14 Cases When Parents Should Have Thought Twice Naming Their Kids

Choosing a name for a child is a significant decision that parents often spend months contemplating. Some look for names that honor family members or convey certain meanings, while others opt for unique and trendy names. However, sometimes parents make hasty decisions, influenced by popular culture or fleeting trends, that they come to regret later on.

1. Gandalf

One person shared a story about a former tech support colleague named Gandalf, whose parents were big hippies and named him after the fictional wizard from J.R.R. Tolkien’s books. Initially, few people recognized the name, but after the movies were released, it became more common. The user mentioned that Gandalf disliked Peter Jackson, but did not explain why.

2. Tom and Jerry

An online user shared a story about their twin boys, who were born twelve years ago. They struggled to name the second boy and called him “Baby B” for about 28 hours until they finally settled on “Jeremiah.” However, when they introduced the boys to their pastor, he called them “Tom and Jerry,” and the parents realized the unintended reference. Despite this, they decided to keep the names and left the encounter feeling embarrassed.

3. Dorsey Abdul Jalil Francis Brian Albert Barney Willie Kawolski Jeffery Faith Love Star Breeze

An online user shared a story about their friend, whose parents were hippies and practiced various religions. When the friend was born, they gave him 14 middle names, including Dorsey, Abdul, Jalil, Francis, Brian, Albert, Barney, Willie, Kawolski, Jeffery, Faith, Love, Star, and Breeze, while his first and last names were common. The friend’s parents announced all of his middle names at his graduation.

4. Brenpon

One person shared their experience working at a clinic with prenatal mothers, where they help ensure that newborn babies come in for appointments. They expressed their discomfort in trying to schedule an appointment for a newborn named “Brenpon.”

5. X and Z

One guy shared his experience of having a single letter as their first name, along with their twin brother who has the same. They mentioned that their father thought it looked elegant and chose three of the last letters for their names. The user expressed frustration in filling out paperwork for various purposes due to their unique names. Although their mother wishes that their father would have waited until after her C-section’s epidural wore off to name them, the father does not regret the decision. The user also mentioned the possibility of changing their name, but they are used to it and do not want to go through the hassle.

6. Roget

A person shared a story about their Taiwanese friend and her brother who moved to Australia when they were young. The father chose western-sounding names for them, and while the friend got a relatively normal name, her brother was named Roget, which was found in a thesaurus.

7. Anakin

The person shared that their dad had planned to name them Anakin, Dexter, and Axel. However, their mom disagreed with these names, and they were ultimately not given them. The person later found out that their dad intended to pronounce Anakin differently as Anarkin, which they did not previously know.

8. Ms. Splatt

There was a high school teacher named Ms. Splatt who had a wine-stain birthmark on one side of her face. Although the name itself was not necessarily bad, kids were cruel about it. The person wondered why she chose to teach teenagers and mentioned that she was also mean.

9. Robert No-Middle-Name Smith

The person shared that their son’s first and last names were straightforward, but there was a mistake with the middle name. The person had intended for there to be no middle name, but when the nurse came to record the name at the hospital, they wrote “No-Middle-Name” as the middle name. The person expressed frustration with the mistake and questioned how humans even manage to survive.

10. Adnrew

The person shared that their parents had intended to name them Andrew, but it was recorded as Adnrew on their birth certificate. Although their mother had noticed the mistake, she did not care and eventually lost the birth certificate. The person only found out when they tried to replace it for their driver’s license and had to file court papers to get it changed. Despite the inconvenience, the person’s mother found the situation humorous, and their parents did not regret the name.

11. Amanda Swallow

brunette woman with glasses with shocked look — Photo Credit: Depositphotos.

In this case, the name Amanda Swallow created an unintentional but uncomfortable association due to how it could sound phonetically. The unintended similarity to the phrase “a man to swallow” could lead to potential teasing or uncomfortable connotations. Similarly, the coincidence with the birthdate numbers adding a sexual connotation might cause discomfort for the person bearing the name.

12. Axel

woman mom with daughter girl shocked — Photo Credit: Depositphotos.

While Axel is a cool and trendy name, it’s essential to consider how young children might initially pronounce it. The ‘X’ sound might be challenging for some toddlers to pronounce, potentially leading to unintentional, but humorously embarrassing, situations in social environments like school or preschool settings. A Quora user noted that his son name Axel was usually called A** ***e by his peers.

13. Chanda Lear

The name Chanda Lear, which phonetically sounds similar to “Chandelier,” might subject an individual to unwanted attention or teasing. While a parent might have meant it in good spirits or with a fondness for a particular name, the reality is that the person carrying the name might not find it as endearing.

14. Lucifer

monster under bed — Photo Credit: Depositphotos.

While the name itself means “light-bringing,” it carries a heavy religious and cultural meaning, often associated with negative or devilish imagery. Despite its original meaning, the name can be stigmatized due to its strong associations with dark or negative elements in various religious contexts.