Parents really need to think through all of the ways in which their children might be made fun of when coming up with names. This is easiest to do with common names – you probably heard all of the name-calling when >you were a child. It’s much harder with ‘original’ types of names. What are the nicknames? What do those names sound like, or rhyme with? Who else has that name?
You’re not going to come up with everything, because not everything has been created when they’re born. When I was six years old, the first-run syndication Great Space Coaster first aired and that show featured a puppet “Gary Gnu” a wildebeest TV-news anchor whose catchphrase was “No Gnews is Good Gnews with Gary Gnu.”
One thing that not enough parents consider when naming their child is how a name will appear on upgrade lists. What does the combination of first three letters of last name plus first initial do?
Last names alone are harder to manage, but it’s worth considering just the first three letters of your last name – maybe it’s better to go with the mother’s name instead?
Well, that’s quite the combination
byu/awaythrow6678 inunitedairlines
It’s not always just other passengers snickering to themselves, either! Southwest Airlines doesn’t have a first class, or lists for upgrade to premium seating (yet!) but one Southwest gate agent made fun of the name printed on a 5-year old girl’s boarding pass. The girl’s name was Abcde (pronounced “Ab-city”). According to the girl’s mother, “the gate agent started laughing, pointing at me and my daughter, talking to other employees.”
I’m going to take an unpopular position here though. I’m going to say that the mother did her child a disserving naming her Abcde, because it is completely foreseeable that the girl is going to draw unwanted attention for her name throughout her childhood. Don’t name your child “pee” or “poo,” either.
In north east here so Portuguese name
Daniel Sores. D Sores
Richard Sores. “Dick” as my 64 year old mother called him. He was not happy about that
Had a client name their kid
Sierra Leone Black. Yes he was from a black white mixed family.
I agree. Parents can at least try to skip the names with obvious teasing potential.
Agree. Stupid name. Terrible parents. People with that kind of low IQ should not have children.
When naming a child how it may appear on an upgrade list is about the last thing anyone should consider. What a stupid comment Gary!
I heard of somebody being asked for her child’s name after going through labor. Having given the matter no thought she looked around the room and said, “Exitsign”.
And my sister once worked in a car rental agency. One day Phillip Ennis called in. A good Greek name, but she put in his first initial, last name and started laughing. He swore and yelled that “everybody does that”, then hung up.
Retired Gambler why do you constantly try to be stupid?
When I went to school some kids would make fun of my last name. In second grade, one was especially persistent so I figured out how to make fun of his last name. I was just as persistent and finally he started crying because of it. He could dish it out but he couldn’t take it. He quit making fun of my name and I quit making fun of his name (I really didn’t enjoy making fun of his name).
If a child is named so their name can be made fun of, they will have to fight as they grow up. When my older brother and I were tasked with giving names for our soon to be born younger brother, we considered that and gave him first and middle names that were less likely to be made fun of.
A little forethought would be helpful. Avoid names that will be problematic and ones that are pretentious like giving your kid a last name as their first name. Imagine “Dear little Winthrop has a sniffle.”
As Gary said, parents should consider how their child’s name would look on upgrade list.
Gary, when the kid is out there on his or her own, how do you know there will even be ff programs, or any upgrades at all?
@Gary
Did it possibly occur to you that when the kid is old enough to be on his/her own, there will be no ff programs or upgrades. Poor babies will have pay for their own upgrades.
“One thing that not enough parents consider when naming their child is how a name will appear on upgrade lists”
I hope you say this in jest. Any of your family have a name beginning with T, you Lef T?
I agree, watch what you name your kid. I have lived a miserable ;life because my parents gave it no thought.
My given name was Sidney Lipschitz, It was torture growing up, when I was 18 I legally changed it, Bob sounds so much better.