Lois & Clark Forums Forums General Discussion Off Topic I'm pregnant!

Congrats from me, too.

I remember the name thing rather fondly. *I* had made up my mind for two names to give my daughter, one of which I knew her father liked very much, and that was that. It's distincitve, but highly unusual around here. Thus, she did need a rather common second name to go with it, anyway. (I guess we were lucky to have been able to call our daughter that, anyway. German government regulations can be a pain in the back about that sort of thing.)

Think of a name that will look good on a graduation certificate. I have a neice named "Julie" -- not Julia, just Julie. Nothing wrong with that, I just think "Julia" would sound more dignified on official paperwork. People ought to have names that they can dress up or down, depending on the circumstances.

I knew that if I was having a boy, I wanted him to have his dad's middle name (dad is usually called Kelley, but his first name is really Joseph). But I didn't want two Kelley's in the family, so I needed a first name that went with it... took forever, but I finally chose "Michael"

With my daughter, it was totally, "oh, what sounds pretty?" but won't be too common or too unserious.

Actually, I named my daughter several years before I got pregnant the first time I know what I'd call another girl, too, but have decided we don't need to go there.

And... regulations? There are laws in Germany about which names you can give your kid?? That's really ... different from here. We get people making up names all the time (although apparently a lot of people still like "Rachel") and all you have to do is spell it correctly (whichever spelling you choose) on the birth certificate.

PJ

I've heard about that government naming thing in some countries. I'm glad we don't do that here, although in some cases, parents here can go way too far. Anyone hear about the parents who named their kid Hitler? Or Talula does the Hula from Hawaii? Which I think think a judge said they couldn't name their daughter, anyway. Or some of those celebrity names? It's nuts!

I doubt anyone here would go nuts naming their kids, though. None of us are the crazy types.

Tara

Are you going to judge me if I say I am naming my son Pinky Kal-El von Bunny?

I wanted something different, and unique, and you know, Crap Bag was already taken. (Ahh, I love "Friends.")

I know what you mean Pam.

Maggie really isn't a lawyer name but L. Margaret is . [Which is like ML backwards... /me ponders...] She is a Maggie but should she ever decide she needs a professional name, she has one .

Carol

I'm assuming we have enough advances in technology now that this shouldn't be a worry, but my mother had Michael all picked out and ready to go for me after the doctor told her she was having a boy...

Congrats all!!!
Jen

Well, yes. First of all, each child needs one name that is definitely female (for girls) or definitely male (for boys). Since some names can be used for both genders (like Toni), people who wanted to call their child that would need a middle name that is unique for the child's gender. Obviously, somewhere there must be a list of names appropriate for both from which you have to choose, although I've never seen such a list. Although, if you are from another country and can prove that the name you want to call your child is common in your home country *and* only available for one gender, an exception will be made. *sigh*

Next thing is something that has been brought up to court several times, and last thing I know, the number of names you can give a child is limited to five. (Who needs that many names, anyway?)

Anyway, our choices got accepted without even a raised eyebrow. As I said, we were lucky, considering a friend got trouble with naming her daughter Ashley Virginia...

I remember those. I remember the little boy who was named Hitler - he was an American, and he was adorably cute. His parents seemed nuts, though, even though they obviously loved their boy. I don't remember what happened to him, but I do remember the girl who was named Talulah does the Hula from Hawaii. Talulah etc. was from Australia or New Zealand or something like that, and she complained to authorities that she was unhappy with her name. The authorities agreed with her so wholeheartedly that the girl was made a ward of the state. In other words, her parents lost custody of her. When the girl was no longer under her parents' jurisdiction, she was free to change her name, and she did.



Adolf Hitler Campbell. Doesn't the boy look like an angel?

Ann

P.S. Apparently the little boy was removed from his parents, along with his sisters. The link is here. Poor boy. I think he would rather have stayed with his parents. But how can you get the idea into your head to name your kid Hitler????

In Brazil there isn't any laws about names and you can find people with some very odd names. If a person feels that her/his name is embarrassing or that it causes her/him trouble, she/he can get legal authorization to change this name.

Well, when Brazil was an empire belonging to Portugal, our Portuguese rulers had very looooong names. Imperator Peter I's full name was "Peter of Alcantara Francis Anthony John Charles Xavier of Paula Michael Raphael Joaquim Joseph Gonzaga Pascal Cyprian Seraphim of Braganza and Bourbonn" and his sister Princess Isabel was "Isabel Mary of Conception Joan Gualberta Anne Francis of Assisi of Paula of Alcântara Antonia Raphaela Michaela Gabrielle Joachina Gonzaga of Braganza and Borbón". Their father was King John VI, and his full name was "Don John Mary Joseph Francis Javier of Paula Louis Anthony Dominic Raphael of Braganza". I wonder if they remembered their full names.

It is confusing when names aren't immediately gender specific. You see a name on a list that says "Blair Hunter Jones" and really, what do you assume? At this point, I'd guess it was a girl, but who knows. And then there's Courtney, the young man who lives right next to us.

