would you consider giving a name that had potential for nasty schoolyard teasing?

[lmh2402]

title says it all...

thanks

[wendmatt]

no. I wanted to name our dd Ella, but we both decided that we didn't want her to be called ella the elephant....shame because I love the name.

[mackmama]

I would not. We loved a name that also had the potential for a lot of teasing, so we skipped it. I think kids will find lots of ways to tease, but we figured we'd try not to add to the potential teasing via a name.

[crl]

Don't almost all names have some potential for nasty schoolyard teasing? I love the name Elizabeth. Every time I mentioned it as a possibility for dd, dh said "Lizard breath. NO.". So if it's something like that, well, I'd use it. If it is more like Harry Dick, then no, I'd skip it.

Catherine

[edurnemk]

Nooooo, in fact that has always been a big factor in choosing our kids' names. We try to think of all possible related nicknames for a name and if we think they could be teased we cross it of the list. It also has to go well with out last name. I know kids with normal names, but in combination with the last name it becomes really funny or a basis for teasing.

[wellyes]

I know several Ells, nothing elephanty about that name!

I think any name can be mocked, so it's not a huge factor for me.

But there are limits....no boys named Sue, or girls named Bertha.

[rin]

I know several Ells, nothing elephanty about that name!

I think any name can be mocked, so it's not a huge factor for me.

But there are limits....no boys named Sue, or girls named Bertha.

:yeahthat:

I will say my DH and I considered the name Anais for much longer than we should've before we realized that in the US it was just going to be pronounced "AY-nis" . . . :p

[Kymberley]

I know several Ells, nothing elephanty about that name!

I think any name can be mocked, so it's not a huge factor for me.

But there are limits....no boys named Sue, or girls named Bertha.

:yeahthat: Add the name Dexter to that. I actually like the name, but I wouldn't name my kid that.

[KpbS]

Yes, most names can be teased but some are just way more likely to be. Bartholomew? Bart? I like the names Peter and Ralph but DH would never allow these. Too much teasing potential. I'd stay away if it was obvious.

[Uno-Mom]

Depends. Any name could be turned into a nasty rhyme.

No, I wouldn't pick a name that SCREAMED "torture me." I'd avoid names with strong negative associations.

[lmh2402]

boo

i mean, i kind of knew that would be the responses... just stinks b/c i've loved this name for a long time, but the nasty twist is a pretty easy leap and DH is not really cool with it

oh well

thanks, ladies

[kmm]

As a teacher, my DH and I were definitely careful about names. Kids are going to get teased but it's something I can do as a parent to minimize one area of potential teasing.

[Uno-Mom]

boo

i mean, i kind of knew that would be the responses... just stinks b/c i've loved this name for a long time, but the nasty twist is a pretty easy leap and DH is not really cool with it

oh well

thanks, ladiesI'm dying to know the name. If you're not going to be able to use it, would you be willing to share?

I feel your pain. My very favorite girl name makes ..um...unfortunate initials with dh's last name. I had to sacrifice it. :(

[lmh2402]

I'm dying to know the name. If you're not going to be able to use it, would you be willing to share?

I feel your pain. My very favorite girl name makes ..um...unfortunate initials with dh's last name. I had to sacrifice it. :(


yes, i'll share as long as no one makes fun of me for liking a silly name

it's Orla

i have loved it for years. from the first time i heard it, it just sounded so...beautiful. rolls off my tongue.

but whenever i say it out loud, DH yells out "ORAL!" how's that for mature? :shake:

plus, our last name starts with a B...so sometimes he yells "oral b!"

i get it. i totally, totally get it. but it stinks.

[wendmatt]

yes, what is the name?

[AngelaS]

Just in case you wondered....nothing rhymes with Angela. :grin:

[crl]

Aww. I hate the dh veto on names. And fwiw I would give that name.

Catherine

[wellyes]

I like it!

I think odd names are really tough for boys, but not so much for little girls.
Plus, Orla isn't too far from Isla which is getting popular.

[KpbS]

I love love love Isla (not the same but as a PP mentioned similar) and I once new a girl named Orsi (Eastern European Orsolya).

