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baby names

Joy

Woman with unfortunate initials warns parents to think things through before naming their kids

"When you’re deciding what to name your kids, look at what their initials are going to be."

via Canva/Photos

Woman holding her nose looking in the refrigerator.

A lot of thought goes into choosing a baby’s name. Will other kids have the same name when they start kindergarten? Is the name too dull? Is the name too original? Will the name lead to bullying? Will the name look good on a job application? Could you run for president with this name?

Popular TikToker Emily Windham, 23, from Birmingham, Alabama, is adding another question that parents should ask themselves: What will their initials be? Windham has gone viral for her video in which she reveals how disheartening it is when she has to write her initials, especially when they appear multiple times on a document. To put it simply, they are pretty yucky.

“When you’re deciding what to name your kids, look at what their initials are going to be,” she says at the beginning of her video. “Every time I have to initial a document, I have to write 'EW.' All these little initial lines just say EW EW EW EW.” The situation is frustrating for Emily because her parents considered naming her Alexia, which would have been AW, which is sweet. “That’s so cute,” she said.

@emwindham
Easy em in tha house 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

The post inspired other people with unfortunate initials to comment; some of them are much harder to live with than EW.

“Yea… mine is XL,” Xitlali wrote.

“Mine is ‘BLT’ because it was my dad’s favorite sandwich. Mom didn’t notice until it was too late I don’t even like blts,” Bryony Tally Art wrote.

“Mine is ‘PP’ elementary and middle school was a blast,” Pais wrote.

“I knew a girl in school whose name was Amy, and her initials were also AMY, and I’ll never forget because that’s so baller,” Charlie wrote.

“My son's initials are BRB,” Ashleigh wrote.

“My initials are EGG,” El-Glory wrote.

“My initials spell EMO and I think that's awesome,” Elle wrote.

“Mine is OG… now I’m getting married and it’ll be OJ. Can’t decide if I like an original gangster or Orange Juice more,” Olivia wrote.

“Mine is ME, and when I sign out on duties at work, someone goes, ‘Can someone please stop signing ME and sign your initials?’ I’m like, those are my initials,” a TokToker named Madison wrote.

@thesam_show
sorry if i talk about this problem too much but it is HAPPENING AGAIN!!

Emily’s story is similar to that of Samanta Hart, a woman who went viral on TikTok in 2023 because her name doesn’t exactly work well with modern email conventions. Clearly, her parents hadn't thought that her name would cause any trouble in the late '90s when email was a new thing. So, she made a video warning parents to think of their children’s future email addresses before selecting a name.

“My name is Samantha Hart,” the 27-year-old said. “Most companies use the email designation of first initial, last name, meaning my email would be shart.” A shart is an accidental release when one assumes they only have gas, which is not exactly how one wants to be known in professional circles. Imagine sending an email to someone at another company and their name comes up as SHart. YOu might even think that someone is pranking you.

“At every single workplace, I have received an email from HR the week before I start letting me know that my name does not exactly fit the company email structure as they would intend and [asked] would I mind if they gave me a different structure for my email,” Hart said. That's kind of the HR people to help Samantha save a bit of face when starting a new job, so the thing she's most known for, before meeting anyone, is her questionable email address.

Sadly, Hart will probably have to deal with this whenever she gets a new job. Hopefully, she enjoys doing long stretches with her employers.

This article originally appeared last year.

baby names

Parenting

8 baby names have officially hit 'gender neutral' status, with several more on the cusp

Some surprising names are now split 50/50 among baby boys and girls.

Photo credit: Canva

Baby names are moving toward more gender neutrality.

When people come up with names for their children, they often choose them based on the baby's gender (based on sex at birth). Many families will have a list of boy names and girl names at the ready, but it's all a little precarious because what constitutes a gender-specific name is constantly changing.

