Figuring out this Ender thing…

Boy Names
1

Fans of the [name_m]Orson[/name_m] [name_m]Scott[/name_m] [name_m]Card[/name_m] novels and avid movie-goers are probably already aware that Ender’s Game is now playing in theaters. My husband absolutely loves the books…they resonate with him very deeply. I haven’t read them yet (although I plan to remedy that with a trip to the library this evening), but we saw the movie together last night. We both found it really powerful and spent a couple hours afterwards discussing…during which, Husband admitted to really liking the idea of a little Ender running around the house some day.

I love the idea…I fell hard for the character (due in large part, I’m sure, to [name_u]Asa[/name_u] Butterfield’s brilliant portrayal), and I love the instantly recognizable sci-fi aspect of the name even though it sounds “familiar” via [name_m]Anders[/name_m] and the like.

We currently have two open slots on our boys’ list: a middle for [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] and a middle for [name_m]Tobias[/name_m]. I’m not sure Ender fits in either of these. [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] Ender is too repetitive with the –an/En- sounds, and [name_m]Tobias[/name_m] Ender runs together more than I’d like. I briefly thought about Ender [name_m]Caspian[/name_m], but the two major problems with that are the fact that I love [name_m]Cas[/name_m] too much to sacrifice the first name slot, and there’s no “normal” name in the combo…it’s all sci-fi/fantasy. So now I’m left to wonder if Ender should get a first name slot of his own? I do think I like him better as a first, just because I’m far more attracted to Ender [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] than I was to either of the combos where Ender is a middle…maybe because I feel like in the middle Ender gets too surnamey.

I do have a couple of concerns regarding the name Ender itself. They’re not strong enough to make me veto the name, but they make it that much more important to find the right combo.

    • I’m unsure of the meaning. I’ve been told it’s a legitimate Turkish name meaning “rare” or “treasured.” I was highly skeptical of this claim before looking it up on Behind the Name, which I usually find to be very reliable. Ender doesn’t sound Turkish at all to my admittedly uneducated ears. Does anyone know if this meaning/origin is accurate?
    • I’m concerned that it will be mistaken for one of those rowdy wild child names, a la [name_m]Crash[/name_m] or [name_m]Breaker[/name_m] or [name_m]Bandit[/name_m]. I think nn Endy will help alleviate some of the concern because of the phonetic similarity to [name_f]Indy[/name_f] (as in [name_u]Indiana[/name_u] [name_m]Jones[/name_m]). But it still bothers me a little.
    • I’ve been told already by a naysayer that Ender will be the literal butt of many poor taste jokes (rear-ender was the one mentioned.) I’m usually in the camp that teasing is usually not for name reasons alone, so you could give the kid the best name in the world and if bullies wanted to go at him, he’d still be teased. What do you think…are crude jokes inevitable with this name?
    • Lastly, is Ender a nickname only? The same naysayer informed me that Ender is a nickname for [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] in the books, which I wasn’t aware of. We do have an [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] in our lives that it would be cool to honor in a roundabout way, but we’d never just use the name [name_m]Andrew[/name_m], even with the Ender nickname. I thought about Ender as a nn for [name_m]Endymion[/name_m], but we already have a [name_m]Caspian[/name_m], [name_u]Zion[/name_u], and [name_m]Solomon[/name_m] on our shortlist, so that seems like a lot of ion/ian endings. Would it be weird to use Ender as a full name?

If you’re still with me, you are FABULOUS and deserve some serious digital hugs :wink: Thanks for helping me figure this one out! [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t be afraid to suggest combo ideas if you’ve got them…potential siblings are in my signature.

2

Whoa. [name_m]Long[/name_m] post. All righty, let me see… It’s late here, I’m tired but I wanted some serious digital hugs so here goes.

Ender is a real Turkish name meaning “very rare” or “treasured”. Turkish names are quite varied, it’s a big country in the in between place. Many different things on all sides.

I’m skipping question two as those names don’t exist over here so I’ve no experience with them.

I’m with you on question three. Ender - I think of someone who ends something. It sounds like the name of a kind of hero, someone who stops something in a depressing/destructive way.

Ender is a fine name, nothing wrong with it. I don’t see it as a nickname. It’s a real name. [name_m]Endymion[/name_m]'s great, but there are a lot of -ons. Or -ns. Would hubs be on board with [name_m]Endymion[/name_m]?

