Baby Name Horrors

By: Elizabeth Hansen

Choosing a baby name can either be an easy baby checklist item or a daunting task! What really matters in this process is that mom and dad are both in love with the name and happy with their decision. However, that doesn’t mean that every name is necessarily the best in the long run.

When naming your baby, here are some baby name horrors to be aware of:

1. Baby’s Initials: Sometimes you have a great name picked out that you just love or even a first and middle name that you have fallen in love with. But, before you get too excited about the name, it’s a good idea to take a look at what baby’s initials will spell. I remember many times in elementary and middle school, we loved to learn and write down everyone’s initials from our class and figure out who had the coolest initials—or the funniest. One person had the initials of SEX—don’t even get middle schoolers started on that one. Someone else had BS as their first and last initials. Some other potential, not coveted, initials are LSD, BAD, SHT, etc. If you love the name so much that potential awkward initials don’t bother you, that is totally fine. But, it is something worth considering before putting your baby through potential teasing growing up.

2. Potential Nicknames: Sometimes parents name their children with the plan of using a nickname. For example, Connor John becomes CJ, or Aly Jessica become AJ. But, there could be names that have become inappropriate or less than desirable in our day. For example, if you name your child Richard and call him Dick for short, adolescents nowadays will not see that name the same way as the parents. Or, if your name is Ben Dover . . . did you get it? These types of names don’t happen often, but are still good to keep in mind.

3. Current/Past Events: Many people find names they would like to use from thinking of their favorite celebrities, book/movie characters, and more. Even I have looked to those names for possible ideas. But, sometimes celebrities and move/book characters aren’t the best role models. There are people in the limelight who are excellent role models. But, sometimes a beloved celebrity can turn bad. Obviously, this cannot be predicted, but something to consider. Definitely make sure you check names based on famous people to see what baggage they carry. You don’t want your child with no real reputation yet to be teased based on someone else’s life.

Spellings: Originality. Sometimes it feels like every name has been used and it’s hard to feel like you aren’t just using your best friend’s child’s name or that name your second cousin used last year. Everyone wants to feel original and special. An original spelling can be fun and unique. But, (bear with my hyperbole), if Emily becomes Eimm3yli7e, perhaps it has gone too far, especially for a five year old to spell on their “what do you want to be when you grow up” assignment.