Hi Swistle!
I am obsessed with your blog and have been hunting to find previous posts to help my husband and I name our second (and last) child, which is going to be a boy due in July 2019! We have a daughter who is two and her name is Maren (mar like car + in) and we call her Mari (mar like car + ee). It’s Scandinavian as a tribute to my husbands side and her middle name is Rose for my grandma. Our last name is the ever boring Anderson.
Anyways, we thought we would have two girls because well his twin brother has two girls and a lot of our friends have two girls so we were all set with a girl name, Jillian. We were going to have her middle name be Rose as well as that’s mine and it would have been a done deal. BUT, of course we found out it was a boy and we were not prepared with a name!
We spent lots of time looking at Scandinavian boy names (to go with our daughters name) but they seemed too harsh (although we do live in MN so Scandinavian names are pretty common). So we landed on Isaac, and then I had been thinking about it and thought people will for sure call him I-suck if he were getting made fun of. I took my husband off guard a bit and called an audible and thought we should start looking for another name, one that isn’t so easy to make fun of.
Other names we like are:
Wyatt
Colin
Graham( although my husband eliminated because he likes names that have nicknames)
Marcus (but we took off because too similar to Maren)
Miles (my husband doesn’t like)Our first names are Ashley and Nick so very plain Jane and wanted to give our kids names a little unique. We feel like Colin is somewhat unexpected, but does it go with Maren? I’m worried that the names we like don’t go with Maren but Isaac did.
Last thing, the middle name we are set on is Russell after my husbands grandpa as Rose is after my grandma.
Help us!! We are super planners and feel stressed that we haven’t found a name we love!
Thank you so much!
Ashley
I know an Isaac, so I asked him about the “I suck” thing, and he says no one has come up with that yet. I don’t think it’s an issue, but perhaps more people who know/have an Isaac can weigh in. It doesn’t seem like a natural leap to me: the “zick”/”zack” sound is so different from the “suck” sound. I think Isaac Russell Anderson is a great name and you’re all set.
Name update:
Hi Swistle! Thanks for all your help with naming. Isaak Russell was born last week and we are so excited! We decided on a k at the end as that’s one of the Swedish spellings to go with Our daughters name.
Thanks again!
Ashley
I like Isaac Russell. It flows great with your last name. I only hear Zack from it. I know that a common nickname is Ike. Ike Anderson. I enjoy it!
My 15 year old Isaac has never once had someone come up with “I suck”
I have to agree with Swistle. My nephew is an Isaac and in all the years I’ve listened to him complain (and he’s a vocal one!), never once was it about his name. And it certainly wasn’t about getting ‘I suck’ from I-zick/I-zack – which is a bit of a stretch. Not saying it’ll never happen – kids can be both creative and mean! But it’s not an obviously natural development.
I think you’re over thinking this one.
I would have probably never thought about “I suck” if you didn’t mention it. For me Isaac is a very biblical name and that is my first impression when thinking about it. And as Swistle said, that Z sound seems distinctive enough not to be confused with S (for what it’s worth, in Polish Isaac is actually spelled with a Z – Izaak). However, I personally don’t know any Isaacs/Izaaks, so my opinion may not be particularly relevant…
(But if you’re still not sure about Isaac and, by any chance, reconsider using a Scandinavian name, there are a few that don’t sound that harsh at all and would go really well with little Maren’s name, for example: Leif, Eric, Mathias, Olaf (nn Ollie!), Axel, Hansel, Mikael, Niels.) Good luck!
I don’t think Isaac leads to “I suck.” I also live in MN, and everyone I know pronounces it with a Z sound, which makes it AYE-zeck. If you love it, use it!
I don’t think it will be a problem. It’s a great name, I’d go for it.
If i may say this delicately and as someone who has also experienced this several times, this sounds like it may be an issue that has been amplified by pregnancy hormones, maybe? Love Issac Russell, it’s a solid choice and I don’t think he’ll get any teasing. In fact, based on my two elementary-aged boys, kids don’t really seem to do much teasing based on names these days – there is too much variety for that to be the go-to, I think. Anyway, good luck making your final choice!
