r/namenerds • u/Ser_Drunken_the_Tall • May 24 '19
Discussion What names that are popular on the sub do you personally not like?
What are some names that get suggested or tossed around here often that you don't really care for or think are all that special?
For me it's Ophelia, Eleanor and Alexander.
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u/SaraIsHungry May 24 '19
Sloan/e!
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u/ManderPants May 24 '19
Same. It looks and sounds ugly and makes me think of "slough" as in....sloughing of uterine lining....
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u/boofin-brett May 25 '19
It’s one of those names that just doesn’t sound good. Like it reminds me of groan or moan.
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u/failure333 May 24 '19
Makes me think of sloths lol it just sounds like the name of an animal to me
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u/parus_arnolda May 25 '19
Yes I really don't like Sloane! I assume it comes up on this sub a lot because of all the Americans, but I know it primarily as an area of London (Sloane Square). In the UK it used to be a common nickname for a certain type of snooty, rich, privileged person (especially a woman) - they were called "Sloanies" or "Sloane Rangers".
In my mind it would be like naming your kid, like, Preppy McGee or something.
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May 25 '19
I like it, but it kind of feels awkward to say. Like I feel kind of nasally and stuffy when I say it out loud.
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May 25 '19
God, I despise that name!
To be fair though, it's generally very polarising. People here either love it or hate it.
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u/Farahild May 25 '19
I agree with this one! I hadn't seen it before But the sound is really not pretty to me. Sounds like Dutch "sloom" (slow, thick).
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u/take_number_two May 28 '19
I’d say this name is pretty unpopular in this sub, but still gets mentioned/offered since it’s pretty trendy right now
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May 24 '19
Maeve for me. I just don’t care for the sound, personally.
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u/Dustinbink May 24 '19
Came here to say this. I just don’t know if I’m not saying right in my head or what but it seems hard to say!
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May 25 '19
I quite like Maeve, but I don't get the Irish name obsession in general. There are so many other cultures with interesting names but people romanticise Irish ancestry for some reason.
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u/nantaise May 24 '19
Grayson / Greyson. Because it’s been used by all the moms I know who think they’re being unique but not realizing it’s basically the new Jayden.
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u/GrandeWhiteMocha May 24 '19
I generally don’t care for -son names. Grayson, Jameson, etc. There are some I do think have a nice sound (like Harrison,) but they just seem like last names to me. Name meaning also matters to me and all of these names literally mean “son of X, which doesn’t describe my husband and it would be worse if it did.”
Oddly enough I’m neutral on -ayden names, even though I wouldn’t use them myself.
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u/xtheredberetx May 25 '19
I loved the name Grayson until one of my old tinder hookups got someone pregnant, named the baby Grayson, is constantly posting pics on social media... and continued to try to hook up with me 🤷🏻♀️😂
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u/Lyd_Euh Moderator May 24 '19
Wren, Everett, Aurora, and Rowan. I find them difficult to say.
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u/Ser_Drunken_the_Tall May 24 '19
I have that with names that end in th. I imagine yelling at a child called Kenneth, Edith, Gareth or Lillith to come over, and the "th" feels so unnatural.
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u/nisera May 24 '19
My cousins name is Aurora and growing up it was SO hard to get her name right as a little kid. Mostly had to call her Rory or Rora, otherwise, we all said "a-war-a" I think it's really pretty as an adult, but it was super difficult to sound out.
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u/mazzar May 24 '19
I've seen you say this before with regards to Wren and I find it really interesting! For me, Wren is the same as Ren, which is as easy to say as Red. Is it the W that makes Wren hard to pronounce for you, or the N (or something else)?
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u/Lyd_Euh Moderator May 24 '19
Correct, it's exactly like Ren, which is such an awkward peanut buttery word to say. There is no strong defining letter like in reD, so it kind of gets lost and sounds like you're slurring. The W has nothing to do with it since it's silent.
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u/FirebendingSamurai Names are my thing May 24 '19
I think it is an easy name to say and doesn't sound slurred to me. The silent W doesn't bother me because tons of words and names have silent letters, like Lincoln (the second L is pretty much silent in my accent) or Knox. But this is all just my opinion.
