When does unique turn to just plain weird?

Okay so i have recently been viewing nice, unique name suggestions and have even suggested some, but there has got to be a line between unique and weird. I remember when I was young and in school and small children would tease kids over the silliest, smallest things-now imagine having a name like: [name]Temperance[/name], [name]Persephone[/name], [name]Eartha[/name], [name]Magnus[/name] or [name]Cornelius[/name]? Im sorry if anyone likes these but they cross the line. When thinking of names for you children, please think about how it will affect them, we cant just be selfish with our “Guitly pleasures of weird names”. Naming your child a unique name on the other hand is totally different. I think it would be so awesome if it was possible for everyone in the world to have a different name,wouldnt that be so cool? But besides the point, unique names are great-just make sure there is really nothing for kids to laugh about. For example heres some kind of unique names that are NOT crossing the weird line: [name]Neva[/name], Gemica,[name]Phoenix[/name],[name]Trinity[/name],[name]Delilah[/name], ect…Please think over naming your daughter [name]Gertrude[/name]- kids may call her “grandma gertrude”…The way the name sounds can definately affect your child negatively.
:slight_smile:

Maybe you should think about how what you’ve expressed is only your opinion and not try and pass it off as fact.

  • Anon.

I don’t think there is any definition of “unique” that constitutes when a name becomes “weird”. You may draw a personal line of what becomes weird to you personally, but there is no universal line that says “this name is too weird and you should not use it”. It’s all in the eye (or ear) of the beholder. [name]Just[/name] from the “weird” names you listed, I don’t think [name]Cornelius[/name], [name]Magnus[/name], [name]Temperance[/name] or [name]Persephone[/name] are weird at all. They are all solid names with rich history and background. However, some of the names you consider unusual but not weird don’t really seem to be historical names at all. Gemica? It’s not on Nameberry, Behind the Name and google searching it comes up with no information on the background of the name. To me, that’s a bit off.

And, I just want to say, that I have a friend named [name]Gertrude[/name] (she’s 18 and is named after the writer, [name]Gertrude[/name] [name]Stein[/name]). She goes by [name]Tru[/name]. Her name suits her beautifully and she has emphatically stated that she would never change it. I, being named [name]Lisa[/name], have attracted more teasing being called “[name]Mona[/name] [name]Lisa[/name]” or “[name]Lisa[/name] Piza”, than she has being named [name]Gertrude[/name]/[name]Tru[/name].

[name]Temperance[/name]? [name]How[/name] can someone think that name is “weird” or tease-worthy?

Grandma [name]Gertrude[/name]? If that’s all you can come up with, you have a terrible argument. No child I know (or would raise) would call someone Grandma [name]Gertrude[/name] as an insult. Sounds like one of those lame insults that comes before “I know you are but what am I???”

[name]Gertrude[/name] is the stereotypical stupid name. Dont you remember elementary school?. I remember my friends parents would always joke to their kids “I’ll legally change your name to [name]Gertrude[/name] or [name]Magnus[/name] if you dont smarten up”…

I agree there has to be a line. But don’t think it’s in the same place for everyone. I disagree, for example, that [name]Temperance[/name] is weird but Gemica is fine. You’ve stated your opinion, and that’s fine, but let’s all keep in mind that it is your opinion. And we don’t all have to share it.

yes that is quite true. Lots of people dont seem to agree, and thats absolutely fine. Names like [name]Stella[/name] seem to be more my type.

A stereotypical stupid name? This is the kind of attitude that encourages bullying on something as simple as a name. At the root of it, why is [name]Gertrude[/name] a stupid name? Is it the sound? Is it the meaning? Or is it the fact that this is a name used mainly for a generation that is now elderly? I’d love to know what’s funny about elderly people. I don’t know about you but my grandmother is the sweetest woman. She invites me to her home, cooks for me, sang me songs and played games with me as a child. My grandmother’s name was [name]Iris[/name] and I’d be honored to be named for her. Had she been named [name]Gertrude[/name] or [name]Agnes[/name] or [name]Maude[/name] I’d feel the exact same way. And yes, I clearly remember elementary school and I happen to work with elementary school children as a job. I work with kids on daily basis and would you like to know some of the names that kids get teased for?

[name]Christopher[/name] - [name]Chrissy[/name] the [name]Sissy[/name]
[name]Isabella[/name] - [name]Isa[/name]-belly (on a very sweet, though chubby girl)
[name]Lucas[/name] - [name]Luke[/name]-ass
[name]Mary[/name] - Virgin [name]Mary[/name]

These are all classic names that no one would call silly or stupid, yet I’ve seen kids with my own two eyes get teased with these names! So saying someone’s name is weird because it’s an “old-lady name” is nothing in comparison to [name]Chrissy[/name] the [name]Sissy[/name] or Virgin [name]Mary[/name], in my opinion. Basically any name can be the root of teasing, I got teased for being named [name]Lisa[/name]! Can you believe that? A common name that was ridiculously popular- and I got teased for it! It’s fine to have an opinion on which names you prefer, but calling a name “the stereotypical stupid name”? That’s just bad name etiquette.

[name]How[/name] old are you guys like 80? im just saying its soooo old fashioned but if you love it and you think your child will love it then go for it! I absolutely love [name]Gertie[/name], so if you went with the nickname i think thats great…(just my personal opinion- no offense if you love it)

Hey what do you guys think of the name [name]Bar[/name]? like the model…i know someone who likes it…i dont like it, but if they love it its all good.

Name trends are cyclical, and “old lady” names are on the rise again. [name]Do[/name] you honestly think that [name]Jessica[/name] or [name]Nicole[/name] or [name]Megan[/name] or any of the names from the '80s are going to still sound young and fresh to our grandchildren? No. They are going to be the “old lady” names. And then our great-grandchildren will think they are fresh all over again.

That may be your opinion of weird names, but not mine. I have a friend name [name]Trini[/name], you said [name]Trinity[/name] was crossing the weird line, and I personally think it’s really pretty. I think it would be dumb to name your child something simple, that you don’t necessarily like, just because you don’t want kids to make fun of them. Yeah, you would want to name your kid something you can actually spell or pronounce. But if you have your child now, who knows what will be popular when they start school? By then what you name your child could be cool. And there’s also the option of nick names or calling your child by their middle name if getting teased really becomes a problem. [name]Just[/name] because you say certain names are crossing the weird line, doesn’t mean they are in our opinion.

:headdesk:

Your argument to avoid “old-lady names” makes very little sense. Example: My name is [name]Emma[/name] and I am in my twenties. Fifteen years ago, when I was in elementary school, NO ONE was named [name]Emma[/name]. I got made fun of because I had an old lady name. But I love my name, and I would never never change it.
But HEY LOOK, twenty something years later, most Emmas are 0-7 years old.

Agreed. I love old-fashioned names and unique names, and [name]Gertrude[/name], [name]Magnus[/name] and [name]Temperance[/name] are much more tasteful than the choices being made today. [name]Love[/name] all those names. But, we all have our different opinions and suchlike.