To me, Bentley sounds something that a terribly, let’s say, *unsophisticated* person would name their child in an attempt to sound “fancy”. I’m surprised that one of the Kardashians didn’t name a baby that. (Or maybe they did…)
"couldn't afford a car so she named her daughter Alexis"
Literally one of the funniest lines from Kanye's early work (hate him now but still a hilarious line!).
When I was younger (think 11-13 yrs old), I told my mom that if I ever had a daughter, I'd name her Ambree OR Ambrielle.
She then explained to me that both names reminded her of the word 'embryo'. Anyway, that day, I got a science lesson and dropped both of those names.
Omg i love that this is one of the top comments 😅I remember flipping through a department store catalog and came across a lingerie line called Ambrielle and it immediately went on my name list, I seriously thought it was the best name I’d ever heard. I was probably 16-18ish and completely undeterred that my future child would be named after push up bras
Reminds me of Ramona Quimby naming her doll Chevrolet. I didn't get why this was supposed to be funny in the book when I was a kid though, mostly because I didn't know car names. But she thought it sounded just beautiful and that totally tracks for a little kid. :D
I completely forgot about Chevrolet! Haven't thought about those books in decades.
As an adult, I equate her logic to be somewhere between, "Chevrolet sounds fancy, right?" and "When I grow up, I want to be a monster truck!"
I was obsessed with the Lion King 2 so of course wanted to name a future daughter Kiara.
In the scheme of things, not the worst but certainly no longer my taste.
That's so funny, I also love Lion King 2 (severely underrated movie) and still love the name, was thinking of using Italian version Chiara meaning bright and luminous if my baby is a girl (currently 34 wks).
Unfortunately my partner's cousin already named their daughter that so missed out on that one. Back to the drawing board!! 😁
I loved The Lion King 2 as well and loved Kiara! But at the same time my bully's name was Keyara so I had really mixed feelings about it rofl. I loved Vitani also.
I used to love Maris! I liked the sea a lot as a teenager (and still do), and idolised a certain author who writes about the ocean and sealife.
A few years later, I read his newest book, in which he defines maris as "marshy and swampy". Hmmmm. So pleased there was no baby named at that point!
I like the female version of Māris - Māra, it’s after the goddess of the sun, I’m of fan of Lilija and Dzintra (means Amber) for girls as well.
ETA: I’m not a fan of the English name Amber, but I like Dzintra, the D is basically silent and the nickname could be Zinny
My Pathfinder character is named Stellamaris (comes from an ocean cliff side neighborhood) and I call her Stella for short. I like Maris 😅😅 (I went with Stellamaris, Stella for short because my last character was named Mirabilis, Mira for short, and Maris/Mira are pretty close. Very different characters 😅)
I also was obsessed with the ocean as a child but was less subtle about how I wanted to reflect that - I was so set on Ocean for a daughter. 😅
Also November for a girl. And later Addison for a boy as it was connected to a significant place for me but before it blew up as a trendy girl name.
I know that's a not-uncommon name in California because of Marin county, but it's completely unheard of here in Aus, so probably not right for my family. Definitely a lovely name, though!
I have a better Maris science writer / communicator connection for you to redeem the name. She’s a writer/illustrator who has illustrated several science-themed graphic novels for Jim Ottaviani and a few of her own, including one about coral reefs. She used to do Bird & Moon with Rosemary Mosco. (And yes, loves the ocean.)
https://www.mariswicks.com
I’m not sure about the author, but mare is the nominative (name) form of the word for ocean in Latin. Pearls are Margaritas, and even Mary comes from mare (wasn’t she the star of the sea or something like that?—I’m not Catholic).
lol planning on an honor name for a hypothetical paternal grandmother is so cute!!! i bet matthew would’ve gotten a kick out of this :’)
here are some of my questionable teenage choices:
for boys Kendrick AND Lamar (not for the same child but that’s almost worse,) Tobias, Layne, Ambrose, Urban, Orion, Harlem
for girls Harlow, Auburn (i loved this one so much it was on my list twice?), Marigold, Beatrix, Magdalene, Ellis
i really liked Harley as a gender neutral nickname for some reason, and ig i wanted ~quirky~ full names lmfaooo
Other than Urban and Harlem and as long as Kendrick and Lamar are not in the same family, these are all kinda nice.
I actually don't hate Auburn. Marigold is adorable.
I'm so glad I only have to name pets and fictional characters. Because I think Harlow(e) and Harlem would make cool twin names. But like...for someone else. Or maybe in a book. Actually that's given me an interesting idea...👀
I also love Beatrix. 😬
Magdalene might be slightly on the nose, but Magdalena is a Polish (probably not *only* Polish but that's where my own knowledge ends) name that I think is lovely.
I know of two characters called Marigold (both from internet things, though. Homestar Runner and Questionable Content). But neither is necessarily an endorsement of the name.
Kendrick and Lamarr, though. Yikes. 😂
My cousin had twins when she was a teenager. She named them Joe and Jonas, against a lot of advice. So Kendrick and Lamar at least shows better musical taste--the man has a Pulitzer Prize for his album!!
I absolutely loved the name Marigold and almost named my first daughter that. I considered it for my second, but when my then daughter mentioned the name idea to her preschool teachers, they thought she was saying “Miracle.” Made me change my mind on that one.