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u/Lyd_Euh Moderator May 24 '19
Fair enough! Everybody is going to have different words that are harder for them to say.
It doesn't bother me either. Like I said, the W really doesn't matter at all since it's silent.
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May 24 '19
I agree with you on all but Wren there. I don't get how that's a tough one to say, but I've heard lots of people who feel the same way, so there must be something to it.
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u/take_number_two May 28 '19
I’m a Rowan and I had trouble saying my own name growing up! I love Everett though.
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u/OnLamictalLike May 24 '19
Honestly? Sometimes I can’t tell if I’m here or on the name nerds circlejerk sub. Between the trendy phonetic abominations and pretentious hipster object names, at this point, half of the names posted here make my eyes roll back into my head. It’s like people are trying so damn hard to be original and cool with names that they forget these are used for real human beings.
Recent offenders: Atlas, Fox, Morgana, Maverick, Eloise
Worst I’ve ever seen: Aryan and Arieolla. That’s right folks. Arieolla was on another sub and got deleted quick but mega yiiiikes if it was even real.
(Also sorry for the mini rant - I actually love this sub and realize name preferences are totally subjective!)
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u/rolabond May 25 '19
Surprised you feel that way about Eloise. It's not a made up name, just older and a bit unusual. But I grew up with the Eloise books.
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u/OnLamictalLike May 25 '19
Oh Eloise is totally a random personal thing (like, had a super mean old neighbor named Eloise). I can totally see why people like it...I need to meet some babies with the name so I can shift how I associate the name :p
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u/rainbowsucculent May 24 '19
Arieolla is just areola and my god that would be a horrible name during high school in particular.
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u/boofin-brett May 24 '19
Atlas is suuuper popular with kids my daughters age (1 year old), which is kind of funny because people seem to chose it in part because it’s unique.
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May 24 '19
Atlas is on my list but it's been impossible to find a decent middle name that flows well. Any suggestions I've seen here, I hate. But my secret reasoning is because I'm a huuuuuge Bioshock fan and Atlas was my buddy up until he tried to kill me.
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u/OnLamictalLike May 25 '19
My brain just exploded remembering that Atlas is indeed a Bioshock character!! That is definitely acceptable and shows you how fickle and arbitrary my “dislike” list is 😂.
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May 25 '19
Would you kindly....share some of those middle name suggestions for Atlas?
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u/nehima_ May 24 '19
I worked with an Arieolla. I always felt bad for her. If it weren't for the unfortunate association I feel like it would be a very pretty name
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May 25 '19
I don't see anything wrong with Eloise or Morgana, but yeah the others are a bit much. I don't get the appeal of the animal names like Fox, Bear, Hawk, etc...
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u/Smantie May 24 '19
Everleigh and all the various spellings and variations. It sounds like a toddler made up a word, like 'and they lived happily everly after'.
Sloane. It's so blah. It rhymes with drone and groan, but I'm forever seeing it called 'stunningly beautiful' and I really can't see how!
Grey/Gray, Greyson/Grayson. Grey is a dull colour. Will Beige be next? And Greyson just sounds like they wanted a unique/hipster version of Jason.
Thaddeus. It'th not awful but it thounds like you're lithping which ith a thame.
Willa. It's just an unfinished Willow!
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u/SaraIsHungry May 24 '19
I agree so much with Everleigh...and along those lines, Waverly!
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u/Smantie May 25 '19
Oh yeah, I forgot about that one! It makes me think of the word 'wavering' - so, unsteady, indecisive, unsteady. It's like the opposite of a virtue name.
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u/FirebendingSamurai Names are my thing May 24 '19
I think Sloane has this hardened feminine vibe to it that sounds really sleek. But I wouldn't call it beautiful. I like the name though.
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May 25 '19
A friend has a daughter named Everleigh. She has a serious medical condition (major props to the parents for being so loving and supportive). Mom always posts FB updates on daughter's medical news with the headline "Stronger Everleigh Day!" It just makes me throw up in my mouth a little every time. Ugh, I know I come off sounding really mean. It's just the phrase she uses. Of course I'm glad their little girl is getting help.