[JoyNChrist]

We avoided Tucker, which I loved, because of the rhyming potential.

I like Orla! What about Isla, Cora, Laura, Darla, Lori, Nora? Just trying to think of similar names.

[pantone292]

I love the name Orla. I had a camp counselor with this name for many years as a child and I never heard kids make jokes, etc.

[sste]

Oral and Orla sound nothing alike! I am not seeing this one at all.

If your DH just really can't live with the name I like pp's suggestion of Isla. Also Calla or Willa.

[Snow mom]

At first I was remembering wrong and thought you were suggesting that as a boy name. Once I remembered you were having a girl I see no issue with the name you like. I do think your DH is stretching the imagination of children. Does your last name start with B to lend to the "Oral B" joke?

[babyonway]

I love the name Orla too! I think the only teasing u would have to worry about is from your DH hee hee


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.

[AnnieW625]

My name is Anne, but have always gone by Annie. In the early to mid 1980s when I was in elementary school (k-2nd grade was the worst iirc) I used to get called Annie Fannie and Little Orphan Annie. I didn't like it but I just started to tune it out.

I have never thought about how my DD's names could be made fun of . DH and I had an alternate name for DD2 and it could have been made fun of, but we still really liked the name and thought long and hard about naming her that.

I really liked the Colin for a boy, but DH thought it sounded too much like Colon or Colen.

I have never heard of the name Orla before.

[cntrymoon2]

I think if your DH dislikes it that much, you might have to give it up. What about one of PP's list of similar names? I think Cora is just beautiful, and has a similar sound to Orla.

[JustMe]

I would not give a name that would invite teasing (more than the typical name, as kids can always find a way to tease). That said, I love the name Orla, and can't imagine coming up with Oral from that.

[xmasbabycomin]

I think the idea of a name that invites teasing is all relative, to both an individual and e teasing potential (Harry Dick v. Ella, IMO). My sis is pregnant right now and likes the name Henry (a boy), but my mom insists he'll be destined to be a nerd and/or teased. I don't get it, and it's driving my sis crazy.

[MontrealMum]

I'm really not seeing the Orla - Oral connection. Orla is rarely abbreviated so I doubt people would go there. Locally, we have a TV/radio personality with the first name Orla. She's on the air all the time and never have I heard her mocked for her name. Mind you, we have a much larger Irish population than many parts of the US, but in any case I think that it's a lovely, unique name.

[AngB]

It depends on the name.

I think Orla is fine, actually, not really my style for our family, but not a name I would reject for teasing.

[YouAreTheFocus]

Orla is a lovely name! It sounds like your dh is trying to get your goat. Yeah, I'd stay away from something blatant, but Orla, Ella, Elizabeth.....these are not that.

[MoJo]

Nothing wrong with Orla or Orla B_____!

And this is coming from someone who is getting ready to spend time and money to change her daughter's middle name because it's been pointed out by several people that her initials are bad (HAM) and because the middle initial + last name is even worse (I didn't consider what first name middle initial last name would sound like when DH proposed the middle name; we discussed the bad initials and DH said it wouldn't be a problem. The middle initial + our last name sounds like a word that could be a porn star or something)

And I thought my other girl's name was perfect until DH showed me a word it could rhyme with. . . and now I think most names CAN be teased. Like others, I'd avoid the obvious ones, and Orla isn't going to be that for most people, but I love some of the PP's alternate choices too.

[Roleysmom]

Yes, I would and did. Although I think uno-mom says it well. I wouldn't purposefully go out and pick a name that had obvious tortuous name calling potential (although some might say I did but it has incredible meaning to us and has never been a problem.)

I think people are way too concerned about that. It makes me sad that someone wouldn't pick a beautiful name because somewhere down the line one kid or kids might say something. We can't spend our lives twisting and turning to avoid all potential negative situations.

For what it's worth, I think Orla is absolutely beautiful and would never think of oral.

[TxCat]

Definitely no.

I grew up with an unusual first name and switched to my middle name in 6th grade (which frankly wasn't that much better). I hated it. Hated it. All I wanted was to be Mary or Jennifer or Ashley or something. I think an unusual name can also help add to bully magnet status.