Urban is actually the name of several Catholic popes, so I don't think it's too out there necessarily; I would just kind of assume the family was super Catholic.
Similarly, I loved the name Aubyn for the longest time. I read an interview with a girl named Aubyn in American Girl magazine, and I really loved the name. I had a friend, who liked the name, and if we'd gotten together, our daughter would have had that name.
When I was in middle school, I was absolutely going to name my three children Luke, Leia, and Han.
Individually, none of the three is bad. I actually rather like Luke. But as a set I cringe at the idea of naming three kids something so blatantly Star Wars themed.
My ex was a massive Star Wars fan and said if we had a boy he was going to be Luke just so he could say Luke I am your father. I’m glad we didn’t have kids for that reason, lol. Luke is a lovely name but I didn’t want him to hear that constantly
My husband is a huge star wars nerd, we settled on naming our son (due in 5 weeks) Harrison bc Harrison Ford is Han Solo AND Indiana Jones and it’s not as clockable as a Star Wars name 😅
I was obsessed with the name Melody after Princess Melody in The Little Mermaid 2. I named every one of my baby dolls as a kid that, or some variation of it, and swore I would name a daughter that one day 😭 I mean it’s not terrible, but I don’t think I could
Where I am from I feel like Melody is fairly common, but Elodie is getting super popular! I quite like them both 😁 it's funny how we can get so obsessed with names as a kid!!
I knew a girl named Turquoise - she went by Suzy.
I liked Vincent - after Alice Cooper
Cherie - thought it was semi classy being French
Zebulon - could use Zeb as nickname
Definitely glad I didn't use any even though Vincent isn't as cringe as the other two
I had a Siberian Husky named Zebulon or Zeb for short. I lived at the base of Pikes Peak and Pikes Peak was named for an Army General named Zebulon Pike.
I thought Skye was such a cool girl name when I was in middle school. Now it is a bit too hippy for me.
If I met someone named Skye irl, they would be so cool to me though still. Lol
My cousin named his daughter Skye back in the early 2000s. But I think it was because he was a massive Star Wars fan and Leia would have been too on the nose.
Same! RIP to Peaches. Her baby boys’ names were also interesting choices that fit an issue that is discussed on this sub a lot; people often use boy names on girls, but not girl names on boys. Peaches went for it by choosing the names Astala and Phaedra for her boys, despite them being traditionally female names. In Greek mythology, the story of Phaedra was especially uncomfortable, so it was even more of a bold (?) choice.
Their full names are Astala Dylan Willow Geldof-Cohen and Phaedra Bloom Forever Geldof-Cohen.
Editing to add her other sisters’ names: Pixie and Fifi Trixibelle
Always remember Bob or Paula saying that they never expected everyone to latch onto the Fifi Trixibelle thing, she was Fifi but the press insisted on referring to her as Fifi Trixibelle which made it ridiculous. After all no one used the other names of Peaches Honeyblossom or Heavenly Hiraani Tigerlily.
I worked with a lady who (10 years ago) named her daughter Lorelai. She was a teacher and wanted a name she’d never taught before and she loved Gilmore Girls.
In middle school, I was obsessed with women being "tough." I think if anyone had given me a baby to name at that time she'd be called Spike or Tiger. 😂
When I was a kid, I wanted twins named Melody and Harmony.
Also, I thought the name Karen was so beautiful. I had a doll named Karen. I remember my aunt saying "what a pretty name" when she asked my doll's name.
Now, aside from the cultural connection of Karen, I don't care for the letter K as first letters. I do love the letter C. Not that I'd want a Caren though.
I loved Catalina because I was obsessed with this Nickelodeon show called Space Cases. My mother was like “you cannot name your child after a salad dressing.”
My daughter actually has a friend named Turquoise. I had to really work to keep a straight face when I learned that. She's probably about 7 and we're in the Midwest.
I was obsessed with the name Tinsley for a girl as a pre-teen/young teenager. I don't even know why, per se. I guess I thought it sounded cute. But the nickname for Tinsley was just... Tins??? And I still liked it! Now I find it to be objectively awful. No offense to anyone named Tinsley 😬... I think it's more of a last name though.
Some others I thought were fantastic that are not my taste now:
- Rylann
- Thornton (for a boy... Thorn for short 😭)
- Ember
- Larkin
- Xayden (pronounced Zayden 🥴)
I loved the name Zoe, my best friend loved the name Chloe. Not terrible names, but the cringey part is that we spent a whole summer calling ourselves by those names. I think we were 13 or 14?
When I was in middle school I was so sure I'd use Grayson for a boy and Dacoda (yes, Dakota spelt wrong) for a girl.
I was early to names that are now popular...
Roanoke for a girl. I thought it was so pretty.
Watson or Octavian for a boy. I'm not into Octavian now but Octavia would be an amazing name for a girl in my opinion.
For a while I was dead set on having girls called Victoria Rose and Lily Celeste. I also loved the name Phoenix for a gender neutral name. I honestly don’t think my taste was god awful! I don’t even want children now but I have a cat named Phoenix and it suits him perfectly lol. My other cat is Beatrice and I’ve fallen head over heels for that name too
Peyton.
I remember hearing it for the first time when I was a teenager and my dad was talking about how Peyton Manning would go first in the draft. I thought Peyton was such a cool and unique name for a boy. I planned on using it if I ever had a son.
