[name_m]How[/name_m] important are they? Is it something you actively think about when naming? Should non-English speakers worry about awkward initials in English?
[name_m]Otto[/name_m] is my top boys name, but it seems like every name I love for the middle spot starts with “A”. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue, but our last name starts with “F”, so the initials would spell OAF. Is this a problem or am I overthinking this?
Initials are not a very big concern for me. I have never used my son’s initials on anything (he is a teenager). The initials of someone named [name_m]Otto[/name_m] A_ F_ would usually be OFA. Often times the surname’s initial is placed in the middle.
I don’t people rude enough to tease about names even know the word oaf, LOL. But like Lovemysweeties said, a lot of times initials have the surname in the middle.
I have a friend with initials STD, and he’s never had a problem. As long as they aren’t ASS or anything too horrible. My parents were considering naming me [name_f]Emily[/name_f] [name_f]Anne[/name_f] R…EAR.
I figured I was overthinking it, but that’s good to know. Where I live I’ve never seen anything monogrammed, so I think it’s not really something to worry about. Now that I started worrying about this, I’ve been brainstorming double middle names though and really liking a few of those combinations.
I think you’re overthinking it. [name_f]Non[/name_f]-English speakers have even less to worry about, because even if they know the word the initial spells, it probably wouldn’t come to mind right away. Especially if it’s slang or a fairly uncommon word- like oaf, if this is a combo you’re considering.
I rarely see initials used though, especially not first-middle-last. So it still puzzles me why some Berries get so concerned. When I see someone’s name my mind doesn’t really go to what the initials spell. I would think though that if people noticed they might laugh about it for an hour or two, then totally forget about it. It’s not that funny. And having OAF initials (or other initials commonly considered ‘undesirable’) won’t hold your child back from success in life, that’s absolute tosh.
I don’t know, I don’t really think its that big of a deal, at least for me. I dont see any problems with OAF. Of course avoid ones like ZIT, ASS, KKK (i know someone with these initials btw), PEE… because I watched the movie “You Again” with kristen bell and she played a character who had the initials MOO and was constantly teased for it.
But I dont see any teasing things with OAF so i think you are in the clear
If I had taken my step dads last name, I would be ASS. Never even realized it until I was an adult. So about 15 years of him in my life before I noticed that. [name_f]Persephone[/name_f]'s initials are PEWT. It’s cute and we’re the only ones who notice because forms are set up FIRST NAME, LAST NAME, MIDDLE INITIAL. So even with out her second middle, [name_f]PET[/name_f], it looked like PTE on forms.
The only ones I avoid are things like RAT, ASS, FAT, etc.
I never put too much stock into initials… I think people over think that, especially with boys. I’d be a bit more cautious with girls (monogrammed things tend to me more common…and especially sexual references could be an issue)…but even that would have to be extreme for it to bother me too much.
I definitely think about the initials when I’m thinking about choosing names for myself (my husband’s last name starts with an O so we get lots of acronyms like HMO that are just kind of amusing), but I rarely notice them on other people. I wouldn’t say that the initials would be a deal-breaker for me unless they were something really terrible. For people who aren’t even native English-speakers, it seems completely irrelevant what the name spells in English.
The only time I can remember noticing someone else’s initials is when I met a brother and sister, and his initials were MAD and hers were SAD. I wouldn’t have thought anything of it if it had just been one or the other alone. As far as getting teased in school or that type of concern, I don’t think that most kids know their classmates’ middle names anyway, and they probably wouldn’t notice something like “oaf” unless it was pointed out to them. Thinking back to people I knew who got teased for their names in school, it was all things that were really obvious, like a girl whose last name was Fell who people would always say fell down. Clever.
I consider the initials when coming up with combos. If it’s gross or crude, I’ll pass on the combo. My [name_f]Isadora[/name_f] combo would be INK, which I like. [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f] would be LOK, which I have no strong feelings about. [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] would be CAK and [name_f]Pandora[/name_f] PEK, which I don’t particularly like, but they aren’t anything bad, just awkward I suppose. [name_m]Don[/name_m]'t over think it, but do consider it.