I often hated my name as a child.
I’m not really sure why, it could possibly be because I was called “wee” (good old rhyming) or maybe because it was chosen for me and I’m a bit on the stubborn side, who knows?!
But I guess as much as I disliked it at the time, what I should really be thankful for is that my parents gave me a fairly normal name.
Yes I often had to spell it, as there are many variations, but more often than not, there was never a problem with pronunciation, except when people got to my last name, but that’s another story.
Fast forward 30 years (yes I just gave my age away) and things have certainly changed.
Names, it seems, just aren’t as simple anymore.
A friend of mine is a teacher and we often have chats about this topic.
She is very passionate about it and I don’t blame her, especially when little ones have to try and tell someone their name.
And spelling it is another ball game.
Let’s face it names aren’t just there for five minutes, they are there for your entire life and possibly beyond.
It’s one thing to have an unusual name, but spelling of names that have been around for years have taken on a new twist with extra letters, hyphens and even symbols.
I don’t know about you but I couldn’t imagine trying to explain my name with *, @ or even ! added in.
Then there’s some people who choose to go as far as naming their children after a favourite drink or food.
Apple or Coco anyone?!
I’m not saying people shouldn’t choose unusual names, but it’s important to remember your child has to live with that name and they will be an adult one day.
Dare I say karma could come back to bite you?!
My husband and I spent a good couple of months before our daughter was born coming up with a possible list of names.
We even said names out loud to make sure it worked with our last name, which can be hard for people to say and spell as it is!
And we also know how kids can be cruel (sadly that’s a big part of growing up) so we wanted to make sure the name wasn’t going to cause too much grief.
I heard stories from other friends about how to test if a name works.
One example was to walk into a shopping centre and say the chosen name out loud and see if anyone turns around or reacts to it.
Or another example, also involving a shopping centre, was just to listen to people who yelled at their children and then you would know exactly what not to name your child!
There’s also the dilemma of nicknames, friendly or in some cases not but also your initials can sometimes land you in a spot of bother.
It’s a big deal giving someone a name and not always an easy decision to make, but definitely one to think about.
So good luck if you’re trying to decide on what to name your next child because I’m sure you have plenty to think about now.
It’s funny how you learn to appreciate the simpler things in life and even gain an understanding of what your own parents went through when you too become an adult/parent.
Let’s just say I don’t dislike my name quite as much anymore, thanks mum and dad!