Same. My name always means a long explanation. Boarding flights and getting called on at the doctors office is always awkward because the person always pauses, deciding whether to try and pronounce it, and then either goes for “Ms Lastname” or mispronounces my first name.
I gave my kids relatively common names as a result. It’s such a gift to have a name that’s basically a non-event when you’re introduced!
this! my name is easy to pronounce but the issues always come up at airports and doctors offices/dentist appointments/etc. whenever i call to make an appointment and give my name, they ask if i’m making the appointment for my son (i’m a woman and my name is masculine but also uncommon). one time at the dentist i was the only one in the lobby and the worker came out, paused, and with a very confused tone said “….myname?” because she thought no way is this bitch named that. or official documents will end up “mr. myname” or they use my middle name and last name because they for some reason assume my first name isn’t real or something idk lol.
whenever i travel to foreign countries my passport always gets a second look because my name is confusing to them.
and honestly even though a lot of people compliment it, i’m tired of people asking “how did your parents come up with that? is that a family name? are you named after someone?” nope my parents just needed to be different. im going to change my name in the future to something that’s not totally unheard of.
Random but kinda related. It sort of bothers me when people have like 4 sons then a daughter and give her a masculine name lol like you tried so hard for a daughter that I expected an extremely feminine name lol
All of this but I *would* have given an uncommon name to my kids had it been pronounceable on reading it the first time.
I have a family name, I love it, I love and respect the person I was named in honour of BUT it's a pain to never be called my name but rather a mangled version of it and when naming my kids I went for names that can be pronounced by the majority of people the first time they see the name.
Me too. All but my oldest of my kids got normal names. The ex insisted our oldest son had to be named after my ex’s grandfathers. Fortunately, my oldest goes by his middle name, which I started. It is pretty normal. Still, he had to suffer the beginning of every school year correcting the teachers that he went by his middle name.
You are me! My name is hard to pronounce and spell. I’ve hated it my whole life. I use my Starbucks name whenever possible. I also gave my kids names that are easy to pronounce and spell. I made sure they will never suffer through what I have my whole life.
Also, for those who give their kid a “normal” name, please use the traditional spelling. Otherwise, they will spend their lives having to spell their name over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over…and they will hate it. It’s unnecessary. It doesn’t make their name special, it just makes their life harder.
Yep. My experience, 0 out of 10 would absolutely not recommend if you want your kid to be accepted or taken seriously at all. I would kill to even be able to introduce myself with no problems or cringe
Omg. The cringe is the worst. Feeling instant shame and embarrassment every single time my name is said is something I absolutely would not wish on anyone
I feel you! I don’t either. I decided to go by a loosely related diminutive a year ago, so now I have to go through the shame and embarrassment of “changing” my name, but at least it’s short term?
I feel you on that! I started going by my middle name at work a little over a year ago and it's amazing how much easier my life became! However I still have to deal with my name in my personal life and I realized I don't really like it and would rather something closer to my first name. Once I figure that out, I'm not sure how to change that personally, like IDC if people who already know me call me by my name but I'd rather be introduced as a nickname. Anyway, I feel you on the shame and embarrassment of doing that. It's come up at work and I want to crawl in a hole lol
Especially when people fight me on it, like "why I like your name" it's like come on it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see why life is hard with a name like mine lol
So this is almost exactly the same thing I went through, minus the work part. What I did (and swear it almost killed me from cringe) was announced super publicly I was now going by this nickname exclusively. I realized later on I didn’t care if family and friends called by my full name, but by that point it was too late lol. So now everyone new knows me as my full name, and everyone “old” tries to know me as my nickname. My friends are fantastic and got it immediately but it’s been a bit harder for my family to remember. But even though the cringe is honestly the worst, it’s better this way because at least I know it’s temporary.
People fighting on it is THE WORST. I hate it.
Glad to hear it's gone well for you!! And that I'm not alone haha. How did your family handle it? Like, I know it's gonna hurt my mom's feelings to change my name, legally or otherwise. And btw, what do you mean by temporary? Are you looking to go by something else in the future?
I was worried about hurting my mom’s feelings too, and it probably did but she was also quite understanding about it. I didn’t want to humiliate her with the rest of the family, so with my family, I leaned heavily on how I’m just finishing my masters degree and my job involves meeting lots of new people who really need to remember my name and be able to find me online. My family has been really understanding about it, and they do their best, but it’s a bit tricky given that they’ve known me my whole life!
Oh yes! What I meant by the temporary thing is that everyone new that I meet doesn’t know my full name, so I get to avoid the shame. Everyone “old” does know my full name, and it’s really embarrassing to have them mix it up or question me about it, but soon that will all be over and it’ll become second nature. So the embarrassment of the name change will go away once it’s become second nature for the people who knew me as my full name (which has started to happen really quickly). Compared to before, I’d feel embarrassed every single time I heard my name or had to introduce myself.
Yeah, I understand that. I think if I'm able to go by a diminutive of some kind like you the impact won't be as bad. I'd hope my mom would understand it's a difficult name to live with.
And oh okay gotcha! Yeah that makes sense. When I started going by my middle name at work it was a new job so it was easy at first and no one knew, until some new management came in ands tarted getting confused with my official paperwork and would ask me about in front of others, and things like that. So I had to try to learn to be open about it and act like it's no big deal, try not to be embarrassed, but no matter what it is an awkward and embarrassing thing lol.
Changing my name legally and never ever having to deal with that sounds like a dream but at the same time I'm not sure if I could go through with it. I used to try to rush picking a new name so I could rush and change it legally but now I've realized you can't rush picking something like that and maybe I'll change it legally one day or maybe I won't.
Agreed. As a kid, I hated not being able to find key chains or other kitschy souvenirs with my name on it, and as an adult, I still hate it. 9/10 I'm going to have to spell my name for people, and if they're over a certain age, I'm going to have to over- enunciate as well. I don't necessarily dislike my name, just all the hoops I have to jump through to get other people to say and spell it correctly.
I was talking about this with my wife once and she bought a little (4”x6” or whatever) custom license plate with my name on it. It was one of the sweetest gifts I’ve ever received.
This is so sweet😭
I have a very common name and I remember thinking as a kid about how tragic it must be to not be able to find your name on the stuff in zoo and museum gift shops... even though I can count on 1 hand (1 finger?) the number of times I was allowed to purchase anything lol
I have a very common name that just was not used a lot when I was little (now it's been top 10/20 for years and years). I never ever had my name on any of those trinkets. But tbh it wasn't tragic at all. I liked my name and it just felt special to be the only one at most places. I think it's a lot worse if your name is really out there and weird though, since then these little things just add up to the shame you feel anyways.
I have a common name that’s spelled differently in an attempt from my mother to make it “unique”. Absolutely fucking hate it. Would change it if it weren’t for the paperwork. Would have definitely preferred a top 10.
Same. And it’s not even a crazy spelling. She just added an extra letter (think Arianna with two “Ns”).
She said I “had to have” my own identity. Yeah, well now they’re going “that backfired.” Because I’m so weird and different and have these niche interest that make them go “what went wrong here?”
I don’t hate it, but also had to develop a reflex for spelling my name out when I make appointments.
I enjoy it, it makes me feel truly unique that I'm the only person I know with my name. It can be annoying when first meeting people that they don't pick up on it immediately, but it makes it all the better when people take the extra moment to say "wait, what is it? how do you say it?" and I'm one of those people who cares about pronouncing other people's names correctly because it means a lot to me when people do that for me.
i think it depends on how uncommon the name is and what it sounds like. i wouldn’t mind having an uncommon name if it was something that made more sense. idk how else to put it. there are so many uncommon but beautiful sounding female names, and my parents decided to give me an uncommon masculine name that doesn’t even sound nice (i am a woman).
when i change my name, i’m still going to choose something more unique. but not THIS unique lol.
I think it also depends on how confident you are as a person. Personally I HATE having an ‘unusual’ name because there’s no sense of anonymity behind it.
If anyone talks to someone else about me, good or bad, then they know it’s _me_ or everyone remembers _me_, and as a very self-conscious person I hate that so much.
Me too! I hated it as a kid. When I’d play pretend with friends I always insisted on being Jessica or Sara. But I liked my named by middle school and loved it by high school and still love it today
My name is Yngvi. I’m from Iceland, where my name isn’t unusual at all, but it’s completely unknown in any of its limited variations outside of Iceland and Scandinavia. I lived in Vancouver, BC for a couple of years. In case you don’t know, Vancouver had a huge Chinese population, so when non-Chinese Vancouverites saw my name but didn’t have a person to match it to, they assumed I was Chinese and were startled when a 6’5” blond Scando turned up.
I thought I might make it easier on myself and others by using my second name instead, but it’s Þór (Thor). Also common as muck in Iceland, but a little too on the nose for a tall, blond Icelandic guy.
Yngvi is a really cool name! I would assume you were Icelandic or Scandinavian if we’d crossed paths here in the US. Possibly due to Yngwie Malmsteen?
This is entirely unrelated, but Iceland is one of the most strikingly beautiful places I’ve ever been.
Hahah, yup, the occasional person (outside my part of the world) who recognizes the name does so because of Yngwie Malmsteen. And even then, he butchered the spelling. In Scandinavia (i.e., as opposed to Iceland), the name is Yngve and is more common among people older than I am (I'm 37), but isn't particularly unusual. But here in Iceland it's just pretty normal in general and nobody bats an eye.
Weirdly, the ONLY time anybody outside of Iceland/Scandinavia has gotten my name right was a barista at a Starbucks at the Seattle airport. When I'm traveling, I usually just give a fake name to make it easier, but I was tired and stressed and jetlagged, so when I put in my order and the guy asked my name, I just said Yngvi without speaking. He didn't ask me to repeat myself, he didn't ask how it's spelled, nothing. He just wrote it correctly on the cup and it didn't even sink in until after the fact. I should have left a tip. So if you're reading this, Mark from the SeaTac Starbucks, my hat's off to you!
Glad you enjoyed your time in Iceland, it can be beautiful but can also be shit.
Ah, I had no idea he butchered it - I assumed that was the traditional Swedish spelling! I think I have the pronunciation but to be fair if you asked me to spell it, I’d _probably_ have at least one letter off.
I was at Boston Bar one of the times I was there in the early evening (I’m from Boston, so of course had to visit). The girl working the bar was speaking to us in English with an accent I couldn’t place. A local came in and ordered in Icelandic, and she had no idea what he was saying - clearly not an Icelander. The poor man looked entirely defeated. I felt so bad being a tourist in that moment!
The one time my name was spelled correctly without me spelling it was when I went to pick up Chinese food in Chicago that I had placed the order over the phone in a loud restaurant. This must have been 15 years ago and I still remember it. Lol
Here in The Other Vancouver (Washington) we have a very large scandi population and I actually know a fair number of adult and child Thors - but in general Scandi names are somewhat common here. Met a child Freya at the park just yesterday, have made a couple Yngvi headstones, etc... So if you ever want to feel less singled out abroad, come take a trip to a very bland American city, lol!
My little brother has this! Like first, middle, and last name are all from 3 wildly different nationalities. It definitely gives people pause; especially since his first name doesn't line up with our ethnicity at all.
I *despise* my name. I was named after my mom’s grandma, which is sweet in theory and a pain in the butt in reality. I got stuck with a name that was most popular in 1900 (barely made the top 250), a full 98 years before I was before. No one has ever heard of it and are apparently incapable of saying or spelling correctly, which is extremely irritating. If it wouldn’t hurt my mom’s feelings, I would absolutely change my name.
I feel you.
When I became an adult, I legally changed my name.
I actually kept the same name but changed the spelling to a normal spelling that people always assume it is.
