It's a cool, icy day out today. Which makes it perfect for some hot tea. I hope you've enjoyed some today. For a few days I've been thinking about people's names. So here's my thoughts.
What are names today? I feel so darn OLD. I have a a name like a real person. Most of my friends have people names. We are normal. What the heck are people doing calling their offspring any old noun that they want? It used to be that people just wanted to be different in how they spelled normal people names. Lukas or Lucas, Theresa or Teresa. No big deal. Today I see names that are just not names. Celebrities are not the best to use because, well they live in a different world, but I'll start there. Some of their chosen offspring names are: Apple, Audio, Bronx, Cricket, Denim, Dream, Future, Java, Maple, North, Pilot and Story. What heck? Did they open up a dictionary and point at a random word and say that's our kid's name?
But this isn't just celebrities. This trend is heading mainstream. I kid you not! I know people who have given their offspring names like Tweed. I guess this shouldn't be surprising since one of the top unusual names for 2018 according to NameBerry is Taffeta. I'm really surprised grammar check didn't correct me capitalizing that word.
 |
| Tweed |
I don't believe parents have thought through some of these very odd names. Maybe they want to be trendy. But have they considered how these names could affect their offspring? According to a New Zealand study those people with unusual or hard to pronounce names are deemed more risky or untrustworthy than people with more familiar names. Other research suggests that people who have more familiar names are considered likeable more often than those with unfamiliar names. A person's name may also affect their career. It suggests that those with more common names have an easier time getting promoted. There's obviously a good reason why some actors change their name to perform.
When I was young, I liked having a name that not many other people had. It wasn't an unusual name, just not common. That suited me fine. But I've got to admit that some parents might not be putting the same thought into the naming of their child as they used to do. Or maybe they are so desperate for attention they thought naming their kid something strange would give them what they need.
I don't see this trend changing and I'm not having any more children, but I do have to pronounce their names daily. So please think about the teachers as you search for some random, trendy name for your child. We don't like trying to learn new names and new spellings of names. Thank you!
Let me know what you think about odd or unusual names. Do I need to lighten up? Comment below.
No, you don't need to lighten up. These parents, (and I use the word parent lightly), need to be told to put more than a minute or two of thought into naming their children. Otherwise the next trend in names might be something like idiot or moron. On second thought perhaps those names are appropriate for Hollywood parents after all.
ReplyDelete