Whenever I bring up one of my favorite “cutesy” names to certain Berries, like [name_u]Josie[/name_u], [name_f]Lola[/name_f], [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], etc., I always get the reaction (these are real reactions said to me by real Berries) “Oh, that’s too cutesy for a future world-class lawyer” or my favorite, “That name will never be president!”. Names don’t define you – you define them! I have made this point many times before, but here it is again: you don’t have to be [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] [name_f]Marie[/name_f] to be a successful human being. I bet my head that there are strippers out there named [name_f]Charlotte[/name_f] [name_f]Rose[/name_f] and lawyers out there named Sparkal Queenz! [name_m]How[/name_m] many times do I have to say this…NAMES [name_m]DON[/name_m]'T AFFECT A [name_m]PERSON[/name_m]'S [name_u]FUTURE[/name_u]!
[name_m]Don[/name_m]'t get me wrong – I am not justifying parents naming their children M’Alleigh, Kharyzzmah, etc… That’s just cruel. I recognize that stupid and cutesy names are two different things. But understand me when I say that little Mikkiynzy can be WHATEVER she wants to be. When people make those remarks like, “That’s not a name for a future doctor!” that’s just wrong. That is like saying even if you have a stupid name, you can’t be successful. NOT [name_u]TRUE[/name_u]!
And names are soooooo subjective. What one might view as stupid, another may view as a beautiful name with meaning. Bottom line: no matter what your name is, you can be successful in life.
DISCLAIMER: This is not directed at anyone in particular, nor am I trying to offend anyone. I just wanted to get my personal thoughts out there
I totally agree. While I despise trendy messy names (nickname names like [name_u]Josie[/name_u] I don’t find a big deal), I’ve always known that at the end of the day, a name is just that - a name. It won’t affect one’s success, health, popularity, happiness, talent, intelligence, or likability as a person. McKinseliza could be the next [name_f]Oprah[/name_f], and [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] could live in a cardboard box on the streets of [name_m]Detroit[/name_m].
I agree, I like [name_u]Jamie[/name_u] and [name_u]Finley[/name_u] for a boy, but I know they’re likely in the ‘cutesy’ zone. I also like [name_f]Millie[/name_f] for a little girl, but because I have a serious confidence issue, and the comments from others in the past about how cutesy it is have deterred me from it. Look at it this way:
A girl I went to school with (so she’s about 18-19) named her daughter Lowla. [name_f]Lola[/name_f] with a W. She didn’t get nasty comments or hate, so I think [name_f]Lola[/name_f] is just fine
@lawsonhaley : I also have a confidence issue & I need others to tell me that they find that name gorgeous too so i can add it to my list . Maybe we need to be tougher
First off, I think [name_u]Josie[/name_u] is a great name. Yes, it’s cute, but I’d love to know a [name_u]Josie[/name_u] and I can see it fitting with lots of different lifestyles.
However, there has been research done on how a person’s name can be a good indicator of their lifestyle. If you search around you can find some of the studies.
Of course, it’s difficult to say since most people’s lifestyle mimic their parents closely so separating the actual affect of a name from thousands of other markers such as socio-economic status, education, diet/medical history, race, religion, etc. is practically impossible. But you can nonetheless find statistics on the trends of certain names in prison vs. ivy league universities and such.
There are always outliers–people who rise to the top despite a disadvantage (such as a name) or who are unsuccessful in every way despite bearing the same name as a president or congressman–but still you’re probably more likely to win the lottery than to be named Satan and become the CEO of a [name_u]Fortune[/name_u] 500 company.
So, will your child be a stripper if you name her Sparkle? There’s not enough data. If you tell me if you’re a stripper, what your background and education are, where you live, where your child will live and be educated, what opportunities they’ll be exposed to, how much money they’ll have…then science could get closer to answering the question.
There is something in a name, but it’s more an indicator of other factors than an essential factor in itself.
I agree with you completely, as my daughter has a completely cutesy name. However, I think this rant you’re having is making you look weak. You have to be confident with your names and let everyone else go. Pretty much everyone on this board doesn’t like my daughter’s name and I am OK with that.
Also keep in mind that sometimes people just don’t want to be constantly put down and criticized for the names they like, so they stop sharing and giving opinions.
@stephykneejo: I’m okay with the fact that people may not like my names. I get it – we all have different opinions. I just want ti make it clear that a name doesn’t define your future. And for what it’s worth, I love your daughter’s name.
Lots of nicknamey names like [name_f]Millie[/name_f], [name_f]Tilly[/name_f] and [name_f]Gracie[/name_f] are popular in the UK. [name_m]Even[/name_m] the boys names are similar ([name_u]Alfie[/name_u], [name_u]Freddie[/name_u], [name_u]Teddy[/name_u]) These are their full names. I am sure the whole lot of them will grow up to be successful doctors, lawyers and business people.
That response is one of my pet peeves too.
I love [name_u]Alfie[/name_u] but hate [name_m]Alfred[/name_m] I can’t stand it so I would use just [name_u]Alfie[/name_u]. I also hate when people suggest names that hardly work like [name_m]Raphael[/name_m] nicknamed [name_u]Alfie[/name_u]. I also love [name_f]Ellie[/name_f]-[name_f]Mae[/name_f] more then I should. My name is pretty cutesy and I know three teenaged just [name_f]Ellie[/name_f]'s are they all going to end up on the streets because they have no formal name. My cousin [name_f]Kristy[/name_f] is a teacher and my chiropractor is named [name_f]Kirsty[/name_f] both names were pretty cutesy back in the day and they’ve managed to make it with no formal name.