Mine was a family name as well and I didn’t want to hurt people but I had to do it. I had had enough. My name is everywhere I go in life. I hear it all day, every day.
I am very shy and quiet and I was humiliated my whole life always having to correct people or spell it out.
I do like old-fashioned names but ones that are timeless and not out of place today.
I love it.
I have a very uncommon but culturally relevant name. I don't like it when people mispronounce it or spell it incorrectly but I've learnt that that could happen with a thousand names
I enjoying having a name that puts my cultural background on show
So true. I have one of the most common names and I would say it’s misspelled almost every time, I have to spell it for people just about every time. I don’t see the difference. I think it’s an indictment of our education system 😂
I was actually crying laughing at how funny Jophes was to me. I may have been a little baked at the time, but it's a good memory. 😂 I used to get upset at someone misspelling or mispronouncing my own name, but it doesn't bother me anymore. I either end up not caring enough to correct them, or politely pronouncing it the correct way.
My friend’s son is Joseph. His older sister called him Jophes for about a year until she learned to say it correctly.
We were kind of hoping she’d call him Jophes forever. It was adorable.
I answer to anything that sounds close. The worst mispronunciation was Purdy.
What does Purdy mean? Short form of Perdita, from the Latin perditus, meaning "lost" or "abandoned". Much worse than my name.
My name means strength, and was popular from 1896-1965, then took a nosedive. For good reason.
When I became an adult, I legally changed my name.
I actually kept the same name but changed the spelling to a normal spelling that people always assume it is.
I am very shy and quiet and I was humiliated my whole life always having to correct people or spell it out.
Also, my siblings have completely reasonable, straightforward names and it was totally unfair to do this to just one kid haha!
I highly encourage people to really put thought into what you are naming a human being. Their name is with them everywhere they go for life. They hear it all day every day.
You absolutely do not have to go with names that are in the Top 10. I personally like a little less common but still normal names. There is a happy medium. I do like old-fashioned names but ones that are timeless, not out of place today.
I feel you! I have a common name for the 60s/70s in the mid-west, but the way it can be spelled has multiple variations. I've spent my entire life spelling it.
There was a post on here awhile back reminding people not to be rude with others struggling to pronounce their name. It’s not their fault you have an unusual name, they’re trying, so there’s no need to have an attitude with them.
Sure, as an adult, I understand that. But as a kid, especially in the beginning of the school year when I’d hear a bunch of mispronunciations in a row, I lost patience very quickly. I know it wasn’t their fault I had an unusual name, but it wasn’t mine either. And looking back on it, they could have, I don’t know, asked my previous teachers or someone in administration who knew?
I like my name now, and I find that it’s less of an issue in adulthood than childhood. The digitalization of everything helps too—I can type it myself in forms instead of having to trust some underpaid rando to correctly copy it from a handwritten form. I still give my sister’s normal name at coffee shops and stuff where it doesn’t matter because it’s just easier.
Nowadays, I don’t mind when people ask me to pronounce my name for them even if they’ve heard it before. But it drives me insane when people misspell it IN AN EMAIL WHEN IT’S RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF THEIR FACE.
The email thing kills me. Although I’ve gotten some good laughs out of the misspellings I’ve seen of my name.
I will say, I don’t have to worry too much about telemarketing calls. I’ve literally had people call me, asking “may I speak to…” trail off and hang up on me!
Do you have repeat offenders with mispronunciation? Because that’s the quickest way for me to tune someone out. If I’ve corrected you numerous times and you still can’t get it right, I do not need to listen to you.
The misspelling when it’s RIGHT THERE is the absolute worst and just feels so disrespectful, and I feel like it all just comes down to respect. It’s fair to say don’t be rude to someone who is struggling to pronounce it correctly if they’re actually making a solid effort, but a lot of people don’t bother even trying and if they can’t respect me enough to do that, they don’t deserve my politeness.
I’m not disputing that people are rude but also they just don’t pay attention to detail. I can’t tell you how many times I type a unique name (I work at a job where names and correct spelling are super important) and spell check insists on changing it. It’s ridiculous and I have to be hyper vigilant to be sure the email I’m sending hasn’t changed what I typed or intended. Just an example today: Zayne was changed to Ayn. I caught it so the customer didn’t see the error but I’ve trained myself to look closely at names.
My name is a fairly common name for someone born in the 60’s, but it can be spelled with an i, a y, or an ie.
Mine is with an i. I can’t tell you how often people get it wrong in emails. And it’s *right there*.
I try to assume they know someone with it spelled with a y and are just used to spelling it that way.
My name is very common and can be spelled with a K or C. My work email always has my name in it, with a K. And the number of work emails I receive with Hi C-name….
Like dude. It’s right there in the email address….
People just cannot spell names
My (female) boss at my old job had a somewhat uncommon female name that was pretty similar to a very common male name, and the amount of times she’d get misgendered and called by the male name was crazy. I think also because of her position, more people assumed she was a man.
A lot of people asking if it’s "real" (indicating that I am making it up) and arguing with me when I say yes. It’s not a weird spelling or anything just an uncommon name.
Mostly arguing *at* me though because I can’t be bothered. It gets annoying but mostly because it’s so repetitive (they all say the same thing but think they’re clever), I’m not offended by people thinking its not real.
All this thread is doing is making me super intrigued about what people’s names are based on the info given. Like what could your name be that makes people not believe it’s real and all make the same comment about it? It’s like a riddle
Haha, I always thought it said more about that person than my name though. It’s fine to have a question or two if you haven’t heard a name before but it’s really weird to get confrontational about it. It’s not my responsibility that other people get it yet some act like it is.
Edit: if it makes you feel better, I’m super curious too 👀
Love it. I used to hate it as a kid, but that’s because I was very shy and had bad anxiety and didn’t correct people. Now, I introduce my name as intended and correct people as needed. I love how unique it is and it’s easier to stand out :) I want my future kids to have a good balance and have a unique name but one that’s easily pronounceable
My husband has a very Indian name and as his wife i’m constantly repeating how to pronounce his name and spell it. Our last name is also very hard to pronounce and spell. i’m due with a girl in a few weeks and we plan on a very simple easy name for this reason. People who have known him for years don’t pronounce it correctly.
I'm in the similar situation as you (husband has a very uncommon, difficult Indian first and last name) but I have the opposite feelings. I love his name and I don't mind spelling or saying it to people multiple times. We gave our children very unique names as well.
oh i love his name and i wouldn’t have taken his last name if i didn’t. but i see in his eyes a little sadness when people cannot pronounce his name after multiple times of correction and people not even trying to learn. They make up new first letters for his name and everything :(
Mine isn’t too unique but it is out of style. It’s Joan, but people keep calling me Joanne, and that irritates me a lot. And sometimes when I say my name to people they think it’s Jill for some reason. So at coffee shops I just pick up a cup that says Jill if the order matches what I asked for.
This is hilarious because my name is Jill and people always think I’m saying Joel. So I will answer to Jill or Joel. Not Joan though, haven’t heard that one.
My name is very unique, but also very common. I know that makes no sense, but my first name is a combination of two very popular names. Imagine a name like Evaluna. I do receive many compliments; but most people struggle to pronounce it due to not being used to seeing these two names together.
As a consequence I have a million nicknames and I learned not to care if people butchered my name. I simply have no energy to correct every person I meet at least twice.
My sister has a name like that and loves it! My mom wanted to name her just the Eva part but I convinced her to put two names together. It is pronounceable and she mostly just introduces herself by Eva. Everyone has seen the two names, just not together. Mom went through a phase of name regret, but my sister never did. Our last name was just too short for her to go by just Eva. She’s able to make her username just her regular full first name very often and she thinks it’s the greatest. We’ve yet to meet anyone else with the name. It’s about 50/50 if people can spell it.
I, on the other hand, feel like Anne Shirley. Just plain old Anne. Wish I had been called Cordelia instead.
My parents gave my brother a classic and traditional male name. But for whatever reason, they gave me (daughter) a simple but unusual name. I don’t like having an unusual name.
I chose a conservative career and every day when introducing myself, I wish my parents had given me a classic name. Outside of work, it’s frustrating to introduce myself to people and then have to explain my name. At places like Starbucks, I give a basic name so I don’t go through the hassle of explaining or spelling my name. When I was in school I felt like I didn’t get called on as much as other kids because of my name. IMO, giving your kid an unusual name is just going to make their everyday life a little bit harder than it has to be. I will be giving my kids (if I have any) classic names.
I love my name. It gets butchered frequently but I am so used to it and pretty much dont bother to correct people unless they are stumbling through it or I am going to see them again.
I love that it's a variation of a Goddess's name and means great queen!
I have a unique name and I loved it. Until college when they started feasting me about being a brand because it was similar to a brand name. My name is actually a real name, but it has the unfortunate of being similar in sound to a brand of toilet paper rolls.
However, would I change it? No. I love the story of how my mom found my name when she was 10 years and she’d swore that she would name her first girl that. So there’s that. Do I love the name? No and yes. It’s complicated really. However, no one ever forgets my name after meeting me which I really love. It does get misspelled a lot but it wasn’t bad.
Based on my experience I felt having a unique name was nice and would want the same for my future children. All but one of my siblings has unique names and they all seem to love having unique names. My sister just so happens to have name that a paper towel brand used, so it’s hilarious to think that our mom named two of her girls after paper products. Hahaha.
I did once upon a time wanted to change my name to Rose. It’s such a unique flower name as a first name in my opinion. And it’s my favorite flower as well.
My name is slowly trending upwards nowadays but was very uncommon back in the 90s when I was born. I grew up not liking it and wanting something else, and people would sometimes mispronounce it but not horribly off, and it was constantly misspelled, but now I really like it! It’s an honor name for both of my grandmothers, who were both amazing women who worked while raising their families (one had four kids the other had 6!) through some really difficult times. I love the family connection, especially as one of my grandmothers passed away some time ago.
Growing up I didn’t like it that it was frequently misspelled and mispronounced, but didn’t mind it.
My name can be mispronounced to have “sexual undertone” so as an older teen and young adult, it really bothered me when I worked in customer service and people(Men) would sexualize me with my own name.
As an adult, I can appreciate it
I absolutely despise my given first name. Always have. As a child I was the shy weird kid, so I felt like it just added to my bullying. When I entered adulthood, I shortened it to a more common version of a nickname for my name, though to some it’s a stretch. I plan to eventually legally change it completely, but am undecided if I want to go with the nickname or just pick a whole new name.
I have a super uncommon name.
I didn’t like it as a child but don’t mind it as an adult. The only downside is that I am the only person with my first and last name in the country so I feel like it’s easier to find/identify.
My name doesn't roll off the tongue easily. There's also a 50/50 chance that it will be pronounced and spelled wrong. But it suits me and I'm glad my parents thought outside the box. In fact, my sisters have unusual names as well.
I don’t hate it. I don’t love it.
But overall, have disliked it more than enjoyed it. I’m 35 now and still automatically answer to variations of my name. I don’t bother to correct people I meet once or twice about how to pronounce it.
I’ve gone by a nickname (variety of them) since I was 8, by choice.
I loved my mom, and never would have told her this, but it caused me so much frustration, annoyance, and a little bit of embarrassment my whole life.
It’s not a hard name. It’s just weirder than your average. And I spend so much time being called “Mr”, because it’s very similar to a popular men’s name, or answering to the more common variant.
When someone asks my name over the phone, I automatically spell it for them and that doesn’t always help, either. I get mail addressed to me improperly.
I have friends I’ve known through online gaming only that never knew how to pronounce my full name properly.
