Do you follow the idea that parents who name their children odd names are dooming them professionally (and possibly socially)?

I like original names but not names that are so strange that others can’t even say it. Even worse, I can’t imagine dealing with a kid who comes home in tears because I named him Volkswagon Goldfish.
It also bothers me when kids have a common name, but the parents thought they were clever by changing the spelling (Mykal for Michael, Ashleigh for Ashley, alyx for alex).

I think it could be either a really terrible disadvantage or a great advantage.

I’d say it depends on how outlandish the name is.

Not at all.
I have never found anyone, online or in real life who has my name.

I love it, and it’s actually a fantastic icebreaker. I had an interview a few days ago with a man named Mica, and we had a small bonding moment over difficult or unusual first names and the silly ways people try to pronounce them. It was fun, and instantly made him more personable. That happens 90% of the time.

My name is easy though, two syllables and five letters. Kind of hard to be very outlandish in that small a space.

Starquasia is a bit fucked, imo.

@asmonet I have no problems with most creative names. It’s the ghetto ones that kill me
and yes, it is quite fucked

Yes, if they are in the Campbell family.

My daughter was quite upset that her mother named her Becky Sue. My son John David wanted the name I almost picked, Gunnar Telemachus (after Norweigian actor Gunnar Björnstrand, and the son of Ulysses).
My other daughter had a son a couple years ago, and she named him Marceles. I begged her to name him Marceles Pitt-Jolie, but she didn’t.

George Foreman had one hell of an imagination when he named his sons. They may be normal names but it gives new meaning to the word redundancy.

George Jr.
George III
George IV
George V
George VI

My daughter told me today that she was very glad we hadn’t named her Priscilla. I have no idea what she has against that name. On the other hand, she has expressed deep sadness that we did not name her Janice. Again, she was short on details.

And I worked with a man named Albert, who has three sons, all named Albert.

I’d say not across the board. Albuquerque has the memorable names of Cricket Appel and Cinnamon Blair. They’re both semi-successful marketing/chamber of commmerce types in town.

Cross-cultural names are tough. I have family with Japanese first names and Polish surnames.

@kevbo I wasn’t referring to names of cultural meaning such as the ones you mentioned..

I named my daughter Aeon, and my wife divorced me :(

I forgot to mention, I also secretly love/hate ridiculous names.

I’m not sure if it’s a cousin like fifty times removed or a family friend of ours, you can never tell in a South American family but he had three sons.

Their names?

Primero, Segundo, Tercero.

No fucking lie.

What the hell was Frank Zappa thinking when he named his daughter and son Moon Unit and Dweezil?

I kind of adore ‘Moon Unit’.

…And Dweezil.

They’re the fucking Zappas! Anything goes.

I went to school with a Tequila (ta-quee-la). Yeah. I’m sure she went far in life.

I also went to school with an entire family with the last name Corn. First names were Sunshine, Dawn, Misty, Dusty, Stormy. I think… how could you keep up with that ridiculousness?

Why does everyone leave out the other two, Ahmet Rodan and Diva?

Besides, Zappa, being rightfully a bit paranoid, always felt their last name would always give them more trouble.

Zappa has a child named Rodan? I could have named my child Mothra…

Okay, you all forced me to go look up crazy celebrity baby names. Here are some real winners:

Audio Science: Shannyn Sossamon

Bluebell Madonna: Geri Halliwell

Destry: Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw

Diezel Ky: Toni Braxton and Keri Lewis (also parents to Denim Cole)

Fifi Trixibell: Bob Geldof and Paula Yates (also parents to Peaches and Pixie)

Fuchsia: Sting and Frances Tomelty

Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily: Paula Yates and Michael Hutchence

Jazz Domino: Joe Strummer

Jermajesty: Jermaine Jackson and Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza (previously married to Jermaine’s brother Randy)

Kal-El Coppola: Nicholas Cage (Kal-El is Superman’s original birth name)

Luna Coco Patricia: Frank Lampard and Elen Rive

Moxie CrimeFighter: Penn Jillette (also father to Zolten)

Pilot Inspektor: Jason Lee and Beth Riesgraf

Rocket: Robert Rodriguez (also father to Racer, Rebel and Rogue)

Rufus Tiger: Roger Taylor also father to Tiger Lily and Lola Daisy

Saffron Sahara: Simon and Yasmin Le Bon (also parents to Amber Rose and Tallulah Pine)

Sage Moonblood: Sylvester Stallone and Sasha Czack (also parents to Seargeoh)

Seven Sirius: Andre Benjamin and Erykah Badu

Shiloh Nouvel: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

Willow Camille Reign: Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith

@Bluefreedom Will Smith can do no wrong
mmmmm..haha

Dweezil and Moon Unit did fine, so will Suri and Apple and Quasimodo – who actually became quite famous.

