Rebecca writes:
I have been having a hard time completely deciding on our future baby boy’s name. We have 3 other children, a set of twins who are 3 (Rowan Geremy and Payton Alexis) and a 1 year old (Zoey Elizabeth) all with the last name Newbury.
We are expecting a boy in less than 2 weeks and have agreed on the name Nixon Parker Newbury. I think the name is nice and modern like our other names but I just need to be sure it is the right name for him. We don’t have any girl names picked out as we know this is a boy.
I really like the name Kai Parker and Zeke Parker but think (almost certain) that I like Nixon the best of them all.
What are your thoughts on the name? Does it sound okay? I know many parents go in with a few names, but we have always gone in knowing what the baby will be called and have never swayed from what we had chosen.
I may be over thinking this as we know this one will be our last but I want to be sure the name is suitable. We also don’t care that it doesn’t have a meaning as most of the other names we have chosen don’t have significant meanings either.
Any help will be greatly appreciated!!!!
In my own opinion, the notoriety of former president Richard Nixon keeps this name from being useable in the United States. The association for me is direct, undiluted by other associations, and negative—and I wasn’t even around for his presidency. It’s been 40 years and we’re still making “I am not a crook” jokes and using the “____gate” format for scandals.
This opinion is far from universal: in 2012 alone, there were 362 new baby boys and 12 new baby girls named Nixon. And outside of the United States, I wouldn’t expect the name to have much of an association at all. The sound of it is indeed on-trend, and fits well with Peyton and Rowan. I might hesitate slightly to use three names ending in N and one not, and Nixon Newbury seems like a lot of N sounds, but I wouldn’t let those details override my first-choice name.
Another possibility to consider is Lennox. It has the “nix” sound of Nixon, and is unisex like Rowan and Peyton. And it adds another name ending so that Zoey isn’t odd-one-out.
Or maybe Maxon? Or Baxter? Or Nicholson?
Let’s collect a wider set of opinions about the name Nixon:
[yop_poll id=”27″]
I think that the name has pleasing sounds and is similar to a lot of other names that are used commonly. The presidential connotation is a problem for me, but I do think that as time goes by, it will become less of one for some people. I was born during Ford’s presidency and so grew up hearing quite a bit about Watergate and Nixon, and I think that grandparents of a baby Nixon would have negative connotations to the name.
However, when I hear the name Oswald, I think of the octopus on the cartoon before I think of Lee Harvey Oswald, because I’m young enough to not have a lot of immediate Kennedy associations. In another 20 years, the people naming children will ONLY know Nixon through history books if they care to read about him, so I could see the popularity going up then. If you choose to use it, you’re just ahead of your time, but it may mean that you get a lot of comments at first from the generation that lived through watergate.
I went to college with someone with the last name Nixon, first name Tim. As is the case with many guys in college, he was known exclusively by his last name. So although of course I know about Richard Nixon, my first thought is my old friend, not an old president. Also my knowledge of Watergate comes almost entirely through the movie “Dick” which I saw with my parents during my college years and they both thought it was funny and surprisingly accurate. I also did see the more recent movie “Frost/Nixon.” It was good, but not especially entertaining to me, a non history buff. Of course I know the “I am not a crook line” and quite a few of my friends are nerdy, but I can’t remember having heard it said out loud in years.
Anyway, I find it completely usable. I agree a lot with Kelli’s points in an above comment.
Taking away the historical issue, I do find the 3/4 of children having names ending with N to be displeasing, but not a deal breaker. Also, I am on the side of the name being pleasingly alliterative.
I had the same reaction as Swistle to the name. I do like the look of it and the sounds but immediately thought of the president and all the negative things that happened. I am 34 and did not live through it but still had those thoughts. I can imagine though that his peers would not think the same way though. I do like the name Kai and Swistle’s suggestion of Lennox as additional possibilities.
I wouldn’t use it. The associations are too strong and too negative.
