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HelpGood Name, Bad Example
I didn't know how to title this. :)
I think most of us have loved a name, then met or heard about someone with it that soured us on it. Whether it was a rude person in real life, or an unlikable character in a book or show. Whatever the situation, a good name ended up with a negative association in our minds.
So I was wondering, what are some names that you used to love, but now you can't shake the bad image?
I think most of us have loved a name, then met or heard about someone with it that soured us on it. Whether it was a rude person in real life, or an unlikable character in a book or show. Whatever the situation, a good name ended up with a negative association in our minds.
So I was wondering, what are some names that you used to love, but now you can't shake the bad image?
Archived Thread - replies disabled
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Replies
I've met a few people who "ruined" names I would otherwise consider using:
Connor
Damian / Damien (forget how he spelled it)
Harris (the one I was briefly acquainted with might actually be a sociopath, I'm not joking)
Jared
Otis
Silas
Wyatt
&
Jasmine
Margot (though I'm still considering this as a middle name - she's not too terrible)
Marissa (even at 5 years old - when I was 7 - she was the devil, I swear!)
Millicent - I don't actually know anyone with this name, but it reminds me of Maleficent, who while being an awesome character isn't a good namesake for a child
Nora
Robin / Robyn (I don't know how she spells it, but she's a former friend of my mother who... let's just say she's a terrible person and leave it at that)
Stephanie
Connor
Damian / Damien (forget how he spelled it)
Harris (the one I was briefly acquainted with might actually be a sociopath, I'm not joking)
Jared
Otis
Silas
Wyatt
&
Jasmine
Margot (though I'm still considering this as a middle name - she's not too terrible)
Marissa (even at 5 years old - when I was 7 - she was the devil, I swear!)
Millicent - I don't actually know anyone with this name, but it reminds me of Maleficent, who while being an awesome character isn't a good namesake for a child
Nora
Robin / Robyn (I don't know how she spells it, but she's a former friend of my mother who... let's just say she's a terrible person and leave it at that)
Stephanie
This message was edited 8/25/2014, 10:32 PM
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I really dislike the name Laura because of a horrible Laura whom I knew. But this was back when I was in middle school, and I have no memory of liking or loving the name Laura before I knew her, so I can't for certain say that she ruined the name for me. It's just that I hear and see (here) people say all of the time that it's beautiful and timeless, and I think that maybe I'd think the same thing if it weren't for that horrible Laura.
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That's too bad. I personally love the name Laura specifically because all of the people named Laura that I have ever met have been fantastic ladies.
Out of curiosity - would your dislike extend to all variations of a name or just the name itself?
I.e. Dislike Laura, but like Lauren, Laurel or Laurie, etc...
or, dislike Charlotte, but ok with Charleen, etc.
Out of curiosity - would your dislike extend to all variations of a name or just the name itself?
I.e. Dislike Laura, but like Lauren, Laurel or Laurie, etc...
or, dislike Charlotte, but ok with Charleen, etc.
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We changed the spelling...
We fell in love with the name Clarice - but people coulnd't stop referencing the Silence of the Lambs.
I honestly didn't mind the reference, since Ms. Clarice Starling is a strong character. Plus, I tried to remind everyone that Clarice was also the girlfriend of Rudolph, the reindeer.
To no avail. After the 6th month of walking into work and hearing my boss say "good morning, Clarice" in a creepy voice... we started to look for alternatives.
My husband wasn't too fond of the "rice" in the name anyway (since he is Filipino)... and we found the French spelling of Clarisse. Turns out - nobody even thinks of Silence of the Lambs if you spell it 'ss'. Who knew!?
So, name almost ruined.
Other than that, I think that the beautiful Ursula, as well as Briar, are forever disney-tainted.
In my personal life, the name Aaron is ruined by an ex-boyfriend and the name Rhiannon (which I love) is ruined because everyone always says "oh, like Rhianna?".
We fell in love with the name Clarice - but people coulnd't stop referencing the Silence of the Lambs.
I honestly didn't mind the reference, since Ms. Clarice Starling is a strong character. Plus, I tried to remind everyone that Clarice was also the girlfriend of Rudolph, the reindeer.
To no avail. After the 6th month of walking into work and hearing my boss say "good morning, Clarice" in a creepy voice... we started to look for alternatives.
My husband wasn't too fond of the "rice" in the name anyway (since he is Filipino)... and we found the French spelling of Clarisse. Turns out - nobody even thinks of Silence of the Lambs if you spell it 'ss'. Who knew!?
So, name almost ruined.
Other than that, I think that the beautiful Ursula, as well as Briar, are forever disney-tainted.
In my personal life, the name Aaron is ruined by an ex-boyfriend and the name Rhiannon (which I love) is ruined because everyone always says "oh, like Rhianna?".
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That might have happened to me with Damian and Julian. I hate both names, and I think I might have liked then if I hadn't known two terribly obnoxious and whiny boys/teenagers with those names.
Since I'm not very emotionally driven, once I was able to realize that is why I disliked them, I could look at the a bit more objectively. Still don't love them, but I can see what others might like about them.
Since I'm not very emotionally driven, once I was able to realize that is why I disliked them, I could look at the a bit more objectively. Still don't love them, but I can see what others might like about them.
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Kara.. I still like it but not as much anymore because it's my boyfriend's ex's name.
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Mine
Crystal (and all its variants.) I used to love it, but after meeting a rude girl with the name, it made me dislike it. Miriam is another one. I still love it, but there's a tinge of dislike due to a loud "mean girl," if you will, that went to my school. Alex on a boy was kind of ruined, though I still love Alexander.
