I am entering my own Group Effort Pay it Forward Contest. That is, I am running a Pay it Forward contest on this Baby Names site, and it is a separate contest from the one you can also enter at the Swistle site.
The complete and overly-exhaustive rules are over through that link, but the basic idea is that to enter this contest, you leave a comment on this blog before noon on Friday July 4th, U.S. Pacific Time. If you win, I send you a prize. When you get the prize, you run a Pay it Forward contest on your own blog. If you don’t have a blog, I will choose a second commenter, and that will be the winner of your Pay it Forward contest.
The prize for the Baby Names Pay it Forward will be a copy of Laura Wattenberg’s excellent baby name book The Baby Name Wizard. If this isn’t a prize you’re interested in, don’t despair! Go over to the list of other participants—there’s sure to be a prize or two in there you’re interested in winning.
The comment can be anything (“Me me me!” “You are SO RAVISHINGLY BEAUTIFUL!” “I am entering”), but if you feel tongue-tied, why not leave the most unusual baby name you’ve ever encountered?
I’m going to shake things up a bit and raise an adult name issue that I’ve encountered. There is an existing family member whose name is, oh, let’s say, “Mary.” Then another woman, also named “Mary,” marries into the family, and the first Mary says, “We can’t have two Marys. You’ll have to go by your middle name, Louise, when you’re around the family.”
These are not people who spend a lot of time together. We’re talking one or two family events a year. Is this common? (The adults in question are all 50+ and older.) I guess the important thing is whether or not it bothers Mary #2, but it bothers me! I think it’s stupid.
Thanks for letting me share.
There’s a little boy in AD’s daycare class named Bethlehem, and that’s the first name I’ve come across where I went, “weird”.
My best friend made up her son’s name, which is “Brylan.” I want to ask her why the hell she didn’t just call him “Brian.”
A lady at work was pregnant and wanted to name her son LaDarien, but then her sister gave birth first and stole the name, so she decided to name him LaDeldrien instead. Made up much? And not confusing at all with cousins so similar.
Also, when my grandma was an L&D nurse, she had to talk a lady out of naming her twins Syphilis and Gonorrhea. She read those names in a pamphlet in her room and was pronouncing them Sa-PHIL-is and Ga-NORE-e-a.
I wrote about this on my old blog. NO ONE believes me, because there is also an urban legend about twins, one of which has this name. I was in charge of the “People” section of my high school yearbook – the section with everyone’s class pictures. As I was putting it together, I came across a kid with the name “Lemonjello.” I said out loud to the room, “Hey, there’s a kid here named lemon jello.” Someone answered, “Yeah, but it’s pronounced le-MON-juh-low.”
I have been on a quest to find that yearbook from my junior year (mine was ruined by Hurricane Hugo), so I could scan the page to prove it, but since I haven’t been in touch with ANYONE from high school in almost 20 years, I haven’t had any luck. When I do, there will definitely be a post.
Wow, Mary is being extremely rude. Damnit, I thought when I grew up, so would everyone else. I have to deal with the sophomoric behaviour of my age group for the rest of my life! If I were Mary 2, I’d tell her to put a sock in it.
I saw 2 brothers the other day, Xavier and Zion. Sort of cute as far as same sound sibsets go.
And swistle, if I can opt out of the contest, I’d like to do so right now. I don’t have a blog and already have a copy of the BNW, which is great, by the way.
Oh, pick me! I have been dying for my own copy of TBNW.
OOH! I’ve been dying for a copy of that book.
My cousin’s best friend growing up was named Bacteria by her biology professor father.
The first name is Ruby, which I think is really cute. Her middle name is Sapphire, which is weird with her first name, but how many times do you hear the first/middle together? Here’s the unfortunate part: last name Diamond.
Hmm. I don’t know how WEIRD this name is, but it’s certainly unusual these days: Vivian. A little baby in the church nursery is named Vivian Rose, and honestly, I think it’s beautiful, but a lot of people make weird faces when the mom tells them her name.
Oh, and her older brother’s name is Whittaker, which probably IS certifiably weird, but I like that one, too.
Pick me, pick me! I love the baby name game, and would love that book. Hmmm, as far as unusual names, I have heard a few (being a former preschool teacher). But I’ll pick one from a family friend who named their daughter Delicia, after a relative. They call her Della.