My first thought was Ender [name_m]Tobias[/name_m]. I like how they sound together. I’m not a huge fan of Ender [name_m]Caspian[/name_m], for the reasons you said. I’ll have a think when my brain functions again. At least reasonably well, if not you might have to wait a few months… :wink:

3

I have loved “Ender’s Game” since it came out way back in the mid-'80s. [name_u]Haven[/name_u]'t seen the movie yet, but I sure want to. In the book, Ender was indeed a nickname for [name_m]Andrew[/name_m], because that’s how one of his little siblings said his name. There are already some boys out there named Ender, and, with the movie out, and the book getting renewed publicity, there are sure to be more. After I read the book, I would have named one of my sons (had I had any) Ender in a heartbeat. I don’t think cruel jokes are inevitable with the name. ANY name is up for teasing.
I like Ender [name_m]Caspian[/name_m].
Other suggestions:
Ender [name_m]Amias[/name_m]
Ender [name_m]Malachi[/name_m]
Ender [name_m]Elijah[/name_m]
Ender [name_u]Elias[/name_u]
Ender [name_m]Ezekiel[/name_m]
Ender [name_m]Finnian[/name_m]
Ender [name_m]Finnegan[/name_m]
Ender [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m]
Ender [name_m]Matthias[/name_m]
Ender [name_m]Thaddeus[/name_m]
Ender [name_m]Augustin[/name_m]
Ender [name_m]Ambrose[/name_m]
Ender [name_m]Alonzo[/name_m]
Ender [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m]

5

I think the biggest problem with the name Ender is it’s going to be a dated pop culture name. Of course there will always be fans of the book, and if it was any other time I would be in more support of the name, but right around the time the the movie comes out and the name Ender will end up being really dated, the way [name_f]Katniss[/name_f] will be soon and [name_f]Bella[/name_f] is becoming.

6

I’ve not read the books nor seen the movie. I would not name a child Ender. I just wouldn’t do it.

First, like others, I cannot picture Ender on a grown man. I cannot fathom a credible guy walking into a job interview and saying, “I’m Ender so-and-so; nice to meet you.”

Second, I do think some names lend themselves better to jokes than others. That’s not to say kids can’t ridicule anything because of course, they can and will. But Ender? Setting aside the butt jokes (of which there are likely many), it sounds a little like end-her (as in kill her).

Third, if these books/movie(s) have a large or even cult following, the name is likely to always be strongly associated with them (since you don’t encounter the name Ender many places). If you’re okay with being part of a pop culture trend, this is less of a concern.

7

I would highly suggest reading the rest of the series before making a decision on this name. The problem with the name Ender for me would be that it ends up being highly symbolic…he’s responsible for ending the existence of an entire alien species. The later books deal a lot with the complicated morality of that, and having read them makes Ender a very heavy name for a child. One of the later books is actually called Xenocide, and there’s a popular theory (that I don’t particularly agree with, but your son is bound to encounter at some point in his life) that [name_m]Orson[/name_m] [name_m]Scott[/name_m] [name_m]Card[/name_m] created the character as a justification of Hitler. On top of that, [name_m]Card[/name_m] is currently very controversial because his outspokenness against gay rights. I liked the books quite a bit when I read them years ago, and I would still recommend them to anyone I knew who likes that kind of science fiction. I don’t know if I would want to carry that association with me everywhere I went with my legal name. I’ve known people with “science fiction” names and in general I don’t think they’re a problem…usually anyone who gets the reference thinks its cool. But Ender’s Game is kind of the exception right now. I’ve met many people who haven’t read it but think they know that it’s anti-gay or pro-Hitler. Maybe that’ll change by the time your son is an adult, but there’s a risk it won’t.

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Sorry this is such a long reply, I just wanted to address everything properly.

Dearest Otter - serious digital hugs are yours! :slight_smile: Very glad to hear that the meaning/history of the name are legitimate. That definitely makes me feel more confident! Have you read the books or seen the film? Because your description of Ender is pretty much exactly what the character goes through. I haven’t tried out [name_m]Endymion[/name_m] yet, but I’m not sure he’d be on board. [name_m]Balthazar[/name_m] was a huge stretch for him, even though it’s a name he’s already somewhat familiar with. Now that I know Ender is a legitimate name in his own right, I may not use him as a nickname. Ender [name_m]Tobias[/name_m] is nice…it’s not love at first sight, but I’ll definitely be mulling him over. Thank you, loven!