For instance, the name Avery has seen a dramatic shift in gendered use over the past century or so. According to Social Security Administration data, Avery was 100% a boy's name in 1880. By 1999, it was being used for girls 52% of the time (basically gender-neutral), and by 2018, Avery was being used for girls 97% of the time. Clearly, a boy's name, a girl's name, or an unisex name depends entirely upon the age in which you live.

baby names, naming children, boy names, girl names, gender neutral names, unisex names Some names are split exactly 50/50 between boys and girls. Photo credit: Canva

So, where are we with all of this in 2025? After analyzing the tens of thousands of baby name registrations on its website, BabyCenter has listed eight new names under the officially gender-neutral umbrella, meaning 50% of babies registered with this name are girls and 50% are boys.

8 baby names that became totally gender neutral in 2025

Blake

A name with two opposing meanings feels pretty appropriate for a unisex name. From the Old English blaec, Blake means "black," and from the Old English blac, it means "white" or "pale."

blake lively, blake, gender neutral name, unisex name, baby names Blake is officially a unisex name. Giphy

Jojo

Jojo can be a nickname for any name that starts with "Jo," like Jonathan ("God has given") or Joanne ("God is gracious").

Jules

Aside from taking inspiration from Jules Verne, Jules can be a nickname for Julian or Julia, both of which have roots in Latin related to Jupiter.

Koi

Yep, like the fish. Koi is a Japanese name that means carp, but it also means "love."

koi, fish, carp, gender neutral name, the name koi Koi is used as a name for boys and girls in equal measure. Giphy

Landry

Landry means "ruler of the land," and also "laundry," but let's assume most parents are going with the former.

Robin

The backyard bird, yes. But Robin is also an archaic nickname for Robert, which means "bright, famous one."

Sidney

Sidney (which can also be spelled like the Australian city of Sydney, which is more common for girls) means "dweller by the well-watered land" in Old English.

sidney, sydney, gender neutral, sidney poitier, baby names From Sidney Poitier to Sidney Sweeney, Sidney is an androgynous name. Giphy

Sri

Sri is a Sanskrit name that is sometimes used as an honorific in Hindi culture. It has a few meanings, including "light, beauty, and prosperity," and "power and royal majesty."

Some might note that a few of these names—Robin and Sidney in particular—have been functionally gender-neutral for a long time. Others on the list are not very common in American culture, so they may not feel like names that were ever gendered to begin with. But the data says what the data says, and this is where we are in 2025.

baby names, naming children, boy names, girl names, gender neutral names, unisex names Some names have moved away from gender specificity.Photo credit: Canva

The popular baby site has also shared a handful of names that are on the cusp of being 50/50 but not quite there:

Armani (47% girls, 53% boys)

Ashtyn (46% girls, 54% boys)

Callaway (47% girls, 53% boys)

Georgie (53% girls, 47% boys)

Huntley (48% girls, 52% boys)

Jae (47% girls, 53% boys)

Rory (49% girls, 51% boys)

Shiloh (52% girls, 48% boys)

Tatum (44% girls, 56% boys)

Yuri (49% girls, 51% boys)

baby names, naming children, boy names, girl names, gender neutral names, unisex names What makes a name gender specific?Photo credit: Canva

What causes names to shift away from gender specificity?

Names being gendered is purely a social construct, so it's not like there are any actual rules at play here. But like many naming trends, popular culture and entertainment can influence what names are considered masculine, feminine, or unisex.

Let's go back to Avery, for example. Avery is a variation of Alfred and was solely a boy's name in the late 1800s. But it wasn't a popular name for either gender until the 1990s, when it started to rise for boys in 1992 and then skyrocketed for girls in 1996. What caused the big spike for girls? Best guess is the film "Jerry Maguire," which had a female character (Tom Cruise's girlfriend in the beginning, played by Kelly Preston) named Avery. That movie came out in 1996, and that's also the year the name took off for girls in the U.S. Coincidence, perhaps, but probably not.

scrubs, elliott, sarah chalke, gender neutral name, unisex name Elliott didn't take off as a girl's name like it could have. Giphy

Then again, the popular TV show Scrubs, which ran from 2001 to 2010, had a central female character named Elliott, and that didn't seem to lead to an uptick in girls named Elliott. In fact, Elliott didn't even register statistically for girls until 2013 (though maybe people streaming the show did make a delayed impact).