I don’t live in the US so I can’t speak to the Richard Nixon connection (i.e. if it’s good or bad). However, it might be worth noting that the first thing I thought of when I saw the name was the US President.
I’m not a huge fan of Nixon Newberry because it sounds too “sing songy” for my tastes. I would lean towards Lennox but Lennox also sounds feminine to my ears (probably another case of baby girls stealing all of the good names).
I really like Baxter as an alternative.
I”m almost always the first to shout “DON’T DO IT” with names that are iffy at all. This one, though, just kind of works for me. I think Nixon as a first name sounds fresh and cute. I immediately think of the president, of course, but it’s not as if I taint the baby’s name with thoughts of illegal activities. I was a political science major who took an entire class on Nixon/Watergate, though, so maybe it’s that I see Richard Nixon as way more than a caricature. There’s not enough time to rifle through all the information I have and project it onto a baby!
I hate to say it but the president kills this name for me. Though I do know a girl born recently named Nixon so clearly not everyone shares my opinion! Would you consider using Parker as a first name? If not then I like Zeke Parker out of your choices. I’m partial to Ezekiel myself, nicknamed Zeke, but those hefty names aren’t for everyone. I always feels guilty telling a parent “The name you love? Here’s why I don’t like it..” but in this case I think it’s good to know the reactions you could be in for. Technically speaking Nixon is a nice name, very on trend sound-wise, and if you find you just can’t picture any other name working for your baby then I don’t think it’s a crippling association. His classmates certainly won’t get it, at least not for several years ;)
I find the presidential association too strong, but wondered if you’ve considered the name Nelson? It has a similar sound and a much more positive historical association, in my opinion, with Nelson Mandela.
I just wouldn’t want to set my child up for negative associations right from the get-go, even if only from elders, teachers, etc. Lennox and Nelson seem like wonderful alternatives that offer some of the same sounds and blend nicely with your other children’s names.
Not Only do I immediately think of president Nixon and the negative connotations that go with that, but Nixon newbury is a little much, as is 3/4 of the names ending in ”n”. I love Zeke! Some of the other surnames suggestions would work well too!
Also, I am a twenty something non history buff, so I would imagine older generations would have an even stronger reaction.
I too feel that Nixon Newbury is a bit too “sing songy”. I’m in my twenties, and while yes i did immediately think of the president, that would not be a deal breaker for me.
When I saw the names of your children, the name Gage popped into my head. Gage Parker Newbury. Or, what about flipping the names and using Parker as the first name?!
Rowan Geremy, Payton Alexis, Zoey Elizabeth, and Gage Parker/Parker Nixon Newbury
Please, please, please don’t do this. Maybe it’s because I was a humanities major who took a lot of history classes, but Nixon is unequivocally the worst president in US history and the only association I have with the word “Nixon” is him. He was a criminal and literally no one defends him– Republicans, conservatives, liberals, everybody is in agreement he was horrible. His image has never been rehabilitated. People from an older generation in particular have terrible associations with his name. It’s true that by the time your son is applying for jobs, most people with a direct experience of the Nixon era will be retired (or, erm, in a better place entirely) but there may be some holdouts. I know my boss, for one, would be horrified to come across an applicant with the first name Nixon. She would likely interview him just to try to extract the story behind his name (/his parents) but it would be a poor association from the get-go.
I also dislike how “nix” is the first syllable–another negative connotation. If my name were Nixon, I would probably go by Nick and hope to avoid telling people the full name because it is such a strong association with the president. I’m sorry to be harsh–but this is one of those names that is on an Adolf level of no-go for me, and I don’t think I’m alone. Besides Watergate, Nixon also made a terrible mess of Vietnam (invading Cambodia, dallying with ending the war, etc.) for the first couple of years of his presidency that resulted in an extra 15,000 American deaths between 1969-1973 and a half million Vietnamese ones. He really was an awful guy.
