First I will start off by saying my last name is Healey. My husband and I are expecting a baby boy in [name_f]September[/name_f]. We both really like the name Tuff, however both of our families hate it. Is this really such a crazy name!? Does anyone have a child named that? If so, are you happy with naming your child that. Does he like his name?
So Iâm adventurous when it comes to names. I generally encourage people to go with what they love within reason. That said, I can see why your families arenât enthusiastic here.
Ultimately this is your child, you both love the name and are in agreement, and it isnât anyone elseâs choice or responsibility. But I would highly recommend giving him a more classic or otherwise conventional middle name to fall back on.
Congratulations! I agree with the previous poster, if you love it then go for it!
Other names like Tuff that might go over better with your family:
[name_m]Tripp[/name_m]
Tag
[name_m]Tallon[/name_m]
Thacker
Trumble
[name_m]Tyr[/name_m]
[name_m]Briggs[/name_m]
[name_m]Wheeler[/name_m]
[name_m]Trig[/name_m]
I do however understand why your family doesnât like it. If it really bugs you that much then maybe use it as a nickname.
Names that could have Tuff as a nickname:
Telfor
Telford
[name_m]Tucker[/name_m]
[name_m]Turner[/name_m]
Tuxtin
Sorry if these arenât very helpful. There arenât very many names that contain a t and an f in them.
Tuff could also be your nickname for him. For example my name is [name_f]Emma[/name_f] [name_f]Louise[/name_f] but my family calls me [name_m]Bean[/name_m] and my cousins name is [name_f]Faith[/name_f] but my family calls her Peanut. So Tuff can just be his family nickname.
I hope this helps 
I think Tuff will always be understood as Tough. While the sounds of the name arenât unfamiliar, it just has a very strong connotation with the word. Plus it might bring playground name-calling (oh so you thing youâre so tough huh Tuff?). I would try to picture the name Tuff in all kinds of situations and see how you feel about it. Can you picture Tuff as a child, teenager, adult, elderly person? Can you envision yourself and teachers calling out the name? Can you picture a Dr. Tuff Lastname? If so, then it might be right for you! But it also might help to think of all the contexts someone uses their name.
I agree with about posters, Tuff could be a nickname for a similar sounding longer name, or for any name. The logic of nicknames doesnât always stem from the given name. I think it might be good to allow your child options in the case that they donât love Tuff on itâs own.
Lastly, what about [name_u]Duff[/name_u]? It is so very close but doesnât have the tough association.
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I agree with @rosejuliet but I would add to it and advise against using Tuff as I feel it could lead to, âSo you think youâre tough? incidents which may cause lots of unfortunate things for your son. Even when we love a name it is our responsibility to put our child first and choose a name that will serve him well in all stages of life without causing unnecessary challenges. As far as giving him a mainstream middle name in case he wants to use that, in reality, it is difficult for friends and family to suddenly start calling you by another name when they have known you as something else. Sorry.
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I actually think Tuff could work given the right setting.
Tuff Hedeman is fairly well known in certain circles so if you are in a heavily agricultural community it could definitely work. That being said, I would still recommend a more traditional middle name in case the kid grows up to hate it.
I agree with posters above.
What about Tufts or [name_u]Tate[/name_u]? I really like Tufts! Tufts is edgy yet still an established name (Tufts University and surname) and takes away âtoughâ association and teasing potential. [name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helps
I actually donât mind Tuff. Itâs not something I would use myself as I tend to prefer more established names but I s
I really canât say Iâm a fan. I donât think the sound of Tuff is great in general but I also donât like the similarity to the word tough. Furthermore, I feel like Tuff looks like a misspelling of the word. It reminds me of something a frat boy would call himself to seem funny.
I like the suggestions of [name_u]Duff[/name_u] and Tufts. I also think Tuff could make a cute family nickname.
I would agree with your family and pps. I like some crazy names, but I donât think this one will grow with him very welll. Might I suggest [name_m]Topher[/name_m], [name_u]Duffy[/name_u], Rufio or [name_m]Rupheo[/name_m], any of which could have the nickname âTuffâ. Rufio was also the name of the Lost Boys leader in Hook, a tough guy exterior with a caring, tender heart.
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Iâm going to have to agree with previous posters and say that using this for your child could really set him up for some problems as a school-aged child and later in life. All I can see is a misspelling of âtoughâ. I would stick to using Tuff as a nickname, whether one derived from his given name or just an unrelated pet name. Sorry but I just canât see this working on a child or an adult.
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I donât see the appeal of Tuff. To me it looks like a misspelling of âtoughâ. Apologies if this is a legitimate name with a different origin, but that would be my first impression.
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I donât like it, sorry. I would save it as a nickname.
Pp suggestion of [name_m]Topher[/name_m] is a nice option.
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Tuff sounds like a cute nickname! Agree with most on the misspelling of âtoughâ & could set him up for some stereotyping/bullying. I like some of the previous suggestions on different given names to give him options in the future.
I think itâs ok as a nn, but not an actual name
I was going to suggest [name_u]Duff[/name_u] as a workaround too â itâs the proximity to âtoughâ which is the issue here.
Thereâs also [name_m]Tull[/name_m] or [name_u]Tully[/name_u]?
[name_m]Griff[/name_m]? [name_m]Cliff[/name_m]? [name_m]Tucker[/name_m] [name_u]Finn[/name_u], [name_m]Tucker[/name_m] [name_m]Frederick[/name_m], [name_m]Tucker[/name_m] [name_m]Philip[/name_m]? I also like Tufts.
âTuffâ sounds like a name for a dog to me, sorry. Unless itâs deeply significant to your family or culture I would not use it. I like a lot of unique and out there names but this one just doesnât seem like it would work for an actual person. I think it could make a cute nickname!