Baby Names Being Derived from...Text Messaging?
Seems utterly absurd, but there's apparently a trend among those in the SMS generation of using abbreviated versions of traditional Christian names on their children's birth certificates -- along with "original" ways of spelling them.
Anne has been changed to An, Connor to Conna and Laura to Lora -- all, seemingly, for the sake of convenience. According to the online parenting club Bounty, there's also been quite a bit of borrowing from corporate entities: One girl born last month was born Flicity, along with other recent names like Ikea, Paprica, Caramel, Bambi, Fire-Lily, Skylark and TAME -- which apparently stands for The Apple of My Eye.
Albert Mehrabian is a psychology professor at the University of California, and has researched the impact of irregular names. He found that "less attractive characteristics were attributed to individuals with less conventionally spelled names. Unconventional spelling connoted less masculinity for men and less femininity for women [and] more anxiety and neuroticism were attributed to those with less common names."
These attempts aren't always successful, however: Last year a couple was told they wouldn't be allowed to register their son's name as 4Real. Officials in New Zealand apparently ruled that the use of a number made it inappropriate, so the couple went with their second choice....
...Superman.
At any rate, check out our gallery of text-message inspired names, some real, some fake, all kray-z!
From DailyMail
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 13)
Indigo @ Mar 31st 2008 8:33PM
April Fools?
candlestick4155 @ Mar 31st 2008 8:50PM
Its a shame parents want to give their a child a special name, and in turn, they really are just setting that child up for a lifetime of embarassment and ridicule. At least if the name was semi-odd, it could be marginally funny like Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named Sue."
The sad reality to all of this is that any two heterosexual nimwits can get together, make a kid and name it whatever they want, but should two "normal" homosexual people want to adopt a kid, for no other reason than their sexual orientation, they are denied.
Brandon @ Mar 31st 2008 9:01PM
Anyone attempting to give their child a name that violates the norms to that degree should also be visited time and again by their governmental agencies of child welfare.
I dont know if the 4real/superman story is real, but I do know that there are 4 American children named ESPN (pronounced espen). People who choose names like this are giving everyone around them a peek into their mental maturity and the likely path of their children.
Whatever happened to giving children names that they could be proud of? Whatever happened to the dignity of an individual? Are children becoming another form of a pet all of a sudden?
kensev @ Mar 31st 2008 9:08PM
oh godd,
thats so terriblee.
RETARDSSSSSS!!
otrpu @ Mar 31st 2008 9:08PM
Heaven help us
Danyell @ Mar 31st 2008 9:13PM
My children have both uncommon and what I like to call "normal" names: Christian Cade, Sebastian-Nicholas Fox, and Aeryane Alexis pronounced air-e-an. And yes my sons real name is Fox named after a character from the X-Files. My children are as unique as their names and have yet found someone to say anything negative.
Jae Cee @ Mar 31st 2008 9:22PM
April Fools is a day away Indigo. Paprica!? WTF is this world coming too??
Mary @ Mar 31st 2008 9:29PM
Hey Candle...you dont think children who are raised by homosexual parents arent up for a lifetime of ridicule?
S @ Mar 31st 2008 9:34PM
I tnk u r ol nutz
proudmomma9507 @ Mar 31st 2008 9:37PM
I was born in 1972. My mother had wanted to name me Morning Star. My grandparent's on both sides made fun of her during her entire pregnancy so she decided to name me Karen instead. Growing up I was happy that she had decided to name me something other than Morning Star but I still didn't like the name they decided on instead. Now that I am an adult I wish my mom had decided to stick with Morning Star. It wouldn't be so bad to be called Star. I like it now. Some of the names mentioned are out there but who are we to judge anyone by their name. The only one who should sit in judgement is the Lord. Just my opinion.
Carrie @ Mar 31st 2008 9:41PM
My sister worked for a while in a hospital maternity ward, and she said some women would ask for a copy of the Yellow Pages and pick their kids' name out of that! Like after car dealerships and stuff. Nice.
mike brosnahan @ Mar 31st 2008 9:46PM
I am gonna name my first male kid mister. How cool would that be. Everyone would have to call him that, even the principle and his teachers.
ojibwen8tive @ Mar 31st 2008 9:47PM
Wow, what a bunch of dumbasses. Think of the kids how much they're going to be made fun of.
Robert Wayne @ Mar 31st 2008 9:48PM
My name is Goober Elmo Pyle. Thank goodness I have a popular name.
A @ Mar 31st 2008 9:48PM
is that any worse than SHANNIKWA, or SHALLAMILL or U'MBUTU, or SHALONDRA....or MAKITA?
(is the kid A POWER-DRILL?)
lynnie @ Mar 31st 2008 9:52PM
OH HELL NO!!!!!!!!!!!!
Robert Wayne @ Mar 31st 2008 9:53PM
Umbutu or Shanika will definitely come in handy when applying for welfare or food stamps.
Deana @ Mar 31st 2008 10:07PM
Although some of this is quite funny growing up with an odd name at the time was not fun. My name is not as odd any longer but it's still hard to get people to spell it or say it correctly. Athough it does add a lil more personality ....kids tend to be a lil tougher growin up defending their names all the time. That is why I name my kids with respectable names they can grow up with..Stephen, John and Andrew ...they have no problems.
Peggee Bundee @ Mar 31st 2008 10:16PM
I'll second the response of Robert Ray!!
Twiggi @ Mar 31st 2008 10:16PM
I LOVE ODD names...My Name Is Rainbow Moriah and it's GREAT cuz People i meet ESP. THE GUYZ NEVER forget me cuz they LOVE my name so much...lol :)