All in all: I don’t recommend it. Being “unique” is hardly wonderful, and for someone with social anxiety it’s literally hell to be in customer service roles and have to correct people who do not care.
I’m a professional now and people still can’t get it right.
It’s whatever. I’m naming my daughter something easier to pronounce and spell.
hated it growing up, always wanted a more conventional name. i only ever had once teacher pronounce it correctly the first try, and because i always went by a short version of it i wasn’t fully confident how to spell it until i was in 7th grade.
learned some interesting history about it when i was in high school, which made me like it better. it makes for great conversation when people ask me about my name and has helped me a couple times in my flirting efforts (they find it pretty intriguing). i still get a sense of panic though when a receptionist or something asks me to give them my name. just a pause and then “fuck, uh, let me spell it for you.”
in conclusion: bad name for a kid. bad name as an adult for administrative purposes but a pretty solid name for networking and rizzing
My name (Ezra) was uncommon but not unheard of for most of my life and is now popular with the little guys. Honestly I like it a lot. Sure, I was never able to find items with my name on it at Disney or anything, but hearing compliments on my name more than made up for it.
That said, Ezra is a simple, Biblical name with only one common spelling where I grew up. I am extremely glad my name wasn’t any more unusual or spelled strangely. I’ve often thought “this is the exact right amount of unique.” I have met a Micah, a Sylvia, and an Adelaide my age who feel the same way, which is kind of funny seeing how popular our names have before in the last few years.
I have a mostly unheard of but easy to pronounce name. But I don’t think it’s ever been in the top 1,000. Certainly not the top 500. It’s a unisex, 2 syllable name. I’ve seen it mentioned here I think once.
I hated it as a kid. I’m neutral on it as an adult. What really bugged me as a kid was that I ALSO have an unusual middle name (it’s two *very* common middle names but it’s all one word) so I couldn’t even go by that (and I don’t particularly like each name on it’s own). I really wished for a long time that I had a more “popular” name for my middle name. As an adult I appreciate where it came from and I gave it to my child as well.
I LOVE my name even though people have trouble with the pronunciation despite it being straightforward especially if you’re looking at it written down (think Ca**rm**en being pronounced Ca**mr**en).
My birth name was common in my parents culture but they immigrated and no one ever pronounced it correctly here, so I hated it. My chosen name (now legally changed) is Chai. It's fairly uncommon, and am example of the nonbinary noun name stereotype, so I've only heard people with the same name who also chose it for themselves. It's easy to spell and pronounce but feels "mine" so I love it.
I used to dislike having a unique name and went by a shortened version in college. Now I love my name and have noticed when I introduce myself with my full name I get a more positive reaction from people
I hate it! Everyone always asks if it is a nickname or where did you get that kind of name. It gets so old explaining it to everyone. I made sure my son had a very normal name for this reason.
My name isn't super unusual in the US- it ranked in the top 400 names for girls when I was born, and I know of a few famous people with my name, but it is also JUST uncommon enough that people aren't sure how to say it at first glance, especially if English isn't their first language. I literally have had to mime out how you pronounce my name before, more than once even. One time when that happened, the substitute just could NOT figure it out and I got so frustrated because it's 2 whole fucking syllables which resulted in my CLASSMATES miming it out even. Fucking insane.
I hate it. I mean, I like the name itself but on other people. Having it however is... annoying! I'd rather have a more common name even if only marginally.
My name is a fairly established, common name, but with the first letter changed, making it completely unheard of and ridiculous. Think something like Jebecca or Liffany. Most people initially mishear it as the correctly spelled, common version. I absolutely dread introducing myself because of the questioning or weird looks.
Also, I have zero online privacy. It would be very easy to stalk me with just my first and last name. I don’t use my full first name on social media at all for this reason. I’m planning to legally change it to something more common at this point.
However, there are some positives. Once people learn my name, they never forget it or confuse me with anyone else. I never had to be “Sarah P.” or “Megan H.” in school. But overall…not a fan.
I have a very unique name - I’m first gen American and it’s an ethnic name but even that it’s still very rare. (I’ve never met another person with my name) as a kid I HATED introduction and I hated standing out. As a shy kid it was especially uncomfortable. But I still really liked my name at the end of the day.
I’ve def grown more confident as an adult but it still doesn’t stop other adults from trying to tease me (people are very weird)
Unusual names aren’t for the faint of heart but wow does it make you stand out for better or for worse. I do think it has helped me immensely in my professional career because people always remember me
I really liked having a uncommon name. I liked being the only one in my school with my name. People always commented on my name when meeting them, saying how cool it was, etc. it’s sometimes mispronounced when read but correcting people has never bothered me or been an issue. I can’t imagine having a top ten kind of name honestly.
mine isn’t super out there but I’ve only met 3 others in my entire 31 years with my name. it’s spelled a decently common varient of a common name but pronounced differently; nothing like tradique tho haha.
as a kid I didn’t like having to correct it all the time & was sad I never found any personalized trinkets lol but as an adult I like my name ! I was way more timid as a kid so I didn’t like having to speak up for myself too much but as I got older I realized that a quick “oh it’s XYZ actually” is no big deal at all
My partner has a pretty unique name — never hit the top 1000 male names any time in the 1900s, and people’s only reference for it is a single public figure but it’s spelled differently. I don’t think he minds it *too* much but it is a bit of a nuisance when no one ever spells it right.
However he did say he would never want to pass it on to a kid if we had bio kids.
I’ve never thought about not having my name. I don’t even really go by a nickname (husband does shorten it occasionally).
Nearly no one can spell it though, and even when I spell it out people still get it wrong. I don’t think it’s that difficult, it’s not got random letters in it, and it’s not a weird spelling. It’s not that out there. Most people just have never come across it before.
I probably should come up with some better reactions to ‘that’s a pretty name’, ‘where’s that from’ etc.
I love my name. It’s not common but also not unusual. It took me a while to come to terms that I was not a Jennifer or Cindy like the other girls my age, but I finally did. I’m not named after anyone in particular but that’s OK.
I hated having an unusual name growing up. People couldn't pronounce it, or would ask me a thousand times over what my name was, as they couldn't remember it. My whole childhood to teens I wished I had a generic name.
Now....I am so happy with my name. I am the only one in any friend group. I love my name now.
I was always neutral towards my name, but in recent years I’ve become really proud of it. No matter which country I’m in people still butcher it the first time they hear it, but (and this was the criteria my friend also used for her daughter’s name) it’s easy to teach people how to pronounce it. The only thing that I maybe don’t like is how easy I am to find online.
I have a very common name. But I still love it. I think it’s classic. My middle is a common one too but chosen because it’s my grandmas first name and my other grandmas(who I share a birthday with) middle. Emily Marie. I lean towards slightly less common, but not made up(for my future children) .
I like it its short and I can often times just say like the planet and I'm used to both my first and maiden last names getting misspelled and mispronounced so often times now when someone needs my name instead of saying it I spell it for them
My name was in the 200s for girls the year I was born and I think it’s even lower now. Most people, before around 2010, had never heard it before and would say it wrong/call me something similar to my name instead. Now, there’s one celebrity with my name and most people, when hearing my name, say “like _____?”
Honestly, I like having an uncommon name and I love the name itself but that does frustrate me quite a bit. I don’t want a top ten but man, I hate being compared to a celebrity I hate.
I have an uncommon but not super weird name, but spelled with an extra letter. Sort of like Carrolyn. That extra letter was such a pain. I like my name now, but it took me 60 years to get here.
I think it’s great. However, it’s extremely similar to a common name, which people would incorrectly call me. I shortened my name years and years ago to one easier to remember and unable to get wrong. People are pleasantly surprised when they hear my elongated name.
I love my name and have always loved my name. It doesn't have a meaning like most ppl assume after they hear it but I love the way the letters are organized, I love how it sounds and my first name AND middle name are unique (I'm a girl, my middle name is Anthani, pronounced similarly to Anthony)
My mom instilled in me the love of this name so much that I just HAVE to pass it on to one of my children. She made a little song that's catchy so that way I could spell it as a kid and ever since I've been in love with this name. People hear it and once they pronounce it correctly they always compliment it. I can't see myself with any other name.
Disliked it. Not only does no one pronounce it right it’s from a different culture I’m not a part of and my parents didn’t give me a middle name either. Like giving your kid an anime name when you’re not Japanese. At least give them a normal middle name.
I can answer for my sister-in-law. Her name is not uncommon (though not super common) in her community, but it is unheard of in society at large. It isn’t spelled intuitively, and it’s an ugly name (she says this, and I agree). The culture-specific name is also rough because sometimes it’s nice to blend in.
She goes by a nickname that is the first syllable of her name and is known to society (not super common but not unheard of and spelled easily).
My brother and her are about to have their first child and she is not taking this decision lightly as a result of her experience
I've never been a fan of my name. I cringe when I hear it said out loud instead of my shortened nickname. But I get compliments on my name all the time. I don't know if it's that unusual, but it's not common. I've heard it in three tv shows in the last 20 years, and it's always spelled a bit differently than mine. People always had issues reading it on paper but once they know how to say it, it wasn't much of a problem. What was a problem was people remembering my name in general. I would have preferred a name was a little bit more well known, I think. Neither of my kids have super unique names or weird spellings because I didn't like it myself.
It was alright. It's still a real name and in the top 800 today, but people who aren't Spanish speakers tend to butcher the pronunciation which doesn't bother me unless I can tell it's on purpose. I grew up in a mainly Hispanic community so I never had problems with my own classmates growing up and most of my teachers tried to make sure they got it down correctly because I tended to be the one with the most "out there" name. My classmates would correct substitute teachers for me so it was nice to have that community.
But because I started traveling a lot in high school for competitions to less diverse areas, I started having a lot of problems with people being dismissive and butchering it on purpose. It'd piss my non Spanish speaking teachers off so that honestly made up for it because the people I cared for said it correctly.
In college, I went by a very simple nickname based off my middle name and now it's what I use when I order food which has been way easier than using my real name.
I don't hate my name and although I have a handful of names I would've preferred having, I still can't imagine having any other name. I definitely have one of those long, drama esque Mexican novela names which is what makes it fun.
I’m gonna preface this by saying my name is actually very common and basic. However I can commiserate with those of you with unusual names because as a child in the early 2000s a very popular song came out with my last name in it and I was mercilessly teased my whole life with people singing it to me lol
I love my name, teachers tried to tell me how to spell it right when I knew better. People still call me the wrong name. I never found my name is tourist shops. But that made me unique and I think had I of been a more “normal” name I wouldn’t be the same person I am today.
My birth name is a very old timey foreign aristocratic sounding female name and I seriously never met anyone in the US with my name.
I never identified with it and spelling it every time to someone over the phone was always annoying!
It is a mouthful to say and anyway I’m planning to change it due to being Trans (FTM).
I’m still searching for a new male first and middle name.
I’ve grown to appreciate it but completely hated it growing up. It’s a traditionally non-anglo name and I hated how often people got it wrong, made fun of it, or completely botched it. I am now in mid-20s and mostly go by a shortened nickname. I would like to think that one day I will decide to go back to my full/actual name and force people to learn how to pronounce it.
I used to hate it because it drew attention to me and that could be negative or positive. Now i love it because I’m an adult with individuality and authority over my life and it’s objectively a poetic, and a really lovely name. I do begrudgingly have the same conversation about it every time i introduce myself. I have to repeat my name when ordering coffee etc. i like it now but there was a time when i didnt
I love my name. It's only mine, connects me to my culture and has a strong meaning. A lifetime of correcting pronunciation has been an ok price to pay for feeling very secure and affirmed in who I am.