I had a long, drawn-out reply, and then I remembered this:

There was a young analyst at the bank where I worked last year whose given name was LaQuesha. Analysts and associates are usually rather young people, and sometimes act like they’re still at school. When I worked in her department one evening, I heard some of the other analysts and associates taunt this lady by saying, ”LaQuesha?!!?? What kind of ghetto name is that?” “Who made up that name?” “My mother. She’s very creative,” she shot back, “But tell me this, who made up ‘John’?”

Would I give my child a stand-out name like that? Probably not. But I shouldn’t judge someone based on their name. I most likely make a snap judgement, though, and that is elitist of me. A person can’t help what their parents name them.

@aprilsimnel Well now I feel like a jackass…

@asmonet Those names are very practical. You think it’s easy remembering everyone’s name? I do the same, occasionally, when I forget Ryker’s name, I just call him number 1.

@Bluefreedom- I’m surprised you don’t have Grace Slick’s daughter, God in your list..

God Slick. Or Slick, God. Cool.

I think Condoleeza proves that theory wrong, pretty much flat out. She was one of the most powerful women in the world for like 8 years, and she has a straight up ghetto name, no two ways about it.

@La_chica_gomela What’s “ghetto” about it? I think it’s ghetto-fabulous, myself.

I completely agree! :-D

It’s a derivation of the Italian phrase Con dolcezza, meaning “with sweetness.”

@aprilsimnel Thank you!

still straight up ghetto, just sayin’

I was actually totally in love with Moxie Crimefighter since the moment I read it ages ago.

It’s fine to have an unusual name… but Starquasia is going just a tad too far, I think. Celebritie’s children will probably do fine or not so fine, regardless of a name. There are so many other factors that can give them a leg up or send them into a downward spiral that their names probably don’t factor into it too much. For myself, I wouldn’t name my kid Starquasia for the same reason I wouldn’t name her Ellie May. Both names seem to fit one stereotype or another that gives one an unnecessary uphill battle throughout life.

I knew a few girls growing up that had funny names. Candyda, Appelonia…

I think there strippers now.

This is actual an issue in the black community. I know that they make an effort to give their children “normal” names, so their children are not judged instantly. This has been a topic I’ve debated extensively with others.

Now, I gave my child an “odd” name. I have full confidence that my child’s name will not hold him back from anything in life. No one treats him any differently, yet. He may have to work harder than others, but that’s not always a bad thing.

@chaz2b Welcome to fluther. Ironic, that you named her Aeon and then your wife left you. Sad, but ironic, as it means forever, right?

Well, she’ll always be your little girl, eh?!

@Triiiple: How was “Candyda” pronounced? Because isn’t Candida (apart from being one of my favorite plays) a yeast infection?? TERRIBLE.

I know my first daughter, should I have one, will be Elora Reese. That goes without saying. I absolutely love the name Chyrlindria (Sher lin dree uh)... except I don’t think I’d be able to name a child that.

@Poofandmook i think it actually was CANDIDA and i just misspelled it, i remember we all called her Candy for short probably why i spelled it that way.

Lol if its a yeast infection then this just makes that name so much funnier.

@poofandmook You could name her Chyrlindria (Sher lin dree uh)... and call her Shirley, for short.

You forgot about Manny Pacquiao who just named his newborn daughter “Queen Elizabeth.”

I agree with boots – if the person is remarkable, their name, plain or otherwise, will be remembered and if they’re unremarkable, people will only remember their names

also…some names that people think are strange aren’t actually strange…they’re just of a different culture…my sons, alexey and arkadiy have very common russian names but not so common here in the US

A person’s character shapes what is associated with their name, I believe. In my family up until my mother’s generation, most were named with Old Testament or ‘old world’ names, lots of repeats and in their times, those people had successful families and business so it couldn’t have gone too badly. We’ve got some doozies too- Colastica, Euphalia, Alemendan, Demitrious, Silviarra, etc.