Every year I take one week to choose all of the names, typically without input from anyone.
This year, I had a slightly different idea. I’ve really enjoyed writing about Cohen and Madison and Apple. I typically discover there’s much to love aboutanyname, even one that provokes strong feelings in others. And so I’ve decided to dedicate the week of July 23 to the Most Hated Names in America.
So far, the schedule looks like this:
- Monday, June 23 – Nevaeh
- Tuesday, June 24 – Jayden
- Wednesday, June 25 – Brooklyn
But then comes Thursday, and I’m stumped. There are plenty of trendy names that fall out of favor quickly, typically those borrowed from celebrities or infamous figures. That’s not quite what I have in mind, though. You might not call your daughter Kimora, but do you really loathe the name?
So which names completes the set? No fair saying Hayden or Zaiden – that’s too easy. And no geezer names, either – they have to be modern, trendy names, ideally ones heavily in use.
Suggestions welcome.
Hate destiny.
Any kid named after a day of the week, is silly.
Apple.
Names of places, like London or Paris.
In England we have Morgan for a girl, which always sounds so masculine.
Don’t like Felix, Toby or Oscar
I dislike Madison, and I have a theory about its origin as a girl’s name and I’d like to know what you think.
Remember the 1984 movie Splash with Tom Hanks and Darryl Hannah? In that movie she picks out her own name off of the street sign for Madison Avenue, and Tom Hanks says “you can’t be named Madison, no one is named Madison!” or something like that.
Anyway, my theory is that a bunch of expectant moms in the mid-eighties watched that movie, thought Darryl Hannah was super-cute (also, Darryl?) and the name has been going strong ever since.
What do you think of my theory?
I’m totally shocked that you have not heard that before!
The title-giving names such as Princess or Sir actually have a very interesting history. They are a response to the racism of the Jim Crow era in the Southern USA.
During this era (1860s-1960s), most white people refused to call African-Americans Mr. or Mrs. So-and-So. Instead, they called African-Americans by their first names (which was very disrespectful in this era), or “boy” or “gal.”
To avoid this problem, African-Americans started naming their children names such as Admiral, so that white people would have to call them a title when talking to them. Pretty creative, isn’t it?
You can learn more about this in the book “The Warmth of Other Suns” by Isabel Wilkerson.
I think this is a fascinating piece of name history.
I had another thought about this — maybe you should do an old fashioned hated names week as well. For example, why does something like Mildred seem so completely undoable, even though it has an interesting ending kind of like Elowen or other names there is some interest in.
That is a great idea! I’m blocking the week of October 22. I’ll need to think about the criteria a little bit, but yes – that makes sense.
Ooooh, excellent idea! I personally love Gertrude but would never use it because I fear people would think I’m abusing my child (like my friend Buffy, who has heard on more than one occasion that her “parents must have hated her” when she’s introduced to people).
Perfect! The week of my anniversary – what a nice gift 😉
I’m really looking forward to this whole hated names week shin-dig.
Add me to the McVoters.
Edna! Melvin! Leroy! Will my grandparents’ names ever sound cool again?
*sigh* Cannon is my mother’s maiden name and I always planned to use it for a boy, but now it just gets lost in the “manly surnames co-opted because they sound cool and tryndy” genre.
Ditto Princess or Gunner/Hunter/Cannon – extreme gender role names like that seem to get people riled!
Please please please……definitely a MacKenzie or a Mc name! They’re just terrible, made up sounding names on girls. Such a wasted opportunity to name a daughter something beautiful and classic!