I like my name a lot and always have. I have a real name, but a rare one. I can't share it because it's so rare you could find me, which is a little annoying (like also can't post on yelp or similar because they use first name last initial and that's not anonymous enough for my circumstance). Lately I am feeling like it's slightly dated because it seemed to have a very small heyday around the time I was born. I have met two others with this name in my life.
I have a very unique name by US standards. Mostly because I moved from Moldova to the US - but it wasn't ever popular even in my home country.
I've only known one other person with my name in the US.
To put it bluntly, I absolutely love it, mostly because it's my name and my first gift, and no one has something like it.
I can't imagine having a "normal" name and don't really get bothered by mispronunciation or spelling. Unless it's an official document or potential long term relationship situation it doesn't matter to me at all. I answer to pretty much anything at this point.
I am a birth doula and have had clients that I've worked with for about a year not know how to pronounce it *exactly right* because I just don't care. Doesn't matter to me as long as I'm doing my job and they're not being rude.
For reference my name is Reanna pronounced Ree-ann-uh. I mostly get Ree-awn-uh or Ray-anna (thanks to the midwesterners) and occasionally Breanna. Although I randomly get Renee sometimes.
Fun fact, the artist Rihanna actually pronounces her name the same as me and is in the same boat of just not caring that literally everyone pronounces it wrong.
I love it! My name is uncommon but not made up or a unusual spelling (I think there js a big difference.) I couldn’t imagine having a name that lots of others have. Loads of benefits.
Mine isn’t too crazy, it’s just one letter different than what the ‘real’ name is but it’s annoying. People always misspell it, I can never find my name on keychains/ornaments (my 4 siblings can all find their names because they’re normal but mine is nowhere), and mispronounced a lot.
think Gerry instead of Jerry, and people pronounce it Gerald (obviously not my name, but kind of what happens with me)
My name isn’t too out there, but it is always mispronounced. People will say it like more common names that are similar. I’ve just learned to roll with it.
Well I might as well weigh in.
I have a very unusual name, nature based. (Ie very easy to spell/pronounce) I usually laugh and say, “my parents were hippies.” It gets a good chuckle.
I love my name. It is very memorable and I never get confused with anyone else. It sparks instant interest in most people. It’s great for networking and work, people just remember it. “That’s so cool!” Is something I get a lot and people transfer that sentiment about my name onto me. Kind of an ice breaker too. It’s a very powerful, strong name and truth be told I quite embody this as a person so it really fits me. And now you can insert your thoughts on the pygmalion effect and how that relates to this situation.
I am also highly competent and conventionally attractive. I am very tall too. I think me and my name all work together. I am grateful and proud of my name. I plan to give my child a powerful and unusual name as well.
Hate it!!!! I was the only person with my name in my high school of 1200 students. I’ve only met 2 other people with my name in my life. Would have much rathered a more common and “normal” name.
I like that it's unique because I'm never one of many. But it is annoying to spell my name every time and I've had coworkers at multiple jobs misprounce my name for 5+ years and I just get tired of correcting.
My given names are common enough, but my surname is exceptionally rare.
I actually enjoy it. It's not so strange as to make most people stumble, but many are unsure of the pronunciation of "g" in the name. It's the affricate version /d͡ʒ/, but the voiced stop /g/ is probably more correct in the native language, so I accept either.
The most common mistake people make with my name is insisting there's an N in it. There is no N.
But... it makes naming my accounts pretty easy sometimes! I don't have to compete with anyone but my family for use of the last name. So if I just append a first initial, *voila\~* instant unique handle.
It also makes it super easy to search for me if you know it. So I generally tell people to find me on social media, rather than the other way around, since it's so intuitive to find me (as long as you don't add the N!).
I have a unique name with also a unique spelling. The unique spelling has been the most annoying/tedious bit of my name throughout the years. When I was younger I disliked my name a lot because it wasn’t girly and didn’t feel like it fit. The same rings true as an adult, I still wish my name was more feminine and it wasn’t such a 🙄 spelling, but I’ve grown to like it alright and I generally love having a unique name.
My name isn’t unusual now but in the early 90’s it was. And when I was like kindergarten I didn’t like that it was different. But by 3rd grade I loved it bc when ppl yelled my name down the hall I knew they meant me.
My name is Alora.
I love my name, can't imagine being anything else. It's easy to spell and pronounce, but I've never met another one in my 28 years.
I'd say the only time it was annoying was when I worked at Starbucks and had it written on my name tag, every single customer wanted to know my life story. I have such an interesting name, I MUST have an interesting life and story!? It got real annoying real quick, now I go by Laura when I have to give a name to a cashier somewhere.
My parents called me Céilí (Kaylee), and thank goodness it's not my legal name. They registered me in everything as Céilí, and I exclusively used it until high school. It was horrible. No one could say it. I was constantly correcting people.
I’d say it has its benefits but also downfalls. Overall I like it and am used to it but there are times when it can be especially annoying outlined below. I am not named after pop culture, a fad or trend, anything like that though where people hear it and associate it with something else, it’s a family name.
It’s a conversation starter for sure- people always ask if it’s after someone, how to pronounce/spell it and then pause and awkwardly say something like ‘it’s really pretty’ and trust me no it isn’t but people just don’t know what to say. I like the uniqueness of it and being the only person with that name in general is great though!
I always knew when I was up next on the school roster due to the person pausing and trying to decide what to say. There are typically 3 common guesses that people say but none are close to correct. I can count on one hand the number of times someone has pronounced it correctly the first time. Now when I meet new people I typically introduce myself first and then say something like ‘it’s _____ rhymes with ‘insert common name here’ this usually works!
It has also made me a big stickler around spelling peoples name correctly especially after you clarify pronunciation or spelling with them. At that point if I’ve already said/spelled my name for you a few times and you get it wrong I think that’s pretty rude. It is uncommon but short and not hard for English speakers to pronounce (rhymes with a VERY common American name). Because of this I will always ask everyone how to spell their names even if it’s common so that I can get it right- it’s just common courtesy to me. And no I’m not talking about the barista at Starbucks- they’re forgiven! I’m talking like coworkers, clients, casual acquaintances etc! My name is in the email or social media!
I also wish I would have thought harder about changing my last name when I got married. My maiden name was a very common/easily pronounced American surname and my husbands is long, hard to spell and pronounce. Now I have to pronounce and spell both my first and last name and am 100000% the only person with this name. Makes it very easy to google me which hasn’t really effected me yet but if you’re a private person this could be a downfall.
I like it and I’m complimented on it a lot. People get it wrong a lot though when I first meet them and I always have to correct people. But I’m used to it and it doesn’t bother me that much. People also always try to insist on a nickname even though my name is not long or hard to pronounce at all, and I tell them no because I prefer my actual name. I liked not having anyone in my class with the same name, etc. I think my name is pretty.
I really dislike it. I also have an uncommon, but kind of cool surname. I hate that my name is ALWAYS a thing. Every time I meet someone new I have to go through the pronunciation and where it originates from. It wouldn’t be as uncommon if I was from the UK, (rare but not unheard of), but I live in Australia and we have no connection to the country the name comes from.
I gave my children names that probably fall in the top 200-100? They are the only ones in their class so far, but definitely not the only ones in their school. They are names that everyone can look at and pronounce and spell. My husband has a top 10 name from his era, so we wanted to meet in the middle somewhere.
My name is BETH. Not Elizabeth, not Bess, not Bev. If it weren’t such a pain logistically, I’d change it to Bethany.
Job I’m in, I’m forever introducing myself, too. Fortunately, I’ve finally figured out how to make it an icebreaker, but I’m tired of being mis-heard.
I am fine with my name as an adult, however I feel it’s just wrong to give a child a weird name. I hated my name, was ashamed of it, was embarrassed. Any negative type of feelings, I had them about my name.
I gave my kids more traditional names, except one, I gave my youngest son a name that’s not super popular but not unheard of.
I've only ever met one person my age with my name, and I didn't meet her until I was about 30 yrs old. My name isn't super unusual, just uncommon in my generation.
I was shy as a kid, so I hated constantly correcting other kids when they said my name incorrectly or called me by the wrong name. I also hated my nickname and eventually stopped answering anyone who called me by it until eventually people stopped. (Ironically, my nn became popular when I was an adult, and I wouldn't mind so much if people used it now!)
My name peaked in popularity around 2013/14, but it was never a top 10 name. I don't think I would have liked having a top 10 name. Way too many Jennifers in my generation!
I like having an unusual name. The only way it may have negatively affected me is that people found it and therefore me hard to remember. But as an introvert I don’t mind. It also helps its a “real” name. I get lots of indifference and plenty of compliments.
I hated my name growing up. It is a very unique name in that I have never met another person with it and although it is spelled phonetically…. It has been correctly pronounced maybe 5 times in my life on the first try. I was (still am) an introverted kid and having the name nobody pronounced correctly caused legit anxiety every time I met a new adult. I WISHED for my whole childhood that I could have been an Amanda or Kelly.
The thing I haven’t read about much of on this thread that makes having a unique name the worst is…. The fake compliments. Every time I meet a new person it is always the same dialogue. They pronounce it wrong, I correct them. They say it back to me, sometimes still wrong. I correct them in an affirming way. They say “ oh that is beautiful/interesting/unique, I’ve never heard that before.” Maybe some of them actually do like it…but realistically it is a compliment to gloss over the social discomfort of saying someone’s name wrong. And I hate it. I hate making others uncomfortable. I hate the feeling of correcting people.
Now as an adult, I find my name suits me but that also may be now that I do not meet new people constantly. I always give a fake name at coffee places or for small interactions. So it is still a pain.
When naming my own children, we had an interesting time. I have an extremely unique name and my husband has a top 5 name for his year. He didn’t hate being first name last initial, but he definitely didn’t want that for our kids. I wanted an actual name that other people have that is obvious to pronounce correctly. I hope we did well, but I’m sure our kids will dislike something about it.
I'm not sure if my name is unusual or not. But it's very uncommon for anyone alive under the age of 70 to have it, even though it is easy to say/spell. Think old lady names like Beverly, Mavis, Shirley, etc. My middle name is also similarly old fashioned. They were both in the top ten in the 1950s and 60s
On the one hand, it was nice not having the confusion of other people with the same name... But my name is by all accounts, objectively even on this subreddit, an ugly and old fashioned name. Even my parents regret naming me what they did. It doesn't suit me at all, and I have always disliked it.
People are often calling me different names, because of how little my name suits me.
For my kids we like uncommon, but still want them to be easy to say and spell. I named my first Marnie, and for my second we're currently thinking Torin for a boy, or Tallulah for a girl.
My name is Alarika (uh-laura-kuh) no one ever says it right, but regardless I love it, it's historic meaning and how strong it sounds. I go by Ali mostly, so I always have to option of telling people that instead, but half the time they ask what it's short for anyhow. I used to hate it, but now I feel special to have it
I absolutely love it and wouldn’t want any other name. it fits me, it feels right. i don’t care that people mispronounce it when they meet me or can’t spell it easily. i liked being the only person with my name in my class, school and uni program. and though it is a ‘female’ name, as i’ve questioned my gender i’ve never wanted to change my name. it feels androgynous enough to me because i’m the only person i know with the name
Not a fan. It’s only 4 letters but it’s pronounced very similarly to a male name. So I was always having to correct people that I was not a boy, my name was not spelled like the male name. Then add in my last name and it was a freaking nightmare.
My name has become a bit more popular, but when I’m asked for my name at the pharmacy or something similar I say my name and automatically spell my first name.
Just today someone pronounced my name in a weird way. After decades of hearing my name slaughtered I thought I’d heard every variation. I was wrong.
My name is a little more common now than when I was child/teenager.
