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HelpShort trip into Non-Name-Nerd-Land
I don't consider myself to be a name-nerd compared to most people here, but once in a while I have a conversation with someone which reminds me of how much I am a name-nerd compared to most people. This was one of those:
A co-worker of mine is about seven months pregnant with a girl. I asked her what she planned to name the baby.
She said, "Riley. I like it because it's unusual. You don't hear it."
LOL wut.
I said, "Actually, it might not be as unusual as you think. Every year the Social Security Administration releases the top thousand baby names for the previous year. You should check it out. You can easily find it online. It's easy not to know what other people are naming their babies."
There was another pregnant woman present and the conversation then veered into what she is planning to name her baby. Before we all parted to go back to work, I said to the first woman, "Seriously, check out the Social Security list."
She said, "No, I don't want to. My mind is made up, and I don't want it ruined."
I said, "Oh, well, if your mind is made up, there's no point then."
So yeah.
While I do admit I felt disappointed when she told me she'd picked Riley, as it's just another surname-on-girl name that's become trendy, and felt impatient with her for not realizing this, upon further reflection I did have to admit to myself that as surnames on girls go, this is one of the better ones. It does have somewhat of a feminine sound, in my opinion, and is a lot better than some others, Addison in particular sticking in my mind.
So there's my story and my question is, what do you think of Riley for a girl? Anybody liking it?
A co-worker of mine is about seven months pregnant with a girl. I asked her what she planned to name the baby.
She said, "Riley. I like it because it's unusual. You don't hear it."
LOL wut.
I said, "Actually, it might not be as unusual as you think. Every year the Social Security Administration releases the top thousand baby names for the previous year. You should check it out. You can easily find it online. It's easy not to know what other people are naming their babies."
There was another pregnant woman present and the conversation then veered into what she is planning to name her baby. Before we all parted to go back to work, I said to the first woman, "Seriously, check out the Social Security list."
She said, "No, I don't want to. My mind is made up, and I don't want it ruined."
I said, "Oh, well, if your mind is made up, there's no point then."
So yeah.
While I do admit I felt disappointed when she told me she'd picked Riley, as it's just another surname-on-girl name that's become trendy, and felt impatient with her for not realizing this, upon further reflection I did have to admit to myself that as surnames on girls go, this is one of the better ones. It does have somewhat of a feminine sound, in my opinion, and is a lot better than some others, Addison in particular sticking in my mind.
So there's my story and my question is, what do you think of Riley for a girl? Anybody liking it?
This message was edited 4/17/2014, 11:53 AM
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"Actually, it might not be as unusual as you think," I said wryly.
Riled, she replied, "My mind is made up!"
That's what the name Riley makes me think of. Rottweilers too.
It's a spunky Rottie name, but I hate it for a girl, and dislike it for a boy (but at least it's surnamey so could be a guy's name more easily).
By the way I figured that if you add up all the girlspellings of Riley, it's actually number 10 in 2012. lol
Riled, she replied, "My mind is made up!"
That's what the name Riley makes me think of. Rottweilers too.
It's a spunky Rottie name, but I hate it for a girl, and dislike it for a boy (but at least it's surnamey so could be a guy's name more easily).
By the way I figured that if you add up all the girlspellings of Riley, it's actually number 10 in 2012. lol
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I found this quite an amusing story. Just talking to my sister and mum sometimes reminds me that I know way more about names (and care) than "ordinary" people do.
Riley used to be on my list for a girl. I like it for both genders but only spelt like this. I prefer Addison, I think it's much more feminine despite the "-son" ending, then again... Alison, Madison...
Riley used to be on my list for a girl. I like it for both genders but only spelt like this. I prefer Addison, I think it's much more feminine despite the "-son" ending, then again... Alison, Madison...
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I dislike it (and just about all lnfns on girls) heartily unless it has family significance, in which case I'm willing to forgive a name quite a lot. But then I'd expect to see it used as a mn. For a boy, preferably for family reasons, yeah OK, but I'd be holding thumbs that its owner could pronounce the letter R from the very start. Wiley ... not good. Not for boys or girls.
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I do like Riley for a girl but I would spell it Rylie. I compare picking a name of a child to picking a color for a house. It is beyond me why everybody wants a white house? Give me green, blue, yellow, maroon etc. etc. For some, Riley is the ultimate beautiful name and for others it is Seraphina, Gabriella, Leanitra. To each her own, some people don't want their children's names to excessively stand out and that is okay.
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But this woman said that she does want a name that excessively stands out. Not in those words, but the meaning was the same. It wasn't the name choice itself that made me inwardly groan (though I'm certainly not a big fan of Riley), but the faulty reasoning behind it. And if that weren't important to her, then she wouldn't refuse to look at the SSA list. Though that refusal is also based upon some very faulty logic---"If I don't see it, then it doesn't exist."
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I don't like Riley for a girl. Boy only.
There's a Riley and a Ryleigh at the daycare I work at, and yep, both girls.