I think your husband is dead on the money with this one. Sorry. If you really want to keep the name, at least give her a middle name that's more "traditional" so she has options later on.

[TwinFoxes]

I think people are way too concerned about that. It makes me sad that someone wouldn't pick a beautiful name because somewhere down the line one kid or kids might say something. We can't spend our lives twisting and turning to avoid all potential negative situations.



I agree with this. I wouldn't give an obviously teasable name, but I think your DH is really stretching it with Elizabeth/Ella. I think your biggest worry with Orla is misspelling/typos making it Oral. Oral is also a (not common) guys name so it's not completely crazy that someone is named that. I've never heard the name Orla before, like PPs said, Willa might be a good alternative.

[cmo]

I know a little girl named Orly. Maybe that could be a good compromise. Of course there's the airport connotation on that one. :-)

[anonomom]

Honestly, Orla to Oral seems like a pretty sophisticated leap for small kids. By the time they're old enough to figure out the word play and it connotations, they will surely have found other things to tease about. I think the name is in the clear on the teasing front (though it really sounds like your DH doesn't like the name).

[hellokitty]

I would avoid giving my child a name that would make him or her a target of taunting. I grew up with a name like that, and hated it. HOWEVER, I do not think that the name you like is much to worry about. Little kids don't know what, "oral" is and frankly, I would think that it would be kids who have some dyslexia that would be more prone to coming up with the oral thing, since it's switching around letters. So, I wouldn't worry about it. Your DH is really stretching it.

[*myfoursons]

Love the name Orla. Orla Kiely! Kate Middleton just wore one of her lovely coats :)

I agree on avoiding totally obvious names for teasing, but your husband is totally stretching on this one.

[SnuggleBuggles]

That name has just 1 strike against it and that's enough- dh hates it. Even if no one else teases her (I think it is a stretch that it will happen like dh says, btw), your dh might even in a nice way. I couldn't use my 2nd favorite boy name with ds2 b/c dh hates it. It sucks, I know.

[egoldber]

Well I'm kind of with your DH on this. I don't think it's that big of a leap from Orla to Oral. I know the 5th graders in my DD's class could easily make that connection. And I see all kinds of possibilities for Orla/Oral causing issues in MS and HS.

[Melaine]

I don't know....I think "potential" for teasing is in almost any name and a name that "invites teasing" is a bit different.

I agree with pps, though, it sounds like your DH doesn't like it, so I would look for something else.

[Cam&Clay]

Well I'm kind of with your DH on this. I don't think it's that big of a leap from Orla to Oral. I know the 5th graders in my DD's class could easily make that connection. And I see all kinds of possibilities for Orla/Oral causing issues in MS and HS.

:yeahthat: I wouldn't name a little girl Orla. Sorry. And I'll admit that the Oral B thing made me LOL!

[lmh2402]

thanks for the feedback, ladies

i told DH the initial positive feedback on here last night

DH claims that he actually really likes the name, but thinks it's strong fodder for teasing

not in the younger grades

but he says he sees "punk 6th graders" saying, "hey here comes Oral." or "hey, Orla, wanna give me some Oral"

he says he's actually more concerned about lewd teasing at an older, yet still young/vulnerable age

orla and isla are two of MY top four. but orla and my other two are much less common than isla

i love isla, but it seems to be heading pretty trendy...though i haven't met any IRL around here yet

of course, i've only met one kid with DS' name, despite it becoming very popular per the SSA...i think that's a function of region. i'm sure there are way more kids with DS in other regions of the country...and it is definitely creeping up here...but hasn't hit too widely yet

anyway, i digress. as much as i love the name, i do think i see DH's point...

[artvandalay]

I know a little girl named Orla! She's a sweetheart. I had never heard the name before, but her family is from Ireland.

As far as I know, no one has ever made fun of her name. In fact, when most people hear her name, they always say "Oh, that's pretty"... well, this is what I have observed when I am around her.

Honestly, some of the other names mentioned in this post I don't even see the potential for nicknames. Kids will pick on any kid and even if they don't have a weird name, they will invent something if they really want to be cruel.