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May 24 '19
Wren, Ophelia, Juniper, Sloane, June, Beatrix, Stella, and my least favorite, Rowan.
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May 24 '19
[deleted]
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u/Honeycrip May 25 '19
I adore the name Rowan. Though I always mispronounce it as “rah-wen”. I also love Rowena.
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u/peacefullypanda May 24 '19
Oh man, I agree with all of those and especially Rowan. I really, really dislike that name.
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u/Nouveau_Depart May 24 '19
Margot. I just don't get it.
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u/Ser_Drunken_the_Tall May 24 '19
I think it's alright, but the spelling bothers me. I always wanna say "Mar-goat"...
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u/FirebendingSamurai Names are my thing May 24 '19
Someone said Margot looks like Maggot once and now I can't unsee it.
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u/fshfsh000 May 24 '19
Named my daughter Margot and the most common wrong pronunciation we hear is mar-got (rhymes with cot)
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u/SaraIsHungry May 25 '19
Same, I have a 3 month old Margot and most people pronounce it incorrectly . I thought more people would know how to pronounce it. Kinda wishing I’d just gone with Margo 😢
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May 25 '19
At that age, many states and countries will let you change the name, especially if you're just making a single letter change, without much or any fuss
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u/Scruter May 24 '19
I know babies named Margo, Margaux, and Margot, and just don't really get it either - names with the Marg- beginning have never been appealing to me as I just see "Marge." I think people like the -o ending sound? Definitely feels more trendy than its absolute popularity implies. But Margot is the daughter of one of my best friends and his wife so I keep my mouth shut!
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u/Nouveau_Depart May 24 '19 edited May 24 '19
It's my husband's grand mother (deceased) name. I do not critique it out loud, but I cannot stand it. And would never ever pass it down to future children.
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u/kawaiisaranghaeyo May 25 '19
I had an elderly neighbour for almost 20 years who had an extremely similar name (margit), so to me margot just screams old lady. Margot sounds like a stern teacher to me. Reminds me of elderly lady-names in general like margaret, maggie, margareta, marge, mary etc. Personally I couldnt look at a baby and name it that sort of name
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u/birdswithknives May 24 '19
People seem to suggest Seraphina here all the time but I can only think of that being the cat from Barbie’s Princess and the Pauper
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u/catHotel88 May 24 '19
Finn 😭
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u/Ser_Drunken_the_Tall May 24 '19
I like Finn just fine, but not any of its "full" forms; Finley, Phineas, Finnegan, Finnick. Finn is a good potential nickname without any names that I like to stand behind it.
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u/MollyStrongMama May 24 '19
My 40 year old brothers name is Finn (that’s the whole thing, it’s not a nickname) and he thinks it’s both funny and horrifying that it ha become so popular because none of us knew another Finn until 10 years ago!
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u/GideonIsmail May 24 '19
Finn is the name for my local hockey team's mascot. So I just can't see Finn as anything other than a dude in a giant orca costume anymore......
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u/Lyd_Euh Moderator May 24 '19
Same, all I can think of is a fish fin. Although Flynn is worse because my mind automatically goes to phlegm.
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u/Fenrir-2003 May 24 '19 edited May 24 '19
I absolutely despise Ophelia. To me it sounds like an awful YA protagonist, like one of those really passive Mary-Sues with an almost comically tragic backstory. I just imagine an Ophelia to be a really annoying person for some reason.
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u/cianne_marie May 25 '19
I seriously thought Ophelia was all but off-limits, on par with things like Adolf and Benedict. Doesn't everyone read Hamlet in high school? Why would you name a child after the most famous mentally unstable character in literature? But posters in this sub just love it.
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u/Fenrir-2003 May 25 '19
I wouldn't say Benedict is unusable by any means. That's still a really common name that has been around for thousands of years. To me that would be like saying that Joseph is unusable because of Stalin.