If I think of more, I'll post them. :)
Crystal (and all its variants.) I used to love it, but after meeting a rude girl with the name, it made me dislike it. Miriam is another one. I still love it, but there's a tinge of dislike due to a loud "mean girl," if you will, that went to my school. Alex on a boy was kind of ruined, though I still love Alexander.
If I think of more, I'll post them. :)
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Annabel. It used to sound graceful and smart. Then I took my daughter to a birthday party given by her friend Annabelle. Annabelle was a rather mean little spoiled brat, who wanted to open all her gifts while everyone stood around and watched. She said some disparaging things about the gifts her friends had brought. The kids were only six, so nobody got hurt, but it was still so icky. And I was amazed at how well her name seemed to fit her. I no longer care for the name Annabel.
A couple names I didn't love, but did sort of like, that I soured on completely when I only heard them used to address children aloud - I once thought Silas sounded dashing, but in real life it seemed whiney; and I thought Landon sounded kind of soap-hero but in real life it's no better than Ryder, just another cowboyish-phonebook-surnamey name.
A couple names I didn't love, but did sort of like, that I soured on completely when I only heard them used to address children aloud - I once thought Silas sounded dashing, but in real life it seemed whiney; and I thought Landon sounded kind of soap-hero but in real life it's no better than Ryder, just another cowboyish-phonebook-surnamey name.
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A bit OT.
You said that she wanted to open all her gifts while everyone watched, that's how we normally do it here in Sweden. And it sounded like it's not the practice where you live? So I just got curious if that's the case and if it is, how do you guys normally open the gifts? When the party is over or...?
You said that she wanted to open all her gifts while everyone watched, that's how we normally do it here in Sweden. And it sounded like it's not the practice where you live? So I just got curious if that's the case and if it is, how do you guys normally open the gifts? When the party is over or...?
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I'm American, as is mirfak, and at every children's birthday party I've been to, the birthday child opened the gifts while everyone watched.
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Ezra is the main one that comes to mind. I used to love this name but I just can't after it was associated with a horrible student in my class.
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Nicole. I used to think it was a pretty, smart sounding name, until I met an extremely obnoxious troll who used Nicole as her moniker. Now it just sounds trashy and annoying to me. Le sigh. Well, at least I still have Nicolasa, which manages to shake off all of the negativeness of Nicole while retaining its original beauty.
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Ah, just thought of another one...
Elaine. I don't remember ever having particularly strong feelings either way about this one, but I did think it was a pretty enough name, and quite sweet. Then I read a terrible book that heavily featured a character named Elaine. Elaine wasn't the worst part of the book; the whole thing was an equal-parts travesty. Everyone was shallow, the writing was confusing, it felt like it talked down to the reader, the plot and resolution was unrealistic, and I just hated everything about the book so much. I think the main reason Elaine gets the brunt of my hate for the book is because it's the only name I've bothered to remember from it. Elaine will be forever tied to that book on my shelf that I keep solely as an example of everything that can go horribly, horribly wrong in juvenile fiction.
Elaine. I don't remember ever having particularly strong feelings either way about this one, but I did think it was a pretty enough name, and quite sweet. Then I read a terrible book that heavily featured a character named Elaine. Elaine wasn't the worst part of the book; the whole thing was an equal-parts travesty. Everyone was shallow, the writing was confusing, it felt like it talked down to the reader, the plot and resolution was unrealistic, and I just hated everything about the book so much. I think the main reason Elaine gets the brunt of my hate for the book is because it's the only name I've bothered to remember from it. Elaine will be forever tied to that book on my shelf that I keep solely as an example of everything that can go horribly, horribly wrong in juvenile fiction.
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Eva used to be my favourite girls name, until I met a really horrible one. I still like the name, but I would never use it now.
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That never really happened to me. I knew some people I didn't care for but never cared for their names to be devastated by it.
Like every Julie, Madison, Chloe, kayla, and Samantha I have ever known, I did not care for. I didnt really care for the names either. They are decent but I just cant help conjuring up a bad immagine. Stuck up or bratty or spoiled or rude etc
For guys: Tristian and Joel. Never really cared for those names really too much. The males I met withthose names were flat out... (lets just say rude and obnoxious)
If I met someone I disnt like who had a name I loved, I would still like that name
Like every Julie, Madison, Chloe, kayla, and Samantha I have ever known, I did not care for. I didnt really care for the names either. They are decent but I just cant help conjuring up a bad immagine. Stuck up or bratty or spoiled or rude etc
For guys: Tristian and Joel. Never really cared for those names really too much. The males I met withthose names were flat out... (lets just say rude and obnoxious)
If I met someone I disnt like who had a name I loved, I would still like that name
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I have a few, and I'll edit if I think of more.
-- Torvald - due to A Doll's House. The character just makes me squirm.
-- Gregor - due to The Metamorphosis and Metamorphosis (by Kafka and Berkoff respectively). The character isn't a bad association, but the story is.
-- Millicent - due to A Clockwork Orange. It's the Nadsat word for the police and the police/government in the story are very much the bad guys. Well, actually, nearly everyone is the bad guy in that book.
-- Torvald - due to A Doll's House. The character just makes me squirm.
-- Gregor - due to The Metamorphosis and Metamorphosis (by Kafka and Berkoff respectively). The character isn't a bad association, but the story is.
-- Millicent - due to A Clockwork Orange. It's the Nadsat word for the police and the police/government in the story are very much the bad guys. Well, actually, nearly everyone is the bad guy in that book.
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