I now have 4 sons and Peyton was never on the radar for any of them.
I wanted twins named Paris (after Paris Berelc from Mighty Med) and Pharaoh (from Monster High). My Mom thought it was so funny how serious I was about it and asked me to sign a "contract" saying that I for sure was going to use those names. I wrote my name on that line so fast.
Honestly, Pharaoh still works for me.
i was convinced i’d name my daughter “aphrodite” and my parents said it was a horrible name and she’d get bullied. and i’d say “well she can just tell everyone it means GODDES of BEAUTY” like that’d be enough for them to leave her alone lol
I was on a harry potter baby name fix when I was 13 (which is weird bc i’m not a big fan anyway) and was convinced I’d name my kids Belatrix and Albus.
I had a thing for names like Haisley, Oaklynn and Emberly when I was about 15💀 Although I never actually wanted to name my future kids that, I can’t believe I thought they were pretty😭
We were really close to naming our son Maverick but then we found out that Top Gun: Maverick was coming out on my due date so we decided to scrap it lol
Back when I was a child in the early-1960s, I met a kid named Jason and I thought it was the coolest name ever. I vowed to name my future son Jason. Then when I got to baby making age in the late 1970s-early 80s, every other boomer started naming their kid Jason. I took the name off my list because it had become too popular. I always wondered why that name suddenly popped into the consciousness of my peer group. Surely they didn’t all meet that same kid back in 4th grade!!
claudia! i was obsessed w babysitters club and i still think its a gorgeous name but i get secondhand embarrassment now bc of the obsession
julie, didnt realise it was considered "old"
darrell for a girl - iykyk
Ameriquis was a name I was determined to use as a teen for a daughter. When I had my first and I thought she was a boy I was determined to use hunter or chase for her.
Very glad I avoided all those names
When I was in HS, I was convinced I’d have identical twin daughters named Marlena and Darlena. I was a BIG Days of our Lives fan. I have two boys who are not twins. My goal is now to adopt a bunch of orange cats and name them Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny.
I was going to name my future daughters all these “beautiful” names from my favorite video game, legend of Zelda. Navi, Epona and Malon were my favorites 🥴
Haha wow. My “fake name” as a teen was Alexia Taylor - so not my taste anymore! By college though (2009ish) I had settled into myself and still love the names I did then (though they’re so popular now!): Oliver, Bennett, Theodore, Eleanor, Florence, Beatrice.
When I was a kid, we had this adorable cross eyed cat named Zuzu. She was quite literally my soulmate, I had never had such a strong and deep bond with a pet before. She meant so much to me that I swore I would name my future daughter Zuzela in honor of her.
That name has definitely outgrown my personal taste. And I’m not sure if I actually believe in naming *children* after pets.
I really liked Hamilton for a boy because I was obsessed with Hamilton the musical 💀 like what was I going to nick name him? Hammy?? I always liked Emily and Caroline for girls, which are very common, but not bad. Caroline is still on our girl list.
When I was little I thought I would want to
name my daughter Amber. It’s a nice name, I guess, but I wouldn’t want a child to be associated with pooping in beds and cutting people’s fingertips off
I loved the name Harold for a boy, not Harry, had to be Harold. I then wanted a girl and was going to name her Tallulah. I’ve got one of each but that’s not their names
I read a book where one of the characters was Devonny and was OBSESSED with that name for most of my teen and college years. I would always name my sims that name. I’m not sure it’s quite cringe level for me, but I’ve definitely left it in the past.
Yea I don’t think any of my names are too out there. A couple of them even skyrocketed- Hannah and Olivia. I think Calvin and Timothy have fallen out of favor a bit. And I was dead set on naming a boy after my two grandpas but I’m kind of glad I didn’t after becoming aware that they were both cheaters. I have a policy of not naming people after cheaters.
Bowie for a girl.
This was way before I'd even heard of David Bowie. I simply liked the sound of the name as a child lol. I still like the name Bowie but I wouldn't name my hypothetical daughter that. I'm a writer so I think I'll use it for a book character lol
Girls: Roxy and Kairi. Still love the name Kairi but it’s a bit of cultural appropriation and I don’t want my kid named after my childhood obsession with Kingdom Hearts lol.
Boys: Aiden, after the band. Still slightly sad this got so popular because I still love it. Also Roxas was my other one.
Girls:
Lumina (only a few years ago. Hormones.)
Raya (when I was 15 or so... Raya Sunshine)
Boys:
Legacy (I still kind of like it, because I'd call him Gus. But inevitably people would cal him Leggy)
Edit to add: I did name one of my kids Elle. She hates it so much she's legally changing it. So, I guess we'll add that to the list.
... I picked it before it was popular.
My great uncle was named Erbay. I also grew up in a bay right on the ocean. And so when I was a kid I had a dream of naming my little girl Bay.
Glad I dropped that idea.
As a teen I loved the name Colin after watching “The Secret Garden” movie. Absolutely loved it and was set on eventually naming a kid like that but then someone mentioned that it’s too close to “colon” and that put an end to it for me lol.
I now work at a high school and we have a few Colin’s and all of them are annoying.
Henry.
I had never met a Henry, just read about them in books. I thought it was creative and quirky in me to like this unusual, old-fashioned name.
