Which name is worse?

JoNightshade · Jun 29, 2009

Okay, hubby and I are in a stalemate on baby names. We don't know the sex of the baby yet, so we're trying to pick out a girl name and a boy name. Just take for granted here that we're going to choose something weird.

His #1 pick for a boy is Beowulf. It probably wouldn't have been my first choice for a boy, but I like it and have agreed to use it. In return he has agreed that, although he gets to veto, I get final say on girl name.

My #1 pick for a girl is Sherlock. My reasons are 1) I like the name and I love the Sherlock Holmes stories, 2) It's not commonly used as a boy name anyway, 3) It emphasizes intellect and reason over emotion/brawn, and 4) It's on an equal footing, in a literary sense, with Beowulf.

Hubby is okay with using a boy name for a girl, but maintains this name in particular is inappropriate because it ISN'T used for boys - it comes from a SPECIFIC male character and, according to him, would leave our child ripe for teasing.

I say it's just as weird and equally tease-worthy as Beowulf - no matter what, the name is going to be weird, so what's the big deal?

So I put it to you folks. Which name is "worse?" Beowulf for a boy, or Sherlock for a girl?

scarletpeaches · Jun 29, 2009

I love you so hard.

You're both crazy in a good way. Mad as hatters!

Rachel · Jun 29, 2009

Why not, say, John and Mary?

CACTUSWENDY · Jun 29, 2009

I'm sitting here trying to figure out if this is in jest. With a trillion names around and you have these two? IMHO you might mar you child for life. (Again...IMHO.)

Much success.

Pagey's_Girl · Jun 29, 2009

I dunno about Beowolf - maybe for a middle name - but I like Sherlock. Especially for a girl. (This is coming from someone who has a rather unusual first name herself.)

Mr Flibble · Jun 29, 2009

Don't ask me

Our first born I had to convince him to not to call the boy Logan ( after Wolverine) cos he'd get called Log all the time. Piui it's a freaking comic

Which means our daughter is named after the girl he fancied off deep space nine ( compromise, see)

Luckily the way we spelt it - it means 'Sea Nymph' in Spanish. So we tell her that means mermaid

she's happy

JoNightshade · Jun 29, 2009

Okay, who chose eggplant?

Vincent · Jun 29, 2009

I'm sorry. They're both awful ideas.

But on a scale of awful, Sherlok out-awfuls Beowulf by a long margin.

Button · Jun 29, 2009

I think those are great names! I would have loved to have been named after Sherlock!

Trust me, kids get teased at school at any name you give them. It doesn't matter. Joe Smith gets teased. Maybe they won't because of their 'name', but they get teased. I'm not about to bow down on a name that's cool just because the kids might tease. (Unless you name the kid something foul or degrading, then that's just harsh.)

I've grown up with an odd name that no one can spell or pronounce properly even after a couple of tries. Funny enough, my son has an odd name. (Talon Anakin - Can you tell his dad's a Star Wars fan?)

I've been teased, but I most certainly lived through it. The worst I have had is the misspellings and having to repeat myself.

scarletpeaches · Jun 29, 2009

Jo, Jo, Jo. You know me, never want to be a mother, but I say this in all seriousness.

NEVER let fear of mockery hold you back from giving your child the name you want. Why should you adjust your tastes because of what other people might do?

Children mock those of a different colour, race, religion, gender, orientation. Does that mean we should change our colour, race, religion, gender or orientation to avoid such bullying? Hell no!

Why, then, should we pander to possible future mockery by giving children 'safe' names?

Names that are common today were once uncommon and quite frankly I much prefer unusual names. They show more imagination.

At least you're not talking about going the boring 'name a kid after the parent' route.

Vincent · Jun 29, 2009

Just name the kid Moon Unit.

aadams73 · Jun 29, 2009

Wait until he or she is born. Then pick a name based on what suits them.

JoNightshade · Jun 29, 2009

ButtonTheCat said:
I've grown up with an odd name that no one can spell or pronounce properly even after a couple of tries. Funny enough, my son has an odd name. (Talon Anakin - Can you tell his dad's a Star Wars fan?)

