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I tumbled down a Reddit rabbit hole the other day. This one asked what names were just so awful that you felt absolutely gutted for the kid?
Look, I get it. We all have preferences. They’re constrained by our personal experience and worldview.
This particular thread called out Honor, which has a long history of use and a hint of posh, British-ness about it.
The same thread slagged Adorable. Is the name surprising? Sure. But Adoración is a traditional Spanish name, related to the Three Kings from the Nativity story. And Anglophone Africa is home to lots of spiritual and affectionate word names, like Blessing, that take Americans by surprise.
And so the problem is not the name. It’s the teasing.
Instead of mocking, let’s celebrate.
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Influencer Catherine Paiz recently welcomed daughter Sea’vanna. This is her fourth, but her first with new husband Igor Ten. With her ex, Austin McBroom, Catherine is mom to daughters Elle and Alaia, and son Steel. I find the new arrival’s name intriguing. It fits with coastal, summery picks like Ocean and Kai, and plays off long-time favorite Savannah.
On a surprisingly similar note, King Charles’ cousin gave her new daughter an ocean-inspired name, too. Flora Vesterberg is the granddaughter of Princess Alexandra, which makes her 61st in line to the throne. Flora and husband Timothy Vesterberg, a Swedish financier, recently welcomed daughter Isabel Marina. Her middle name is a nod to Flora’s maternal great-grandmother, Princess Marina of Greece. But it’s also a reference to the couple’s love of the sea.
How much do I love that babies in Peru are being named after Norwegian footballer Erling Haaland? The country has a long-standing tradition of choosing bold names borrowed from public figures, so this isn’t surprising – but it’s kind of amazing all the same!
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Houston blends swagger with surprising traditional roots. It simply means Hugh’s town – which feels both immediately obvious and completely unexpected at the same time.
Mia is a tiny, compact powerhouse of name. Infinitely flexible, timeless but modern.
Wade feels sort of like a throwback, but it also sounds like a Waylon-Cade compromise. It’s been kinda-sorta on my radar ever since Disney-Pixar’s Elemental.
That’s all for this week. As always, thank you for reading – and have a great week!
I’ve never heard an American say slagged before! You’re absolutely right, let’s celebrate all the different names.
HA! It’s the absolute perfect word sometimes, isn’t it?