has your child's name caused problems in their life?

[Anonymous]

My name is pretty ugly and I share it with the heroine of a popular movie, and while this has not caused me "detectable" harm, I think my mom made a mistake. I know kids will find any way to ease other kids, but I was horribly, horribly teased for it a lot and moreover I just really don't like it. A lot of people like how retro it is, but that doesn't do me any good in moments such as my husband trying and utterly failing to say it in a sexy way because it cannot possibly be said in a sexy way (sorry to bring that up when you're naming your kid).

To my mom's credit she gave me a middle name that is pretty cool that I could use as a backup but I could never get it to stick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My name is pretty ugly and I share it with the heroine of a popular movie, and while this has not caused me "detectable" harm, I think my mom made a mistake. I know kids will find any way to ease other kids, but I was horribly, horribly teased for it a lot and moreover I just really don't like it. A lot of people like how retro it is, but that doesn't do me any good in moments such as my husband trying and utterly failing to say it in a sexy way because it cannot possibly be said in a sexy way (sorry to bring that up when you're naming your kid).

To my mom's credit she gave me a middle name that is pretty cool that I could use as a backup but I could never get it to stick.

Harriet?

[Anonymous]

I noticed that both of my kids have names that get mispronounced which was not something I completely expected when I was naming them. In one case there is a more unusual version of the name so imagine naming a kid Micah and being constantly referred to as Michael. In the other kid she goes by a nickname version of her name 99% of the time but her full name sometimes people will mispronounce it (like if her name was Sandra people pronounce it as Sauundra vs SAHndra)

[Anonymous]

We live in TX where a huge population speak Spanish. Don't call your daughter "Ava" if she has genes which mean she will be a bit bigger/taller. Everyone will call her Big Bird once they learn what "ava" is in preschool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I noticed that both of my kids have names that get mispronounced which was not something I completely expected when I was naming them. In one case there is a more unusual version of the name so imagine naming a kid Micah and being constantly referred to as Michael. In the other kid she goes by a nickname version of her name 99% of the time but her full name sometimes people will mispronounce it (like if her name was Sandra people pronounce it as Sauundra vs SAHndra)

I'm a Michelle, which was quite common growing up, and I still get referred to as Michael fairly often.

[Anonymous]

Frustrating to come across seemingly common names but with a non intuitive, less common or unique pronunciation.

Grew up with a Tara. Tare-uh. Not TARR-uh. Fine until we got HS and there were 2 TARRuhs. So confusing.

Real life examples include Andrea; ANN-dree-uh, AHN dreeuh, ohn DRAY uh

Patricia said as Pa TREE see uh

Lara = Lora
Verna = Vern-nay
Rene = Reen not Renee
Colleen = COE leen

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a very common name spelled slightly uniquely. It’s nothing but an annoyance. My kids have traditional but not super popular names with one established spelling.

+1, a name with one standard spelling and pronunciation was a criteria for us. I have a name with five or six common spellings and pronunciations, and especially as it’s become more popular to use non-English spellings/pronunciations in the US, it gets confusing.

DP. My friend who is from the US (and not even remotely Latino!) and her Spanish husband (as in, from Barcelona) intentionally chose names that would work in both Spanish and English pretty fluidly. Think, Gabriel for a boy.

+1
So many names to choose from that go in Europe (including UK), North America, and South America:
Sofia/Sophia
Sara/Sarah
David
Emilia
Amelia
Henry
Daniel
Eva
Max
Vincent
Gabriel
Olivia
Clara
Maya
Cynthia
Hugo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a double first name that is just uncommon enough that when introduce myself, people sometimes assume I am saying my both first and last names.

Sarah-Boxley? (That was my sorority sister who always had the same problem. Wondered if it was you! )

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As far as I know, my kids like their names. On the other hand:

My mother had an extremely common name for her generation, which she hated. As a result, she invented a name (she thought, it’s apparently not uncommon in a foreign country, but pronounced differently). Regardless of how carefully I spell it out, people tend to spontaneously transform it to obe of several familiar names that are similar. As a result, my medical records have been lost countless times. Mispronunciation is a given. It didn’t help that my father thought it was too big a mouthful, so they gave me a nickname that was only slightly more common. My grandparents didn’t like that nickname, so they gave me another with common alternate spellings. (It thoroughly confused our church that heard half our family calling me one thing, the other half calling me something else, neither of which was my actual name. Nobody used that.) When I went away to college, I tried to simplify my life as much as possible by dropping the nicknames and just using my formal first name. Unfortunately, my college boyfriend who I married shortly after graduation had an unusual last name. I could, of course, have retained my maiden name, but I preferred to adopt his.

Over the years, my answer when asked my name has evolved. I now automatically answer along the lines of “Larle, L-A-R-L-E, like Larla but with an “e” at the end instead of an “a”. This reduces, but does not eliminate confusion. Meanwhile, if I’m at the doctor’s office, waiting for them to call my name, I know I won’t actually hear my name. I may hear one of a handful of similar names, or something that has been completely mangled. The mangled versions are actually more helpful, because when I check if the conventional name was supposed to be mine, sometimes it’s actually someone else’s.

My mother succeeded in that I’ve never had confusion caused by someone having my same name. I have, however, had confusion caused by others having similar names that seem more likely to others than my own.

I love a good Larla post! What a blast from the past

Sabine?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We live in TX where a huge population speak Spanish. Don't call your daughter "Ava" if she has genes which mean she will be a bit bigger/taller. Everyone will call her Big Bird once they learn what "ava" is in preschool.

...or Cara, unless she's good humored and doesn't mind being called "Face" or "The Face).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a double first name that is just uncommon enough that when introduce myself, people sometimes assume I am saying my both first and last names.

I know a kid named Mary Chandler (as her first name.) I immediately thought of her when you said this.

My daughters have a friend named Mary Wright as her first name. Sometimes they just call her Mary, sometimes it's M Dub. I wonder what she'll end up going by later in life (they're in elementary school now).

[Anonymous]

PP and I get confused by people with surnames that sound like commonly heard
given names. I’ve known people with the last names of Shirley, Allison, Meredith, Daniel, Susi, Lori, Bryan, David.

Takes me a moment to put the name in proper order and not call his/her by last name.

I had an aunt named Mary Jane Smith. Parents, do better if you have a very common surname! This is your chance to tack on a distinctive and distinguished first name. No John and Mary Smiths.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS's name is an animal. So far the worst that has happened is some minor confusion among certain younger kids in daycare/preschool.

He's in ES now and thinks his name rocks. It also suits him perfectly!

I am curious about this one!

Tiger.
I know a boy with the actual first name of Tiger.

I know a Tyger. Pronounced the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MIL's name reminded me of luncheon meat. She wanted me to give it to my DD and I put my foot down. Even though nobody in her generation would probably make fun of her name, i wasn't too sure about the 21st century. We went with her very common middle name instead.

Salome.

She wanted you? You and your husband? But really, how uncool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS's name is an animal. So far the worst that has happened is some minor confusion among certain younger kids in daycare/preschool.

He's in ES now and thinks his name rocks. It also suits him perfectly!

Badger?

Colt?