Arch

[KatieB356]

A male colleague has just announced that his son is Arch, just Arch. Not short for Archibald or Archer / Archie and now I want to add it to my shortlist as I absolutely love it however with Arch not being too popular would I look like I have stolen their name?

God awful name unless your surname is Enemy.

No, but this child isn’t born or called Arch! It’s a hypothetical situation.

Fair point, to be honest 🙂

But actually, the reason I said what I said, was because I commented saying I know somebody called Archie who has his name shortened to Arch. Somebody commented in utter disbelief like they'd officially named their child something massively offensive. When it was actually just a shortening. Which happens to pretty much every name in existence.

That's not true. Some names can't be shortened but they can be lengthened.

Be careful if your surname is Ewell. You could end up in a US lawsuit...

I really don't think it's a kindness to call someone Arch. Archie or Archiebald and then let him shorten it if HE wants to when he's old enough.

I’ve only ever heard of Arch Stanton, mentioned in the spaghetti western film The good, the bad and the ugly.

Indeed … a child deliberately named Arch is very likely to end up being called Archie as a nickname anyway I’d have thought.

Even if it's a name that technically can't be shortened, it can still be shortened to just the first letter, which I have seen happen. Good or not.

Even if it's a name that technically can't be shortened, it can still be shortened to just the first letter

Some of which can be names - Bea, Dee, Kay, Em.

Please tell me his sibling was called Seethe?

True. It doesn't happen to me but my name gets lengthened to a few different things. My name is slightly easier to say than the initial.

I dislike Archibald, and even more so, Archie.
However Arch is more mature sounding , strong and short, and has a different vibe to it, but yes, it would sound like you'd used the recently chosen name of a co-worker's DS. How could it not?
I used the name of one of a co-worker's DDs , but asked her first if she would mind, and she was pleased and happy for me to do that.
Maybe ask first if they'd mind?

Exactly. It isn't just the architectural term, but also arch as in an arch reply.

I think it is ridiculous.

Might as well call him Snide.

So A as in "Eh" then?

He'd spend his life repeating himself ...

😂

No my cup of tea I don’t personally like archer, Archie, Archibald but Arch is something everyone will assume is the shortened version of one of those

It seems that over the past 15 years, people have chosen increasingly absurd names for their children. One day, a large group of adults will have silly, puppy-like, or completely nonsensical names. Best part is that they’ve also been copied by work colleagues.

I'd only use it, if I was planning on moving jobs and not having contact with any of my coworkers. Otherwise, yeah, it would look like you stole their name.

There are plenty of nicer names out there too.