JudyAriel – Hooray for some Ender love! I do really love the sound of Ender [name_m]Caspian[/name_m], but he doesn’t quite work for us…maybe I can find something similar. Thank you so much for the list of suggestions! Ender [name_m]Malachi[/name_m] is a really good idea…if I can give up my existing [name_m]Malachi[/name_m] combo, this might be a frontrunner. Some of your truly awesome middles have already been vetoed by my dear husband, like [name_m]Augustin[/name_m], [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m], [name_m]Gabriel[/name_m], and [name_m]Thaddeus[/name_m], but it still makes me so happy to see them listed! :slight_smile:

Tfzolghadr – One of these days I’m going to have to ask you about that username :wink: Super glad to get the reassurance that Ender is a real name in his own right. You make a valid point that I have only pictured the name on a child/teenager thus far…Husband and I will discuss it. I definitely think some names are problematic in that way (like a sleazy or grossly unattractive Casanova or a stripper named [name_f]Chastity[/name_f]) but I’m not sure whether Ender is one of them.
As far as the teasing thing goes, I did encounter teasing over the fact that I had a boys’ name. At the same time, the most popular girl in school also had a boys’ name and it never seemed to affect her negatively. I would certainly never posit that no one ever gets teased for their name alone, I just don’t think it’s as likely as some people say…the naysayer I was mentioning above is one of those people that think perfectly normal names are so teaseworthy they are going to scar a child for life, so I wanted to gauge how legitimate a concern that is for Ender, since said naysayer and I have different opinions on what is teaseworthy. As for our surname, it is hyphenated, and sounds a lot like Kellar-Strong (the second name is actually a word name, but a less attractive one than Strong).

MaePae – I get what you’re saying about the pop-culture idea, but unlike The Hunger Games and Twilight, these books were written some 20+ years ago. The movie may throw them into the spotlight again, but I don’t think it’s going to be as dramatic a shift in popularity as [name_f]Katniss[/name_f] or [name_f]Bella[/name_f]/[name_m]Edward[/name_m]. I think it will be more along the lines of LOTR or the Chronicles of [name_f]Narnia[/name_f]. Those movies are made from books that already have a cult following from years ago, and while they do cause a spike in popularity of names like [name_f]Arwen[/name_f] and Aslan when the movies come out, it’s not the pop culture obsession that is Twilight. I could totally be wrong, but that’s just my personal opinion.

[name_f]Freya[/name_f] – I appreciate your opinions. It’s true that I haven’t yet pictured Ender as older than the teenage years, probably because I haven’t yet read the whole series so he’s still a young character in my mind. I have worked with some people who have unusual names though, and it doesn’t seem all that weird once you get past the initial surprise. It just becomes their name (the example I’m thinking of is a girl named Spiral, if that helps). I am concerned about the possibility of butt jokes, but honestly the end-her/killer thing doesn’t worry me…it seems like too much of a stretch. Maybe it’s just my accent, but I don’t get the “end-her” thing at all, and I think all the little Killians running around this area are far more likely to get killer jokes. The books do have a tremendous cult following, which includes my Husband. Since the Ender Wiggins character is his reason for loving the name, we are not troubled by that association. Thanks again for sharing, negative opinions are helpful too because they make me work through my honest feelings about the name and consider it from all angles.

[name_u]Kerry[/name_u] – You make some excellent points. I have just started reading the series, so I’m not familiar with all of the details yet. I was impressed with the way they dealt with the reveal in the movie, especially Ender’s reaction to finding out what he’d done. Obviously, it may be different in the books, but in the movie Ender has no idea until afterwards that the final simulation was real, and his reaction is to immediately condemn the people who machinated the whole thing and devote himself to making things right. Being an extremely empathic person myself, it was so poignant for me that his empathy was the very thing they used to turn him into a weapon.

That being said, I’ve already encountered some Hitler comparisons with my top boy name, [name_u]Zion[/name_u], which really upset me, and the thought of supporting some kind of Hitler justification idea is repugnant. Is that the author’s stance, or is that a conspiracy theory? And are the books themselves anti-gay or is that the author’s position (if so, is it a religious position on his part)?

It’s clear to me that I definitely need to finish reading the series and do some research and discussion with Hubby before we officially add this one to the list. I appreciate everyone’s input!

