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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Dating a guy with an awful first name (light-hearted)

458 replies

whatsinanameanywayright · 03/07/2023 14:13

To be clear - this is a lighthearted thread - I know he can't help his name and I'm obviously going to carry on seeing this guy - we met on a dating app and I knew his name before matching with him.. but it's a very unsexy name.. really not a fan of it. Can't figure out a nickname that works either (he's told me a nickname his friends use too and I'm not a fan of that either) - although to be clear he has no idea I have any qualms with his name of course!

So for anyone else who's ever done this - I assume you just get used to the name after a while and it stops being so strange!?... Um.. right...!?

Feel free to guess his name/give me your worst names for a guy and if it would ever stop you from dating him?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
7
JudgeAnderson · 03/07/2023 15:44

Finbar?

Finbar Saunders and his double entendres 😂

Jenasaurus · 03/07/2023 15:45

KittytheHare · 03/07/2023 15:42

I trawled through the entire thread because I knew at some stage DH's name would appear😀

Its Adolf isnt it

momtoboys · 03/07/2023 15:45

When I was young I dated a young man named Lynn Dick!

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 03/07/2023 15:45

Not wanting to derail, but I sometimes wonder if this also extends to unattractive car names, in whether or not people are put off buying one. Would more people buy a Dacia Duster if they'd named it the Dacia Deathstar, Destroyer, Dragon, Duane or something? I don't know if the rumours were true that it shared the exact same chassis as the Vauxhall Voshingupsponge Grin

Fimat · 03/07/2023 15:46

I really don’t get all the hatred of Barry…
I know loads of Barrys but am in Ireland and it’s an Irish name.
Barry Keoghan a famous and pretty cool Barry!

MysteryBelle · 03/07/2023 15:46

HonorHiding · 03/07/2023 15:43

I went out with a Bernard (American pron Ber-NARD). I had to draw the line at Dickon though. It was a family name down however many generations. I thought the only thing worse than marrying a Dickon would be to have his family telling you to name your first son Dickon.

Aww I like Dickon, he is Mary’s kind friend in The Secret Garden.

Jenasaurus · 03/07/2023 15:46

My dad hated his first name, he was called after his father, both called Oliver so he went by his middle name John, which I think isn't as nice as Oliver, his mum however introduced him as Sunny, which he also hated!

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 03/07/2023 15:46

When I was young I dated a young man named Lynn Dick!

A man called Lynn?!

Fish from Marillion's real name is Derek Willy Dick!

speakout · 03/07/2023 15:47

I dated a guy called Crompton ( first name) I thought it was sweet.

I also dated a guy with a bad first name, but surname was Stevens, people called him Stevie.

KatherineSwynford1403 · 03/07/2023 15:47

ThePersistenceOfMammories · 03/07/2023 15:18

I’ve always hated the name Gavin.

mine, my sister and my best friends husband are all called Gavin 😂

My favourite ex is called Gavin.

HonorHiding · 03/07/2023 15:47

MysteryBelle · 03/07/2023 15:46

Aww I like Dickon, he is Mary’s kind friend in The Secret Garden.

Was it on your baby names list though, @MysteryBelle ?

gemstoneju · 03/07/2023 15:48

Roger, Raymond, Neville, Walter, Norman, Ernest, Eric, Gilbert, Harold, Herbie, Malcolm...? oh tell us, OP!

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 03/07/2023 15:49

I really don’t get all the hatred of Barry…
I know loads of Barrys but am in Ireland and it’s an Irish name.
Barry Keoghan a famous and pretty cool Barry!

Also, Barry McGuigan - real name Finbar, which I think sounds sooo cool!

Jenasaurus · 03/07/2023 15:49

I also dont like the name Vaugn as a boy in my class with a permanent runny nose and bully was the only person I know called that

NameTrouble · 03/07/2023 15:50

My friend keeps trying to get me to date a Finn though she knows I hate the name and that I don't want to date anyone. He's Australian too. Double no. I doubt poor Finn is anymore interested than I am.

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 03/07/2023 15:50

I sometimes wonder if this also extends to unattractive car names, in whether or not people are put off buying one

Well, there was the Vauxhall Nova, which allegedly didn't sell well in Spain because Nova means 'doesn't go.'

Lentilweaver · 03/07/2023 15:50

I don't think Barry is so bad. Could have been Clive. Or Albert. Or Bartholomew.

Or the new age pop star names. Could have been Zowie Bowie. Or Wolf. Or Moses. Or Brooklyn.

KatherineSwynford1403 · 03/07/2023 15:50

Barry Bannan

Jenasaurus · 03/07/2023 15:51

my BIL is a Clive and suits it well

loislovesstewie · 03/07/2023 15:51

My friend,many years ago, got engaged to a young man called John,not an unusual name. However when they went to arrange the wedding , it transpired that his first name was Herbert. He hated the name,the parents had named him after a grandfather who was thought to have money. He was never called Herbert. NO ONE knew his name was actually Herbert,sadly there were some sniggers in the congregation when his real first name was revealed. And then of course being RC he also had a confirmation name. Guess what that was?

MysteryBelle · 03/07/2023 15:51

HonorHiding · 03/07/2023 15:47

Was it on your baby names list though, @MysteryBelle ?

My husband chose our son’s name @HonorHiding, he was set on it and it was the only one we could agree on and I actually love it. So Dickon didn’t get a chance sadly.

SwedishEdith · 03/07/2023 15:51

I know someone who was married to a Nigel, divorced and then got together with another Nigel. How unlucky is that?

I had a boyfriend with a bad (to me) name. I just avoided saying it and referred to "my boyfriend".

MzHz · 03/07/2023 15:52

On Online Dating Hard No List was anyone with the name Dave.

😂

FatherJackHackettsUnderpantsHamper · 03/07/2023 15:52

Dickon is worse than Barry by several levels. Apart from it rhyming (nearly) with chicken, it's obvious what everybody will shorten it to - you've made it so easy for them! At least with Richard, you can go by Rick or Rich instead.

gemstoneju · 03/07/2023 15:53

TrundleWheel76 · 03/07/2023 15:37

I went out with a Gérard and a Clark. Neither lasted long, at least partly due to their terrible names.

My OH has a sensible, normal name. 😆

What's wrong with Gerard? It's really nice, lots of Irishmen have that name.

Although some poor Irish men have been saddled with 'Plunkett' and I even heard of a girl called 'Markieviez', after the Republican heroes.