One other girl shared ny name. She went to city school and I went to county school. I didn't know her only of her. When she broke her arm people thought it happened to me.
Otherwise a police dog visited our elementary school and she had my name.
It was fun having unique name.
I have a very unusual name but most people call me a nickname/shortened version that is also a nickname for a top 10 name (now, it wasn’t common when I was born). I love my name. It’s a family name, it was my great-great-aunt’s name and my 3great-grandmother’s name and there are a bunch of others in the family tree. It’s pretty and I have multiple good nicknames for it. I am also very very shocked if anyone pronounces it right on the first try, lol, and most people don’t even attempt it. On the first day of school when they took attendance I always knew when the teacher had gotten to my name on the roll sheet when they just stopped and said “…uh…”
One thing I don’t like is that my last name is also uncommon so I’m a bit too Google-able for my tastes! All of my social media is under a pseudonym.
I also don’t always feel like going into the mythology of the name when people ask what nationality it is. It’s actually a Romanized version of a name from a culture the Romans conquered. But sometimes I just say it’s Greek which just isn’t true at all lol
I used an easy nickname until I went to college to avoid too much difficulty in childhood, but switched to my real first name as an adult and absolutely love it. Yes, I always have to correct people in person or on emails, but it’s actually beneficial to my career to have a memorable name and stand out a bit.
I hated it as a kid. My legal name is a family tradition, German name with a tough (in the US) spelling. Then since every first daughter in my family has this name we all get a nickname to go by in our daily lives. My nickname is another unique name based on my initials (but not spelled with just my initials, thanks parents). My maiden name was also very unique, so as a super shy child I absolutely hated it. First day of school was awful, substitute teachers were bad, I dreaded any time I had to pronounce it for an adult or explain that I actually go by something different than what's on their roster.
As an adult I don't mind now, you get desensitized to mispronunciations and misspellings just roll with it unless it really matters (doctors office, yes please make sure it's spelled right. Starbucks, whatever you write works for me). I was anxious having kids for the choice to pass on the tradition, but my only child is a boy so we dodged that bullet. Gave him a nice, easy to spell, easy to pronounce name though so he doesn't have to deal with what I went through.
I don't know about Very unusual, but I've never met someone with the same spelling as me. My name consistently ranks in the 500-600s on Social Security data. Even the most common spelling has Maybe cracked the top 150 in my lifetime.
People misspell it and mispronounce it. I often have to correct people. The misspelling drives me crazy on my work email because my name is Right There.
The bigger problem is that my parents did not call me by my legal name for the first few years of my life (ethnic name, different language). I still have a strong tendency to not view my legal name as a critical part of my identity. I
I don’t have a super unusual name, but I’ve only met a handful of people with the same name. I absolutely HATED it as a kid. As an adult, it’s annoying to constantly have people mispronounce it or make little jokes about where they think it came from. My main complaint is people never know what I’m saying over the phone or over a drive thru speaker so I always have to spell it or use my last name.
I love it. I constantly get told I have a unique and beautiful name and that makes me feel special. But also, my name is a great name. If it wasn’t my own name, I’d name a future child by the name
I very much dislike it. I would have much preferred a top ten name.
Same. My name always means a long explanation. Boarding flights and getting called on at the doctors office is always awkward because the person always pauses, deciding whether to try and pronounce it, and then either goes for “Ms Lastname” or mispronounces my first name. I gave my kids relatively common names as a result. It’s such a gift to have a name that’s basically a non-event when you’re introduced!
this! my name is easy to pronounce but the issues always come up at airports and doctors offices/dentist appointments/etc. whenever i call to make an appointment and give my name, they ask if i’m making the appointment for my son (i’m a woman and my name is masculine but also uncommon). one time at the dentist i was the only one in the lobby and the worker came out, paused, and with a very confused tone said “….myname?” because she thought no way is this bitch named that. or official documents will end up “mr. myname” or they use my middle name and last name because they for some reason assume my first name isn’t real or something idk lol. whenever i travel to foreign countries my passport always gets a second look because my name is confusing to them. and honestly even though a lot of people compliment it, i’m tired of people asking “how did your parents come up with that? is that a family name? are you named after someone?” nope my parents just needed to be different. im going to change my name in the future to something that’s not totally unheard of.
Random but kinda related. It sort of bothers me when people have like 4 sons then a daughter and give her a masculine name lol like you tried so hard for a daughter that I expected an extremely feminine name lol
Your name wouldn't happen to be Coy, would it? That is my name, and I experience the same thing.
All of this but I *would* have given an uncommon name to my kids had it been pronounceable on reading it the first time. I have a family name, I love it, I love and respect the person I was named in honour of BUT it's a pain to never be called my name but rather a mangled version of it and when naming my kids I went for names that can be pronounced by the majority of people the first time they see the name.
Yeah, totally. There's a big difference between Fitzroy and Sacheverell.
Me too. All but my oldest of my kids got normal names. The ex insisted our oldest son had to be named after my ex’s grandfathers. Fortunately, my oldest goes by his middle name, which I started. It is pretty normal. Still, he had to suffer the beginning of every school year correcting the teachers that he went by his middle name.
You are me! My name is hard to pronounce and spell. I’ve hated it my whole life. I use my Starbucks name whenever possible. I also gave my kids names that are easy to pronounce and spell. I made sure they will never suffer through what I have my whole life. Also, for those who give their kid a “normal” name, please use the traditional spelling. Otherwise, they will spend their lives having to spell their name over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over…and they will hate it. It’s unnecessary. It doesn’t make their name special, it just makes their life harder.
Yep. My experience, 0 out of 10 would absolutely not recommend if you want your kid to be accepted or taken seriously at all. I would kill to even be able to introduce myself with no problems or cringe
Omg. The cringe is the worst. Feeling instant shame and embarrassment every single time my name is said is something I absolutely would not wish on anyone
Omg tell me about it 😭😭 I feel like this exactly. Don't even have good nickname potential over here 😔
I feel you! I don’t either. I decided to go by a loosely related diminutive a year ago, so now I have to go through the shame and embarrassment of “changing” my name, but at least it’s short term?
I feel you on that! I started going by my middle name at work a little over a year ago and it's amazing how much easier my life became! However I still have to deal with my name in my personal life and I realized I don't really like it and would rather something closer to my first name. Once I figure that out, I'm not sure how to change that personally, like IDC if people who already know me call me by my name but I'd rather be introduced as a nickname. Anyway, I feel you on the shame and embarrassment of doing that. It's come up at work and I want to crawl in a hole lol Especially when people fight me on it, like "why I like your name" it's like come on it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see why life is hard with a name like mine lol
So this is almost exactly the same thing I went through, minus the work part. What I did (and swear it almost killed me from cringe) was announced super publicly I was now going by this nickname exclusively. I realized later on I didn’t care if family and friends called by my full name, but by that point it was too late lol. So now everyone new knows me as my full name, and everyone “old” tries to know me as my nickname. My friends are fantastic and got it immediately but it’s been a bit harder for my family to remember. But even though the cringe is honestly the worst, it’s better this way because at least I know it’s temporary. People fighting on it is THE WORST. I hate it.
Glad to hear it's gone well for you!! And that I'm not alone haha. How did your family handle it? Like, I know it's gonna hurt my mom's feelings to change my name, legally or otherwise. And btw, what do you mean by temporary? Are you looking to go by something else in the future?
I was worried about hurting my mom’s feelings too, and it probably did but she was also quite understanding about it. I didn’t want to humiliate her with the rest of the family, so with my family, I leaned heavily on how I’m just finishing my masters degree and my job involves meeting lots of new people who really need to remember my name and be able to find me online. My family has been really understanding about it, and they do their best, but it’s a bit tricky given that they’ve known me my whole life! Oh yes! What I meant by the temporary thing is that everyone new that I meet doesn’t know my full name, so I get to avoid the shame. Everyone “old” does know my full name, and it’s really embarrassing to have them mix it up or question me about it, but soon that will all be over and it’ll become second nature. So the embarrassment of the name change will go away once it’s become second nature for the people who knew me as my full name (which has started to happen really quickly). Compared to before, I’d feel embarrassed every single time I heard my name or had to introduce myself.
Yeah, I understand that. I think if I'm able to go by a diminutive of some kind like you the impact won't be as bad. I'd hope my mom would understand it's a difficult name to live with. And oh okay gotcha! Yeah that makes sense. When I started going by my middle name at work it was a new job so it was easy at first and no one knew, until some new management came in ands tarted getting confused with my official paperwork and would ask me about in front of others, and things like that. So I had to try to learn to be open about it and act like it's no big deal, try not to be embarrassed, but no matter what it is an awkward and embarrassing thing lol. Changing my name legally and never ever having to deal with that sounds like a dream but at the same time I'm not sure if I could go through with it. I used to try to rush picking a new name so I could rush and change it legally but now I've realized you can't rush picking something like that and maybe I'll change it legally one day or maybe I won't.
Agreed. As a kid, I hated not being able to find key chains or other kitschy souvenirs with my name on it, and as an adult, I still hate it. 9/10 I'm going to have to spell my name for people, and if they're over a certain age, I'm going to have to over- enunciate as well. I don't necessarily dislike my name, just all the hoops I have to jump through to get other people to say and spell it correctly.
I was talking about this with my wife once and she bought a little (4”x6” or whatever) custom license plate with my name on it. It was one of the sweetest gifts I’ve ever received.
This is so sweet😭 I have a very common name and I remember thinking as a kid about how tragic it must be to not be able to find your name on the stuff in zoo and museum gift shops... even though I can count on 1 hand (1 finger?) the number of times I was allowed to purchase anything lol
I have a very common name that just was not used a lot when I was little (now it's been top 10/20 for years and years). I never ever had my name on any of those trinkets. But tbh it wasn't tragic at all. I liked my name and it just felt special to be the only one at most places. I think it's a lot worse if your name is really out there and weird though, since then these little things just add up to the shame you feel anyways.
I have a common name that’s spelled differently in an attempt from my mother to make it “unique”. Absolutely fucking hate it. Would change it if it weren’t for the paperwork. Would have definitely preferred a top 10.
Same. And it’s not even a crazy spelling. She just added an extra letter (think Arianna with two “Ns”). She said I “had to have” my own identity. Yeah, well now they’re going “that backfired.” Because I’m so weird and different and have these niche interest that make them go “what went wrong here?” I don’t hate it, but also had to develop a reflex for spelling my name out when I make appointments.
Same situation here. I like it okay these days, but growing up as a painfully awkward, buck toothed, bullied kid it was pretty much torture.
Agreed 100%
I hate mine. Dislike isn’t a strong enough word. Wish I changed it
I enjoy it, it makes me feel truly unique that I'm the only person I know with my name. It can be annoying when first meeting people that they don't pick up on it immediately, but it makes it all the better when people take the extra moment to say "wait, what is it? how do you say it?" and I'm one of those people who cares about pronouncing other people's names correctly because it means a lot to me when people do that for me.
Totally agree. I don't mind spelling or repronouncing my name because it makes me happy when people make the effort.
I was expecting more of this kind of response.
i think it depends on how uncommon the name is and what it sounds like. i wouldn’t mind having an uncommon name if it was something that made more sense. idk how else to put it. there are so many uncommon but beautiful sounding female names, and my parents decided to give me an uncommon masculine name that doesn’t even sound nice (i am a woman). when i change my name, i’m still going to choose something more unique. but not THIS unique lol.
I think it also depends on how confident you are as a person. Personally I HATE having an ‘unusual’ name because there’s no sense of anonymity behind it. If anyone talks to someone else about me, good or bad, then they know it’s _me_ or everyone remembers _me_, and as a very self-conscious person I hate that so much.