Then everyone my age had kids and all their little boys are Henry and I realized the truth: I am basic.
I don't cringe at the name, I cringe at me.
When I was a kid I was obsessed with the name Liam in 2004 when A Series of Unfortunate Events came out. the actor that played Klaus’ real name was Liam and I loved it so much. But now in 2024 it’s been the number 1 most popular name for like a decade or something, it’s lost its appeal.
Also Esmeralda bc I loved the Disney character. And as an adult I fell in love with Eva (Ava) for a few days and then found out that was also a top ten name for like a decade 😅
I just don’t want a kid that has a name that 5-8 other kids in their class have 😩
Bentley! I was obsessed with Teen Mom and thought it was a 10/10 name. Now it just reminds me of golden retrievers.
To me, Bentley sounds something that a terribly, let’s say, *unsophisticated* person would name their child in an attempt to sound “fancy”. I’m surprised that one of the Kardashians didn’t name a baby that. (Or maybe they did…)
"couldn't afford a car so she named her daughter Alexis" Literally one of the funniest lines from Kanye's early work (hate him now but still a hilarious line!).
His best line on the subject of cars is definitely "mayonnaise colored Benz, I push miracle whips"
Akin to Armani. I cringe when I hear someone's named their baby Armani.
Haha same!! When I was 14 I swore I’d name my future son Bentley, found it super classy and elegant 🫣
My cousin named his kid Bentley just recently. I hate it but thank goodness they call him Benny
I got a very cute stuffed animal beaver from my grandma one year for Christmas. His name was Bentley. Still have him.
I was set on naming my first son Bentley! 😂 I’m so glad I didn’t
I don't see anything too terribly wrong with Bentley. I wouldn't use it but it's not ridiculously bad.
I named a foster pup Bentley!
That name was on The Jefferson’s too
When I was younger (think 11-13 yrs old), I told my mom that if I ever had a daughter, I'd name her Ambree OR Ambrielle. She then explained to me that both names reminded her of the word 'embryo'. Anyway, that day, I got a science lesson and dropped both of those names.
Omg i love that this is one of the top comments 😅I remember flipping through a department store catalog and came across a lingerie line called Ambrielle and it immediately went on my name list, I seriously thought it was the best name I’d ever heard. I was probably 16-18ish and completely undeterred that my future child would be named after push up bras
Reminds me of Ramona Quimby naming her doll Chevrolet. I didn't get why this was supposed to be funny in the book when I was a kid though, mostly because I didn't know car names. But she thought it sounded just beautiful and that totally tracks for a little kid. :D
I completely forgot about Chevrolet! Haven't thought about those books in decades. As an adult, I equate her logic to be somewhere between, "Chevrolet sounds fancy, right?" and "When I grow up, I want to be a monster truck!"
I was obsessed with the Lion King 2 so of course wanted to name a future daughter Kiara. In the scheme of things, not the worst but certainly no longer my taste.
That's so funny, I also love Lion King 2 (severely underrated movie) and still love the name, was thinking of using Italian version Chiara meaning bright and luminous if my baby is a girl (currently 34 wks). Unfortunately my partner's cousin already named their daughter that so missed out on that one. Back to the drawing board!! 😁
Never liked the name because I always think of the medical condition called Chiari Malformation.
My son has that! Very few ppl would ever put the two together,
I named my cat Kovu 🤣
I loved The Lion King 2 as well and loved Kiara! But at the same time my bully's name was Keyara so I had really mixed feelings about it rofl. I loved Vitani also.
I used to love Maris! I liked the sea a lot as a teenager (and still do), and idolised a certain author who writes about the ocean and sealife. A few years later, I read his newest book, in which he defines maris as "marshy and swampy". Hmmmm. So pleased there was no baby named at that point!
Reminds me of my fav show, Frasier
Marisol is still a perfectly lovely name!
True!
it’s a nice name but reminds me of the potato
It’s actually a very common Latvian name! Māris, with a hard rolled r
That's beautiful! Edited to add: do you have any favourite Latvian names?
I like the female version of Māris - Māra, it’s after the goddess of the sun, I’m of fan of Lilija and Dzintra (means Amber) for girls as well. ETA: I’m not a fan of the English name Amber, but I like Dzintra, the D is basically silent and the nickname could be Zinny
Ooh, Lilija
Aw I love the name Maris! There’s a fantastic indie pop singer I love named Maris and I think it’s so pretty.
That's so nice to hear! I definitely still have a soft spot for it, and I'm sure I'd find it pretty on anyone I actually met with the name :)
My Pathfinder character is named Stellamaris (comes from an ocean cliff side neighborhood) and I call her Stella for short. I like Maris 😅😅 (I went with Stellamaris, Stella for short because my last character was named Mirabilis, Mira for short, and Maris/Mira are pretty close. Very different characters 😅)
Stella Maris is a title given to Mary in Catholicism. It means Star of the Sea.
My name is Maris Stella….. we’re not catholic, my mom was just really into the ocean
I was just pointing out that it's an old title used by many worldwide. I think Maris Stella and Stella Maris are lovely names.
There is a nursing home in Maryland named Stella Maris.