I don’t get I suck from Isaac at all I think your overthinking it Isaac Russell Anderson is a great name.
I love colin to though and I think it works fine with maren if that’s your issue with the name.
I think the name Isaac has been sufficiently time-tested that you can rest easy in using it. It would never occur to me to make any connection to “I suck” nor to think that it was a name that would “be so easy to make fun of.” It’s a classic Old Testament name with a nice meaning and Biblical story behind it; that’s all I associate with it.
I also don’t think you’d have any problem with Isaac being teased as “I suck.” That said, once your own brain comes up with something like that it’s hard to get past it. I had to give up on a girl name I loved because if I said it a certain way it made an unflattering word when combined with my last name. Everybody thought I was crazy and that nobody else would ever hear/think that, but I just couldn’t unhear it.
I think Isaac is great but if you keep hearing I Suck you may need to go back to the drawing board.
Colin and Maren sound very similar to me because of the endings and I think I’d get tongue-tied a lot saying those named together.
Wyatt is my favorite of the few you listed.
I agree with all of the above. Isaac has completely different sounds than “I suck”. There is no issue here, unless you really can’t get over that thought. In that case Colin Russell goes fine with Maren.
I think Isaac Russell Anderson is great and you’re overthinking it a bit. I would use it. But in case you just can’t get past it…. Colin and Wyatt are also both great. I like the flow of Wyatt Russell Anderson better than Colin, but I would also point out that Wyatt Russell is the son of Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, in case that matters any to you.
My uncle is Isaac and has never mentioned anything like I-suck and he would’ve said something about it. He lives in Florida and the common pronunciation there is I-zick
If you’re still indecisive I do like Colin.
Never in a million years would I have thought Isaac leads to I-suck.
I think Colin would be more problematic for teasing … colon.
That said, if kids are going to be mean, they will find a way to make fun of any name.
If Graham is off your husband’s list for lack of a nickname, I wonder if you both might like Gray as a nickname for Graham? Isaac is great, though, and does not sound like “I suck” at all!
I actually thought about this issue before naming our son Isaac and mentioned it to a few a people who also said they would never have thought of it. As other posters have said it’s a time tested name and that’s why we still went with it. I’m really happy with our choice and feel like it suits our little man. This may also vary by area but I also like how we come across Isaacs of all different ages, it doesn’t feel like it’s a name that will date him. Our 2 year daughter does call him “I-Yak” though 😂
That’s adorable!
In my experience name teasing is not really a thing any more. Names are so diverse now and modern kids just seem to roll with these differences a lot more than kids when we were young. My hesitation is about the initials which would be a dealbreaker here but I am not from USA and noone else has mentioned them so it may not be a problem there.
Another pro – Isaac has a great meaning :)
I came here to say the same…I think name teasing is less of an issue than some parents fear. A few hurting kids will find ways to hurt others – and they don’t need to find material in the target’s name; they will find their material anywhere.
Obviously, there are some unfortunate names or initial combos that almost beg for jokes and snide remarks but they’re usually so clear that parents can avoid those.
Regarding the S or Z sound…I think this may come from the OP’s Scandinavian influence. Many Scandinavian words with an ‘s’ have a softer S (sssss) sound.
I’m a teacher and I’ve never heard I-suck for Isaac (or colon for Colon for that matter). I have a baby cousin Isaac whose parents call him Izey. So cute.
So, in full honesty, I can see where the concern about I-suck comes from. I don’t think 8 year olds are worried about spelling and the s versus z sounds. And, while I wouldn’t have thought of it, I’m not an 8 year old boy. But, that absolutely doesn’t mean you should rule it out.
Every name can have an unfortunate nickname. I know a family that was going to call their kid Dylan but decided not to because they were afraid it he would be teased by linking the name with a sex toy beginning with D. Again, not something I would have ever thought of but something they were very concerned about. Fears are not always rational.
