This is a subject I feel quite strongly about: the silly names some people give to their children. With a nephew having been born recently, I had this discussion with my mom, and also with a few other people, and I decided I'd devote an entry to the subject.
Even though it is happening over here too, I think the worst country in the world in this matter, is the US, so that's what I'll concentrate on. What right do people have to call their newborn children names like "Apple Blossom", "Joy Hope Eden", "Summer Breeze", or whatever. These kids have a decade and a half of school ahead of them where they are confronted with the meanest elements in society: other children. Even though not everyone with a silly name will get picked on over it, sending young Christmas to school with that name is a potential risk.
I myself have been teased with my name, Sietse, for a couple of years, most notably in groups 6 thru 8, which corresponds with 4th to 6th grade. It rhymes with pizza, so there were a couple of kids calling me that constantly. I wasn't a happy camper in those days anyways, so I couldn't understand the humor behind it. Also my parents made no effort to teach me to ride a bicycle until I was a second grader, while most kids learn to bike in their kindergarten days. My name also rhymes with the Dutch word for 'riding a bicycle' which is 'fietsen', and in the months they did try everybody started calling me 'Sietse kan niet fietsen', which means 'Sietse can't ride bicycles'. My first 'nickname', that some sixth graders came up with, while I was in kindergarten, by the way, was 'Ziet ze vliegen', which means 'Is crazy', or 'Sees things that aren't there.' I didn't hate that one, as I simply didn't know what it meant. My name wasn't even that uncommon, so how must kids feel that do have a silly name and get teased over it.
Even though I didn't like my name at all in those days, I do see a lot of bright sides about it now. The fact that I do this blog in English, for one. I know a lot of names of which I can't explain the pronunciation, but in my case, I only have to say that it rhymes with pizza. Not only does it explain in a good way how to say my name, also I've noticed that it tends to stick with people right away.
Anyways, I'm thinking about composing a list of all the silly names I have come across in the yellow column. Anybody who thinks I should not do that?
Personally, being from the U.S., most names that aren't Jenny or Jason sound exotic to me. I think your name is fabulous! And you're absolutely right when you say that you're almost asking for your child to be harrassed when you send them to school with a name like 'Apple Blossom'.
Pen Jillette (who I adore, btw), named his daughter 'Moxie Crimefighter', which is strange but does have a certain ring to it - however, such a name would definitely set the girl up for ridicule if her father weren't Penn Jillette.
We have to be a bit cautious and consider the child's school years.
Of course, I wanted to name my daughter 'Alchemy', so what do I know (lol)?
Thanks for that one. LOL. An infamous case in Europe is Irish or British (can't say for sure) singer Bob Geldof, who named his daughters Fifi Trixabelle, Peaches, Pixie, and Heavenly Hiranni Tigerlily. Wonder why he's such a front runner in the Fathers 4 Justice organization...
In the Netherlands, I know of one case where parents have named their kids "Bam Bam" and "Pebbles".
About Alchemy... It might not be until her senior year in highschool before her classmates will know what alchemy is... It might actually be safe, if a bit exotic.
Well I agree that some names are notably silly, even though I never plan on having kids, just for fun I still use to muse on what I would name my non-exisisten kids, and if I were inclined to reproduce needless to say I have some rather exotic names picked out for them.
Also, I personaly like the name Lucifer (never mind what people assocaite it with though for me that would be part of the fun, but taking that out of the equation, I think it sounds genuinely beautiful, and really all it means is Light Bringer)
One of the strangest names I've ever head of is "Teflon", like the non-stick pan surfaces. Of course there was Frank Zappa with kids named Moon Unit, Dweezil and Omit. Maybe celebrities shouldn't count-too easy to find weird names.
If I should post that list, I will certainly not use celebrity names, but that was never my intention. I'd only include the burdens that normal parents load upon their kids.
Does anyone know that story about this person who bears the name Gotmilk? Was that an adult who changed his/her name for money, or a parent taking money for giving his/her child a troubled childhood?
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Great post! 
Thanks for that one. LOL. An infamous case in Europe is Irish or British (can't say for sure) singer Bob Geldof, who named his daughters Fifi Trixabelle, Peaches, Pixie, and Heavenly Hiranni Tigerlily. Wonder why he's such a front runner in the Fathers 4 Justice organization... 
Well I agree that some names are notably silly, even though I never plan on having kids, just for fun I still use to muse on what I would name my non-exisisten kids, and if I were inclined to reproduce needless to say I have some rather exotic names picked out for them. 
One of the strangest names I've ever head of is "Teflon", like the non-stick pan surfaces. Of course there was Frank Zappa with kids named Moon Unit, Dweezil and Omit. Maybe celebrities shouldn't count-too easy to find weird names.