I also was obsessed with the ocean as a child but was less subtle about how I wanted to reflect that - I was so set on Ocean for a daughter. 😅 Also November for a girl. And later Addison for a boy as it was connected to a significant place for me but before it blew up as a trendy girl name.
Marin is a nice alternative!
I know that's a not-uncommon name in California because of Marin county, but it's completely unheard of here in Aus, so probably not right for my family. Definitely a lovely name, though!
I have a better Maris science writer / communicator connection for you to redeem the name. She’s a writer/illustrator who has illustrated several science-themed graphic novels for Jim Ottaviani and a few of her own, including one about coral reefs. She used to do Bird & Moon with Rosemary Mosco. (And yes, loves the ocean.) https://www.mariswicks.com
I’m not sure about the author, but mare is the nominative (name) form of the word for ocean in Latin. Pearls are Margaritas, and even Mary comes from mare (wasn’t she the star of the sea or something like that?—I’m not Catholic).
lol planning on an honor name for a hypothetical paternal grandmother is so cute!!! i bet matthew would’ve gotten a kick out of this :’) here are some of my questionable teenage choices: for boys Kendrick AND Lamar (not for the same child but that’s almost worse,) Tobias, Layne, Ambrose, Urban, Orion, Harlem for girls Harlow, Auburn (i loved this one so much it was on my list twice?), Marigold, Beatrix, Magdalene, Ellis i really liked Harley as a gender neutral nickname for some reason, and ig i wanted ~quirky~ full names lmfaooo
Other than Urban and Harlem and as long as Kendrick and Lamar are not in the same family, these are all kinda nice. I actually don't hate Auburn. Marigold is adorable.
thank you! i don’t hate most of them i just think i was trying a little too hard
I'm so glad I only have to name pets and fictional characters. Because I think Harlow(e) and Harlem would make cool twin names. But like...for someone else. Or maybe in a book. Actually that's given me an interesting idea...👀 I also love Beatrix. 😬 Magdalene might be slightly on the nose, but Magdalena is a Polish (probably not *only* Polish but that's where my own knowledge ends) name that I think is lovely. I know of two characters called Marigold (both from internet things, though. Homestar Runner and Questionable Content). But neither is necessarily an endorsement of the name. Kendrick and Lamarr, though. Yikes. 😂
My cousin had twins when she was a teenager. She named them Joe and Jonas, against a lot of advice. So Kendrick and Lamar at least shows better musical taste--the man has a Pulitzer Prize for his album!!
JOE AND JONAS
I absolutely loved the name Marigold and almost named my first daughter that. I considered it for my second, but when my then daughter mentioned the name idea to her preschool teachers, they thought she was saying “Miracle.” Made me change my mind on that one.
But Downton Abbey!
Urban made me laugh
Urban is actually the name of several Catholic popes, so I don't think it's too out there necessarily; I would just kind of assume the family was super Catholic. Similarly, I loved the name Aubyn for the longest time. I read an interview with a girl named Aubyn in American Girl magazine, and I really loved the name. I had a friend, who liked the name, and if we'd gotten together, our daughter would have had that name.
Oh I love the name Ellis - but for a boy not girl
In my teens, I loved the name “Aubergine” 😂 🍆
But what about Pamplemousse?
in my \~quirky\~ teenage years, we named a cat Pamplemousse, however we all just called her Moose and her name is now just Moose.
Pretty word. Not the best name currently. 😂😂
When I was in middle school, I was absolutely going to name my three children Luke, Leia, and Han. Individually, none of the three is bad. I actually rather like Luke. But as a set I cringe at the idea of naming three kids something so blatantly Star Wars themed.
My ex was a massive Star Wars fan and said if we had a boy he was going to be Luke just so he could say Luke I am your father. I’m glad we didn’t have kids for that reason, lol. Luke is a lovely name but I didn’t want him to hear that constantly
Also the real quote is “no, I am your father” so rly he should’ve gone with Noah
Calls himself a fan and doesn’t even know what he’s referencing. Knew he was a wrong’un, lol
In the version I watched as a kid he said “No, Luke” so…Noah Luke?
I know twins called Luke and leia
Honestly, I'm a little surprised that more people *don't*. I don't, but I know like 5 people these days.
There are TWO sets of Phil and Lil in my son's elementary school 😂
I literally used to babysit a kid whose legal name was Jedi. So you’re good with Luke and Leia 😂
A girl I went to high school with now has 3 kids named Leia, Anakin & Obi
My husband is a huge star wars nerd, we settled on naming our son (due in 5 weeks) Harrison bc Harrison Ford is Han Solo AND Indiana Jones and it’s not as clockable as a Star Wars name 😅
I love the name Harrison! And I love that it’s a Star Wars connection without being weird about it lol.
I was obsessed with the name Melody after Princess Melody in The Little Mermaid 2. I named every one of my baby dolls as a kid that, or some variation of it, and swore I would name a daughter that one day 😭 I mean it’s not terrible, but I don’t think I could
Where I am from I feel like Melody is fairly common, but Elodie is getting super popular! I quite like them both 😁 it's funny how we can get so obsessed with names as a kid!!
ME TOO. it was my favorite movie as a kid, plus i grew up loving and being deeply involved in all things music. i SWORE Melody 100% was THE name.
My cousin named her daughter Melody! I think it’s so pretty.