For me, the bottom line is — if kids want to tease each other, they will find a way. If it isn’t his name, it could be something else about his appearance or habit or a mistake he once made. Switching his name won’t prevent that.
You want his name to be perfect. I get that. It is the first rite of parenting. And Isaac is a solid name. Isaac Russell is perfection.
But, if Isaac is now dead to you, that is okay too. I think Eric/Erik seems like another solid Scandi name too that isn’t super popular yet recognizable, with strong vowels and a crisp sound. Maren and Eric. I also adore Soren but that may be too close to his sister.
Bottom line, Isaac is a great name but you have options if you need them. And whatever teasing he gets is waaay out of your control.
I think the reason no one has ever heard « I-suck » as a bullying tactic (beyond the -s/-z issue) for Isaac is because the bully would be saying « I » suck. If you were thinking of naming your child Yusuk (I just made that name up… I hope!) then I think there would be cause for pause in an English environment. :)
I love the name Isaac Russell! All the double letters are super pleasing.
We know an Isaac and I call him I-zick and my husband calls him I-zack. We’ve never come across another way of saying it!
You are overthinking the Isaac thing. “I suck” is a pretty far reach.
I pronounce Isaac like “I-zuck”, but have never thought about it being close to “I suck”. I can see why the association would ruin the name for you. I do doubt that it would become a teasing issue at school, but if the sound of the name constantly makes you think “I suck” I personally would keep looking for another name. Maybe wait until he’s born and see if you think Isaac fits or if another name is better.
I thought the same as someone else mentioned that Graham with the nickname Gray would work.
My 4yr olds best friend’s name is Isaac. I hear the name 1000x a day in my son’s voice- loud, soft, mad, happy, excited, extremely excited & extremely loud. I’ve never heard I-suck.
My brother is named Isaac, and I have never heard anyone call him “I-suck”, nor have I have ever thought of that myself. He is often called Izzy or Ike. I think its a wonderful name!
I think the teasing for Isaac is a non-issue. :) I just wanted to interject that although Maren is a (lovely!!) uncommon name, currently ranked at 607, the boy names on your list are all far more common. I bring it up because your letter mentioned wanting an unexpected name. Colin is 249, but has been falling out of popularity since only around 2006. We know lots of little boys named Colin. Wyatt is 26. Graham is 181. Miles is 98. Isaac is 34. Clearly, if the popularity is unimportant to you, disregard! You should always choose the name you love. If you’re looking for something that is similar in popularity to Maren, though, you might want to dig into the Scandi names a bit further. Maybe a name like Henrik, or Gregor, or Magnus.
Agree! With the caveat that an individual’s preference for popular names can vary considerably between boys and girls even in the same family.
For instance, both my girls have names in the 900 range in of the top 1000. But both my boys’ names are in the 100s.
I’m from England and in my accent Isaac is more like eyes-zuck (like Mark Zuckerberg) but it’s still honestly nothing like I-suck. Don’t worry! It’s lovely!
Also – Gray as a nickname for Graham? I still don’t understand how much Americans like Graham but I’m assuming you say it Gram and not Gray-um like we do. If you say it Gray-um, Gray works – if you say it Gram, maybe it doesn’t need a nickname!
I think another reason kids wouldn’t gravitate towards “i-suck” is because that insult isn’t about the person BEING insulted – like, it would work better as a tease to say “YOU suck” which doesn’t come naturally from Isaac at all. Yelling “I suck!!” at a kid while trying to make fun of that kid isn’t very effective!
My son’s name is Isaac which I love. He’s never been called I-suck. But I wasn’t prepared for how many times his name is spelled wrong by others. Folks, it a very famous name, in the 1st book of the Bible, let’s get it together. It has two a’s, not two c’s or two s’s…. it’s astonishing to me how many times I will see it spelled wrong in school programs, swim team shirt, name tags, etc. I purposely chose names for my children that didn’t require unusual spellings as my name is Sara (no H) which I’ve had to spell all my life. Ha!