Lots of men's names tend to migrate over to becoming women's names. "Laurie" used to be short for Lawrence. Florence, apparently, started out as a guy's name (if PBS did not mislead me) Kelley means "warrior". etc.

My favorite name story is of the mom who just couldn't find a name she liked, and finally in desperation decided on Lemonjello -- yes, that's right, she named the kid lemon jello. With the right accent it even sounded kinda cool "le-MON-gel-lo". I can't vouch for the truthfulness of the story, though; I heard it in high school which was twenty years ago.

PJ

Pam - I've heard the lemonjello and orangello stories, too...from enough sources that I now think it's probably an urban legend.

I remember the news stories about the kid named Adolf Hitler too. I remember thinking it was a horrible choice, but at the same time being very glad that I live in a country that allows that personal choice. And, iirc, the kids were NOT taken because of the names - Child Services couldn't release details, but they DID have other justification.

And speaking of a non-graduation-diploma sounding name - my uncle's official name is Jimmie Lyn(n?). After calling my dad Ronnie and never Ronald, my grandparents decided there was no reason to name the next two Lawrence and James - oh, no, their given names would be Larry and Jimmie. :rolleyes:

Actually, my RL name is originally a boy name - and spelled the boy way (which means my debit card in France came addressed to MR!). I told a friend that after reading an amazon review of a regency romance with a Lord Bethy's-RL-name, I knew I couldn't read the actual book - because that name is not supposed to go with HE! This friend found that funny enough that he now calls me Lord Bethy's-RL-name.

Ah, fun with names.

And good luck, all you preggers ladies, figuring out what to call your coming blessings! I know it can be hard to find that balance between unique and not-mocking-worthy, but I have faith that you can!!! (And CONGRATS!)

Bethy

Hmmmm. I just read in my Swedish daily that authorities here are pondering whether a couple can name their kid "Q". It didn't say whether the child is a boy or a girl, but I suppose it is a boy.

Ann

When I worked in the maternity unit, there was one young girl who wanted to name her kid "Blue Smurf". Our head nurse, who filled out the birth certificates to send to the state, flatly refused to put that name on the birth certificate. The lucky kid ended up with a decent name.

Then there was Heaven Lee. I've actually run across a few of these.

I guess all in all, Q isn't bad when compared to Hitler or Talulah whatever. And think about that poor kid named Hitler. He's going to have it rough in school.

Then there's the actor Nicolas Cage who named his kid "Kal-El". Hey, I bet were all for that name.

The sisters, Ima Hogg and Youra Hogg really existed. There is some controversy over whether Youra was real - mostly because people question whether the name is a real name. It is. My grandfather's first wife was named Youra (not Hogg, though).

And let's not forget Penn Jillette's (of Penn and Teller) daughter's name - Moxie CrimeFighter.

I'm all for uncommon names but not cruel and unusual. Hitler?! /shakes head

I've had my little girl's name picked out since I was a little girl and saw an awesome 80's George Lucas movie (no it's not Star Wars). The character was a cute little red headed baby. Any guesses?

My younger sister had a girl in her class whose name was Holly Wood. Gag!

Tara

When my wife was in the hospital having our first child, a nurse told me of a teen mother who either received lots of medication during labor or was already self-medicated when they brought the baby to her for the first time. She allegedly looked at the baby's ID bracelet and assumed that her daughter's name was Fe-mal-e.

It was told to me as true, though I can't vouch for the veracity of it.

I've also heard this, Terry. I've heard it pronounced as if it was Spanish. Like tamale...

I heard that story, too, except it was a redneck couple, not a teen mother, lol! Definately an urban legend.

Tara

http://www.snopes.com/racial/language/names.asp

Well, I'm a military brat and so when living in England and Germany I got ribbed a lot for having a boy's name (Robin). I have asked my parents if it was just too much trouble to give it a feminine spelling- Robyn or (better) Robynne. Sigh. Then where I work wanted to use employees' last name and first initials for e-mail addresses. Which soulds great until there is already a lastnamer so they have to go to first and second letters- lastnamero. I come along and get lastnamerob. I just got so disgusted, then, getting e-mails addressed, "Hello, Rob," that I complained. I mentioned gender discrimination or something. Probably overboard, but I just did not need to get called Rob everyday! They agreed to change it to lastnamerkn.

So, bad first names matched with odd last names. My mom went to school with a boy whose last name was Popp. He named his children Lolly and Soda. Of course, Lolly could change her last name when she married and Lolly Smith wouldn't really make anyone think twice. But Soda as stuck as Soda Popp unless he decided to legally change his name.

So to you 8 pregnant ladies, of whom I am both intensely jealous -tick, tick, tick goes my over 30 biological clock as my eggs begin to resemble out of date raisins- and intensely relieved that it is not me

Har, when my dad worked in Delivery, he said people aka teenagers used to name their kids Fe-mal-e or Ma-le alll the time.

JD