A Bad Naming TrendBy Jake Rose
Ever hear a name you just thought sounded perfect, that you just loved to say over and over again, but then you realized what it meant and couldn’t help but cringe a bit? If you answered no, then a very lucky person. If you answered yes, then you’ve been one of many to notice and experience this new trend in naming. Don’t get sucked in to it. Think wisely before you make a name.
There are three important factors to a name. First is how it sounds. This is obviously important because your child will have to hear this when people talk or refer to them. Second is how it is written. Again, this is similar in how it sounds because the name will be written in many different situations, ranging from school work to business and legal work and everything in between. Lastly is what it means, if anything. The growing trend to just focus on the sound.
This is a bad decision. You can’t truly decide a good name just by how it sounds. To look past the other two could put your child at a great risk of humiliation, teasing and jokes for a good portion of their childhood. You don’t want them named after a word that could make others laugh and insult them. You don’t want to already give them a bad start at life just because you don’t fully consider the possibilities of a name.
Children are even being named after diseases these days. It’s true even though it might seem quite odd and disturbing. Would you really want to be named after a disease you have to take medication to battle and could even die for just because it sounds good when you say it? It doesn’t matter if you change a few letters, it’s still obvious what the child is named after. If someone is really considering doing this, they should really be considering being a parent a lot more than they have.
Maybe you’re not the one having the child. Maybe it’s a friend or family member and they want you to comment on the names they are considering. Hopefully they are all good and well-though out names, but if there is even one bad one, one odd and potentially humiliating one, don’t be afraid to shoot it down quickly. You shouldn’t let that idea stay alive any longer than it already has. Think of the potential child’s life you could be making better just by standing up to a bad name.
Most people tend to keep it safe and stick to common names. Nothing wrong with this. Just remember though, that if you do decide to try something new, creative and original, that you have really thought about what the word actually means and not just how it sounds. You don’t want to give them a reason to go to therapy right after their birth. You will have plenty of time doing that as they grow up.