Whether it's the influence of entertainment, shifts in gender theory, or parents moving away from name uniformity, gender-neutral names are on the rise. It will be interesting to see how many other traditionally gendered names move toward the middle in the coming years.

You can view the full report on unisex names on BabyCenter here.

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baby names

Modern Families

A man went out for coffee and his wife named their baby. People are racing to his defense.

Shouldn’t it be a 50/50 decision?

Image via Canva

A dad went out for coffee and his wife named their newborn baby

Most people believe that both parents have an equal right to choose their baby’s name and that it should result from an agreement between both parties. That doesn't mean it’s always easy for both people to agree on the same name, but look, if you’re going to be a successful parent, you must know how to make compromises occasionally. Starting the job with your heels dug in does not bode well for anyone.

That’s why the following story is interesting. It shows what happens when a mother decides she can make the decision all by herself and what the fallout is like when her husband and his family find out. The story was recently shared on social media, and the commenters were shocked that she wasn’t sure if she was in the wrong.

"So, my (32F) husband (33M) and I just had our first baby girl a couple of weeks ago,” she begins the story. “We’d been going back and forth on names during my entire pregnancy. I really wanted to name her Eleanor after my late grandmother, who basically raised me when my parents weren’t around. She was my hero, and losing her last year was devastating. Honoring her felt deeply important.”

A man and woman sit on a bed facing away from each other A husband and wife disagree over the naming of their newborn babyImage via Canva

The woman’s husband preferred modern names such as Nova or Ember, which the mother just “couldn’t connect with,” so they never compromised.

“On the day our daughter was born, while my husband stepped out to grab coffee, a nurse asked if we had a name for the birth certificate. I know I should have waited, but I was emotional and felt this rush of conviction. I just blurted out, ‘Eleanor.’”

When the husband returned with the coffee, he was “furious.”

“He said I’d blindsided him, robbed him of having a say, and that our daughter would hate her 'old lady' name. His family is also calling me manipulative. I feel terrible about the timing and how it all went down, but it’s not like we hadn’t discussed Eleanor before. I just feel like I honored a name that truly mattered to me when he wouldn’t budge.”

The mother asked the commenters if the father was overreacting because “we couldn’t find common ground.”

A frustrated woman looks at her laptop with her hands covering her eyes The mom took to social media asking if she was in the wrongImage via Canva

The commenters overwhelmingly supported the father in the situation:

“You made a unilateral decision about your shared child,” the top commenter wrote. “You literally started her life by using her as a centerpiece for conflict with your husband. You also isolated her from your husband during the first major decision regarding her. What a terrible way to start her life.”

“‘…it’s not like we hadn’t discussed Eleanor before.’ You discussed it and he said no. Personally, I think the name Eleanor is lovely, but that’s not the issue,” another commenter noted. “You unilaterally made a decision —a decision a you knew your husband disagreed with—about your—both of your—child. Your giving birth doesn’t make this child any less his. Your husband and his family are absolutely right. You blindsided him."

However, a few commenters believed whoever birthed the child had the right to pick the name, even if the father disagreed:

“This might be the only daughter you have and if he can’t make it meaningful for you when you just risked your life for this baby and let you have the win then idk,” one of the few supporters of the mother wrote. ”I would let him pick the middle name. Trendy names are overrated.”

A pregnant woman and a man point fingers at each other People took the side of the father when asked to commentImage via Canva

The woman who posted her story has yet to follow up and share what happened next, but let’s hope she took the commenters’ advice and apologized to her husband and changed the baby's name. Most agree that it's not fair for him to call his daughter a name he doesn’t like for the rest of their lives and it will always be a sore spot in their relationship. It’s best to bring a child into a family where everyone is on the same page and agrees on the things that matter most.

This article originally appeared last year.

From Your Site Articles

parenting

Humor

Woman with unfortunate initials upset she can never wear monogrammed clothing

Some other folks responded that they have it worse.

via Canva/Photos

A woman who is frustrated with her name.

It’s fair to blame parents if they give their child a name and the initials spell out something unseemly or embarrassing. They should have considered this before naming the child. However, you can’t blame someone with funny initials after getting married, because no one will reject the love of their life for having a last name that starts with the wrong letter.