The sad thing is, with the first Riley, the rest of her sibset is so nice. Olivia, Kate, Julia... and Riley. It's like playing a game of "one of these doesn't fit with the others."
A coworker of mine just told us she's planning on naming her baby Kensington, Kensie for short. I internally cringed.
Sigh.
There's a Riley and a Ryleigh at the daycare I work at, and yep, both girls.
The sad thing is, with the first Riley, the rest of her sibset is so nice. Olivia, Kate, Julia... and Riley. It's like playing a game of "one of these doesn't fit with the others."
A coworker of mine just told us she's planning on naming her baby Kensington, Kensie for short. I internally cringed.
Sigh.
This message was edited 4/17/2014, 9:31 PM
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Riley for a boy is okay but not my style. Riley for a girl is... nope. Way too masculine. I'd actually prefer a "silly" feminized spelling like Rylie in this case.
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I don't really care much for Riley on either gender. It makes me think of rye bread.
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I don't really like Riley for either gender. I don't have a problem with it, but it's not my style.
"I don't want it ruined", though, really? If popularity is going to ruin it for her, she's going to be disappointed when she sends her kid to school whether she looks at the list or not.
"I don't want it ruined", though, really? If popularity is going to ruin it for her, she's going to be disappointed when she sends her kid to school whether she looks at the list or not.
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Riley for a girl is actually a bit of a GP of mine! Any name ending in -son is off limits for a girl imo, with the exception of Alison / Allison, not that I like that name though personally.
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Ugh, that's about as bad as the time a hairstylist told me it didn't matter that her dd was named the very common Emily Grace because her dd was the ONLY Emily Grace she knew. Great logic there.
I'm not wild about Riley for either sex although I have to admit, it works for one of Anna's friends (male).
I'm not wild about Riley for either sex although I have to admit, it works for one of Anna's friends (male).
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I do kinda like Riley on a girl. I think it sounds upbeat and athletic.
I don't get how people who are having a baby wouldn't look at popularity lists though.
I don't get how people who are having a baby wouldn't look at popularity lists though.
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I don't love Riley, but it's not horrible.
That's going to be the mom that tells her daughter "I had no idea your name was popular when I named you!" several years from now when her Riley is constantly meeting other Rileys. I understand why this would happen back in the day when you couldn't easily look up the SS list online, but nowadays people shouldn't be surprised. Well, at least you told her where to look.
That's going to be the mom that tells her daughter "I had no idea your name was popular when I named you!" several years from now when her Riley is constantly meeting other Rileys. I understand why this would happen back in the day when you couldn't easily look up the SS list online, but nowadays people shouldn't be surprised. Well, at least you told her where to look.
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Yuck....no hate it
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My husband chuckles at my online name-nerd-ery. He also always asks why I don't say much in real-life name conversations. I wonder about that sometimes too. But I guess I assume 'normal' people wouldn't get it. Which your story proves.
I find Riley pretty boring on either gender. I don't have a problem with surnames on girls as a principal. But I don't like Riley.
I find Riley pretty boring on either gender. I don't have a problem with surnames on girls as a principal. But I don't like Riley.
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Although most of my friends and family know I got into etymology and names from my writing, I've been finding myself in similar situations these last few years as well with people who don't know me as well (since I'm now at that age where everyone around me is getting pregnant). I've had to learn to check myself and remember not everyone is as familiar as I am lol Though I've had a few people, who know I visit name sites, actually ask me about what's trending and such when choosing a name. Two of my cousins recently announced they were pregnant and have been messaging me about names, which is definitely one of the cool things of being a known name nerd :P
Anyway, I don't mind Riley for a girl. Like you said, it's one of the better surname-names, even if it's nms
Anyway, I don't mind Riley for a girl. Like you said, it's one of the better surname-names, even if it's nms
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I like Riley for a girl. I agree it has a feminine sound, and while it IS hugely popular, I don't think it's that bad. I would much rather be Riley than Addison or Isla or Mc-Whatever.
Like you, I don't consider myself a true namenerd, but when I have conversations with non-namenerds I realize I am in that spectrum. I never make combos and I don't have a PNL, but I have a stronger interest than the average person.
Like you, I don't consider myself a true namenerd, but when I have conversations with non-namenerds I realize I am in that spectrum. I never make combos and I don't have a PNL, but I have a stronger interest than the average person.
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It's not terrible, but I don't really like it and personally would never use it. It's very popular in the UK, but only for boys (was #8 in 2012), and I never really see or hear of it used on girls.
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I actually really like Riley for a girl. It's one of my GPs. It's one of those names that I think really does work for either gender, in spite of the trendoid appearance.
It really bothers me when people have faulty logic for using a name. If you just like it, then that's all fine and dandy, but "I like it cause it's unusual" is just asking for the name to be ruined when it's too late to change.
It really bothers me when people have faulty logic for using a name. If you just like it, then that's all fine and dandy, but "I like it cause it's unusual" is just asking for the name to be ruined when it's too late to change.
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