Also I think I disagree with Swistle about the name not having much meaning outside the US– unfortunately, it seems like everybody has heard of Richard Nixon, and nobody liked him. Even in Europe people know who Nixon was. I remember that from being a student in Europe during the Bush years. People were always bringing up Nixon– young people, too, born in the 1980s. His legacy has some unfortunate staying power.
Zeke, Parker, and Kai are all lovely names that bring to mind nothing but good associations. I really don’t want to say anything critical of any of them because each is a much easier name to bear than Nixon and I think it would be wonderful if you chose any of them. But I will say that Zeke seems to fit with your other kids’ names the best, and Kai the least. I love the way Parker Newbury sounds though.
This is a slightly awkward spelling, but if you really love the sound (as opposed to the look), how about spelling it Nickson? For me, that nearly eliminates the criminal ex-president association.
Nickson Parker Newbury is a little sing-songy but not so bad.
Another Swistle letter written recently named her son Dixon. That name has some drawbacks, too (mostly the teasing potential of the first syllable) but it is a neutral name. Plus it is less sing-songy than Nixon Newbury.
Dixon Parker Newbury.
What about Maddox? Maddox Parker Newbury.
I like Lennox a lot too– Lennox Parker is nice.
Do you like any shorter/more modern sounding yet traditional boys’ names? Wyatt, Theo, Axel, Garrett, Gavin?
I really hope my post doesn’t hurt your feelings– but Nixon is such a strongly polarizing name, I think it is important you are aware of the range of reactions it will garner before you go through with it.
Please keep us updated! & best of luck to you.
I’m 31, and not much of a history buff, so although I’m aware of the fact that Nixon was a terrible president and of the Watergate scandal, the association is not very strong for me.
I am also a teacher, and had a student in my class named Nixon. At first I thought it was an interesting choice, but then I began to associate it with the student, not the president. It began to seem like an “on trend” name, and I even grew to like it! I suspect that those close to your child would get used to the name, but you’ll probably always get some raised eyebrows from others, especially those who may have lived through the Nixon administration or the years shortly after.
If you decide not to use Nixon, here are some suggestions for you:
Dixon
Nic/Nicholas/Dominic
Knox
Dex/Dexter/Declan
Dax
Rex
Jefferson
Edison
Colson
Jackson/Jacks/Jax
Felix
Alexander/Lex
Good list!
I like the sound of the name Nixon, but I immediately associate it badly with Richard Nixon. And I’m 28 and not even that big on contemporary American history. It’s definitely a polarizing name with mostly negative connotations, imo.
I would not name a baby Nixon, but would probably search around for similar naming schemes: Lennox, Maddox, Dixon, etc. However, if you love it, you love it. Maybe Nixon Newbury will be the one to grow up and rehabilitate the name! ;)
I’m Canadian, so I’m sort of familiar with President Nixon but I don’t have any really strong feelings about him. (I know people seem to mostly hate him, and likely I would too if I’d been alive at the time he was in office, but I wasn’t, so I don’t care all that deeply about him.) I can’t begin to guess the strength of Americans’ reactions to Nixon as a first name – maybe enough time has passed? Maybe it depends on the region, or on the individual?
Apart from the association with the former president, I think Nixon is actually a pretty great name. It’s kind of lively to me, and versatile, and uncommon but easy to pronounce and spell, and I like the options of just going by Nick or else using Nix or Nixon. (And for what it’s worth, I would guess that Nixon would have far less teasing potential than Dixon.) I mostly like the alliteration with your surname – I don’t love that the end of Nixon has the same sound as the beginning of your surname, but it’s not the worst thing if you love the name.
I’m American and 31 and I wouldn’t use Nixon because of the presidential connection. I was going to suggest Dixon as someone else did above. I think it sounds a little more “male” than the suggestion of Lennox. Normally the “is it a boy or girl?” thing doesn’t bother me – but in a house with a lot of unisex names you might want something to set him apart a bit.