A woman shared that she can’t stand her initials because she can’t wear monogrammed clothing. "[My initials] are the bane of my existence, and I can never have traditional monogramming (first, last, middle) without it being a sandwich." Yes, her initials, in the traditional monogram form, are BLT. They are a tasty option for lunch but probably not something you’d want on a fancy necklace or bathrobe. She also refuses to eat the sandwich. "Raw tomatoes are disgusting to me personally,” she adds.

Why is it that in traditional monogram form, a married woman’s initials are different than if she was writing them first, middle, and last? “A monogrammed gift for a woman should include her first, middle, and last initial or, if she is married, her first, maiden name, and married name initials. Traditionally, a woman's monogram is presented in first, last, and middle initial order,” The Monogram Merchant writes.

For example, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy would have a traditional monogram of JKB.

jackie kennedy, jackie o, JKB, first lady, monogram Jackie Kennedy addresses LULAC gala in Houston, Nov. 21, 1963; the night before #jfk #jackiekennedy #jacquelinekennedy #vincepalamara #palamara www.tiktok.com

Some commenters shared their initials, and many were worse than BLT.

"My friend's is AIDS, so dont worry, i remember in secondary school having to sew our initials on pillows for home economics. I felt bad for her."

"I’m D.M.B. - all I’m missing is the U."

"Mine are TB.... just as unappealing haha."

"My initials are BS, so don't feel bad. I get cracked on all the time."

"Hubs initials are ET. Cue 'ET phone home,' circa the '80s from all his so called friends at work."

E.T., extra terrestrial, alien, initials, funny initials sci-fi et GIF by MANGOTEETH Giphy

"My initials are RAD, lol."

"I knew a girl with the initials PMS, I think food is better than that."

"Mine happen to spell 'ELF', and I hated it as a kid. Now I embrace it, lol."

"My brother’s are R.A.T. He kinda embraced it, an animal lover and all."

"I'm APE lol."

ape, apes, initials, funny names, great ape Great Ape Zoo GIF Giphy

It was once believed that having unfortunate initials meant more than suffering the occasional embarrassment—they could take years off your life. In 1999, a study found that men with positive initials, such as WOW or JOY, lived 4.5 years longer than those with neutral initials, while those with negative initials, such as DIE or ROT, died 2.8 years later.

The idea was that people with negative initials subconsciously think less of themselves, which could lead to an unhealthy lifestyle compared to someone with positive initials. However, six years later, that study was debunked by a subsequent study that found there is “no persuasive biological theory of how longevity should be significantly affected by initials."

Pamela Redmond Satran, author of Baby Names Now, says we should still consider initials when naming children.

"Every conventional naming book gives the guideline, 'Don't forget to look at the initials,'" Satran said, according to CBS News. "Even if the second study contradicts the first, and having bad initials is not going to shorten your life span, it could make what there is of your life less pleasant. And who wants to foist that on innocent children?"

This article originally appeared in January.

From Your Site Articles

initials

Family

17 sibling names that made everyone question their parent's state of mind

How on earth do you name three brothers Scott, Scott, and Scott?

Photo credit: Canva

"I recently met a guy named Scott who has six siblings. Two of his brothers are also named Scott."

If you’ve been thinking that young people’s names are getting stranger and more unique, you’re not wrong. Studies show that over the past few decades, more Americans have been given uncommon names at birth, and researchers believe this is a sign of growing individualism. “As American culture has become more individualistic, parents have favored giving children names that help them stand out – and that means more unique names and fewer common names” Dr. Jean Twenge said, according to the BBC.

Having a baby and giving it a name that people haven’t heard before is also a sign of affluence. “When you have lots of resources and are less worried about scarcity, you can afford to stick out a little bit. In fact, it may be advantageous to go away from the crowd,” Dr. Michael Varnum said, according to the BBC. “There may be more opportunities to innovate, for example. If you don’t have a lot of resources or wealth, the better strategy might be conformity and to do what most people are doing.”

