I like unique names

@sissy15 (12290)
United States
September 20, 2020 10:59pm CST
I think one of the hardest things you can do as a parent besides actually parenting is giving your child a name. I automatically knew what I was going to name my son long before he was born. I told my husband and he was on board. I won't give my son's name due to personal reasons but I have mentioned it before but I've kind of been on the fence with personal information here. I did give him a unique name with a certain spelling that I've looked up and there are fewer than 100 people ever with his name. I looked up the statistics once. I have heard names similar but spelled differently but his exact name is not remotely common. I have always liked unique names because while my actual name isn't super common it's not uncommon either. I grew up with another girl in my class from kindergarten to 12th grade with my name and it was incredibly confusing. It got easier once we got to jr. high and didn't have all of the same classes. I just remember how many mix ups there were. I didn't want that for my son. I wanted him to hear his name and know they were most likely talking about him. I remember the many mix ups from my childhood. I would get blamed for things the other girl did or I once spoke out of turn because the teacher called our shared name and I thought I was being called and the jerk teacher wrote my name on the board. She could have just said "I'm sorry the other one" but nope I got in trouble. I just didn't want this for him. I also didn't want something super bizarre that he'd be constantly made fun of either. I wasn't going to name him Apple or Blueberry or anything else off the wall. I don't make the kind of money to get away with being that weird lol. His name is unique but not bizarre. Just different. I have had people love it and people hate it of course they haven't said anything since I've had him but when I told people when I was pregnant they tried to talk me out of it like it was their kid or something telling me I should go with something more traditional. I gave him two middle names so if he ever decided he didn't like his first name he could go by one of those. He really loves his name but it can be pronounced a couple of different ways and he hates the one way and I told him I liked that it could be pronounced a couple of different ways because he could choose later to have it said a different way if he really wanted. I have a couple of friends that also have names like that and while one goes with the traditional way he was raised pronouncing it the other changed the pronunciation of hers. It gives them options without actually having to change their names. My son prefers the way we have always pronounced his and I told him the other way isn't actually wrong it's a matter of preference and that he needs to be polite when someone says it the other way and tell them how to say it. He also often has people who completely mess his name up and goes with the closest common name close to his and he gets that quite a bit. My MIL actually saw how we spelled it and did this. My husband corrected her. She didn't meet our son until he was two so she never actually heard us say it. I think she thought it was a typo. My son doesn't like it but has gotten used to it. There are downsides to having uncommon names too. I just like that my son is the only person with his exact name and by this I mean first and last name. The same is true of my name. Neither my maiden name or married last name are super common. Albeit my married name is slightly more common than my maiden name. When people look for me they find me and that can be a bad thing at times I suppose but at least I don't deal with the confusion of other people with my name. My ex SIL had been turned down for a house loan due to them finding the wrong person with her name that had a bad reputation so sometimes unique names help.
6 people like this
7 responses
• Indonesia
21 Sep 20
hahahah, about the name I actually remember when choosing a name for my first child. I got to argue with my wife about the child's name, and finally we asked which was the best name through Facebook.
2 people like this
@sissy15 (12290)
• United States
21 Sep 20
did you win? I didn't give my husband much of a choice but he didn't seem to mind. I figure I was the one going through labor and who had to do most of the child rearing and my son was getting his last name so I should get to choose the first name. We chose two first names for both genders since we both have a twin parent and didn't want to be unprepared just in case and he did help choose the other name but we didn't need it.
1 person likes this
• Indonesia
21 Sep 20
@sissy15 Unfortunately the name I prepared was not chosen . In the polls on Facebook, I chose my wife's name. It's okay, all the names we prepared look good.
2 people like this
@sissy15 (12290)
• United States
21 Sep 20
@Vicentbayu As long as both of you and your child is happy with their name that's all that really matters.
2 people like this
• India
21 Sep 20
Barbie and mercedes are names of people as well
2 people like this
@sissy15 (12290)
• United States
21 Sep 20
I am well aware I've met people with the name Mercedes actually that's the name of one of my cousins but I have never personally met a Barbie just Barb or Barbara.
1 person likes this
• India
21 Sep 20
@sissy15 till a certain point he would be known by his parents' name
@kaylachan (68508)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
21 Sep 20
I know what you mean. I kept my legal name, but growing up it was akward at times. My parents were somewhat traditionlists you could say. They were the type to name a child, after them. My parents' biological son got my father's name and I got my mom's. May she rest in peace, I'm glad no one can confuse us, or I have to give personal information so people don't confuse us.
2 people like this
@sissy15 (12290)
• United States
21 Sep 20
My mom did that with my oldest brother and the guy wasn't even his biological father. She was pregnant when she married him with another man's baby and he knew it and ironically actually preferred my brother to his biological daughters. My name is actually a mix between my dad's name and another name she liked she didn't realize it was already a fairly common name in the black community which I'm not black so I get some looks when they see a pale girl walk in with that name. My initials are the same as my dad's and my middle name came from a famous TV actress that my mom liked I learned this years later after I knew her name and loved the show too. My brother was almost named after my dad but my dad didn't want this and he was given my dad's first name as a middle name. My other sister was also named after her dad. Her name is a unisex name but is similar to her dad's without actually being her dad's. My other sister has a name that is typically just a nickname for another name but her's isn't the shortened form it's just her name. I think only me and my one sister have names that are truly on the more unique side. I just wanted a name I didn't think a bunch of other kids would have. My one sister gave my niece a super common name and you can't go anywhere without hearing her name. I am fine with people giving their kids traditional names I mean that's their choice but I definitely have my reasons for giving my son a unique name. Although being unique is in now it seems.
1 person likes this
• Agra, India
21 Sep 20
I agree Putting a special name is definitely a big parenting challenge.e
1 person likes this
@sissy15 (12290)
• United States
21 Sep 20
It's hard when you know they'll have it for life.
1 person likes this
• Agra, India
21 Sep 20
@sissy15 yes...so true. And I'm unhappy with my son's name because my fil named my child and I did not like the name.
2 people like this
@sissy15 (12290)
• United States
21 Sep 20
@amitkokiladitya That's too bad. I didn't give anyone a choice in my son's name. I told my husband that I was the one who had to go through labor and I was the one primarily taking care of him so it should be my choice and he didn't fight me on it. He seemed ok with it for the most part. I mean if he really detested it I probably would have tried to find a compromise but thankfully he was content with it. The only people who didn't care for the name were a few family members and now no one can imagine him by any other name because the name suits him.
2 people like this
@erictsuma (9726)
• Mombasa, Kenya
21 Sep 20
Yes a unique name is very important, it's a personal brand.
2 people like this
@mochang (574)
• Philippines
21 Sep 20
It is really important to have a good name as we will be carrying it throughout.
2 people like this
@jstory07 (139354)
• Roseburg, Oregon
21 Sep 20
That is good that you gave your son a unique name.
1 person likes this