Would you choose a baby name you know most people dislike?

[BisB]

We're considering giving our daughter a name that we already know is going to be almost universally disliked. It's a very uncommon name (don't think there have been any registered in the UK). We both think it's pretty, and it has (religious) meaning for us. Our other children have more common names that are generally liked by the majority of people. We have saved this name prior to this baby because I haven't been brave enough to use it. DH really wants to just go for it. He couldn't care less about what other people think, but I am more concerned that they're going to be cruel and judgemental and think that we were trying too hard to be "unique" (which isn't our intention). I would like to avoid saying the name on this thread because I am looking for opinions on the situation rather than opinions on the name itself. What would you do?

Just no. You may be religious people and hope that your daughter will be a devout Christian too, but she will have her own opinions and might not be religious at all.

I really don’t like it as a name anyway, and more importantly I just don’t understand why you would want to give your child a name you know most people will dislike, and which will cause her to stand out - not for good reasons - and have it commented on for her whole life. Tbh I think it would be selfish of you.

If you’re really so keen on it, use it as her middle name.

Yep, my husband and I decided what our little girl's name will be. It's not liked by most people but they'll get over it.

It's not an awful name, but I tend to agree with the pp. She will stand out. She may be shy, but she'll be the only kid in the school/town/her workplace when she's older with that name. No anonymity for her!

It doesn’t have a nice sound - kind of rough and scratchy IMO. Plus, it reminds me of the dandruff shampoo, Nizoral.

If I read it, I’d assume it was a boy’s name. It would be marginally better for a boy but still not great.

FWIW OP I think it's a perfectly nice name

I really like it, it’s really pretty! But I also know a girl called Bethlehem.

Bethany and Eden seem popular on MN.

Just call her Freya Rose or Ava Grace and be done with it. You wouldn't want her to stand out.

I can’t imagine why you think it’s pretty. It sounds masculine to me.

She can play with my daughter, I'm having a Lilith.

This!
That comment was so disingenuous. Anyone with eyes can see that calling a child Nazareth is different to calling her Slough. It’s like saying would you call a girl Carina or Lunula, Appendix or Spleen! Obviously one is better than the other.

I don’t think Nazareth is that bad to be honest. I think Naz is a cute nickname. Would agree with a more traditional middle name so she can choose to use that if she doesn’t like it when she’s older.
We have a teenager with a more unusual first name (although it’s massively increased in popularity recently, even on here where 15 years ago I suggested it and everyone mocked it!) and she has a plain middle name that she’s never felt the need to use because she rocks her name.

It does . I can imagine the Dingles (Emmerdale) "Come up to the cottage and ask our Nazareth" and some strapping 6 footer with hair rippling to his shoulderblades walks into the yard .

Honestly, l think people would think less about Jesus than about the politics of Nazareth, an Arab Muslim majority city in Israel with a fairly contentious past, land expropriation issues, under martial law for decades etc, and which has often been a centre for Palestinian nationalism.

How about Wigan?

Unfair on the DC as it has strong political connotations and is overtly religious (DC may become an atheist or prefer another religion). DC will get asked questions about it.

Your beliefs and desires: her who would have to deal with it.

Also unfair because DC’s siblings have more conventional names. The reasons you didn’t give them the name still apply.

My cousin named his son Ignatius nn Iggy. I did have a WTF reaction but actually now I like it (though not enough to name my imaginary son it).

I’d hope they would. They absolutely wouldn’t.

Like it 👍

114 Myras in the UK in 2024. The same number as there were Rachels, believe it or not.

Do they have any connection with the Jesuits? Their founder was called Ignatius.

Oh - well, it's certainly unusual! To me, it says 'religious fanatics' or 'fans of the hard rock band'. Naz as a nn is up there with Baz, Daz or Gaz (Barry, Darren or Gary) so doesn't have that going for it either imo.

If it's the name you love, then why not.

Iggy’s not that unusual. I know several, ranging from their 70s to toddlers.

I don't dislike the name as such but it sounds masculine for obvious reasons

Your daughter will almost certainly be called Naz or Nazzy by her schoolfriends and likely introduce herself as such just to make her life easier!

Could also go by Zara if she disliked her name later on

Or Eth - although people would assume her full name is Ethel, which, for some reason, is one of the few grandma names that resolutely haven't come back into fashion just yet!