When it comes to strange names that make people wonder, “What were their parents thinking?" Some parents are repeat offenders and give some or all of their children unique names. Maybe at least when siblings share unique names, they don’t feel so alone. They have a shoulder to cry on and someone to back them up when they are made fun of at school.

baby names, sibling names, twin names, unique names, terrible baby names, baby name trends 2025, baby boy names, baby girl names Why set them up for a life like this? media0.giphy.com

A Redditor asked the NameNerds forum for people to share the “sibling names have you come across, which made you think ‘hmmmm…’” and the responses didn’t disappoint. Here are 17 of the most “questionable” sibling names.

1. Brothers: Grover and Oscar

"Parents claim Grover Washington & Oscar Peterson; I say Sesame Street."

2. Twins: Archer and Hunter

"All I could think was would they name the next one gatherer?"

"On the bright side, at least they didn't go with Beau and Arrow."

3. Twins: Damian and Damion

"Maybe it's my southern accent, but are these not pronounced the same?"

4. Twins: Jenna and Jena

"How did they distinguish Jenna from Jena verbally?"

baby names, sibling names, twin names, unique names, terrible baby names, baby name trends 2025, baby boy names, baby girl names This just in: twins are individuals! media3.giphy.com

5. Fraternal Twins: Charles and Charlotte

"Let's just say my birth name gave me depression throughout my whole childhood and teenage years. I changed my name as soon as I could. I also know another pair of boy-girl twins named Ronald and Hermione (after Harry Potter's friends). Ron hates his name because he said it's like being named Romeo and Juliet as siblings."

6. Sisters: Millie Robin and Mollie Ribbon

"What bothers me most about that is that, obviously, the first one was a selected name, but the other name seems forced to match at the expense of having a middle name that's just made up. 'Ribbon' for all the wrong reasons."

7. Fraternal Twins: Luke and Leah

"Twins named Luke and Leah (pronounced lay-uh). The mom got REAL mad if you asked if she was a big Star Wars fan. 'They’re names FROM THE BIBLE.' Ma’am, there are more than 3,400 names in the Bible. You picked the two that are also the names of fraternal twins in one of the most popular film series of all time."

baby names, sibling names, twin names, unique names, terrible baby names, baby name trends 2025, baby boy names, baby girl names They did watch Star Wars, right? media4.giphy.com

8. Brothers: William and Liam

"I’ll be honest and say that I never knew Liam was a nickname for William until I came to this sub. I know people named William and people named Liam, but I don’t know anyone Williams who go by Liam."

9. Eric, Sebastian and Ursula (like 'The Little Mermaid')

"How are you gonna pick a theme and make one of the names the villain????"

"Arielle was right there And Arista .. and Alana ... take your pick."

10. Fraternal Twins: Adam and Eva

"NOOOO OH MY GOD those poor kids. That’s so weird!"

11. Brothers: Scott, Scott and Scott

"I recently met a guy named Scott who has six siblings. Two of his brothers are also named Scott. Three boys in one family, brothers, not half or step-siblings. All named Scott."

baby names, sibling names, twin names, unique names, terrible baby names, baby name trends 2025, baby boy names, baby girl names Which one is the Great Scott, though? media2.giphy.com

12. Andy, Sally, Sally, Tom and Tom

"I know a woman who named 2 of her kids the same name twice. So if her kids didn’t go by their middle names, it would be like Andy, Sally, Sally, Tom, and Tom. Her name was also Sally. She gave her first daughter the exact same first and middle name as her. Hopefully this is understandable- Second daughter had a different middle name. Second daughter gave variations of her or her mom and sisters names to her three daughters, and gave the fourth daughter the exact same first and middle name as her mom and older sister. Older sister was pissed as she didn’t want the name used unless she herself had a daughter… even though she was 40+ yrs old with health issues."

13. Brothers: Arthur and Arthur

"I went to school with two brothers both named Arthur. They went by big Arthur and little Arthur. Their parents reasoned that it was their favourite name and they didn’t want to give the second son a name they liked less than Arthur."

"Depending on where they are from, that’s actually normal. My dad has 5 sisters and they are all named Maria, but have different middle names so everyone calls them by their middle names."