[swissair81]

yes, i'll share as long as no one makes fun of me for liking a silly name

it's Orla

i have loved it for years. from the first time i heard it, it just sounded so...beautiful. rolls off my tongue.

but whenever i say it out loud, DH yells out "ORAL!" how's that for mature? :shake:

plus, our last name starts with a B...so sometimes he yells "oral b!"

i get it. i totally, totally get it. but it stinks.

I don't think it sounds like oral. It's
a pretty name. To be honest, I wouldn't give it because of what it means in Hebrew. That shouldn't matter to you though.

[khalloc]

I went to high school with a girl named Orla. I don't recall anyone ever teasing her about her name. I would never get 'Oral' from Orla to be honest.

That said, i dont love the name.

[lizzywednesday]

Don't almost all names have some potential for nasty schoolyard teasing? I love the name Elizabeth. Every time I mentioned it as a possibility for dd, dh said "Lizard breath. NO.". So if it's something like that, well, I'd use it. If it is more like Harry Dick, then no, I'd skip it.

Catherine

As an "Elizabeth" I got that a lot, but, honestly, I was a weird kid and nuts about reptiles, so I embraced it and the teasing stopped.

Now, what the kids made of my LAST name really got to me and THAT was hurtful. (My maiden name rhymes with "whiner" and I used to burst into tears quite a lot ... so it became "Elizabeth WHIIIIIIIIIINER" ...)

As for the original question, OP, I vetoed using the name "Nolan" for a girl before DH and I started TTC for its schoolyard teasing potential. (And, not being Texas Rangers fans, I didn't see why we'd pay tribute to Nolan Ryan for any purpose, but I digress ...)

[SnuggleBuggles]

I don't think it sounds like oral. It's
a pretty name. To be honest, I wouldn't give it because of what it means in Hebrew. That shouldn't matter to you though.

I had to google but I didn't see anything that gave me pause. Fill me in!

[dec756]

i would not give a name that would be made fun of in the least

[vludmilla]

I suppose I wouldn't name my child Harry if my last name was Dick, or some other such combination. I would use pretty much any other name that I wanted to use. There are a lot of interesting, ethnic names where I live and people seem to work out the correct pronunciation most of the time. I know little girls named Siobhan, Pilar, etcetera. As far as I know they are not teased for their name and people have learned to pronounce the names correctly.

[BabyBearsMom]

I wouldn't do something that was an obvious tease but you can't anticipate everything. When I think of the way kids used to make fun of my name when I was a kid, they were really pathetic grasps. At the time they upset me, but looking back I have to chuckle because they are so absurd.

Just don't name her Mulva (a la Seinfeld) :ROTFLMAO:

[sste]

What about Orly then?

[egoldber]

not in the younger grades ... but he says he sees "punk 6th graders" saying, "hey here comes Oral." or "hey, Orla, wanna give me some Oral"

Yes, this is exactly where my mind went. Maybe I'm just a 6th grade boy. ;)

I think it's one thing if the name is common (like Elizabeth) but when the name itself is already unusual and then to add in the teasing factor, well if it were me I would find something else.

DH absolutely hated the girl name I really wanted for younger DD, but I couldn't give her a name that he did not also like/want. And I dismissed a couple names he liked because of what I saw as teasing potential.

[swissair81]

I had to google but I didn't see anything that gave me pause. Fill me in!

It's the Hebrew word for foreskin.

[AnnieW625]

I had to google but I didn't see anything that gave me pause. Fill me in!

I looked too and all I found was that it means Princess of Gold, but that was the Irish translation from one site, but then another site listed the same meaning, but also said it was if Hebrew origin.

eta: just saw SwissAirs response. Now that makes sense.

[BabyBearsMom]

It's the Hebrew word for foreskin.

oooooooh....then I would definitely go with something else.

I think Isla is a cute name and it really isn't that popular. According to the Baby Name Wizard it was #297 in 2010 which is pretty unpopular. Also on the same site, the only state in which it is "popular" is Vermont and there it is #104. So I would say go for it.

[JBaxter]

It's the Hebrew word for foreskin.