I would love a copy of this book, and will share two names of recently-born babies that I think might fall into the “well-intentioned but perhaps unintentionally a little strange” category:
Vienna [German last name which is also the name of a famous movie about a man’s “List” in WWII]
and
Sully
The second one they liked the name Sullivan but thought it was too long- I don’t think the verb “sully” occurred to them.
I went to high school with a girl named Lakikati (La-kick-a-tee), last name? Smith. At least she had that! :)
Swistle, I already have too many name books! I just wanted to share this:
So I have a friend who is a teacher and on the first day of school 8 or so years ago had a little boy who spelled his name Shithead. It’s pronounced Shi-TADE, poor kid.
Oh I’d love a copy of this book! I think the oddest names are the made up ones. I totally don’t get that concept at all.
We don’t have a whole lot of strange names up here in Northern MN, but my nephew’s name (he’s 9) is Lars and his dad’s name is Hans. Norweigan much?
I’m not expecting, but I totally want that book – not only to freak out the husband, but also because I think names are so interesting (and want to know if my parents did a good job naming us kids ;-)).
We don’t have a whole lot of strange names up here in Northern MN, but my nephew’s name (he’s 9) is Lars and his dad’s name is Hans. Norweigan much?
I’m not expecting, but I totally want that book – not only to freak out the husband, but also because I think names are so interesting (and want to know if my parents did a good job naming us kids ;-)).
you ARE so ravishingly beautiful!
My brother recently moved to the South where his friends’ kids have all sorts of ‘unique’ names.
River-a little girl
Riser-a little boy
(they’re not related)
When I was in seventh grade, my homeroom teacher was Mrs. Gay. Her son? Barry. Barry Gay. I swear it’s true.
(Also, pick me! Pick me!)
I seriously need a new copy of TBNW. You know what mine looks like. Or I could hold out until the New Edition comes out, and make you get me that one.
I did once know a girl named Pepper, poor thing. I was only in fifth grade, but I can still feel the words coming out of my mouth: “What’s your sister’s name? Salt?” But, you’ve seen the names in my hometown. How can I narrow it down to one?
Oh, the repeating-name thing: I have a brother, Matt, and my sister married a Matt. We really, really wanted to call her husband “TOM” (as in, The Other Matt), but he didn’t seem to like it much. So now we just specify them by their last names, or “so-and-so’s Matt.” It’s awkward, but way better than informing a newcomer, “Now you have to go by this family-issued nickname. Welcome!”
Oh! I really, really, really want a copy of that book! I just don’t want to have to go and actually BUY it since I already have a tons of baby names books and it seems silly since I know we should only have to name one more child, but STILL. I really, really, really want a copy.
oh geesh. some friends of ours are considering naming their baby stowe. i’ve heard some other doozies but i can’t think of them now.
I knew some people in high school who married each other’s sisters – and they had the same name. (As in, Jane Doe married Jim Pepper and became Jane Pepper, while the original Jane Pepper married Bob Doe and became Jane Doe.) In other words, the girls switched names – confusing.
I have no blog, but I would love a copy of the Baby Name Wizard, and I have 2 strange names for you…
I used to lead walks for kids at a nature center, and had many unique names. My favorite, by far, were Dijonnaise (mmm, it’s mustard, it’s mayo, it’s BOTH!) and Chardonnay.
I knew a girl who was going to name her baby James if it was a boy, and Unique if it was a girl.
I sure hope she had a boy.
I have met women named Rainbow Sprinkles and Sky Miles.
I knew a baby named Keaton, which I thought was weird when he was born in 1990, but now it’s so common! (I like the name Keaton though.)
I grew up in a very multicultural area, so I’ve seen a lot of unusual names. The one name that sticks out the most to me was a girl named Holly. Her last name was Wood.
That Ruby Sapphire Diamond is a real gem I bet. Couldn’t help it, lol, it is definitely unique.
I know I have come across some bad names but I just can’t think of any right now? Love reading all the other entries though!
My mother was a social worker in the early eighties and had a client who named her new daughter Broccoli. No lie. Also, pick me, random number generator!