I would guess that by the time little Nixon gets a bit older the presidential connection will be even weaker, but I wouldn’t want it for myself or for my kids.
not from the US, but I think everyone has at least heard of the President & the associations are all negative. Zeke Parker is fabulous, why use a name that is mostly associated with someone like nixon?
I personally think it’s weird when anyone uses a president name (Lincoln, Kennedy, Reagan, Truman, Nixon, Washington) when they don’t have strong positive feelings about that president. If it also happens to be a family name, then sure…but otherwise a family of staunch Republicans with a daughter named Kennedy just seems weird to me.
(But I don’t apply this to Harrison, Wilson, Tyler, Ford, Grant, Jackson etc…)
Eh, I thought of the presidential connection right away, but not in a negative way at all. I’m 28, and while I’m very aware of all his drama, I seriously doubt someone would meet a cute little baby named Nixon and immediately form negative opinions/connections about him because of it. But, it does sound like I’m in the minority in that opinion, so I suppose I might reconsider using it if I were you.
Nixon reminds me of Jaxon, but with baggage. In terms of sound trends, I can see its appeal. I’m finding my main objections to it are the way it sounds with Newbury, along with the “n” ending matching 2 of the names you’ve already chosen. With Newbury, I much prefer either Kai or Zeke. Though if you use Zeke, there’s a symmetry with Zoey that might make others mistake those 2 for another set of twins in a few years when they’re closer in size. I tend to see Lennox as a girl name, but like Baxter, Rex, or Maddox, too. Or Dashiell, nn’d Dash.
i agree with Swistle and some of the comments here. i grew up in Europe and still wouldn’t use Nixon as a name, because of the bad-president connotation. it probably sticks more to this particular name since i have no other associations to it than the president – whereas Bush was a pretty bad president too, but his name isn’t as distinct.. “Nixon” is about as unique as “Obama”, and so such names would be more connected to whatever these presidents have done for me, rather than being able to see the name just as a name.
it’s probably a little too close to Payton, but i like Paxton a lot and wanted to suggest it. there’s also a nice list further above with similar-sounding options. i also like Zeke Parker a lot. Zeke and Lennox also would go well with Zoey, Payton and Rowan!
good luck! :)
A story to explain why naming a child Nixon is a bad idea, especially if you’re from the US(if you’re not, feel free to ignore the first half of this comment, although some of the international commenters have indicated that they have at least slightly negative associations with the name): I had a roommate from Oklahoma, and every time she told someone where she was from, they(or someone within earshot) would begin singing “Oooooklahoma!!!” That musical was first performed in 1943, and there was a film adaptation released in 1955, and a recording of a stage performance was released in 1998. But most people get exposed to the musical through high school performances. So even though it’s old and cheesy, high-schoolers get exposed to it, so it kind of stays in the cultural consciousness. But I went years without hearing anyone reference it until I moved in with her, and then I usually heard (or made) a reference daily.
The same thing will happen with Nixon. I’m 22, and Watergate was part of my social studies lessons in elementary school. As a fourth-grader, I knew who Nixon was. I didn’t understand all the implications of his actions, but I knew that he was the first US president to resign, and it was because he had done something really bad and tried to cover it up. It got taught AGAIN in eighth grade, and again in my US History class in high school. This isn’t going to change in the future. Watergate was a REALLY BIG DEAL in the history of the United States.
If your son is named Nixon, you can expect problems to arise early on. Adults in your life will get the reference, his teachers will know, and at a relatively early age, his classmates will make the association. Commenters have mentioned that they haven’t heard “I am not a crook” or Watergate references in years, but I can almost guarantee that your son will hear references at LEAST once a week. It’s just an automatic association. Even if you don’t have a negative association yourself, it just seems like an awful lot to saddle a kid with, especially since the name doesn’t seem to have any significance to you beyond the style and sound.
There’s also the issue of a name that starts with N, ends with N, paired with a surname that begins with N. It’ll get blended into Nixonewbury, which will sound like Nixa Newbury or Nix Newbury. Paired with your other -n name children, and it gets even mushier. Rowan and Nixon Newbury becomes Rowananixonewbury, that sort of thing.