9

Yes, read the books first for sure! Personally, Speaker for the Dead is one of my favorite books in the world. That book utterly destroyed me. The author himself is a bigot, and I can’t seem to wrap my head around how this man could have written such an incredible character like Ender. I don’t see why Ender would be hard to imagine on an adult. It’s very similar to [name_m]Anders[/name_m]. I think if anything, people might ask him to repeat his name a lot because they’ll think it was [name_m]Anders[/name_m]. I suppose Ender could lend itself to some sort of back-ender teasing? I’m not sure. Teasing about names is such a weird water to wade through. The most mundane of names can be teased.

I don’t see how in the world a person could think Ender was written as a justification of Hitler. That makes no sense to me. Ender is considered to be a Hitler. He’s hated by the entire human race for what he did. The reason he’s hated? Because he wrote an anonymous book about the Hive [name_f]Queen[/name_f] that caused humanity to realize how terrible and unwarranted the “xenocide” was. Justification? No. Parallel? Perhaps. If Hitler had done what he’d done thinking it was some sort of game and then devoted the rest of his life to making up for it.

10

The Ender series is absolutely not anti-gay.
In fact, [name_m]Orson[/name_m] [name_m]Scott[/name_m] [name_m]Card[/name_m] has written novels with gay main characters that are portrayed positively, and with great empathy. (i.e. “Songmaster.”)
The anti-gay thing is because of his religious beliefs.

12

Thank you three so much for commenting…I was leaving this thread yesterday on a pretty depressed note, wondering why so many of my favorite names get Hitler comments ([name_u]Zion[/name_u], [name_m]Wolf[/name_m], and now Ender! what the heck…) and almost convinced that I’d need to tell Hubby this one is off the list for now…which I would HATE to do because he so rarely suggests names. So thank you for responding to my questions!

[name_f]Fey[/name_f] – I am definitely reading the books now…Husband has mentioned them before, but I hadn’t realized how influential they were for him and how much he loved and identified with the Ender character until the movie came out and got him reminiscing. I may even buy him the set for [name_u]Christmas[/name_u]. But that’s a rabbit trail, haha.
I feel so much better after hearing your perspective on the Hitler thing because I know you’ve read and loved the books. I got the same perspective you describe from the movie, but I was having a panic moment about the fact that maybe the books portray things in a drastically different way and I was mistaken. Of course, then I can’t imagine them being Hubby’s favorite series…silly Sessha. Thus far, my impression of Ender’s character is overwhelmingly positive. A lesser person would have been utterly destroyed by the weight of that responsibility, but instead he devotes himself to saving and restoring the species they used him to destroy. [name_m]How[/name_m] many other killer-turned-hero characters exist in fiction? It’s like a staple of literature. The difference being, Ender didn’t know it was real until it was too late. You’re right, that’s a far cry from a Hitler comparison in my mind.

judyariel/tfzolghadr – I am glad to hear that the books themselves are not anti-gay. [name_m]Just[/name_m] because an author is the news for their opinions doesn’t mean everyone who reads their books and admires their characters shares those opinions. I highly doubt everyone who names their daughter [name_f]Arwen[/name_f] is Catholic like Tolkien, and everyone who names their son [name_m]Caspian[/name_m] is [name_m]Christian[/name_m] like [name_m]Lewis[/name_m], and everyone who names their daughter [name_f]Lyra[/name_f] is atheist like Pullman.
I only asked about the religious position because I grew up in a church that believes certain passages of the Bible forbid homosexuality…I wouldn’t even say they are anti-gay, because they also hold strongly to the myriad commandments to love everyone, regardless of whether you agree with what they’re doing. But they believe it’s something you have to give up for the sake of your spiritual well-being. I have a different interpretation of those passages and I disagree with their position on some things, but I have family with those beliefs so I have learned to be understanding of religious positions that some might find offensive. It’s a complicated position. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I would probably not boycott someone’s books over their religious position, and I would not consider a character’s name to be a direct reflection of the author’s opinions unless the character was written in a way that also expresses those opinions.

Whew! This thread seems to have me writing such long responses! It’s good though, it makes me really evaluate the name from all angles. I’d rather have these discussions now than run into an OSC hater at a sci-fi convention with a 4 year old Ender and be blindsided by the Hitler conspiracy or accusations of bigotry!