Enjoying reading your blog as I sit here and snuggle one of my newborn twins–Charles William. His sister is Hazel Catherine. Neither name is strange at all. ;-)
I love the blog, and really want a copy of the Baby Name Wizard. I am sort of a baby name fanatic so to speak. I go to the Baby Name Wizard Blog too.
I love me some Swistle
I knew a little girl named Tara. Her last name was Fye. Tara Fye.
Her parents really didn’t think that one through!
My mom worked as a public health nurse. Had a young mother with 2 daughters. Chevette and Chevelle. Named after the location of their conceptions.
My friend’s youngest is named Mahalah. It took me literally months after meeting them to be confident of pronouncing it properly (although really it’s not that hard once you’ve seen it written down). They’re planning to have another baby soon, and I want to convince her to use your site for ideas — I’d love to see what you’d come up with.
I could really use that book as we are trying to get pregnant now…well, not actually this second. Oh dear…nevermind! PICK ME!
I work for the government, so I’ve seen it ALL. People are cruel. Today I had a file with a woman named Candelaria.
And my own name is pretty damn ridiculous.
No weird name experiences here, not apart from my own :)
You are beautiful! Also, I want to be your friend. Also, my mom knows a kid named Lazarus.
I don’t have a blog, but promise to pay it forward if you pick me a number. Also I’m pregnant now, and NEED that book!
At my last job, I worked with a guy whose name looks totally normal when written down, but when pronounced is awful. His name…
Christopher Peacock
But he goes by Chris. Peacock.
Just say it together…
awful.
My husband and I are getting ready to expand our family soon and we cannot agree on a girl name for anything. I definitely need this book.
As for strange names I had a good friend in middle school whose name was India. Her sister’s name was Zeda. My best friend’s name was Beja. I had a guy friend whose last name was Head and his father’s name was Richard. My husband’s best friend named his son Maximus Gage.
I knew a girl, Thai I think, named Poupee (pronounced Poo-pay) and her brother was Tirdsak. I went to college with Unique and Jupiter.
The most unusual name I have ever encountered would be Yavodka.
Seriously. I can’t make this stuff up!
The most unusual baby name I ever encountered was for a lovely little girl named Shame Onja. Pronounced as if saying “shame on ya”. By the time she got to elementary school she went by her middle name and spelled it differently: Anya. She cried when the other kids in her second grade class discovered her full name and teased her about it. It broke my heart.
Finnly.
My daughter had a girl in her class named Shelandria. I thought that was odd.
I was about to leave my weirdest name, but I’d hate for the mommy to ever find out!
Just the other day, I ran across an adult man named Calvestyr. Winner winner winner!
You are awesome!
And I’m Icelandic… when translated all of our names are weird. Take my cousins name Brynjólfur – literally means Armoured wolf :)
We’re having a girl in October and are totally stuck for names.
I cant rival some of the names that have been posted but I’ve known an Africa, Asia, and a Star. I thought they were all kind of unique.
Also, I like the name Maclaren for a girl….but “stroller” is the first thing people will think of isnt it?
Shenandoah was a girl I went to high school with. Her nickname was Shen.
Across the street from me is a four month old girl named Grier.
Genyses Leon G- for a boy. 8-P
There’s a baby girl in my church named Jericho, which I think is kind of different for a girl.
I’m thinking about trying to get pregnant again, so it would be fun to have a copy of TBNW to help me pick out a name. Or, I could always just send an email to the lovely Swistle to help me come up with something.
I would be very interested in this book, if only to be a mini-Swistle to my friends. Last week we had a friend from church who had their baby and couldn’t decide on what to name the poor child – well, the mama had a firm idea, but the daddy, not so happy with the idea. And I thought I was indecisive! I wanted so much to email you on their behalf, but refrained. I still don’t know what name they decided upon!
Hello. Cannot think of a weird name. My mind is blank.
I have two… the given name is “Baby James” (he is in his 20’s). Also, my mom works in L&D and had someone name their baby “Was”.
when i was little i wanted to have a girl baby named Bijou
I think I might be too late. It’s confusing trying to enter contests and they all close at different times. Oh well.
Anyway, here’s a name for you: Shaquaviana. Fun, no?
I’m too late, but I wanted to mention the 3 kids in my daughter’s pre-school class named, Americka, Azlan, and Braven.