The 7 Biggest Mistakes Newbie Baby Namers Make

WTF are you going on about. I think Isis is a rather pretty name. Get over yourself.

And what makes a "normal" name. What is it to you what your family members named their children. Let them live their life, and you should live yours too, instead of bashing your family all over the internet. It's not a good look and it's cheap.

Wow. You're just all over the place. Calm down, Alexandra. Names are very important selections by parents. I agree that a name has significant impact on the perceptions of others. Tell me this. Do those perceptions materialize just because one perceives them? It doesn't change the person for who they are. Instead, it strikes curiosity and celebrates diversity. Your posting makes once perceive that you haven't been 15 miles out from where you live, hun. Accept your name, grow up, and move on. Change it if ya like. But, you cannot go condemning others for which names they choose for their children. By the way, Alexander the Great was gay, or at least bi-sexual.......how shall I perceive you, hun?

Amanda....I think what she is saying is that Destiny will probably never be president. With that being said....I don't agree with the above statement BUT that doesn't make it not true. Sadly.

Dear Amanda:
I thank you for your, (ahem), "delicacy" of using 'WTF" as
initials, instead of spelling out the entire off-colour phrase! Yes, "Isis" IS a rather pretty name -- but it is NOT a name one finds on the debutante lists at the top debutante balls....OR in the best sororities, zip codes, executive offices, etc. Forgive me, please -- I want only the BEST for my great nephews and nieces. A "normal" name isn't everything -- but it sure can help! I'm sure I'm not the only person who is extremely annoyed when, asking for technical computer assistance, or ANY assistance on the phone, I get a very nice-sounding person, yet with the name of "Tondelayercake", or similar outlandish name! WHAT is wrong with normal names people seem always either to have had, or to have changed their name to? "Victoria", "Madeleine", "Paul", "Peter", "Jean", "Grace", "Antoinette", "Frederick", "Mary", "George"....if these names are good enough for royalty, should they not be good enough for us?

Studies have shown that, in general, people with ordinary names with ordinary spellings are more successful in the job world. (Think Bill Gates and Steve Jobs.) That may not be true in the future when no one has an ordinary name, but certainly something to consider when naming a baby.

Alexandra, I agree. Emajin must be the one who hasn't been very far. I have lived all over the country, and consider myself pretty open minded. But when going through job applications, I still make fun of the really stupid names some poor people have been given by their parents. Especially the very ghetto sounding names. These people may be absolutely the best candidate out there, but they are showing up to an interview at a decided disadvantage. It may be wrong, but it is the sad truth.

why in the world shoukd we care about what rich people and royalty name their very screwed up kids? you ever here of n.o.k.? they have. it means not our kind, and it's your and ny kids they're talking about, no matter wut his or her name is.

so what are YOUR kids names?? do you have kids? i didnt hear any mention of that...or i possibly missed it since your comment was so dreadfully long-winded. while i do understand the point you are attempting to make, i feel the need to remind you that there is a great possiblity that some of the names that you have singled out belong to peoples children, who are people themselves by the way, and it is extremely rude and insulting of you to be ranting on in such a negative way about said names. oh, and by the way...in case you havent noticed, the president of the United States happens to be named Barack.

My name is Isis. It's a wonderful name and a great conversation-starter. And people remember it. I have gotten nothing but positive feedback about my name. And no, I do not live in Egypt.

Now, I don't know what it would be like to have that name as a child, as I changed my name from the fad name du jour given me by my parents. Growing up having a name that everyone else had was far from fun. In every class there was always at least two with my name, and often more than that.

Unusual names are great as long as they aren't something stupid, like some of the celebrities' kids' names.

And remember that the popularity of names changes from generation to generation. Sadie and Rosie, your grand-nieces' names, are quite common now, and don't have the connotations that they may have had 2 generations ago. And all the royalty you mention have names that seem quite old-fashioned to current child-bearing couples.

Alexandra, I particularly enjoyed your post and it made a lot of good sense. And it also was quite humorous read.

And I agree with your philosophy of names. You're not saying we should CARE about royalty, you are saying "Look at how some people succeed and others don't."

Bang on correct!

And someone said that names don't change who a person is. That is flat out wrong. There have been studies that show when a person has a frumpy name, or a weak name, they tend to take it to heart. When they have a strong name, they do better and feel better about themselves.

No worries, Alexandra. AOL users just generally don't like reality on comment boards.

By the way, in the early 80's my elementary school sister had a little friend named Starla. Obviously, a daughter of hippies. I've wondered here and there over the years how that woman is getting along with that name if she didn't go into the arts. "Was she relegated to no career or service industry jobs?"

Parents should be more selfless when naming.

hi isis.
my ancestors came over before those prudes on the mayflower (on both mom and dad's side), which makes me as waspy as they come, and i love your name. these people are living in the 40's and 50's. if you're not hired because of your name, you don't want to work there anyway, believe me.

Wow, someone has issues.

Dear Alexandra:

I certainly see your point about a "weird" name presenting a disadvantage on a job application (although it certainly doesn't preclude that person getting that job)...

My question to you is this: What is essentially good about being "on the debutante lists at the top debutante balls"? What is essentially good about being like royalty?

Alexandra, although your rather poorly collected rant was painfully snobbish, the point were you *trying* to make is a great truth. Note this opinion comes from a well-studied nineteen year old with a typical retail job.
My name is Tara, which, luckily, is a very on-the-fence name. It isn't too over-the-top nor is it too common. It also means very much to me, since my late grandmother gave me the name after the house in her favorite movie, Gone With The Wind. Honestly, I don't believe that any other name would fit me. However, when I book a high-end hotel and the reservation's agent has a name harboring every letter of th alphabet and THEN some... it's off-putting, despite how kind or intelligent they may be.

I don't necessarily believe that one should follow the trends of royal names, but still be "elegant". Your Atticus and Asher, for example - those names may have belonged to Victorian scholars or composers. They are elegant, intelligent-seeming, and depending on the last name, avoid being trashy or overused. As far as Rosie and Sadie? Those names DO sound a bit trashy. While "Atticus" may be your college professor or doctor's name, "Sadie" sounds like a stripper or...a dog. It is blunt and plain. Without the afformentioned elegance. Those names are "cute", yes, but name a cat Rosie, not a child.

A good rule of thumb, I think, is to imagine a desired name as a character in a book. If you were reading a book and, to take an name example from my current read, Leviticus Blue were a character. The name is aesthetically pleasing, unique, and the right amount of outlandish. The character is an esteemed historical figure in the setting. Would you believe that profession if his name were Raven Black? No, you would most likely laugh as you read it and not be able to take the character seriously. At the same time, if the character was named "John Anderson", it woul be *too* camoflauged. It has no ring to it and the initial interest of introduction would be lost.

I don't intend on having children, but I do dislike how kids are being named worse things than pets nowadays.