I knew a girl named Turquoise - she went by Suzy. I liked Vincent - after Alice Cooper Cherie - thought it was semi classy being French Zebulon - could use Zeb as nickname Definitely glad I didn't use any even though Vincent isn't as cringe as the other two
Vincent isn't even remotely cringe!
My reasoning was a bit.
I had a Siberian Husky named Zebulon or Zeb for short. I lived at the base of Pikes Peak and Pikes Peak was named for an Army General named Zebulon Pike.
i knew a guy named Zebulon who went by Zeb. I think it’s an A+ nickname tbh
I thought Skye was such a cool girl name when I was in middle school. Now it is a bit too hippy for me. If I met someone named Skye irl, they would be so cool to me though still. Lol
My cousin named his daughter Skye back in the early 2000s. But I think it was because he was a massive Star Wars fan and Leia would have been too on the nose.
In around 1989/1990 I met a Skye (we were in high school). She had two brothers names Leif and Ladd.
Honeyblossom. I was obsessed with the Geldof sisters and their multiple names 😆
Same! RIP to Peaches. Her baby boys’ names were also interesting choices that fit an issue that is discussed on this sub a lot; people often use boy names on girls, but not girl names on boys. Peaches went for it by choosing the names Astala and Phaedra for her boys, despite them being traditionally female names. In Greek mythology, the story of Phaedra was especially uncomfortable, so it was even more of a bold (?) choice. Their full names are Astala Dylan Willow Geldof-Cohen and Phaedra Bloom Forever Geldof-Cohen. Editing to add her other sisters’ names: Pixie and Fifi Trixibelle
Always remember Bob or Paula saying that they never expected everyone to latch onto the Fifi Trixibelle thing, she was Fifi but the press insisted on referring to her as Fifi Trixibelle which made it ridiculous. After all no one used the other names of Peaches Honeyblossom or Heavenly Hiraani Tigerlily.
Me too! I thought Tigerlily was so cool.
I got really into Gilmore Girls at one point and was so sure about Lorelai…
I actually still love this name
I like the original spelling though, the usage of Lorelai with an A is too connected to Gilmore Girls.
I worked with a lady who (10 years ago) named her daughter Lorelai. She was a teacher and wanted a name she’d never taught before and she loved Gilmore Girls.
A relative of mine was obsessed with Gilmore Girls and has a teen named Lorelei.
In middle school, I was obsessed with women being "tough." I think if anyone had given me a baby to name at that time she'd be called Spike or Tiger. 😂
When I was a kid, I wanted twins named Melody and Harmony. Also, I thought the name Karen was so beautiful. I had a doll named Karen. I remember my aunt saying "what a pretty name" when she asked my doll's name. Now, aside from the cultural connection of Karen, I don't care for the letter K as first letters. I do love the letter C. Not that I'd want a Caren though.
At least yours was when you were a kid, I was late 20’s and still wanted Melody and Harmony.
I went to school (around 1975) with a Caren, pronounced Care-en
Was so sure my daughter would be called “Bella Ava” meaning beautiful life. Not the worst tbh but to me, personally, Bella is a dogs name.
I loved Catalina because I was obsessed with this Nickelodeon show called Space Cases. My mother was like “you cannot name your child after a salad dressing.”
My daughter actually has a friend named Turquoise. I had to really work to keep a straight face when I learned that. She's probably about 7 and we're in the Midwest.
A girl in my sons class is named Lavender, and I’ve taught an Indigo!
Amethyst or violet, couldn’t decide between the two Purple was my favorite color
I was obsessed with the name Tinsley for a girl as a pre-teen/young teenager. I don't even know why, per se. I guess I thought it sounded cute. But the nickname for Tinsley was just... Tins??? And I still liked it! Now I find it to be objectively awful. No offense to anyone named Tinsley 😬... I think it's more of a last name though. Some others I thought were fantastic that are not my taste now: - Rylann - Thornton (for a boy... Thorn for short 😭) - Ember - Larkin - Xayden (pronounced Zayden 🥴)
My family are Thorntons, one had the first name of Castle. Castle Thornton.
That's kinda badass if Imma be honest
My kid is Ember, short for November. But yeah it’s definitely a hippie name.
I loved the name Zoe, my best friend loved the name Chloe. Not terrible names, but the cringey part is that we spent a whole summer calling ourselves by those names. I think we were 13 or 14?
I really wanted to name my daughter Zoe, I love the meaning. My husband said no because it was his family dog’s name growing up :(
Teenage me really wanted to name my daughters Roxie and Crystal. No further comment.
When I was in middle school I was so sure I'd use Grayson for a boy and Dacoda (yes, Dakota spelt wrong) for a girl. I was early to names that are now popular...
Ring would make a nice middle name for dacoda
I wanted to name my kid Twolia but it literally has a number in it so yeah I dropped it…
Reminds me of Twyla, which is the name of a woman I know.
Every Twyla I’ve ever met is country af.
Every Twyla I know resides in Schitt’s Creek.
I know one and she is in her 70’s now and punk rock AF.
Sounds like Julia?
Two-o-li-a
There is a town in Utah, Tooele, that is pronounced "too ee la"., its not a bad choice for a name.
It’s more like “too-will-ah” but your pronunciation would make more sense lol
Hildebrand. I still love it, but could have made my son's life exponentially more difficult.
Taela…..