13

I’m really impressed by your perspective on all of this. I was really hesitant to say anything because I’d hate for it to sound like I think that loving those books reflects badly on your husband, or that loving the movie reflects badly on you. When I read the book, I thought it was great. I didn’t hear about the Hitler theory until much later and even then it didn’t ruin the books for me, because it really does seem like kind of a stretch. And I definitely didn’t pick up anything anti-gay in them at the time. (I think in that case, it’s not the books but the statements the author has made separately). But I would hate to name a child first and then find out about the most controversial associations with that name, and since you won’t be able to sit down with everyone you introduce your son to and make them read the book so they can understand what you personally find inspiring about the character, the preexisting associations they have may matter. (But I really have no idea how many people have heard of [name_f]Elaine[/name_f] [name_m]Radford[/name_m]'s review, which is where the Hitler theory comes from. And who keeps track of sci fi reviews but hasn’t personally read one of the most popular sci fi books to come out in the last several decades?)

Also, for whatever it’s worth, I’m someone who comes up with semi-imaginary Nazi associations for a lot of names ([name_f]Eva[/name_f] pronounced ay-va is problematic for me because of [name_f]Eva[/name_f] [name_m]Braun[/name_m], it’s the first thing I think of when I hear [name_m]German[/name_m] city names like [name_m]Berlin[/name_m] or [name_m]Dresden[/name_m], even [name_u]Linden[/name_u] is ruined for me because Unter de [name_u]Linden[/name_u] is the name of the street Nazis paraded down) but I can’t for the life of me figure out why there’s anything wrong with [name_u]Zion[/name_u] or [name_m]Wolf[/name_m]. [name_u]Zion[/name_u] would just make me assume that you were religious. [name_m]Wolf[/name_m] Blitzer is a little unfortunate, obviously, but I assume you have a different last name.

14

I’ve read and reread the Ender series MANY times in the past almost-30 years since the novel “Ender’s Game” came out, and I can’t for the life of me understand how Ender can be compared to Hitler. He was a young child whom adults maneuvered and manipulated into doing terrible things, and he spent the rest of his life trying his best to make everything better…

15

I really like ottolie’s suggestion of Ender [name_m]Tobias[/name_m]! Loved the books and am excited to see the movie!

16

The article in question is available here, if anybody is interested…Peachfront Speaks

I’m about halfway through it. It’s not exactly the most brilliant theory I’ve ever heard in my life.

17

Since reading the book, I have absolutely fell in love with the name Ender!

Ender is sort of derived from [name_m]Andrew[/name_m], if anyone asked what the meaning was you could always say man (at least that’s what I would say…)

I think that right now people are having a hard time picturing it on a a grown man because most of the grown men we know are [name_u]Michael[/name_u]'s, [name_m]John[/name_m]'s, [name_m]Matthew[/name_m]'s, and [name_m]Christopher[/name_m]'s but when there are [name_m]Ezra[/name_m]'s, [name_m]Ryder[/name_m]'s, and [name_m]Declan[/name_m]'s walking around in there 30s I think that Ender will really fit in and be a fine name.

No matter what you name your kid, they are going to get teased by somebody for some reason.

I love the name Ender as a first and/or middle!

[name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helped,
[name_f]Rose[/name_f]

18

[name_f]Do[/name_f] you like the name [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]? As people said the name probably won’t work once the boy is older - it just wouldn’t work when he starts applying for jobs. It can work once he is hired but it wouldn’t work on a resume. You could also use a names like [name_m]Edward[/name_m], [name_m]Edwin[/name_m], etc. and then just call him Ender. Then he has the option when he is older if he wants to go with something more proper.

[name_m]Don[/name_m]'t worry about the controversy regarding [name_m]Orson[/name_m] [name_m]Scott[/name_m] [name_m]Card[/name_m]. I’ve read most his books and his personal opinions aren’t expressed in them. It’s a great book and your son will love reading the books when he is older - wow - imagine how empowering that experience will be to him. Maybe it will inspire him to one of our next great leaders.

19

By the way, really not a fan of [name_m]Endymion[/name_m] - I really can’t see someone going from such a cool name such as Ender to [name_m]Endymion[/name_m].

20

It reminds me of the Turkish name Iskender, which is a form of [name_m]Alexander[/name_m]. Completely legit.