I can see the middle school teasing with Oral and if the Hebrew meaning is foreskin. Um no don't do that to her.

[mom2binsd]

When I saw the name I grinned, when DS was little he couldn't say the our neighbors name, her name is Laura, but he has always called her Orla!

[YouAreTheFocus]

Unless the poster is Jewish or lives in a predominantly Jewish area, I don't see why the Hebrew meaning should give pause. I doubt most adults, let alone young kids, are going to come up with this definition.

However, if dh has vetoed it and can't get past his oral fixation, then it's time to let go :(

Fwiw, I have an unusual name, and like a pp, I always wished my name was Sarah or something. But all the girls I knew with common names, wished their names were more unique. The grass is always greener. Dh has a common name, hated being one of three xyzs in his class. We went ahead and gave ds a rarer name, it was in the ssa 600s at the time, now 400s.

[twowhat?]

Isn't there a designer named Orla Kiely or something like that? I think it's a really pretty name. I agree that most names have potential for teasing, but some are worse than others. I'd put Orla in the "not too bad" category.

If your DH vetoes it, maybe you could use it for a middle name? It could be a beautiful middle name too!

[AnnieW625]

However, if dh has vetoed it and can't get past his oral fixation, then it's time to let go :(


:yeahthat: I had to give up naming DD2 my top name for her which was Madison because DH just couldn't get into and he didn't care one bit that I had loved that name since I first saw the movie Splash at 7 yrs. old and loved that the character named herself after a street in NYC (which later in life meant so much more to me as a media/fashion nut!), which at the time I just thought was soo cool, and would have died to have a cool name like that, not Annie.

[sntm]

I think it's a lovely name. As PP have said, any name can be used to tease, and that is hardly one that is going to inspire teasing for the rest of her life. Kids may make the orla-oral connection, but honestly, any kid that would and would tease for that would be just as likely to say "Isabelle, suck my ***" so it's not like avoiding a name you love keeps her from hearing lewd things :)

[KLD313]

Oral isn't something that immediately comes to my mind when I hear Orla. Your DH sounds like my BF, every time I would come up with a name he would shout out something that he related that name too. It wasso annoying. I wanted to name DD Eden and he said there's a not so desireable street in our city named that. Ridiculous! I think Orla is pretty.

[Fairy]

Definitely, absolutely, positively not. Including if it's ethnic. I know someone that named their kid Nimrod (a very observant Orthodox Jewish name) -- fully American family. Not urban legend, I know these people personally. Terribly cruel, IMO.

[Tondi G]

No I wouldn't name my kids something that I thought had a lot of tease-ability.

My DS's orthopedic surgeon told us a story about his Dad ... who ended up going by his middle name "Mason" (also my DS1's name) because his Last name was Hohl (HOLE) his first name was Harrison. No one should name their kid "Harry Hohl". Poor guy... at least he had a decent middle name and avoided a lot of torture on the school yard!

[wallawala]

Names and intials are so tempting to tease with.

I love the name Orla and wouldn't have made the Oral or Oral B connection, but it only takes one on the playground to brand you forever. I knew an Orla (friend of a friend). Irish red-head, beautiful and smart. So that's what I associate with Orla :)

Did go to school with a Barbara Ann G ("BAG") and her older sister Heather, who were nice, goregous tennis team stars. They were know as BAG and HAG. Awful.

DH says your going to get teased about something in life, so if it's not your name... you still can't avoid it!

[american_mama]

What about Coral or Lorna? Similar vowel sounds.

I don't worry much about teasing with names - the Elizabeth and Ella examples, for instance, are both such common names that I don't think anyone will be teasing about them. But I do see the Orla and Oral similarity. Maybe my mind is in the gutter, but I think of oral as in sex, and while I think an elementary child is safe from that association, I do think middle and high schoolers might tease about that.

[swissair81]

Definitely, absolutely, positively not. Including if it's ethnic. I know someone that named their kid Nimrod (a very observant Orthodox Jewish name) -- fully American family. Not urban legend, I know these people personally. Terribly cruel, IMO.

