… But what exactly does it mean if a name is ‘too try hard’? I’ve never really understood it, and it’s a phrase that’s always irritated me. Thank goodness it doesn’t pop up on Nameberry, but I have seen it on other naming sites. Usually it’s in relation to more unusual names, which are more accepted on here, so that might be why ‘try hard’ doesn’t turn up much. I’m assuming it means it’s really obvious that the namers are trying to be cool, or individual/ different with their name choices, but I’m not sure. Can anyone shed some light?
I feel like you do. When I brought up the name [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] to my fiancé and he said “sounds like you’re trying too hard.” Trying to hard to name a child??? It’s a stupid phrase.
I think it is like “hipster”…maybe you’re not portraying your true self and your child but an image…
To me, people who name their kid something ridiculous or spell the name ridiculously just to be Yooneik are the people who try to hard. Or people who give their kids overly pretentious names just to come off as some sort of posh Mensa member- [name_f]IMO[/name_f], they’re trying to hard. Pretty much anyone who chooses a name for the sake of extra attention. But that’s just my opinion
“trying too hard” to be special, unique, someone you’re not, etc.
It’s usually used to describe a person using an over-the-top name, a name from a different culture, a yoniek spelling, etc.
e.g. A: “I want to name my daughter [name_f]Isabelline[/name_f] [name_f]Violette[/name_f] [name_f]Ana[/name_f]ïs [name_f]Victoire[/name_f] [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f], I’m going to use accents on all these names, I’m going to pronounce them the [name_m]French[/name_m] way and by the way, I have no [name_m]French[/name_m] heritage whatsoever, don’t live in a [name_m]French[/name_m] part of the world or speak a single word of [name_m]French[/name_m]. Oh and I’m not a royal either.”
B: “[name_f]Isabelline[/name_f] [name_f]Violette[/name_f] [name_f]Anais[/name_f] [name_f]Victoire[/name_f] [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f] is trying too hard”
or
A: “I’m going to name my kid [name_f]Mei[/name_f] Fen without any Chinese heritage. If people can name their white kids [name_f]Francesca[/name_f], I can for sure use [name_f]Mei[/name_f] Fen”.
B: “You’re trying too hard”
Sometimes it’s used for light cases, some people might say “Two middle names? That’s trying too hard”.
Usually it would be used when someone tries so hard to be different that it doesn’t look natural from the outside anymore. [name_m]Even[/name_m] though you might have good intentions, it looks like you’re doing what you’re doing just to stand out from the crowd.
I have used this phrase before, and this explains it perfectly as far as I mean it. I’d bet it means something different to each person who uses it though. And, sidenote, [name_f]Imogen[/name_f] would never fall under “trying too hard” for me. It’s not my style, but doesn’t seem like trying too hard. For me, it’s things like “[name_m]Ryder[/name_m] [name_u]Storm[/name_u]” or something where you obviously want the name to portray a certain image or idea.
I can see where you all are coming from. When my fiancé said it to me, it was the first time I had heard anyone say that about a name I liked and it really hurt my feelings. Haha.
I guess every time someone I’ve known has named a child with a somewhat “out there” name, I know the person and think “Yeah, you would name your kid that.”
Creative spellings I would classify as trying too hard, in retrospect. Like really, a different spelling doesn’t change the name. Save your child the trouble. And “pretentious” names…well, I have a penchant for those so I won’t classify those as trying too hard.
Thanks for the replies (and so quickly)! I understand it a bit better now, and I must admit, the majority of my favourites are matching up to a few definitions (but never creative spellings). I’m a sucker for “pretentious” names, and names I have absolutely no connection to culturally, although I am one for the whole, “a name will suit the person” argument, as I’ve never met anyone who’s doesn’t.
I just want to clarify what I meant by pretentious because I don’t want to offend anyone
Pretentious to me is a really super long older English sounding name like [name_m]Livingston[/name_m] [name_m]Wellington[/name_m] [name_u]Blakely[/name_u] Longbottom, VII, Esquire haha
Or how [name_m]Donald[/name_m] Trump named his kid [name_m]Baron[/name_m], which to me just screams “yeah I am filthy rich!”
I understand it a bit better now, and I must admit, the majority of my favourites are matching up to a few definitions (but never creative spellings). I’m a sucker for “pretentious” names, and names I have absolutely no connection to culturally, although I am one for the whole, “a name will suit the person” argument, as I’ve never met anyone who’s doesn’t.