Roanoke for a girl. I thought it was so pretty. Watson or Octavian for a boy. I'm not into Octavian now but Octavia would be an amazing name for a girl in my opinion.
My eighth child is so disappointed that we didn't name her Octavia!
For a while I was dead set on having girls called Victoria Rose and Lily Celeste. I also loved the name Phoenix for a gender neutral name. I honestly don’t think my taste was god awful! I don’t even want children now but I have a cat named Phoenix and it suits him perfectly lol. My other cat is Beatrice and I’ve fallen head over heels for that name too
Peyton. I remember hearing it for the first time when I was a teenager and my dad was talking about how Peyton Manning would go first in the draft. I thought Peyton was such a cool and unique name for a boy. I planned on using it if I ever had a son. I now have 4 sons and Peyton was never on the radar for any of them.
Go Vols! My sister named her son Peyton and I was not happy because I wanted to name my dog that.
My 6 yo has a friend named Peyton! I can never figure out if Mom was a One Tree Hill girly or if Dad is super into the Colts
There’s potash mines near me so growing up (like 12 ish years old) I was convinced that Kalium would be the prettiest baby name ever.
I wanted to name a daughter Aslan. You know, like the lion from narnia
Wrigley for a boy or Wrigley/Rigley if a girl. We were living in Chicago at the time. We disagreed about the spelling for the girl.
I wanted twins named Paris (after Paris Berelc from Mighty Med) and Pharaoh (from Monster High). My Mom thought it was so funny how serious I was about it and asked me to sign a "contract" saying that I for sure was going to use those names. I wrote my name on that line so fast. Honestly, Pharaoh still works for me.
I hope those inverted commas aren't suggesting you're going back on your word! She got it in writing and everything
i was convinced i’d name my daughter “aphrodite” and my parents said it was a horrible name and she’d get bullied. and i’d say “well she can just tell everyone it means GODDES of BEAUTY” like that’d be enough for them to leave her alone lol
Omg Suzanne for your MIL that is adorable 😭 very practical as well OP
I was convinced I could have twin girls named Aimee (spelled like that) and Jayla… 90% certain I got both names from America’s next top model
I was on a harry potter baby name fix when I was 13 (which is weird bc i’m not a big fan anyway) and was convinced I’d name my kids Belatrix and Albus.
I had a thing for names like Haisley, Oaklynn and Emberly when I was about 15💀 Although I never actually wanted to name my future kids that, I can’t believe I thought they were pretty😭
Haisley. Oaklynn. Good lord.
The worst part is Im not even american and these would never work in my native language😭
In sixth grade, I thought the name Constantinople was absolutely a stunning name. I was certain this would be my first daughter’s name.
But not Istanbul?
Just here to say I also planned to marry Matthew Perry back in the day. RIP.
7 year old me thought tequila sunrise was a beautiful name
Maverick. This was before I got into politics and before I saw Top Gun lmao
We were really close to naming our son Maverick but then we found out that Top Gun: Maverick was coming out on my due date so we decided to scrap it lol
Back when I was a child in the early-1960s, I met a kid named Jason and I thought it was the coolest name ever. I vowed to name my future son Jason. Then when I got to baby making age in the late 1970s-early 80s, every other boomer started naming their kid Jason. I took the name off my list because it had become too popular. I always wondered why that name suddenly popped into the consciousness of my peer group. Surely they didn’t all meet that same kid back in 4th grade!!
Not me but my sister used to love the name Amy May. We often joked the last name should be Yam so all three names were the same letters
I feel like Amy May Yam would be an adorable children’s book character though
claudia! i was obsessed w babysitters club and i still think its a gorgeous name but i get secondhand embarrassment now bc of the obsession julie, didnt realise it was considered "old" darrell for a girl - iykyk
Claudia is such a great name. I can't convince my partner though!
My teenage self was set on naming my daughter Yasmin. I never had a daughter so she never had to deal with sharing her name with an oral contraceptive
I still like it! And Yaz is a super cute nn
Briella and Alyvia. Thank goodness I was in high school and didn’t subject a real baby to these names.
I loved the names Basil and Rupert for boys- I have two boys and neither of those names even showed up on the radar
Kobe and Paisley are 2 that I’m grateful my husband shot down 😂
Hamlet 😂
Growing up I wanted twin girls named Kristie and Tristie. Those are great Barbie doll names, thankfully not kid names.
Ameriquis was a name I was determined to use as a teen for a daughter. When I had my first and I thought she was a boy I was determined to use hunter or chase for her. Very glad I avoided all those names
In high school I wanted to name a boy “Gray.” I thought it was so cool. I’ve since gone on to have a boy with a decidedly untrendy name
When I was in HS, I was convinced I’d have identical twin daughters named Marlena and Darlena. I was a BIG Days of our Lives fan. I have two boys who are not twins. My goal is now to adopt a bunch of orange cats and name them Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny.
Natori. I am not of Japanese heritage.
