Why do people hate unconventional names for children?

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theusedversion

Member
***This thread isn't about the extremes (Nutella, Batman) which I think most agree would cause problems for the child. Read thread.***

Why do people often hate unconventional names? I see this constantly and I never understood it. You do realize that there are a lot of names out there that were once unconventional but now are widely used and accepted? We have names like Candy, April, May, June, Summer, August, etc (off the top of my head) that are widely accepted but if you name your child Winter, then holy shit "How could you?!?!" and "That's stupid!"

Sure, there are extremes like Nutella, Batman which can cause ridicule or unnecessary hardships but there is often hate towards any unconventional name. I remember when, I think it was, Gwyneth Paltrow named her daughter Apple and it was controversy then. That sounds like a beautiful name to me. I love unconventional names as long it's not on the extreme spectrum. By the way, I think Winter is a bitchin name.

So is it a conformity thing?
 
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DrGonzo615

Banned
Candy is socially acceptable? Thats news to me.

Some names just sound stupid or pretentious as hell, like Destiny, Mercedes, or North
 
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Shin Kojima

Banned
I like them. My nephews and niece have unconventional names and I believe they're quite satisfied with them. Not getting bullied or anything.
 
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bigkrev

Member
Most of those names you listed under "Names we accept" sound like stripper names.

Also, as someone who has sorted through stacks of resumes before cutting down candidates, if i'm deciding between 2 people with nearly identical resumes, but one is named "Sarah" and the other is named "Candy", i'm cutting Candy and saving Sarah.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
It because a kid has no decision on their name. They're the ones who will bear it, unless legally changed, which is rare and a PITA, so why bring them unnecessary grief.
 
M

Mango Positive

Member
We have a kid coming in August. We are not learning the sex beforehand.

If it's a girl, it's easy... we've both decided on Lilah.

For a boy, she wants Travis. I like either Knox or Nash (no intention to refer to Tennessee, I just like the names).
 
T

theusedversion

Member
Mango Positive said:
We have a kid coming in August. We are not learning the sex beforehand.

If it's a girl, it's easy... we've both decided on Lilah.

For a boy, she wants Travis. I like either Knox or Nash (no intention to refer to Tennessee, I just like the names).
Click to expand...

This is what I'm talking about. Those are all great names in my opinion. And I don't see why kids would get bullied because of those names.
 
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HylianTom

Banned
If I hear Destiny, I think, "gentlemen, get out your ones and turn your eyes to the center stage! Please welcome... Desssstinyyyyy!"

*cue thumping dance music*
 
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nowarning

Member
It's just stupid, apple is a ridiculous name for a person, or should I call my kid banana? while i'm at it i will change my name by deed poll to peas. hmmm
 
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Keri

Member
People are judged based on their names and there's a risk that you're forcing your children to experience those judgments...forever. This seems to be most true with girls names, as certain names will result in the girl being viewed as a "stripper" or unprofessional. The name "Candy" for example, is going to make it hard for the woman to be taken seriously as an adult.
 
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Ourobolus

Banned
Candy is usually a nickname for Candice (usually).

As for unconventional names, it really just kinda falls down to how ridiculous it sounds. Pilot Inspector, for instance, is ridiculous to me. Winter, not so much.
 
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Vincent Grayson

Member
I love the *idea* of unconventional names, but I couldn't bring myself to name my children something "weird" and just hope they were okay with it and didn't get teased.

So my daughters both got named after important/influential people in my life who I don't really see anymore.
 
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HylianTom

Banned
Keri said:
People are judged based on their names and there's a risk that you're forcing your children to experience those judgments...forever. This seems to be most true with girls names, as certain names will result in the girl being viewed as a "stripper" or unprofessional. The name "Candy" for example, is going to make it hard for the woman to be taken seriously as an adult.
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Reminds me of a very famous SNL sketch with Nicholas Cage and Julia Sweeney. They're trying to come up with a tease-proof name for their baby..

https://screen.yahoo.com/baby-names-000000664.html
 
P

Pimplitosaurio

Member
I knew a guy whose second name was Perfecto, or Perfect in english

I assume that is the kind of name that gets mocked, and that is one of the tamest one I've heard
 
Sakura

Sakura

Member
There are so many words in the English language to choose for names.
To name your kid Apple... Just sounds to me like you don't care. I like Apples so I named my kid Apple!
 
D

DrGonzo615

Banned
Pimplitosaurio said:
I knew a guy whose second name was Perfecto, or Perfect in english
Click to expand...

You-Dont-Say-Meme.jpg


couldnt resist.
 
E

Earthpainting

Member
People's views on this can be a little unfair, like the stripper associations. Candy is merely a contraction of Candice, and Mercedes is a traditional female Christian name from Spain.

That said, I do get a little annoyed at deliberate misspellings of names. These attempts at injecting uniqueness into the norms are forced and just make written communication less efficient.
 
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Camwi

Member
Because some are just stupid as hell. Maybe in time they'll become the norm and won't sound so stupid, but in the meantime I will continue to ridicule a parent who names their child "Ha Ha."
 
A

ajcacio

Banned
How many CEOs are named Apple? This is why:

If your name is easy to pronounce, people will favour you more.

In a New York University study, researchers found that people with easier-to-pronounce names often have higher-status positions at work. One of the psychologists, Adam Alter, explains to Wired, “When we can process a piece of information more easily, when it’s easier to comprehend, we come to like it more.” In a further study, Alter also found that companies with simpler names and ticker symbols performed better in the stock market.

If your name is common, you are more likely to be hired.

In a study by Marquette University, names that were viewed as the least unique were more likable. People with common names were more likely to be hired, and those with rare names were least likely to be hired. That means that the Jameses, Marys, Johns, and Patricias of the world are in luck.

If your name is uncommon, you are more likely to be a delinquent.

A study at Shippensburg University revealed that there is a strong relationship between the popularity of one’s first name and juvenile delinquency. Researchers found that unpopular names were positively correlated with juvenile delinquency. While the names themselves are probably not the cause of the criminal activity, they may be related to factors that increase one’s tendency toward juvenile delinquency, such as low socioeconomic status.

If you have a white-sounding name, you’re more likely to get hired.

In one study cited by The Atlantic, white-sounding names like Emily Walsh and Greg Baker got nearly 50% more callbacks than candidates with black-sounding names like Lakisha Washington and Jamal Jones. Researchers determined that having a white-sounding name is worth as much as eight years of work experience.
Click to expand...

Source
 
S

StoneFox

Member
There is also the opposite problem of picking a name too common and generic that the kid will likely have to take up a nickname so they aren't John #2 in a classroom or something. I had teachers refer to me by my last name simply because there was one instance where three of us had the same first name in fifth grade.

So I think the best names hit a nice middle ground, not too generic but not so out-of-place that a kid can be mocked for it. There was a guy in my 11th grade English class with the name Caesar and I thought it was cool. I always sort of liked Cicero as well.
 
A

Africanus

Member
A name becomes conventional for arbitrary reasons (Such as Wendy, which was made up). While something like Nutella is ridiculous, Winter is a perfectly fine name, as I have a friend named Summer who has never been picked on. I suppose the key aspect of this is discretion.
 
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Poodlestrike

Banned
I think the thing that most of the bullying arguments are making is that the name isn't how the bully selects their target. It may be a tool, depending on the bully, but now matter how odd it's not enough to get them picked on in and of itself.

There's nothing wrong with an awesome, unconventional name.
 
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SL128

Member
I think a better question is why do people go with common names? Names like Joe and Maddy lead to a bunch of unnecessary confusion when there's more than one.
 
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