14. Siblings: Destin and Destiny

"Destin?? Like the diaper cream?!"

baby names, sibling names, twin names, unique names, terrible baby names, baby name trends 2025, baby boy names, baby girl names A baby named after diaper cream…what are the odds? media1.giphy.com

15. King, Princess, Diamond, Markus, Markella

"Siblings I met named King, Princess, and Diamond. Also other siblings named Markus and Markella after their dad Mark."

16. Siblings: Heather and Heath

"Siblings Heather and Heath. Not twins and they have an older brother and younger sister with completely unrelated names."

"Those are at least pronounced differently."

17. Siblings: Amy, Mya, May, Aym

"I knew sisters in elementary that were Amy, Mya, and May. Their mom was pregnant and we were all so worried the kid would be named Yam… nope they named baby (boy) Aym."

This article originally appeared in January.

From Your Site Articles

kids

Family

Some names are music to our ears. Here are the 50 best sounding ones according to science.

Parents filled with baby name anxiety should learn about the Bouba-Kiki effect.

Photo credit: Canva

The science why some names, like Sophia, just sounds better than others.

Choosing a baby name is both fulfilling and precarious. Many parents rack their brains trying to come up with the perfect moniker—one that honors their lineage, where they were born, the personality they’ll hopefully have, or all of the above. Obviously, no easy feat.

To make things more complicated, more and more parents are experimenting with trendy or unique-sounding names, which at best can make their kid stand out, and at worse, leave them a bit isolated.

But maybe relying on science could be a more reliable strategy. As author Bill Sullivan, Ph.D., explained in an article for Psychology Today, parents can incorporate a phenomenon known as the Bouba/Kiki effect to help ensure that a name remains appealing throughout a child’s entire life, simply because it will always be pleasant sounding.

A person uses the Babbel appBabbel

Babbel’s Biggest Sale of the Year: Get 67% off. Lifetime Subscriptions For $199

The term “Bouba/Kiki effect” emerged from a set of experiments in which people were presented with both a round and spikey shape, and asked to link the shapes to either the word “bouba,” or “kiki.” The discovery that people consistently agree that rounded shape = “bouba” and the spiky shape = kiki showed that people inherently make image associations for certain words. Collective synesthesia, if you will.

baby names, Bouba-Kiki effect, best sounding names, best girl names, best boy names, unique baby names, classic baby names, Kiki denotes sharpness, where bouba denotes softness. www.labvanced.com

This concept applies to names as well. Sullivan cited a 2015 study which noted that "bouba," or round, smooth sounding names, like “Bob or Molly,” tend to get associated with "easy-going" personalities. Whereas kiki names, like “Kirk and Kate,” tend to sound more abrupt and could be more likely to be seen as “rude.”

In 2022, Bodo Winter, an associate professor in cognitive linguistics at the University of Birmingham, and his team somewhat cemented this theory, after asking hundreds of participants to listen to a list of the 100 most popular names in the UK and the US, and then analyzing those emotional reactions.

There was a clear winner: "Sophia," originating in Greece and meaning "wisdom." While one could argue that the list, which mainly used only names popular in the UK and the US, was somewhat limiting, the name spans many times and cultures, becoming "Sophie" in France and Germany and even "Safiya" in the Muslim communities.

baby names, Bouba-Kiki effect, best sounding names, best girl names, best boy names, unique baby names, classic baby names, Sophias of the world, rejoice. Photo credit: Canva

History and symbolism aside, what really makes Sophia pop comes down to the “soft start of ‘s,’ a roundness offered by the ‘o,’ and a smooth ending with the ‘ia,’” Winter stated. This combination results in universal pleasantness.