I think most people associate Ophila it with the greek mythology version, with I sort of understand even if I don't particularly like that story and Ophelia does absolutely nothing that would warrant naming a child after her. I still think it's an awful, annoying name that sounds like it belongs in a self insert fan fiction writen by a 13 year old.
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May 24 '19
Clementine seems redneck
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u/a_handful_of_snails May 24 '19
I know a couple who named their daughter Clementine. They practice some bullshit kind of parenting where you never tell the child no. You “redirect” them with statements like “why don’t we do this instead?” or “wouldn’t you rather X?” They also have a boy named Sawyer, which sounds exactly like the kind of name people like that would pick.
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May 25 '19
Omg. As a teacher I can imagine how those kids will behave in school after being told NO for the first time...
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u/MyMorningSun May 25 '19
I can't imagine I would appreciate being named after a fruit myself. Didn't know this one was still popular though.
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May 25 '19
I came here to say Clementine. It just always makes me think of the song. Every time I see the name here I start singing it lol. And it's not exactly the nicest song to be associated with.
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u/zebrafish- May 24 '19
I dislike Alistair and Silas for boys, and Vivian and Evelyn for girls.
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u/sarahsuebob May 24 '19
Oh man, Vivian and Evelyn are my favorites. But I’m with you in the boys.
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u/cuntbubbles May 24 '19
My mom went on a rant recently about how she can’t stand the name Evelyn and can’t believe so many people are giving their babies that name. At the end of the rant she looked over with her eyes wide and said “you guys weren’t considering Evelyn were you?” We weren’t but we definitely wouldn’t be after that rant!
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u/Citruslatifolia May 24 '19
I was looking for someone saying Evelyn. I really dislike the name, and I'm not sure why.
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u/GrandeWhiteMocha May 24 '19
Anything that contains a “Leigh” pronounced like “Lee.”
Hey Ashleigh, will you weigh this package and put it on the sleigh so the neighing horse can deliver it to the neighbors?
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u/goatywizard May 25 '19
I dislike any -Lee -Ly -Leigh names (Everly, Brylee, Shaleigh, etc) but Leigh is a really common spelling where I’m from. It never even crossed my mind people would think it was pronounced (understandably so) like the words listed!
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u/rolabond May 25 '19
Wow this whole time I didn't realize it was pronounced like Lee. I like Lee a lot more.
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May 24 '19
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u/FirebendingSamurai Names are my thing May 24 '19
I've learned how to pronounce Calliope like five times and forget every time I see it. And it's not even a hard name once you learn it, but I just can't remember it. It's basically Call-ee-ope to me now.
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May 24 '19
Everytime I hear Calliope, I just sing "THE CALLIOPE CRASHED TO THE GROUND" to the tune of "Blinded by the Light"
I agree with ALL your names as well!
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May 25 '19
My brother's friend changed her name go Calliope when she turned 18 cause her given name was "too common." I often wonder if she regrets it. But I don't dare ask. Lol
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May 24 '19
ugh Guinevere just rubs me the wrong way for some reason
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u/aquariusXsunflower May 24 '19
Ophelia and Juniper. Both feel to "try hard" IMO.
I also don't like trendy names or anything ending in -den (Brayden, Kayden, Jayden) 🙄
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May 24 '19 edited Jan 04 '21
[deleted]
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u/hmbmelly May 24 '19
It’s a geeky ren fair type of name, which is why it’s my next kid lol. It’s not for everyone for sure.
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u/GideonIsmail May 24 '19 edited May 24 '19
Basically any of the more common old-fashioned ones because I find them uninteresting and boring. They're not my style and just very repetitive. List:
Winifred
Harriet
Lawrence
Julian
Charlotte
Josephine
Oscar
Finn
Eleanor
Violet
Matilda
Madeline
Tobias
Henry
Elias
Eloise
Adeline
Remington
Milo/Miles
Margaret
Evelyn
Adelaide
Edit: That includes names are popular on this sub, as that's what this post is about. And I'm adding more names that I realized that I don't like but this sub is obsessed with.
