How to test your name choice.

[mrmump]

A friend gave me these tips when deciding on a name for DC. Firstly, stand on your doorstep and shout the name (as if you were calling them in for tea). secondly, say the name in your grandma's voice, ie the most strongest of your regional accent. Still happy with you choice?
What "tests" do you have?

Let's promote x

A lot of my names fell down here.

Do you, x y z, take this man/woman to be your husband/wife?

(good for checking middle names)

lol great thread!

Google it. Put Doctor in front of it.

Do people piss themselves or vomit or produce any other bodily fluids when you run it past them?

Is it the name of a famous murderer or footballer?

Can you spell and pronounce it?

Does it make an amusing sentence/acronym with your surname?

Is it Fabio? (it should be)

This is what I do.

'This is your Captain Koolio Maynard speaking.'

This does not work with the name Koolio.

However,

'This is your Captain Henry Baker speaking,' works better. (tho not keen on Henry)

and

'All rise for Judge Chardonnay Wright'

This does not work.

However,

'All rise for Judge Imogen Cooper' works better.

and finally

'This is Kaden-Lee Checkley. News at Ten. In Iraq.'

Does not work.

'This is Owen Coleman. News at Ten. In Iraq.

Works better.

Would the defendant plaese stand.
Mr/Ms Potential Name you are accused of being a murderer and fruit shoot drinker....

If it scans fine then don't do it.

Ditto

Potential Name Tells All in Ashley Cole eight in a Bed kiss and tell shocker. See Pages 1,2, 3 , 6, 8, and centre spread photos

Ask yourself:

-does it sound like an alcho-pop that some 15 yr old will be swigging down the park?

-does it sound like a brand of toilet cleaner or sanitary protection?

-does it sound like an STD?

Tesco test if you're not happy shouting it up an aisle in Tesco then it doesn't pass

I went for names that passed the stripper/lawyer test. (eg works for both!)

So, Amy, Lucy, Jennifer work.

Honey, Laura and Margaret did not.

For boys I imagined it on the side of a van, and then with Dr infront.

Jonathan, Matthew and Paul all worked.

D'Arcy, Henley and Billy-Bob didn't.

I wanted a name that I thought worked well with every type of career.

I agree with whoever said about testing regional accents too. I almost had a Heather, but the dialect would have had 'Evver'.

Most of mine are covered here, the wedding test (I think my children's names sound lovely when said in full and my eldest always introduces them both with their full name!) accents (affected the spelling of my eldests name because I wanted to try and pull the emphasis away from the letter that wouldn't work in my local accent) jobs, would the name grow up.

Imagine it's your name...

Go somewhere you don't know anybody and introduce yourself with the name you intend to use. If you have to repeat it a thousand times, spell it out, or get any expressions that resemble the following - I would rethink your choice.

This is harder to do if you're test driving a boys name as a Mama to be...

Do I love the name & would I or my husband be embarrassed to be called it?