Personally, I do find a lot of names with “ee” endings too cutesy for my taste. I definitely do not think and hope I never said anything about them impacting a person’s future/prospects though. I hope I make it clear that it’s just personal preference on my part and there’s nothing actually wrong with these names.
My Rant:
I agree, that names like [name_f]Lola[/name_f] or [name_f]Milly[/name_f] are not going to hinder a person in their career. Someone named [name_f]Gracie[/name_f] or [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] can become a successful lawyer. I don’t have a problem with most names that are nicknames. I love [name_f]Mille[/name_f]/[name_f]Milly[/name_f], and hate [name_f]Millicent[/name_f], I love [name_f]Tilly[/name_f]/[name_f]Tillie[/name_f] and hate [name_f]Matilda[/name_f]. But I have a hard time picturing someone named [name_f]Tilly[/name_f] or [name_f]Milly[/name_f] being older than 10. I’m sure that a [name_f]Milly[/name_f], [name_f]Tilly[/name_f], [name_f]Gracie[/name_f], [name_u]Georgie[/name_u], or [name_u]Freddie[/name_u] can be a very successful adult but the name itself is very youthful to me. That is why I prefer having a longer first name with nickname option, like [name_f]Elizabeth[/name_f] nn [name_f]Libby[/name_f] or something. But I would love to meet a little kid named [name_f]Gracie[/name_f], it is adorable. I just have harder time picturing it on an adult. I’m sure if I met an adult [name_f]Gracie[/name_f] or [name_u]Freddie[/name_u], my opinions would change. I have nothing against using a nickname for a first name (look at how popular they are in the UK). I personally wouldn’t choose it, but I think it is really rude of those people who tell their opinions without being asked, and many do it very bluntly. Not okay. That is how I feel about this whole thing. People on here can be very rude when it comes to names they dislike. All the names you listed are lovely on their own, even if I prefer a full name ([name_f]Lola[/name_f] to me is a name on its own anyway, not to nicknamey) and will most definitely not hinder a professional. Names are influential, don’t get me wrong, but there are a lot of factors that determine success that are far more important than the name they have being too cutesy.
couldn’t have said it better myself, Nameberry has become increasingly worse for that, being rude over a name you dislike. What ever happened to just saying ‘nms’? Apparently, internet etiquette is a dying art, haha.
I think the issue is more about a name ageing well with the child than it being “cutesy”
There are some names that I struggle to picture on adults, these are often describes as “cutesy” or “childish” or “nicknamey”
But I also often hear that name is “too much of a granny name” eg. They cannot picture the name on a child.
The reason name trends repeat is because we associate certain trend or styles of names with particular generations and when that generation ceases to use those names we start with them all over again. The names that lawyers or professionals “typically” have now are not the kind of names most of us would use for our children (they would be considered too old for them and out of style) and they would not guarantee our child a promising career.
A name can only take/limit you so far
Names don’t necessarily affect a person’s future (hello, [name_f]Condoleezza[/name_f] [name_u]Rice[/name_u]), but children with crazy made up names (e.g. Kharryzzmah, M’Alleigh, Sparkal Queenz, etc) are often from “the wrong side of the tracks” (low socio-economic backgrounds) and those children rarely end up as doctors, lawyers, or Presidents. This is why people perceive made up or trendy names as belonging to someone who works in [name_m]McDonald[/name_m]'s rather than someone who works for [name_m]Price[/name_m] Waterhouse Coopers. If your name is Sparkal Queenz, you could possibly become President one day, but you probably won’t. I know this sounds very bigoted, but this is backed up by research. Here’s a quote from a recent article about baby names: “It’s awful to admit, but your child’s name can and will speak volumes about their socio-economic status and this can work to keep them in that “status” for the rest of their lives - even if they didn’t belong to that group in the first place. Research has found that middle and upper class parents strive to have their children “fit in” and so give them more common names. While working class parents and those who have been poorly educated go for more aspirational names such as [name_f]Paryss[/name_f] or [name_f]Jorja[/name_f] that make them stand out. Unfortunately, they can stand out for the wrong reasons and then have a hard time being accepted into the upper echelons of society…It’s safe to say the person who chooses [name_m]Jack[/name_m] is going to have a different parenting style and philosophy on life to one who’s adamant about Jaxxon. Factors such as disadvantaged home environment, be that poverty or a single parent household, come into play with researchers arguing it’s often the background which has the most influence over a child.”
The research quoted is from a study called “Names, expectations and the black-white test score gap” conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research (2005).
Naming your child [name_m]Alexander[/name_m], [name_m]Benjamin[/name_m], [name_m]Samuel[/name_m], [name_f]Isabel[/name_f], [name_f]Sophia[/name_f], and [name_f]Madeleine[/name_f] will not guarantee that they will became president, a doctor, a lawyer, a mayor, or a senator. It does not guarantee they will succeed at all. Think about [name_m]Ted[/name_m] Bundy ([name_m]Theodore[/name_m]) and [name_m]Jeffrey[/name_m] Dahmer.