If it was the ONLY name the two of you could agree on, that would be one thing. But even there, you have some options. If you like the sound, you could try an alternate spelling- Nickson, as previously mentioned, would get you there, and it would make Nick a more natural, well, nickname. If you like the look, there are a lot of other names that have been suggested by previous commenters that have a very similar look(and sound, so you wouldn’t lose that).
Zeke and Kai are great option, too. I especially like Zeke, and it has a nice connection with Zoey that mirrors Rowan and Payton.
Some other suggestions:
Carson
Carter
Griffin
Landon
Emmett
Beckett
Nolan
Bennett
Holden
Spencer
Garrett
Really like the suggestion of Baxter!
All the best!
The negative feelings about Nixon will not dissolve as the president passes further into history. Agreed with Kayliegh; I did not live through Nixon’s presidency, and yet still have immediate negative connotations with the name. The presidency is taught in schools, and is synonymous with lying, stealing, lying about lying and stealing, etc.
I agree with Swistle. The association is too strong and negative. If you’re going to choose a name with an association that is this strong, it should be meaningful or, at the very least, positive.
It also just sounds too trendy to me, in that it’s presidential, has an “x”, and ends in “n.” It feels like a mishmash of trends that makes it sound a little dated already to me.
That said, I think there have been some excellent alternatives mentioned. Good luck choosing!
I agree that the negative connotation is too much to burden a child with.
Given the sibling set, I looked for another unisex name that is used more commonly for boys (to go with Rowan, and hopefully offset Payton). I found – River, Casey, Jordan, Parker, Skyler, and Sage.
I like both the names Zeke and Kai. Zeke would definitely set up a dichotomy between your twins and not twins, as your twins would have unisex -n names, and your other two kids would be Zeke and Zoey, which is pretty matchy. Kai doesn’t do this to such an extreme degree, though it still certaily matches Zoey stylistically more than the other two names. I guess it depends how important sibling set is to you.
I think it’s perfectly fine to use. My good friend has a 4 year old named Nixon, and in the years I’ve known her and her son, I don’t think the presidential connection has every come up.
I doubt it will until he is school age, and then it will come up fairly regularly during history class and beyond (as a previous poster pointed out).
Admittedly I’m Canadian but fully aware of the Nixon situation. I still like the name. It sounds nice with your last name and other children’s names and one person, even a president, cannot own a name. I do also like Knox and Lennox, though.
While I don’t mind the name Nixon and can see past the presidential association to the attraction of the name itself, I would not use it bc I don’t personally like that 3/4 of the kids names would end in “n”. I also think Kai is too short wiht the other kids, leaving Zeke, which I think is adorable.
If you’re looking for a name with the same sound, Paxson may be a good choice. My girlfriend just named her son Paxson after the basketball player John Paxson…and I really like it. I also like the non Pax.
Oops, that should read *nickname* Pax.
Although my initial reaction was like many others (President Nixon – Tricky Dicky as he was often called), Nixon Newbury sounds like a name a kid has been saddled with instead of people thinking it is cool. Sorry to be so harsh. If you want to continue with the male names that end in ‘N’, I offer these: Colman, Dolan, Ewan, Galvin, Evan, Quinlan, Brian, Colin, Griffin, Ian/Iain, Clayton, Corrin and Arden.
I wish you all the best….
Unfotunately, I had the same reaction as Swistle. The sound of the name is on trend, but the association with the former President is just too negative to overcome for me. There will be a time when he learns about U.S. history in school…I’m not sure how I would have felt learning that my first name was synonymous with the lying, stealing, “I am not a crook” guy. In addition, with the surname, it is sing-songy to me also.
In any case, for your family and circle of friends, the name you choose will come to be associated with your son and not Richard Nixon. It may not be a big deal in the scheme of things. This is truly a case of personal preferences.