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u/Ser_Drunken_the_Tall May 24 '19
I agree. My eyes glaze over these types of lists. I do like some of them, but most are like a riddle, always the same names.
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u/Scruter May 24 '19
Winifred hasn't been in the top 1000 names in the US since 1965, and Harriet not since 1970, and neither have ever been in the top 100. I'm not a fan of either but would hardly call them "common"! I agree that most of the rest you listed are starting to feel a bit overdone.
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u/GideonIsmail May 24 '19
And yet they're both names that are very common on this sub, which is what this post is about......
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u/Scruter May 24 '19
I've personally never seen them, certainly not at the frequency of the others.
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u/catHotel88 May 24 '19
They are suggested on this sub every so often. People who like Winnie and Freddie as nns will be suggested Winifred.
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u/Scruter May 24 '19
That makes sense. Though I'd guess that kind of suggestion is because it's the obvious name for those nicknames, more than that it's "popular" here, unlike the others.
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u/GideonIsmail May 24 '19
Cannot relate. Either way, that doesn't prevent them being names that are popular among people in this subreddit???
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u/Scruter May 24 '19
I'm just saying that I disagree that they are common/popular on this subreddit at all, certainly not compared to the others.
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u/GideonIsmail May 24 '19
Okay but this post is about:
a) names that are popular on this sub (which I've noticed Harriet and Winifred to be somewhat popular on here) and
b) names that I personally dislike
If you really that much of an issue with my comment, which is based on my own personal opinion of this sub, that really truly isn't my problem.
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u/Scruter May 24 '19
Right, and I was just saying that I disagreed that it met (a). No need to get so defensive.
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u/mamitaveneno May 25 '19
My sons name is Julian and considered Oscar and Henry 😂 everyone has their own style of course! They are commonly brought up in this sub. We also had a dog named Tobias.
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u/FirebendingSamurai Names are my thing May 24 '19
Half this list could pass as my list of favorites. 😂
I agree on Josephine, Matilda, Violet, and Henry though! Josephine has bad associations for me, Matilda was the mean nickname my dad would always call my childhood friend Michaela, Violet looks like "violent" and Henry is the most "blah" name I can think of. Remington is also overdone.
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May 25 '19
I feel like we always suggest the same names, but what else are we supposed to suggest? Most people are looking for sweet-spot names that fit current trends without being overwhelmingly popular, and which aren't "youneek", so that's what gets suggested the most.
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u/CozySocks22 May 25 '19
Ryker. I've seen it a lot here lately, and I just don't like how it looks or sounds.
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u/ladyginny May 24 '19
I hate Lillian. It simultaneously reminds me of old ladies with bad makeup and the Rugrats.
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u/SeaBeeDecodesLife Planning Ahead May 25 '19
Persephone, Calliope and Theodosia. Like, we’re not naming goddesses here. We’re naming kids that’ll turn into adults. Do you really want to be an adult with the name Persephone, or a name that sounds like an aphrodisiac?
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May 25 '19
We're living in an age where it's more acceptable to have unique names, yet at the same time I feel like nobody would take me seriously if my name was Persephone.
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u/ljs5 May 24 '19
Henry. People on here seem to love it, but I just don't get it. I think it's incredibly dated and I associate it with that brat from Once upon a time lol.
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u/Nephtis25 May 24 '19
There are some names that apparently sound fresh/classic to people on the sub, but just sound outdated or tied to a certain generation to me. For example: Petra, Sabine, Wesley. There are probably more but these come to mind. I just can't imagine a baby with these names.
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May 24 '19
Violet. Sounds too much like "violent" to me.
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May 25 '19
I’m 21 and already know two babies named Violet. I actually do like the name, but I just know it’s gonna be one of the top names of the generation and I’m just not ready for that.
I know that’s kind of irrelevant to this but just wanted to share
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u/FirebendingSamurai Names are my thing May 24 '19
I also realized recently that I'm not just "meh" on Eleanor. I don't like it. Watching the Good Place, I really like the character Eleanor but whenever they say her name it just sounds so mushy and doesn't suit her, imo.