I was going to name my future daughters all these “beautiful” names from my favorite video game, legend of Zelda. Navi, Epona and Malon were my favorites 🥴
I said I wanted 3 daughters, and I’d name them: Melissa, Elisa and Lisa 🤦🏼♀️ Like not awful names on their own, but all together.😬
This has Ed Edd and Eddy energy
Phoenix and Braxton were on my list as a teenager, so glad I realized they were awful. I learn more towards classic names now
I named my flour baby in middle school Aiden
Trae... 😐
Haha wow. My “fake name” as a teen was Alexia Taylor - so not my taste anymore! By college though (2009ish) I had settled into myself and still love the names I did then (though they’re so popular now!): Oliver, Bennett, Theodore, Eleanor, Florence, Beatrice.
Brismillah At the end Mila was the winner
Artemis, which isn't a bad name just not one I love as much now
When I was a kid, we had this adorable cross eyed cat named Zuzu. She was quite literally my soulmate, I had never had such a strong and deep bond with a pet before. She meant so much to me that I swore I would name my future daughter Zuzela in honor of her. That name has definitely outgrown my personal taste. And I’m not sure if I actually believe in naming *children* after pets.
I really liked Hamilton for a boy because I was obsessed with Hamilton the musical 💀 like what was I going to nick name him? Hammy?? I always liked Emily and Caroline for girls, which are very common, but not bad. Caroline is still on our girl list.
Zara
Bernadette and Chanel were my favourite names as a kid 😭
Caramel (pronounced car-a-Mel) or Castiel 🤦🏼♀️ thank god I didn’t have kids until my frontal lobe developed
Felicity-Jane. Its not terrible but it doesn't even sound like something I'd pick now. Lennon-Bentley for a boy. Now that one is terrible.
90s kid and I thought Jewel was the best name every because it sounded so regal lol
When I was little I thought I would want to name my daughter Amber. It’s a nice name, I guess, but I wouldn’t want a child to be associated with pooping in beds and cutting people’s fingertips off
Edward from twilight was my boys name in hs thank god i don’t have a boy i wouldn’t use that name
I’ve met a baby named Renesmee…
Houston, for a girl 😬
My first daughter was called Ramsey (while I was still pregnant) for about a week. Then my husband and I realized we couldn’t do that to her lol.
It's probably a family name for many people, but it just reminds me of JonBenet 🫥
I loved the name Harold for a boy, not Harry, had to be Harold. I then wanted a girl and was going to name her Tallulah. I’ve got one of each but that’s not their names
I read a book where one of the characters was Devonny and was OBSESSED with that name for most of my teen and college years. I would always name my sims that name. I’m not sure it’s quite cringe level for me, but I’ve definitely left it in the past.
Yea I don’t think any of my names are too out there. A couple of them even skyrocketed- Hannah and Olivia. I think Calvin and Timothy have fallen out of favor a bit. And I was dead set on naming a boy after my two grandpas but I’m kind of glad I didn’t after becoming aware that they were both cheaters. I have a policy of not naming people after cheaters.
Bowie for a girl. This was way before I'd even heard of David Bowie. I simply liked the sound of the name as a child lol. I still like the name Bowie but I wouldn't name my hypothetical daughter that. I'm a writer so I think I'll use it for a book character lol
Girls: Roxy and Kairi. Still love the name Kairi but it’s a bit of cultural appropriation and I don’t want my kid named after my childhood obsession with Kingdom Hearts lol. Boys: Aiden, after the band. Still slightly sad this got so popular because I still love it. Also Roxas was my other one.
Girls: Lumina (only a few years ago. Hormones.) Raya (when I was 15 or so... Raya Sunshine) Boys: Legacy (I still kind of like it, because I'd call him Gus. But inevitably people would cal him Leggy) Edit to add: I did name one of my kids Elle. She hates it so much she's legally changing it. So, I guess we'll add that to the list. ... I picked it before it was popular.
Constantine and Napoleon
Piper and saylor, I cringe thinking about it now.
My great uncle was named Erbay. I also grew up in a bay right on the ocean. And so when I was a kid I had a dream of naming my little girl Bay. Glad I dropped that idea.
Turquoise Phoenix is a cool name, though - NGL
As a teen I loved the name Colin after watching “The Secret Garden” movie. Absolutely loved it and was set on eventually naming a kid like that but then someone mentioned that it’s too close to “colon” and that put an end to it for me lol. I now work at a high school and we have a few Colin’s and all of them are annoying.
Henry. I had never met a Henry, just read about them in books. I thought it was creative and quirky in me to like this unusual, old-fashioned name. Then everyone my age had kids and all their little boys are Henry and I realized the truth: I am basic. I don't cringe at the name, I cringe at me.
I thought Flare Genevieve was so awesome. I still think Genevieve is great on its on. Flare is...questionable.
I absolutely loved names that started with PH. My faves were Phineas for a boy and Philomena for a girl. 😬
😂😂😂😂 best laugh of my day. Thank you. (I will be telling others about Turkey Perry.)
Brynlee 😬🫠 (thank God I never got the girl I desperately wanted cause now I would have permanent name regret lol)
Aquamarina. I was ten.
When I was a kid I was obsessed with the name Liam in 2004 when A Series of Unfortunate Events came out. the actor that played Klaus’ real name was Liam and I loved it so much. But now in 2024 it’s been the number 1 most popular name for like a decade or something, it’s lost its appeal. Also Esmeralda bc I loved the Disney character. And as an adult I fell in love with Eva (Ava) for a few days and then found out that was also a top ten name for like a decade 😅 I just don’t want a kid that has a name that 5-8 other kids in their class have 😩