22

[name_u]Kerry[/name_u] – Wow, thank you! Honestly, I am glad you said something, I’d much rather hear these things now when the name is just an idea than five years from now when it’s an actual child. I also thought you phrased it really diplomatically…it was definitely more of a “be advised that some people have these associations and you may encounter them” than a “if you name your child Ender you obviously hate this people group/sympathize with this awful dictator” kind of thing. The former I can take under consideration and be totally logical and reasonable about. The latter would just make me really upset.
I do know that the [name_m]Radford[/name_m] review is referenced in Wikipedia under the section about “critical reception” of the books. When people go to look up the books or the movies, they’re going to see those lines, but [name_m]Card[/name_m]'s rebuttal isn’t quoted so they’re only getting one side of the story. The spread of that theory could be attributed partially to ignorance, which oddly makes me feel more secure in my position of loving the name.
I honestly don’t know where the [name_u]Zion[/name_u] thing came from…I was simply told that naming one’s child [name_u]Zion[/name_u] would be akin to naming one’s child Stalin or Hitler. From my subsequent research, and later comments from other Berries, I’m assuming they said that because of the Zionist movement, but my connections to the name are spiritual, not political, and [name_u]Zion[/name_u] was a Biblical/symbolic place name long before Zionism was a thing. [name_m]Wolf[/name_m] was because of the “noble wolf” meaning of [name_m]Adolf[/name_m]. Sigh.

JudyAriel – I share your sentiments exactly, but since I am just starting the books, I’m glad to hear this from someone who is far more familiar with them!

JTucker – The movie was terrific! I want to like Ender [name_m]Tobias[/name_m], because it would be the perfect solution to two combo searches all at once, but alas, I’m not in love with it.

[name_f]Rose[/name_f] – I do love the [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] connection, as we have a dear friend by that name…it would be cool to subtly honor him with Ender. Very interesting perspective on the fact that our “grown man” names are more of the “classics” but in 30 years when our children are “grown men” the names of their peers will have quite a different feeling to them. That’s definitely reassuring!

Elixir – We would use Ender to honor an [name_m]Andrew[/name_m], but probably wouldn’t just use [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]. It could get really confusing in our particular circle of family/friends. If he’s uncomfortable with the name Ender on a resume, he can just go by E. Middlename Lastname. Husband has a rule that every combo with an unusual name needs a practical name to go with it for just that reason! :slight_smile: I do love [name_m]Edward[/name_m] so much, but Husband immediately reacts with NO SPARKLY VAMPIRES. Cry. I love [name_m]Endymion[/name_m]…it’s such a beautiful, magical myth. I find Ender very edgy and [name_m]Endymion[/name_m] very dreamy. Sometimes that contrast really works for me, and sometimes it doesn’t.
You gave me goosebumps talking about a little Ender reading the books and realizing what a hero he’s named after. Wow!

Socksie – Whee! Iskender is really fun. [name_f]Glad[/name_f] to hear another vote for Ender being a legitimate non-made-up name.

T – Kebabs, haha. I wouldn’t personally use Iskender, even though it IS so fun to say. Husband has a standing rule that each combo can have one magical or unusual name, but it also has to have a “practical” (I’m of the opinion that “normal” is a dirty word, haha) name as well, exactly so that Kiddo can have an Option B for the fitting-in years.

Thanks again, guys! You’re all so helpful and insightful!

23

[name_f]Every[/name_f] time I see the name Ender mentioned in a post, I get tingly. My 16-month-old is named Ender [name_u]Shannon[/name_u]. Honestly, I hated Ender at first (his dad picked it, being a huge fan of [name_m]Orson[/name_m] [name_m]Scott[/name_m] [name_m]Card[/name_m]), but by the end of my pregnancy, it had grown on me. I think it’s an odd name–in the book, it is his nickname, but he’s almost exclusively called Ender throughout the story, so, yeah–but if it has special importance (as with my son), then there’s nothing wrong with it. My friends do tease me about it (they call him pretty much anything rhyming with Ender, including Rear-Ender), but never in a mean way, in a teasing, playful way. I was joking around with some family members about [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] being his nickname.

It is a Turkish name as well, so there’s that.

To me, I like [name_m]Endymion[/name_m] (I love mythology, and [name_u]Sailor[/name_u] [name_f]Moon[/name_f], haha) but that sounds a little pretentious.

TLDR; I’m biased, so I approve.