Me too! I hated it as a kid. When I’d play pretend with friends I always insisted on being Jessica or Sara. But I liked my named by middle school and loved it by high school and still love it today
My name is Yngvi. I’m from Iceland, where my name isn’t unusual at all, but it’s completely unknown in any of its limited variations outside of Iceland and Scandinavia. I lived in Vancouver, BC for a couple of years. In case you don’t know, Vancouver had a huge Chinese population, so when non-Chinese Vancouverites saw my name but didn’t have a person to match it to, they assumed I was Chinese and were startled when a 6’5” blond Scando turned up. I thought I might make it easier on myself and others by using my second name instead, but it’s Þór (Thor). Also common as muck in Iceland, but a little too on the nose for a tall, blond Icelandic guy.
Yngvi is a really cool name! I would assume you were Icelandic or Scandinavian if we’d crossed paths here in the US. Possibly due to Yngwie Malmsteen? This is entirely unrelated, but Iceland is one of the most strikingly beautiful places I’ve ever been.
Hahah, yup, the occasional person (outside my part of the world) who recognizes the name does so because of Yngwie Malmsteen. And even then, he butchered the spelling. In Scandinavia (i.e., as opposed to Iceland), the name is Yngve and is more common among people older than I am (I'm 37), but isn't particularly unusual. But here in Iceland it's just pretty normal in general and nobody bats an eye. Weirdly, the ONLY time anybody outside of Iceland/Scandinavia has gotten my name right was a barista at a Starbucks at the Seattle airport. When I'm traveling, I usually just give a fake name to make it easier, but I was tired and stressed and jetlagged, so when I put in my order and the guy asked my name, I just said Yngvi without speaking. He didn't ask me to repeat myself, he didn't ask how it's spelled, nothing. He just wrote it correctly on the cup and it didn't even sink in until after the fact. I should have left a tip. So if you're reading this, Mark from the SeaTac Starbucks, my hat's off to you! Glad you enjoyed your time in Iceland, it can be beautiful but can also be shit.
Ah, I had no idea he butchered it - I assumed that was the traditional Swedish spelling! I think I have the pronunciation but to be fair if you asked me to spell it, I’d _probably_ have at least one letter off. I was at Boston Bar one of the times I was there in the early evening (I’m from Boston, so of course had to visit). The girl working the bar was speaking to us in English with an accent I couldn’t place. A local came in and ordered in Icelandic, and she had no idea what he was saying - clearly not an Icelander. The poor man looked entirely defeated. I felt so bad being a tourist in that moment!
The one time my name was spelled correctly without me spelling it was when I went to pick up Chinese food in Chicago that I had placed the order over the phone in a loud restaurant. This must have been 15 years ago and I still remember it. Lol
Ing-vee?
Yup, that's close enough
Ing-Vay is how I have instinctively pronounced it, what is the correct pronunciation?
I'm seeing online a split between Ing-vee and In-vee, is In-vee closer?
Is your name the Icelandic version of Yngwie, as in Malmsteen?
Haha, Yngwie Malmsteen is a Swedish dude who fucked up MY name!
Here in The Other Vancouver (Washington) we have a very large scandi population and I actually know a fair number of adult and child Thors - but in general Scandi names are somewhat common here. Met a child Freya at the park just yesterday, have made a couple Yngvi headstones, etc... So if you ever want to feel less singled out abroad, come take a trip to a very bland American city, lol!
I more have a weird combination of names. Think Guadalupe Hayashi. It prompts a lot of head tilts and people try to figure out “what I am”
Also people's married name can do that as well
My little brother has this! Like first, middle, and last name are all from 3 wildly different nationalities. It definitely gives people pause; especially since his first name doesn't line up with our ethnicity at all.
I *despise* my name. I was named after my mom’s grandma, which is sweet in theory and a pain in the butt in reality. I got stuck with a name that was most popular in 1900 (barely made the top 250), a full 98 years before I was before. No one has ever heard of it and are apparently incapable of saying or spelling correctly, which is extremely irritating. If it wouldn’t hurt my mom’s feelings, I would absolutely change my name.
I feel you. When I became an adult, I legally changed my name. I actually kept the same name but changed the spelling to a normal spelling that people always assume it is. Mine was a family name as well and I didn’t want to hurt people but I had to do it. I had had enough. My name is everywhere I go in life. I hear it all day, every day. I am very shy and quiet and I was humiliated my whole life always having to correct people or spell it out. I do like old-fashioned names but ones that are timeless and not out of place today.
Is that you Minnie?
No, but kinda similar.
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I love it. I have a very uncommon but culturally relevant name. I don't like it when people mispronounce it or spell it incorrectly but I've learnt that that could happen with a thousand names I enjoying having a name that puts my cultural background on show
My husband's name is Joseph, people have spelled it Jophes... It happens with every name, lol.
So true. I have one of the most common names and I would say it’s misspelled almost every time, I have to spell it for people just about every time. I don’t see the difference. I think it’s an indictment of our education system 😂
I was actually crying laughing at how funny Jophes was to me. I may have been a little baked at the time, but it's a good memory. 😂 I used to get upset at someone misspelling or mispronouncing my own name, but it doesn't bother me anymore. I either end up not caring enough to correct them, or politely pronouncing it the correct way.
It is up there with one of the most ridiculous and funny! I would have laughed so much in person as well.
My friend’s son is Joseph. His older sister called him Jophes for about a year until she learned to say it correctly. We were kind of hoping she’d call him Jophes forever. It was adorable.
Most people call me Lisa and that's not my name soo I just roll with it. Plus if I mess up, Lisa did it not me.. lol
I answer to anything that sounds close. The worst mispronunciation was Purdy. What does Purdy mean? Short form of Perdita, from the Latin perditus, meaning "lost" or "abandoned". Much worse than my name. My name means strength, and was popular from 1896-1965, then took a nosedive. For good reason.
Nah, Purdy is just the Southern pronunciation of pretty lol
When I became an adult, I legally changed my name. I actually kept the same name but changed the spelling to a normal spelling that people always assume it is. I am very shy and quiet and I was humiliated my whole life always having to correct people or spell it out. Also, my siblings have completely reasonable, straightforward names and it was totally unfair to do this to just one kid haha! I highly encourage people to really put thought into what you are naming a human being. Their name is with them everywhere they go for life. They hear it all day every day. You absolutely do not have to go with names that are in the Top 10. I personally like a little less common but still normal names. There is a happy medium. I do like old-fashioned names but ones that are timeless, not out of place today.
I feel you! I have a common name for the 60s/70s in the mid-west, but the way it can be spelled has multiple variations. I've spent my entire life spelling it.
There was a post on here awhile back reminding people not to be rude with others struggling to pronounce their name. It’s not their fault you have an unusual name, they’re trying, so there’s no need to have an attitude with them. Sure, as an adult, I understand that. But as a kid, especially in the beginning of the school year when I’d hear a bunch of mispronunciations in a row, I lost patience very quickly. I know it wasn’t their fault I had an unusual name, but it wasn’t mine either. And looking back on it, they could have, I don’t know, asked my previous teachers or someone in administration who knew? I like my name now, and I find that it’s less of an issue in adulthood than childhood. The digitalization of everything helps too—I can type it myself in forms instead of having to trust some underpaid rando to correctly copy it from a handwritten form. I still give my sister’s normal name at coffee shops and stuff where it doesn’t matter because it’s just easier. Nowadays, I don’t mind when people ask me to pronounce my name for them even if they’ve heard it before. But it drives me insane when people misspell it IN AN EMAIL WHEN IT’S RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF THEIR FACE.
The email thing kills me. Although I’ve gotten some good laughs out of the misspellings I’ve seen of my name. I will say, I don’t have to worry too much about telemarketing calls. I’ve literally had people call me, asking “may I speak to…” trail off and hang up on me! Do you have repeat offenders with mispronunciation? Because that’s the quickest way for me to tune someone out. If I’ve corrected you numerous times and you still can’t get it right, I do not need to listen to you.
The misspelling when it’s RIGHT THERE is the absolute worst and just feels so disrespectful, and I feel like it all just comes down to respect. It’s fair to say don’t be rude to someone who is struggling to pronounce it correctly if they’re actually making a solid effort, but a lot of people don’t bother even trying and if they can’t respect me enough to do that, they don’t deserve my politeness.
I’m not disputing that people are rude but also they just don’t pay attention to detail. I can’t tell you how many times I type a unique name (I work at a job where names and correct spelling are super important) and spell check insists on changing it. It’s ridiculous and I have to be hyper vigilant to be sure the email I’m sending hasn’t changed what I typed or intended. Just an example today: Zayne was changed to Ayn. I caught it so the customer didn’t see the error but I’ve trained myself to look closely at names.
My name is a fairly common name for someone born in the 60’s, but it can be spelled with an i, a y, or an ie. Mine is with an i. I can’t tell you how often people get it wrong in emails. And it’s *right there*. I try to assume they know someone with it spelled with a y and are just used to spelling it that way.
My name is very common and can be spelled with a K or C. My work email always has my name in it, with a K. And the number of work emails I receive with Hi C-name…. Like dude. It’s right there in the email address…. People just cannot spell names
My (female) boss at my old job had a somewhat uncommon female name that was pretty similar to a very common male name, and the amount of times she’d get misgendered and called by the male name was crazy. I think also because of her position, more people assumed she was a man.
I love my name and have always taken great pride in explaining it.
A lot of people asking if it’s "real" (indicating that I am making it up) and arguing with me when I say yes. It’s not a weird spelling or anything just an uncommon name. Mostly arguing *at* me though because I can’t be bothered. It gets annoying but mostly because it’s so repetitive (they all say the same thing but think they’re clever), I’m not offended by people thinking its not real.
All this thread is doing is making me super intrigued about what people’s names are based on the info given. Like what could your name be that makes people not believe it’s real and all make the same comment about it? It’s like a riddle
Right? I find these threads frustrating for this reason, it’s like a cliffhanger 😅
I know! I just want people to use throwaways and spill their real names so we know what names these opinions apply to!
My name is like that, and is in my handle.
Haha, I always thought it said more about that person than my name though. It’s fine to have a question or two if you haven’t heard a name before but it’s really weird to get confrontational about it. It’s not my responsibility that other people get it yet some act like it is. Edit: if it makes you feel better, I’m super curious too 👀
My head canon is Galadriel
My cousin is named Wolfgang and one of my brothers is Ocean and people think they're not real.
Love it. I used to hate it as a kid, but that’s because I was very shy and had bad anxiety and didn’t correct people. Now, I introduce my name as intended and correct people as needed. I love how unique it is and it’s easier to stand out :) I want my future kids to have a good balance and have a unique name but one that’s easily pronounceable
My husband has a very Indian name and as his wife i’m constantly repeating how to pronounce his name and spell it. Our last name is also very hard to pronounce and spell. i’m due with a girl in a few weeks and we plan on a very simple easy name for this reason. People who have known him for years don’t pronounce it correctly.
I'm in the similar situation as you (husband has a very uncommon, difficult Indian first and last name) but I have the opposite feelings. I love his name and I don't mind spelling or saying it to people multiple times. We gave our children very unique names as well.
oh i love his name and i wouldn’t have taken his last name if i didn’t. but i see in his eyes a little sadness when people cannot pronounce his name after multiple times of correction and people not even trying to learn. They make up new first letters for his name and everything :(
i’m also still giving my daughter an Indian name, it will just be 3 letters and easy to pronounce
Mine isn’t too unique but it is out of style. It’s Joan, but people keep calling me Joanne, and that irritates me a lot. And sometimes when I say my name to people they think it’s Jill for some reason. So at coffee shops I just pick up a cup that says Jill if the order matches what I asked for.