It's actually a secular Israeli name. No self respecting Orthodox family would give that name. But why is it so cruel? Did you know that Suri is a hassidic name? It didn't seem to bother Tom Cruise. People give ethnic names all the time because they like the sound of them. American Ethnic families don't go out of their way to give American names (okay sometimes they do). Orthodox Jewish kids usually have Hebrew or Yiddish names, Moslem kids often have Arabic or Farsi names, Indian kids often have Hindi (or other Indian language) names, and so on. My kids do not have English names. They go to the doctor with those names, they go to college with those names, and will have to use those names in their future job. Why is that weirder than some of the trendy last name sounding names today? Why is Chaya or Leah or Moshe worse than Palmer or Quinn or Cooper?

[ilfaith]

I really like Orla...unless, perhaps, your last name is Sax.

I also like the name Orly...but given the airport and the nail polish (not to mention the O RLY owl... http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ImageMacro ) DH nixed it. (Of course we never did have a girl...so it ended up a moot point). There is a girl named Orli in my boys' school.

I think any name has the potential for teasing...and if kids don't pick on the name, they'll find something else to tease about (freckles...the inability to catch a fly ball...the way the kid mispronounced a word in class one day).

[edurnemk]

It's actually a secular Israeli name. No self respecting Orthodox family would give that name. But why is it so cruel?

Not Fairy, but I think she was referring to the specific case she shared (Nimrod), which in that particular case I do think is asking for your kid to be teased. I took Fairy's statement to mean that she wouldn't consider a teasable name EVEN under the argument of it being ethnic, not that she was saying that all ethnic names are teasable. FWIW I have an ethnic name (Basque) and DD will have one, too, however when considering names for her we do cross out the ones that seem to have obvious teasing potential, even if we like the name.

[swissair81]

Not Fairy, but I think she was referring to the specific case she shared (Nimrod), which in that particular case I do think is asking for your kid to be teased. I took Fairy's statement to mean that she wouldn't consider a teasable name EVEN under the argument of it being ethnic, not that she was saying that all ethnic names are teasable. FWIW I have an ethnic name (Basque) and DD will have one, too, however when considering names for her we do cross out the ones that seem to have obvious teasing potential, even if we like the name.

Okay. I hear that. There are definitely awful ethnic names that I would never consider. Sorry, Fairy.

[Mopey]

I've nixed quite a few names I love when I hear how they will sound in my ILs accent. Just too annoying that they will not even sound like the same name.

[ha98ed14]

Not Fairy, but I think she was referring to the specific case she shared (Nimrod), which in that particular case I do think is asking for your kid to be teased. I took Fairy's statement to mean that she wouldn't consider a teasable name EVEN under the argument of it being ethnic, not that she was saying that all ethnic names are teasable.

Seconding this. I have nothing to back this up other than my own association, but I have heard the name Nimrod used as the equivalent of dumb@ss: "Way to go, Nimrod!" when someone makes an obviously avoidable mistake. Actually, until this thread, I did not know that Nimrod was actually a proper name. I thought it only meant the equivalent of dumb@ss.

[ha98ed14]

I've nixed quite a few names I love when I hear how they will sound in my ILs accent. Just too annoying that they will not even sound like the same name.

I have a good friend who is married to a man from Cyprus (the Greek half). They planned to make their home in the United States and the kids are already saddled with one heck of a last name (Greek name 10+ letters), AND her inlaws speak no English, so she felt a big desire to go with names that would not be butchered in their language. Her two are Maria and Alexander. It works.

[almostamom]

[QUOTE=JoyNChrist;3438816]We avoided Tucker, which I loved, because of the rhyming potential.
QUOTE]

We did the same.

[liamsmom]

Depends. Any name could be turned into a nasty rhyme.


:yeahthat: Remember Garbage Pail Kids? :rotflmao:

I think people (expecting parents) instinctively come up with reasons not to like a suggested name that is not to their taste. Orla (which I love, btw) doesn't sound like oral. It's a bit of a reach.

I agree with everyone else, OP, that if your DH doesn't like the name then you should keep looking. BUT it doesn't hurt to suggest it again once the baby is born. My DH burst out laughing when I suggested Liam early on in my pregnancy and I let it go. But after DS was born--and three days old--DH got adamant and said his name should be Liam. This was after we kept going around in circles about the other names we each liked.