I think Zeke is a better fit from your list and breaks up the “n” sibling name endings. Others to consider may be:
– Xander
– Ezra
– Knox
– Lennon
– Abner
Best of luck!
I’m 33 and I have to say I didn’t think of President Nixon once reading your question. Only after reading Swistle’s response did I think of it. So for me it’s a non-issue. If you like the name use it. Though I have to say that I’m not sure about all the N’s together.
For what it’s worth, I was a history major in college & certainly know of Pres. Nixon- it’s just not what I’m thinking of when I’m reading baby names.
Nope. no, no, no, no. Nope. Completely and totally unusable. Cannot be used. Nope.
I’m from Canada and, although I am aware of all with president Nixon, I don’t see it as a problem name. I have a girlfriend who has a 3 year old named Nixon and I don’t think she has ever had any negative feedback around his name. If anything, I think of the brand of watches. But I am also living in Canada.
Other names I like: Parker, Zeke, Knox, Lennox, Bentley.
Yeah, I think it would be different in Canada, and as a previous poster pointed out, the real problems begin in elementary school and beyond during history class. It will inescapable at least in America.
Nixon unfortunately equals scandal to me.
The sound and spelling and easy pronunciation are all pluses, however it comes with serious baggage.
But I suppose we need a few brave parents to try to redeem the name. I personally wouldn’t want to task my child with that.
How about Lincoln? Or even Clinton has less negative connotations in my mind.
I don’t care for Kai or Zeke at all, but they do not conjure such negative associations.
Good job with Rowan and Payton, I like them!
For me the association of the name Nixon with the former president has been diluted because Nixon is also the last name of the governor of Missouri.
I’d use Nixon. As a previous poster said, the name became associated with the student to her not the President. Same thing as I went to school with a girl named Erin and didn’t particularly like her but that didn’t stop me from naming my daughter Arynn (said the same way), now that name only makes me think of my daughter.
However I’m not a fan of Nixon Newbury together.
My baby’s name is Nixon. We actually LOVE the fact that others won’t name their son that because of the connotation to “tricky dicky”. It keeps it more original.
In my opinion, it’s a strong name, sounds good, looks good, and President Nixon is old enough news that by the time he’s old enough to have conversations with disapproving adults who were around during watergate, well, most of them will be dead, so it will be a non-issue.
Finally. I’ve been tossing around this name, Nixon, for quite some time myself. Everyone I’ve ever mentioned it to has said to stray away simply because of President Nixon.
However, in my opinion, I was born in ’83 and have not lived through his Presidency, so I cannot relate first hand to the negative aspects that are associated with the name Nixon. I think that it’s completely up to you and what you think is best for your child. Heck, some people name their kids way, way, way stranger names.
I’m happy to read that someone else is considering this name, and I hope you move forward with it. Just another name as an alternative I’ve always wanted is Brekon.
Best of luck!
One of our pastor’s sons and his wife just had a little girl named Nixon. When he announced that he had a new granddaughter he did not announce the name. I think it was very embarrassing for he and his wife. They are my age and grew up when Nixon was President and lived through the scandal. The other day they brought their new grandbaby to church and he still never said the name. For us who grew up during that period of history Nixon is one of the worst names imaginable, as was mentioned above, to us it’s almost as bad as Adolf. I would NOT name your little boy Nixon and have people embarrassed to just introduce him. Others mentioned some other names that seem much better and more socially acceptable.
We named our son Nixon. Looooove the name. Glad it won’t become overly popular due to the fact people can’t move on from Richard!! People need to hear the name a few times and see pictures of the child (or see in person) and they will associate the name to the child not the former president. My mom’s eyebrows raised when I told her the name and I had her write it down in her own penmenship and say it over to herself a few times. She came back to me several days later and said “I love it!” It’s only shocking at first– to old people, mostly. It’s a fabulous name!
I realize this is an old thread, but what did you name your babe?