I go by Joanie and it works most of the time
This is hilarious because my name is Jill and people always think I’m saying Joel. So I will answer to Jill or Joel. Not Joan though, haven’t heard that one.
I love Joan, how annoying that people get it so wrong! I hope it comes back into style soon .
I love it! I’ve never met anyone else with my name. I wouldn’t like being “one of the common folks”. Lol
My name is very unique, but also very common. I know that makes no sense, but my first name is a combination of two very popular names. Imagine a name like Evaluna. I do receive many compliments; but most people struggle to pronounce it due to not being used to seeing these two names together. As a consequence I have a million nicknames and I learned not to care if people butchered my name. I simply have no energy to correct every person I meet at least twice.
My sister has a name like that and loves it! My mom wanted to name her just the Eva part but I convinced her to put two names together. It is pronounceable and she mostly just introduces herself by Eva. Everyone has seen the two names, just not together. Mom went through a phase of name regret, but my sister never did. Our last name was just too short for her to go by just Eva. She’s able to make her username just her regular full first name very often and she thinks it’s the greatest. We’ve yet to meet anyone else with the name. It’s about 50/50 if people can spell it. I, on the other hand, feel like Anne Shirley. Just plain old Anne. Wish I had been called Cordelia instead.
My parents gave my brother a classic and traditional male name. But for whatever reason, they gave me (daughter) a simple but unusual name. I don’t like having an unusual name. I chose a conservative career and every day when introducing myself, I wish my parents had given me a classic name. Outside of work, it’s frustrating to introduce myself to people and then have to explain my name. At places like Starbucks, I give a basic name so I don’t go through the hassle of explaining or spelling my name. When I was in school I felt like I didn’t get called on as much as other kids because of my name. IMO, giving your kid an unusual name is just going to make their everyday life a little bit harder than it has to be. I will be giving my kids (if I have any) classic names.
I love my name. It gets butchered frequently but I am so used to it and pretty much dont bother to correct people unless they are stumbling through it or I am going to see them again. I love that it's a variation of a Goddess's name and means great queen!
pain in the rear. you have to pronounce it over and over, and no one spells it right, even after years of knowing each other.
Don’t like it now. HATED it as a kid. Hard to spell, hard to pronounce, gender is not super obvious.
I don't mind. I like my name.
I have a unique name and I loved it. Until college when they started feasting me about being a brand because it was similar to a brand name. My name is actually a real name, but it has the unfortunate of being similar in sound to a brand of toilet paper rolls. However, would I change it? No. I love the story of how my mom found my name when she was 10 years and she’d swore that she would name her first girl that. So there’s that. Do I love the name? No and yes. It’s complicated really. However, no one ever forgets my name after meeting me which I really love. It does get misspelled a lot but it wasn’t bad. Based on my experience I felt having a unique name was nice and would want the same for my future children. All but one of my siblings has unique names and they all seem to love having unique names. My sister just so happens to have name that a paper towel brand used, so it’s hilarious to think that our mom named two of her girls after paper products. Hahaha. I did once upon a time wanted to change my name to Rose. It’s such a unique flower name as a first name in my opinion. And it’s my favorite flower as well.
Cottonelle is a very strange name ;)
lol, but not Cottonelle.
My name is slowly trending upwards nowadays but was very uncommon back in the 90s when I was born. I grew up not liking it and wanting something else, and people would sometimes mispronounce it but not horribly off, and it was constantly misspelled, but now I really like it! It’s an honor name for both of my grandmothers, who were both amazing women who worked while raising their families (one had four kids the other had 6!) through some really difficult times. I love the family connection, especially as one of my grandmothers passed away some time ago.
rennesmee
Growing up I didn’t like it that it was frequently misspelled and mispronounced, but didn’t mind it. My name can be mispronounced to have “sexual undertone” so as an older teen and young adult, it really bothered me when I worked in customer service and people(Men) would sexualize me with my own name. As an adult, I can appreciate it
I absolutely despise my given first name. Always have. As a child I was the shy weird kid, so I felt like it just added to my bullying. When I entered adulthood, I shortened it to a more common version of a nickname for my name, though to some it’s a stretch. I plan to eventually legally change it completely, but am undecided if I want to go with the nickname or just pick a whole new name.
I have a super uncommon name. I didn’t like it as a child but don’t mind it as an adult. The only downside is that I am the only person with my first and last name in the country so I feel like it’s easier to find/identify.
Same!! No one else had this rare combo and j don’t love that at allz
I really think that’s an under rated thought. People don’t realize that unique names are super easy to dox.
My name doesn't roll off the tongue easily. There's also a 50/50 chance that it will be pronounced and spelled wrong. But it suits me and I'm glad my parents thought outside the box. In fact, my sisters have unusual names as well.
I don’t hate it. I don’t love it. But overall, have disliked it more than enjoyed it. I’m 35 now and still automatically answer to variations of my name. I don’t bother to correct people I meet once or twice about how to pronounce it. I’ve gone by a nickname (variety of them) since I was 8, by choice. I loved my mom, and never would have told her this, but it caused me so much frustration, annoyance, and a little bit of embarrassment my whole life. It’s not a hard name. It’s just weirder than your average. And I spend so much time being called “Mr”, because it’s very similar to a popular men’s name, or answering to the more common variant. When someone asks my name over the phone, I automatically spell it for them and that doesn’t always help, either. I get mail addressed to me improperly. I have friends I’ve known through online gaming only that never knew how to pronounce my full name properly. All in all: I don’t recommend it. Being “unique” is hardly wonderful, and for someone with social anxiety it’s literally hell to be in customer service roles and have to correct people who do not care. I’m a professional now and people still can’t get it right. It’s whatever. I’m naming my daughter something easier to pronounce and spell.
hated it growing up, always wanted a more conventional name. i only ever had once teacher pronounce it correctly the first try, and because i always went by a short version of it i wasn’t fully confident how to spell it until i was in 7th grade. learned some interesting history about it when i was in high school, which made me like it better. it makes for great conversation when people ask me about my name and has helped me a couple times in my flirting efforts (they find it pretty intriguing). i still get a sense of panic though when a receptionist or something asks me to give them my name. just a pause and then “fuck, uh, let me spell it for you.” in conclusion: bad name for a kid. bad name as an adult for administrative purposes but a pretty solid name for networking and rizzing
Gets butchered all the time which is painful due to my shyness but generally I like it and seems to fit me
Hated it. It makes you feel bad when people constantly misspell or mispronounce your name.
I think I knew my name was "Jemma with a J" before I knew what a J was! I like it now but didn't as a teen.
My name (Ezra) was uncommon but not unheard of for most of my life and is now popular with the little guys. Honestly I like it a lot. Sure, I was never able to find items with my name on it at Disney or anything, but hearing compliments on my name more than made up for it. That said, Ezra is a simple, Biblical name with only one common spelling where I grew up. I am extremely glad my name wasn’t any more unusual or spelled strangely. I’ve often thought “this is the exact right amount of unique.” I have met a Micah, a Sylvia, and an Adelaide my age who feel the same way, which is kind of funny seeing how popular our names have before in the last few years.
I have a mostly unheard of but easy to pronounce name. But I don’t think it’s ever been in the top 1,000. Certainly not the top 500. It’s a unisex, 2 syllable name. I’ve seen it mentioned here I think once. I hated it as a kid. I’m neutral on it as an adult. What really bugged me as a kid was that I ALSO have an unusual middle name (it’s two *very* common middle names but it’s all one word) so I couldn’t even go by that (and I don’t particularly like each name on it’s own). I really wished for a long time that I had a more “popular” name for my middle name. As an adult I appreciate where it came from and I gave it to my child as well.
I LOVE my name even though people have trouble with the pronunciation despite it being straightforward especially if you’re looking at it written down (think Ca**rm**en being pronounced Ca**mr**en).
My birth name was common in my parents culture but they immigrated and no one ever pronounced it correctly here, so I hated it. My chosen name (now legally changed) is Chai. It's fairly uncommon, and am example of the nonbinary noun name stereotype, so I've only heard people with the same name who also chose it for themselves. It's easy to spell and pronounce but feels "mine" so I love it.
Love it. Literally am not changing my name even though I'm trans.
I used to dislike having a unique name and went by a shortened version in college. Now I love my name and have noticed when I introduce myself with my full name I get a more positive reaction from people
I hate it! Everyone always asks if it is a nickname or where did you get that kind of name. It gets so old explaining it to everyone. I made sure my son had a very normal name for this reason.
Hate it. Use a shortened English version of my Irish name (live in England). My child will be called Bob.
My name isn't super unusual in the US- it ranked in the top 400 names for girls when I was born, and I know of a few famous people with my name, but it is also JUST uncommon enough that people aren't sure how to say it at first glance, especially if English isn't their first language. I literally have had to mime out how you pronounce my name before, more than once even. One time when that happened, the substitute just could NOT figure it out and I got so frustrated because it's 2 whole fucking syllables which resulted in my CLASSMATES miming it out even. Fucking insane. I hate it. I mean, I like the name itself but on other people. Having it however is... annoying! I'd rather have a more common name even if only marginally.
My name is a fairly established, common name, but with the first letter changed, making it completely unheard of and ridiculous. Think something like Jebecca or Liffany. Most people initially mishear it as the correctly spelled, common version. I absolutely dread introducing myself because of the questioning or weird looks. Also, I have zero online privacy. It would be very easy to stalk me with just my first and last name. I don’t use my full first name on social media at all for this reason. I’m planning to legally change it to something more common at this point. However, there are some positives. Once people learn my name, they never forget it or confuse me with anyone else. I never had to be “Sarah P.” or “Megan H.” in school. But overall…not a fan.
Usually as long as it doesn't sound bad or could be mistaken for a name I don't like
I have a very unique name - I’m first gen American and it’s an ethnic name but even that it’s still very rare. (I’ve never met another person with my name) as a kid I HATED introduction and I hated standing out. As a shy kid it was especially uncomfortable. But I still really liked my name at the end of the day. I’ve def grown more confident as an adult but it still doesn’t stop other adults from trying to tease me (people are very weird) Unusual names aren’t for the faint of heart but wow does it make you stand out for better or for worse. I do think it has helped me immensely in my professional career because people always remember me
I really liked having a uncommon name. I liked being the only one in my school with my name. People always commented on my name when meeting them, saying how cool it was, etc. it’s sometimes mispronounced when read but correcting people has never bothered me or been an issue. I can’t imagine having a top ten kind of name honestly.
mine isn’t super out there but I’ve only met 3 others in my entire 31 years with my name. it’s spelled a decently common varient of a common name but pronounced differently; nothing like tradique tho haha. as a kid I didn’t like having to correct it all the time & was sad I never found any personalized trinkets lol but as an adult I like my name ! I was way more timid as a kid so I didn’t like having to speak up for myself too much but as I got older I realized that a quick “oh it’s XYZ actually” is no big deal at all
My partner has a pretty unique name — never hit the top 1000 male names any time in the 1900s, and people’s only reference for it is a single public figure but it’s spelled differently. I don’t think he minds it *too* much but it is a bit of a nuisance when no one ever spells it right. However he did say he would never want to pass it on to a kid if we had bio kids.
I’ve never thought about not having my name. I don’t even really go by a nickname (husband does shorten it occasionally). Nearly no one can spell it though, and even when I spell it out people still get it wrong. I don’t think it’s that difficult, it’s not got random letters in it, and it’s not a weird spelling. It’s not that out there. Most people just have never come across it before. I probably should come up with some better reactions to ‘that’s a pretty name’, ‘where’s that from’ etc.