[trcy]

Depends. Any name could be turned into a nasty rhyme.

No, I wouldn't pick a name that SCREAMED "torture me." I'd avoid names with strong negative associations.
:yeahthat:

[trales]

I would avoid Chester as in Chester the molester.

[mom3boys]

We avoided "Tucker" also--same reason!
I also liked "Kent" but was worried it could be turned into a terrible word, so kept away from that one.

For a PP though, that mentioned Henry--that's pretty popular now, I don't see a problem with it.


I like Orla and I don't think I would make the jump to Oral. But, what do I know. I thought I was pretty safe with DS3's name. The short form of his name is Cam (his full name is not Cameron) and the other day DH called him "Cameltoe!" Yeesh, it will be at least middle school until the kids know that one, but still--maybe we should start using his full name!

When I was in college I took a class with a girl named Bich. She was Asian (not sure exact ethnicity) and the poor professor didn't know what to do with it. The professor pronounced it "beach" and the girl didn't say anything about that pronunciation being right or wrong. I felt sorry for the girl though. Also one of the coaches at my university was named Dick Blood. I think if your last name is Blood, you have enough problems without naming your son Richard and referring to him as Dick. Even "Rich Blood" is kind of odd, but better.

So basically, I guess we considered the obvious teasing possibilities, but not the less obvious. I would never have thought of "Ella-phant"

[Fairy]

Not Fairy, but I think she was referring to the specific case she shared (Nimrod), which in that particular case I do think is asking for your kid to be teased. I took Fairy's statement to mean that she wouldn't consider a teasable name EVEN under the argument of it being ethnic, not that she was saying that all ethnic names are teasable. FWIW I have an ethnic name (Basque) and DD will have one, too, however when considering names for her we do cross out the ones that seem to have obvious teasing potential, even if we like the name.

Thank you, edurnemk, for explaining, I had not come back to this thread. Yes, this is exactly it. I've got nothing against ethnic names at all. and if you're born elsewhere and end up here and it doens't work so good in US society, hey, what can ya do? (e.g., I went to grade school with a boy named Mushtoch, and he went by Mush. Born in Pakistan. It was his name). But to be fully American, know what the word nimrod means, and then name your kid that anyway, is IMO, really cruel and terribly selfish. I knew this kid personally.


Okay. I hear that. There are definitely awful ethnic names that I would never consider. Sorry, Fairy.

No problem.

[Roni]

No, way! Kids can be so mean. No need to give them ammunition.

[buddyleebaby]

I had a student named Vagia, and I always thought it was asking for trouble.

[NCGrandma]

I had a student named Vagia, and I always thought it was asking for trouble.

A physician colleague talked a patient out of naming her child Penisia. He definitely thought it would be asking for trouble!

[hellokitty]

I would avoid Chester as in Chester the molester.

Lol, I guess I have never thought of Chester the molester, I think of Chester the cheetos eating cheetah.

[Fairy]

Lol, I guess I have never thought of Chester the molester, I think of Chester the cheetos eating cheetah.

And I think of Soap.

[TwinFoxes]

Who is Chester the Molester? Is that a thing?

[Green_Tea]

Who is Chester the Molester? Is that a thing?

Unfortunately: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chester_the_Molester


Chester the Molester (also known as Chester the Protector)[1] was a comic strip by the late Dwaine B. Tinsley (December 31, 1945 – May 23, 2000), who was Hustler magazine's cartoon editor.[2] Tinsley produced the strip for 13 years.[3] The premise of the strip was a tongue-in-cheek take on a man, Chester, who was interested in sexually molesting women and prepubescent girls. The Chester cartoon showed many scenes in which the main character—and later on his girlfriend Hester—tricked or attempted to trick women and prepubescent girls into sexually compromising positions. However, modern day depictions of Chester include him luring young boys into his white van with candy.

[Fairy]

That is truly disgusting. I would expect to see this in NAMBLA Today, but not so much even Hustler.

[TwinFoxes]

Ugh, I shouldn't have asked.