be yooneeq shines through.

Trying hard to find a beautiful name that’s not overused is surely NOT the same as giving your child a ‘ridiculous’ name?!

What constitutes a ‘ridiculous’ name in your opinion? Princessina Salami or Willibert Poo? Those are ridiculous indeed.

Try-hard names are beautiful underused names that the parents’ ACTUALLY did try hard to find.

Learn the language?

So parents of Madeleine, Louis etc have to learn French, parents of Otto, Anneliese German and parents of Penelope have to learn Greek???

I agree with your analysis - the first poster has a massive chip and doesn't understand what the expression means in this context.

It's about literally trying too hard to create an impression with a child's name - which doesn't seem to come naturally or 'organically' - as you say, something a bit too edgy or statement-y or achingly trendy, rather than thinking 'now what name would just be nice for my child?'

We had a Calliope at my kids school back in the 90's - her family were from Greece so perfectly normal for them. I also knew a woman when my kids were at nursery who had a daughter called Pebbles. I thought at first it was a nickname but no, it was her actual name. I did wonder if she had been a boy whether she would have called her Bam Bam (Flintstones reference for those who might not realise).

I think people who give their kids stupid names like that need to be taken out and shot. (Hyperbole, I'm not advocating for the death penalty.)

Amy Lee called her kid Jack with Lion as a middle name. Don't mind that, middle names can be a bit silly, but first names should be somewhat sensible.

You have given names that are anglicised. However, if you're going to honour a long dead relative and call your child something like Anatoliy because you think it makes you sound more interesting (it doesn't) then yes, own it and your claim to be linked to that culture. Otherwise you just seem ignorant.

I'm always reminded of my friend from years ago who gave her dc an unusual Italian name. No connection to Italy, no adherence to the customs or culture - she and her DC just thought it was a unique name. That lasted until the first day of nursery when a little boy from an Italian family pitched up with the same name. They were the only children in the class with the same names- was v funny.

@OneBookTooMany

I think I'm allowed to be judgy about crap schools because I went to one. It's not even a class thing it's a shitty small town suburban thing. I think it's pretty unlikely my son would end up in prison, but surely being in jail is pretty shit no matter what your name is? He's currently incredibly nerdy and a bit socially awkward so I'd be pretty surprised if he chose a career working in the criminal justice system when he's older but I'm sure he'd manage if that's what he wants to do. It's not Jaxxon or anything like that it's just an unusual Welsh name.

I'm not totally daft. I use a shortened cutesy name for my daughter which is what everyone calls her but her actual name is more sensible incase she wants to do something super serious like be a barrister or something when she's older.

Yes it's derogatory, and says more about the speaker than the person they're sneering at. The fact that people here have at least 3 different views of who it is for sneering at supports that view.
FWIW I think Persimmon is a beautiful name, whereas names like Paige, Tyler, Scout, Piper, Carter and Mason make me wonder why.
But in the end they are just people who luckily have a name we can call them by.

I neither find it funny that two boys have same Italian name nor do I feel you sound ignorant naming your son Otto or Anatole without speaking German or Greek fluently.

This thread shows how different some people view parents’ intentions - I guess we’re all influenced by our own upbringing and how open minded our community is.

Oooh! When was this roughly? There was a Pebbles at my DC1's nursery, he's 16 now.

I find it funny that someone's desperation to be unique in this way can be undone so easily. It's a good life lesson - go fo a name you both like. Don't try too hard to be unique because there's every possibility that the same name will crop up in your child's life - and when a fellow Anatoliy turns up in your child's class, at least be able to show your awareness of the culture and traditions you're purporting to honour through your use of the name.

@Mariammaom , but the names tend not to sound the same in a British accent.

Go on, admit it: you called her Ayslhyn didn’t you? 😃

What the hell is wrong with Jane or Mary?

Agree with the sentiment of the OP. If you don't like the name, or you think a child with said name could be teased or worse, then say so.

My sons name is possibly try hard.
IT's a welsh name, honohring our welsh heritage and grandparents.
We have only been to Wales three times. We don't speak Welsh.
It'ss very hard to spell and even I don't spell it correctly all the time.
It also sounds like a popular 'common' name, so it looks like we just did a weird spelling of a common name.

😂

Lots of versions of try hard. It’s absolutely not just a classist statement, but of course some could use it that way. It is more about trying to prove something with the name. If that’s class, importance, originality, or something else. I think anyone naming their child Princess Banana Boat of the Morning would be try hard. But also think someone naming their child Luke Skywalker is try hard, for a different reason. Naming your child Trevor and spelling it Treyvehour is try hard because you’re trying WAY too hard to be original without actually eve being original. Ye know?

What is the name? That’s the only way we will be able to tell you specifically why it is try hard.

Real life examples being MC middle management people calling their son Bodhi, or that influencer who has a kid called Koazy. Koazy!

Oh, I LOVE Koazy! 💖But I wouldn't dare use it, as I fear that contrarians WOULD insist on mispronouncing it like he's a tea cosy, ☕instead of the proper, beautiful ko-WAAH-zee! 🐨 Just like my Easy is constantly being called "E-Z", like the instant noodles 🍝. It's pronounced ee-YAAW-zee, people 🌶- was that really so difficult ??!!?? 🙄

After I had my son, also a Welsh name, people kept asking me if I spoke Welsh so I ended up learning a bit on Duolingo. I'd really recommend it, it's a fun language and if you learn the alphabet you will no longer struggle to spell your sons name! If you go to north Wales and attempt to speak Welsh people are really nice to you even if you butcher it.

Of course they sound a little different. French names like Esmé or Madeleine are pronounced differently by British speakers. Is that a problem?

Trying to be cool or trying to be unique. Rather than trying to find a name you love.

That is just silly, to give your own child a name you can’t say or spell correctly.

I still don’t agree with your views, especially your implication that parents must be ‘desperate’ to be ‘unique’ and the need to learn the language & culture of another country if they choose a name from that country.

Your comments say more about your world views than that of the parents choosing a name they love (in my opinion).

And how can you tell the difference? Do you interview the parents and ask about the details of their family history, how educated they are, what languages they speak, what names they really love?

Giving boys names to girls is incredibly sexist.

No one ever gives boys girls names. Because boys names are ‘better’ so it’s fine to give a girl a strong, masculine name but terrible to saddle a boy with a weak, feminine name.

I hate that more than any other form of try-hard, yoonique naming.