If you’re curious as to whether or not your name is audibly pleasing, below are the 50 top ranking names for both boys and girls in the US, courtesy of My1stYears:

1. Matthew, Sophia

2. Julian, Zoe

3. William, Everly

4. Isiah, Sophia

5. Leo, Riley

6. Levi, Ivy

7. Joseph, Paisley

8. Theo, Willow

9. Isaac, Ellie

10. Samuel, Emily

11. Miles, Evelyn

12. James, Eva

13. Elijah, Elena

14. Luke, Chloe,

15. Noah, Nova

16. Santiago, Penelope

17. Owen, Lucy

18. Logan, Lily

19. Liam, Olivia

20. Roman, Naomi

21. Ryan, Emma

22. Cooper, Natalie

23. Jack, Sofia

24. Maverick, Eleanor

25. Anthony, Violet

26. Ezekiel, Bella

27. Carter, Luna

28. Benjamin, Ella

29. Lucas, Victoria

30. Henry, Isabella

31. Jacob, Maya

32. Lincoln, Natalia

33. Mason, Amelia

34. Nathan, Savannah

35. Asher, Charlotte

36. Jackson, Stela

37. Andrew, Hazel

38. Cameron, Athena

39. Alexander, Maria

40. Theodore, Autumn

41. Adam, Kennedy

42. Gabriel, Aurora

43. Kingston, Alice

44. Daniel, Aria

45. David, Harper

46. Hunter, Serenity

47. Dylan, Nora

48. Muhammed, Grace

49. Sebastian, Elizabeth

50. Adrian, Hannah

It probably goes without saying that our own personal preferences, among many other factors, might still influence what sounds appeal to us more (I for one prefer spiky names with a little gusto) but using the simple rules of linguistics could be an interesting, and perhaps less daunting, way for parents to choose a name that’s truly timeless.

This article originally appeared in May.

From Your Site Articles

names

Family

Mom's plan to name her baby after Vaseline goes viral in the worst way. Then her family intervened.

“This is true abuse."

Photo credit: Canva

How do parents come up with these??

You would think the line between creative and absolute cringey baby names would be distinct enough for any person to tell the difference, but time and time again we have seen that is not the case.

Even when laws are put in place to protect future kiddos from being on the receiving end of incredibly questionable moniker choices, there will always be some that slip through the cracks.

Luckily…this is a bit of a near miss baby name story. Sort of.

Over on the infamous tragedeigh Subreddit, home to all sorts of crazy baby name conversations, someone shared how their cousin, a mom-to-be, had originally planned for their unborn child to be named Serena, but told them via text that she instead wanted to go with something “more elegant.”

one of my older cousins sent this to me…im sorry but Vaselinea??
byu/__misaki__ intragedeigh

The “more elegant” name in question? Vaselinea. Pronounced “vah-suh-lee-nia” because mom wanted a “nia” sound at the end.

“Im sorry, what? “Like this thing?” the OP responded, along with a picture of Vaseline petroleum jelly.

Understandably, the cousin rushed online to get tips on how to convince her to “go back to choosing the name Serena.”

Folks in the comments were (obviously) unanimously on the OP’s side…and many gave a quick, slightly NSFW glimpse into baby Vasalinea’s future should the name stick…

“High school is gonna be real rough lol.”

“The only place you should have difficulty choosing between Vaseline and Nivea is in your shopping basket. Not your child’s name. Yikes!”

“Vaselinea sounds like dollar store brand Vaseline.”

“Remind her what Vaseline is used for by many, many men and then remind her that her child will be surrounded by teenage boys at some point in their life.”

“This is true abuse. Naming a child a lubricant??? What is wrong with people?”

“At least she’s lubed up for all the bullying she will encounter thanks to her mom.”

“Honestly, this Subreddit continues to reinforce my belief that a decent percentage of the population should not reproduce, not until they gain some wisdom at least. If this is what you are considering naming your child, you have no business having one.”

It would be interesting to know whether this soon-to-be mom is a Gen Zer, since their relationship with the product is a little more deeply ingrained than other generations. Thanks to the “slugging” craze brought on by many Gen Z skincare influencers, the product is a beauty mainstay. But still…to name a child after it…that’s a bit much.

Thankfully, in an update the OP revealed that they had been able to talk some sense into their cousin. Although, rather than going back to Serena, the mom will be going with Sorelle, which she explained was "Italian for ‘sisters.’”

update on “Vaselinea”, what do u guys think?
byu/__misaki__ intragedeigh

Although she would also be pronouncing it “Suh-rell,” wish is…not the way the name should be pronounced?

- YouTube www.youtube.com

But hey, we’ll take what we can get at this point.

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