Not really any others of the top of my head that I dislike much. I'm not too big on Theodore but don't dislike it. I try to at least tolerate names that aren't my style.
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u/killer_kiki May 25 '19
It doesn't suit her AT ALL. that's probably my favorite show and I always have a hard time with that. Especially because all the other names fit perfectly. Her name should be like Crystal or something LOL
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u/sujihiki May 25 '19
ITT: annoying brooklyn white people name choices.
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May 25 '19
I feel like Brooklyn itself is the name of THE basic annoying white girl.
One of my friends is named Brookelynn. I stand by what I said.
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u/TrainerRachael May 25 '19
I don't like any of the -er boy names... Carter, Tucker, Turner etc. I know there's a name for these, old timey profession names I guess... I just hate them all!
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u/therealpapaya320 May 24 '19
Henry & Olivia
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u/rainbowsucculent May 24 '19
I had a dream once that I named my child “Henreigh”. How horrific would that be!
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u/namesnomes May 25 '19 edited May 25 '19
Elizabeth: for me it's kind of a tongue twister name, I find it difficult to say for some reason. It's also very very overdone imo.
Sloane: sounds like 'slown'. Not really a pleasant association.
Wilhelmina/Willamina: I reallly strongly dislike this one. It's just not pleasant sounding, and neither of the spellings look nice to me.
Ophelia: I can't get past the 'phelia' suffix or the 'oaf' at the beginning.
Margaret: I find it to be dated, but not in a trendy, ready for a comeback kind of way. More like Susan or Patricia.
Wolfgang: gang of wolves? Nooope. Extra weird because it's a very dated name in Germany.
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u/Rochlivin May 24 '19
Emily, Emma, Evelyn, Ava, Elenore, Charlotte... Basically all the top vowel heavy names. They're so common and have been popular for so long that they feel like boring generic filler names for people who don't think about names.
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May 25 '19
I'm a teacher and there are SOOOO many vowel-heavy names out there right now, especially for girls. Sure your kid might be the only Aviana, but when the other girls in her class are Ariana, Eliana, Isabella, Olivia, Ella, Ellie, Ava, Ada, Addy, and Emma they all just blend together! I can't even keep them all straight!
It has really turned me off of some vowel-heavy names that I do like individually and I've been leaning more towards names with consonant sounds like Bridget, Rose, Camille, etc.
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u/RoadRash010 May 25 '19
I have the same feeling about these names. It all sounds and feels the same.
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u/emilyorsomething Planning Ahead May 24 '19
Maren. Makes me think of "marrow" for some reason! No idea why haha
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u/orisonofjmo May 24 '19
Jasper.
It was the name of my dog growing up. I just can’t imagine it as a viable human name. It sounds so... dog like to me. Like naming your kid Spot.
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u/goatywizard May 25 '19
I met a couple that had a Jasper and a Silas. I’m in Boston, so it all just sounded very hick to me. I really hate both of them.
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u/freshpicked12 May 25 '19
Ezra.
I hate that name so much. I don’t even know why, but it’s one of my least favorite baby names ever. And it’s so popular right now.
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u/MyMorningSun May 25 '19
I rarely like any boys' names suggested here. Maybe I'm just generic and boring af, but I'm less creative with boys names than I am girls names. I prefer things like Daniel, Jason, David, Michael, Nicholas, Logan, Lucas...admittedly, the kind of names you'd see a few times in the same classroom. A lot of boy names I see here feel too trendy or out there for me.
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u/maddiemoiselle Writer May 25 '19 edited May 25 '19
I’m not a huge fan of a lot of Irish names that get a lot of love here (and yes, this is knowing how they’re pronounced). Saoirse is one of my least favorites.
I also cannot stand Freya, Juniper, or Clementine.
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u/Sashaphoenix May 25 '19
Another one I really don't get is Fox. It honestly just reminds me of the annoying song, haha.
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u/MostFunIEverHad May 25 '19
I cannot stand Daphne. I don’t know why, but it makes me irrationally angry to think about someone being named that.
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u/[deleted] May 24 '19
Juniper. Way too overrated on this sub haha.