Oh mannnn, Talon Anakin is great! Haha. I love Talon Karrde.

In terms of spelling, at least nobody will get Sherlock wrong, right? Actually I thought that was true of Beowulf but I see several people have already misspelled it in this thread. Ah well.

JoNightshade · Jun 29, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
NEVER let fear of mockery hold you back from giving your child the name you want. Why should you adjust your tastes because of what other people might do?

Oh, I'm not. Hubby's the one I have to convince.

Mr Flibble · Jun 29, 2009

Look, my kis both have 'unusual' names

You know what my boy gets called out for 'You're a girl' cos he had long hair and won't get it cut. he's learned. I've had people tell me he's 'too beautiful to be a boy with hair like that' but they've got used to it now. He's just ..him.

same with girlie's name

Do what you want

If they have a 'moon unit' moment, they can always change it.

Vincent · Jun 29, 2009

JoNightshade said:
Oh mannnn, Talon Anakin is great! Haha. I love Talon Karrde.

In terms of spelling, at least nobody will get Sherlock wrong, right? Actually I thought that was true of Beowulf but I see several people have already misspelled it in this thread. Ah well.

I just copy-pasted the previous typo. I'm lazy like that.

JoNightshade · Jun 29, 2009

beezle said:
Just name the kid Moon Unit.

Have I mentioned that my dad calls my mom "Number One" and me "Number Two?"

Millicent M'Lady · Jun 29, 2009

I warn you (though it might just be a colloquialism) that if you were to name your child "Sherlock", someone would say "no shit" every time she opened her mouth.

The Old English and Norse nerd in me loves Beowulf though!

Mr Flibble · Jun 29, 2009

Millicent M'Lady said:
I warn you (though it might just be a colloquialism) that if you were to name your child "Sherlock", someone would say "no shit" every time she opened her mouth.

We had a kid with surname Sherlock in our class. Guess his nickname? Poor bastard

But Beowulf....

however, think of how it might sound twenty years from now. Like all those Gandalfs at school, and Arwen and Elrond..

Button · Jun 29, 2009

JoNightshade said:
Have I mentioned that my dad calls my mom "Number One" and me "Number Two?"

Ha! I love your dad. *trekgeekness*

scarletpeaches · Jun 29, 2009

Ooh! Ooh! If it's a boy call him Jean-Luc!

Devil Ledbetter · Jun 29, 2009

Millicent M'Lady said:
I warn you (though it might just be a colloquialism) that if you were to name your child "Sherlock", someone would say "no shit" every time she opened her mouth.

Okay, as someone named "Grace" who gets called "Amazing Grace" about a dozen times a week, I assure you that any child named Sherlock would hear "no shit, Sherlock" approximately 11,000 times by the time she turns 18 and runs to court to get her name changed.

I've no problem with Beowolf, other than it might smack of trying a little too hard to brand oneself as a literary parent.

Vincent · Jun 29, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
Ooh! Ooh! If it's a boy call him Jean-Luc!

And shave him bald.

Smish · Jun 29, 2009

Millicent M'Lady said:
I warn you (though it might just be a colloquialism) that if you were to name your child "Sherlock", someone would say "no shit" every time she opened her mouth.

Yep, this was my thought too. That said, I actually kind of like Sherlock for a girl.

som1luvsmi · Jun 29, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
Ooh! Ooh! If it's a boy call him Jean-Luc!

Or Riker! I like that for a girl or a boy.

Which name is worse?

Which name is worse?

Sherlock for a girl

Beowulf for a boy

An eggplant would be a better parent than you two!

has finally arrived

Stuff and nonsense.

An old, sappy, and happy one.

Still plays with dolls

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

has finally arrived

Cheers

Resident in Question

Cheers

A Work in Progress

has finally arrived

has finally arrived

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

Cheers

has finally arrived

Exploring the infinite abyss

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

Resident in Question

Come on you stranger, you legend,

Cheers

Reads more than she writes.

My brother loves me thiiis much! :)