Baby Names Getting Crazy - Article

[visitor1]

NEVAEH and Narnia got through but Queensland authorities have drawn the line at parents calling their children Gummy Bear, Coca Cola and King John 1.

They were among the names rejected in 2008 by the Queensland Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, which is part of the Department of Justice and Attorney-General.

"Parents are able to decide their own spelling when choosing a name for their baby, however in Queensland there are certain regulations governing what the name can be," Attorney-General Kerry Shine said.

"You cannot choose a name which includes an official title or rank ... it also cannot be a trademark, or consist of or include symbols without phonetic significance."

He said all of the names rejected were change of name requests by adults.

There were no baby names knocked back this year, with the traditional Jack and Ella again the most popular.

Less traditional was Nevaeh - heaven spelt backwards - which was endowed on 17 babies, and three families chose Hermione for their daughters, inspired by the Harry Potter books.

Mater Mother's Hospital midwife Julieanne Wilkinson said they recently had an Alani - Inala spelt backwards - a Fenix and a Chilli.

"Another mum named her baby Kyson, because her name was Kylie and he was the son of Kylie," Ms Wilkinson said.

Queensland University of Technology psychology lecturer Marilyn Campbell said parents risked doing their child serious psychological damage by giving them unusual, or hard-to-spell names.

"Your name is such an important part of your identity and when you're always having to correct people saying it, and when you're having to spell it, it can be quite degrading," Dr Campbell said.

'The stranger the name, the more frustrating for a child who starts to think 'why did my parents do this, why did they put this on me?'."

Child psychologist Paula Barrett agreed strange names created a sense of "social anxiety".

"Most children don't like to be different. It's all about fitting in when you're a child," Dr Barrett said.

In New Zealand, a nine-year-old girl called Talula does the Hula from Hawaii, recently won the right to change her name.

Family Court Judge Rob Murfitt also expressed his dismay at the trend to give children bizarre names.

Among those blocked by registration officials included Sex Fruit, Twisty Poi, Stallion and Fish and Chips - for twins.

Those allowed included Number 16 Bus Shelter, Midnight Chardonnay and Violence.

Top 10 girls' names:

1. Ella
2. Mia
3. Emily
4. Chloe
5. Isabella
6. Charlotte
7. Lily
8. Ava
9. Olivia
10. Sienna

Top 10 boys' names:

1. Jack
2. Cooper
3. Lachlan
4. William
5. Riley
6. Thomas
7. Joshua
8. Samuel
9. Noah
10. Ethan

[QueenMab]

In New Zealand, a nine-year-old girl called Talula does the Hula from Hawaii, recently won the right to change her name....


....Among those blocked by registration officials included Sex Fruit, Twisty Poi, Stallion and Fish and Chips - for twins.

Those allowed included Number 16 Bus Shelter, Midnight Chardonnay and Violence....

Number 16 Bus Shelter was ALLOWED?! I find this story really quite disturbing... if someone wants, seriously, to call their child 'Sex Fruit' or 'Fish'.... what sort of parent are they going to be? Obviously not a very sensible or considerate one.

I am so glad that poor New Zealand girl has won the right to change her name - what were her parents thinking? Even if, and I am giving her parents a huge benefit of the doubt here, for some reason, they thought 'lets just get this all on her birth certificate, her name is really Talula...' when she said "You know what guys? My name sucks, I want to change it..." she shouldn't have had to WIN the right to do it.

Does anybody else think that Midnight Chardonnay should have been on the shortlist for Kim of 'Kath & Kim's Eponyray??

[Arimeh]

"Your name is such an important part of your identity and when you're always having to correct people saying it, and when you're having to spell it, it can be quite degrading," Dr Campbell said.

'The stranger the name, the more frustrating for a child who starts to think 'why did my parents do this, why did they put this on me?'."

Errr no... people get my name wrong ALL the time - always think its Melinda.. or Melissa or whatever.. do I blame my mother??? NO... I just think the people who get my freakin name wrong after I have said it, or SPELT it to them - are bloody idiots who don't listen. I certainly don't think any negative thoughts about my mother who LOVED my name.

I'm proud that my kids have original names - and if people make fun of them because of their names - so be it - its certainly not going to be the worst thing that they'll ever experience in this life.

[visitor1]

My surname is always spelt wrong..FFS....how hard is it!!!

I think kids need their own names...im sick of the over used ones....unusual isnt always bad.

[QueenMab]

Mel, surely you have to admit there is a difference between an original name, like your kids have, and a ridiculous name, like the bus shelter one...?

[visitor1]

Bus shelter is going a bit far....

I mean kids names are hard to think of...but its not like you walk down the road and call your baby the first thing you see....*Phone Booth*....*semi trailer*

[QueenMab]

Bus shelter is going a bit far....

I mean kids names are hard to think of...but its not like you walk down the road and call your baby the first thing you see....*Phone Booth*....*semi trailer*

Yeah Kimbaz, like in Anchorman... "I love... lamp."

[Rouge]

I'm not a fan of made up spellings, never have been. But each to their own. I have had people say to me they don't like kids being named after cities, which doesn't bother me (even though that didn't enter our mind at all) as I said each to their own I like some alternative spellings though (like as in from other origins).

I always find it odd the names people try and inflict on their poor children, and I'm really glad that some don't get approved. I feel bad for some of the celebs kids like "Pilot Inspektor" (Jason Lee's kid).

[Visitor8]

omg I cant' believe a parent would want to name their kids fish and chips!! That is so wrong!!

[Mumma2three]

I took it to mean that the really weird names were adults changing their names. Maybe 18 year old twins at schoolies deciding they'd prefer be known as fish and chips!!

[Arimeh]

QM - yeah for sure, but the comment was made for all unusual or hard to spell names - which my kids certainly fit into that category.

[feeb]

what posses people to be so rediculous!!!!!!!!

[QueenMab]

Less traditional was Nevaeh - heaven spelt backwards - which was endowed on 17 babies...

...so, would 'Dog' be acceptable too then??

[Arimeh]

...so, would 'Dog' be acceptable too then??

I think "puppy" would be cuter

[Nai]

Personally I'm not a fan of made up names and certainly not of just plain stupid ones like "Bus Shelter" - I wonder if they decided to call the kid that because that's where they concieved?

As for the cities one - some cities are named after people so it was a name before it was a city/state etc like Victoria and Adelaide are both named after Queens.

[super pumpkin]

I'm also not a big fan of made-up names and prefer them to have some meaning. DH and I have considered many celtic names as they are meaningful to both sides of our family (welsh ancestry on both sides), are 'real' names and have translations that help with the choice. Of course it is still tricky to choose so we took a family poll. We gave all the close family a list of our preferences and asked their opinions. At the end of the day we will choose when we see the baby but it is nice to hear from the people that will be most involved in her life.
Criteria - nothing too common
- not readily 'teasible' (i.e. Halula)
- can be shortened to something nice or not shortened at all
- means something cool
- sounds good with the surname (i.e. number of syllables etc.)
We are still working on it. An on-line search of the most unusual names was interesting.
It is funny how the popular names of the day seem to seep into your subconscious when choosing names. Casting a wide net has been good to get past those.
Bron