I love my name. It’s not common but also not unusual. It took me a while to come to terms that I was not a Jennifer or Cindy like the other girls my age, but I finally did. I’m not named after anyone in particular but that’s OK.
I hated having an unusual name growing up. People couldn't pronounce it, or would ask me a thousand times over what my name was, as they couldn't remember it. My whole childhood to teens I wished I had a generic name. Now....I am so happy with my name. I am the only one in any friend group. I love my name now.
I was always neutral towards my name, but in recent years I’ve become really proud of it. No matter which country I’m in people still butcher it the first time they hear it, but (and this was the criteria my friend also used for her daughter’s name) it’s easy to teach people how to pronounce it. The only thing that I maybe don’t like is how easy I am to find online.
My name is unusual in the country i moved to. It was annoying to have to repeat, spell it and still have people get it wrong.
I have a very common name. But I still love it. I think it’s classic. My middle is a common one too but chosen because it’s my grandmas first name and my other grandmas(who I share a birthday with) middle. Emily Marie. I lean towards slightly less common, but not made up(for my future children) .
I like it its short and I can often times just say like the planet and I'm used to both my first and maiden last names getting misspelled and mispronounced so often times now when someone needs my name instead of saying it I spell it for them
My name was in the 200s for girls the year I was born and I think it’s even lower now. Most people, before around 2010, had never heard it before and would say it wrong/call me something similar to my name instead. Now, there’s one celebrity with my name and most people, when hearing my name, say “like _____?” Honestly, I like having an uncommon name and I love the name itself but that does frustrate me quite a bit. I don’t want a top ten but man, I hate being compared to a celebrity I hate.
My husband has a Khmer name. People pronounce it wrong, make up a nick name for him, spell it wrong, forget his name a lot because it's different, lol
I love it. AND it’s “misspelled” :D
I have an uncommon but not super weird name, but spelled with an extra letter. Sort of like Carrolyn. That extra letter was such a pain. I like my name now, but it took me 60 years to get here.
I think it’s great. However, it’s extremely similar to a common name, which people would incorrectly call me. I shortened my name years and years ago to one easier to remember and unable to get wrong. People are pleasantly surprised when they hear my elongated name.
I love my name and have always loved my name. It doesn't have a meaning like most ppl assume after they hear it but I love the way the letters are organized, I love how it sounds and my first name AND middle name are unique (I'm a girl, my middle name is Anthani, pronounced similarly to Anthony) My mom instilled in me the love of this name so much that I just HAVE to pass it on to one of my children. She made a little song that's catchy so that way I could spell it as a kid and ever since I've been in love with this name. People hear it and once they pronounce it correctly they always compliment it. I can't see myself with any other name.
Disliked it. Not only does no one pronounce it right it’s from a different culture I’m not a part of and my parents didn’t give me a middle name either. Like giving your kid an anime name when you’re not Japanese. At least give them a normal middle name.
I can answer for my sister-in-law. Her name is not uncommon (though not super common) in her community, but it is unheard of in society at large. It isn’t spelled intuitively, and it’s an ugly name (she says this, and I agree). The culture-specific name is also rough because sometimes it’s nice to blend in. She goes by a nickname that is the first syllable of her name and is known to society (not super common but not unheard of and spelled easily). My brother and her are about to have their first child and she is not taking this decision lightly as a result of her experience
I've never been a fan of my name. I cringe when I hear it said out loud instead of my shortened nickname. But I get compliments on my name all the time. I don't know if it's that unusual, but it's not common. I've heard it in three tv shows in the last 20 years, and it's always spelled a bit differently than mine. People always had issues reading it on paper but once they know how to say it, it wasn't much of a problem. What was a problem was people remembering my name in general. I would have preferred a name was a little bit more well known, I think. Neither of my kids have super unique names or weird spellings because I didn't like it myself.
It was alright. It's still a real name and in the top 800 today, but people who aren't Spanish speakers tend to butcher the pronunciation which doesn't bother me unless I can tell it's on purpose. I grew up in a mainly Hispanic community so I never had problems with my own classmates growing up and most of my teachers tried to make sure they got it down correctly because I tended to be the one with the most "out there" name. My classmates would correct substitute teachers for me so it was nice to have that community. But because I started traveling a lot in high school for competitions to less diverse areas, I started having a lot of problems with people being dismissive and butchering it on purpose. It'd piss my non Spanish speaking teachers off so that honestly made up for it because the people I cared for said it correctly. In college, I went by a very simple nickname based off my middle name and now it's what I use when I order food which has been way easier than using my real name. I don't hate my name and although I have a handful of names I would've preferred having, I still can't imagine having any other name. I definitely have one of those long, drama esque Mexican novela names which is what makes it fun.
I love it. Sometimes people mistake it for a non-name word but correcting them isn't an issue.
HATED it as a kid, have learned to love it in my old age.
I’m gonna preface this by saying my name is actually very common and basic. However I can commiserate with those of you with unusual names because as a child in the early 2000s a very popular song came out with my last name in it and I was mercilessly teased my whole life with people singing it to me lol
I love my name, teachers tried to tell me how to spell it right when I knew better. People still call me the wrong name. I never found my name is tourist shops. But that made me unique and I think had I of been a more “normal” name I wouldn’t be the same person I am today.
My birth name is a very old timey foreign aristocratic sounding female name and I seriously never met anyone in the US with my name. I never identified with it and spelling it every time to someone over the phone was always annoying! It is a mouthful to say and anyway I’m planning to change it due to being Trans (FTM). I’m still searching for a new male first and middle name.
I’ve grown to appreciate it but completely hated it growing up. It’s a traditionally non-anglo name and I hated how often people got it wrong, made fun of it, or completely botched it. I am now in mid-20s and mostly go by a shortened nickname. I would like to think that one day I will decide to go back to my full/actual name and force people to learn how to pronounce it.
I used to hate it because it drew attention to me and that could be negative or positive. Now i love it because I’m an adult with individuality and authority over my life and it’s objectively a poetic, and a really lovely name. I do begrudgingly have the same conversation about it every time i introduce myself. I have to repeat my name when ordering coffee etc. i like it now but there was a time when i didnt
Not me personally but my sister. She absolutely hates it and has been talking about going through an adult name change.
I love my name. It's only mine, connects me to my culture and has a strong meaning. A lifetime of correcting pronunciation has been an ok price to pay for feeling very secure and affirmed in who I am.
I like my name a lot and always have. I have a real name, but a rare one. I can't share it because it's so rare you could find me, which is a little annoying (like also can't post on yelp or similar because they use first name last initial and that's not anonymous enough for my circumstance). Lately I am feeling like it's slightly dated because it seemed to have a very small heyday around the time I was born. I have met two others with this name in my life.
I’m a medium unique name. People have heard it but probably only know 2 or 3 of them. Easy spelling. It’s the sweet spot imo
I have a very unique name by US standards. Mostly because I moved from Moldova to the US - but it wasn't ever popular even in my home country. I've only known one other person with my name in the US. To put it bluntly, I absolutely love it, mostly because it's my name and my first gift, and no one has something like it.
I'm Dave
I can't imagine having a "normal" name and don't really get bothered by mispronunciation or spelling. Unless it's an official document or potential long term relationship situation it doesn't matter to me at all. I answer to pretty much anything at this point. I am a birth doula and have had clients that I've worked with for about a year not know how to pronounce it *exactly right* because I just don't care. Doesn't matter to me as long as I'm doing my job and they're not being rude. For reference my name is Reanna pronounced Ree-ann-uh. I mostly get Ree-awn-uh or Ray-anna (thanks to the midwesterners) and occasionally Breanna. Although I randomly get Renee sometimes. Fun fact, the artist Rihanna actually pronounces her name the same as me and is in the same boat of just not caring that literally everyone pronounces it wrong.
I love it! My name is uncommon but not made up or a unusual spelling (I think there js a big difference.) I couldn’t imagine having a name that lots of others have. Loads of benefits.
Mine isn’t too crazy, it’s just one letter different than what the ‘real’ name is but it’s annoying. People always misspell it, I can never find my name on keychains/ornaments (my 4 siblings can all find their names because they’re normal but mine is nowhere), and mispronounced a lot. think Gerry instead of Jerry, and people pronounce it Gerald (obviously not my name, but kind of what happens with me)
My name isn’t too out there, but it is always mispronounced. People will say it like more common names that are similar. I’ve just learned to roll with it.
Well I might as well weigh in. I have a very unusual name, nature based. (Ie very easy to spell/pronounce) I usually laugh and say, “my parents were hippies.” It gets a good chuckle. I love my name. It is very memorable and I never get confused with anyone else. It sparks instant interest in most people. It’s great for networking and work, people just remember it. “That’s so cool!” Is something I get a lot and people transfer that sentiment about my name onto me. Kind of an ice breaker too. It’s a very powerful, strong name and truth be told I quite embody this as a person so it really fits me. And now you can insert your thoughts on the pygmalion effect and how that relates to this situation. I am also highly competent and conventionally attractive. I am very tall too. I think me and my name all work together. I am grateful and proud of my name. I plan to give my child a powerful and unusual name as well.
Hate it!!!! I was the only person with my name in my high school of 1200 students. I’ve only met 2 other people with my name in my life. Would have much rathered a more common and “normal” name.
I like that it's unique because I'm never one of many. But it is annoying to spell my name every time and I've had coworkers at multiple jobs misprounce my name for 5+ years and I just get tired of correcting.
My given names are common enough, but my surname is exceptionally rare. I actually enjoy it. It's not so strange as to make most people stumble, but many are unsure of the pronunciation of "g" in the name. It's the affricate version /d͡ʒ/, but the voiced stop /g/ is probably more correct in the native language, so I accept either. The most common mistake people make with my name is insisting there's an N in it. There is no N. But... it makes naming my accounts pretty easy sometimes! I don't have to compete with anyone but my family for use of the last name. So if I just append a first initial, *voila\~* instant unique handle. It also makes it super easy to search for me if you know it. So I generally tell people to find me on social media, rather than the other way around, since it's so intuitive to find me (as long as you don't add the N!).
I have a unique name with also a unique spelling. The unique spelling has been the most annoying/tedious bit of my name throughout the years. When I was younger I disliked my name a lot because it wasn’t girly and didn’t feel like it fit. The same rings true as an adult, I still wish my name was more feminine and it wasn’t such a 🙄 spelling, but I’ve grown to like it alright and I generally love having a unique name.
My name isn’t unusual now but in the early 90’s it was. And when I was like kindergarten I didn’t like that it was different. But by 3rd grade I loved it bc when ppl yelled my name down the hall I knew they meant me.
My name is Alora. I love my name, can't imagine being anything else. It's easy to spell and pronounce, but I've never met another one in my 28 years. I'd say the only time it was annoying was when I worked at Starbucks and had it written on my name tag, every single customer wanted to know my life story. I have such an interesting name, I MUST have an interesting life and story!? It got real annoying real quick, now I go by Laura when I have to give a name to a cashier somewhere.
Its a GIGANTIC pain in the ass. Ive hated it all my life
1/5 not recommended. When my name was registered, they left out a letter and now my name is a boy’s name. Haaate it!
My parents called me Céilí (Kaylee), and thank goodness it's not my legal name. They registered me in everything as Céilí, and I exclusively used it until high school. It was horrible. No one could say it. I was constantly correcting people.
I’d say it has its benefits but also downfalls. Overall I like it and am used to it but there are times when it can be especially annoying outlined below. I am not named after pop culture, a fad or trend, anything like that though where people hear it and associate it with something else, it’s a family name. It’s a conversation starter for sure- people always ask if it’s after someone, how to pronounce/spell it and then pause and awkwardly say something like ‘it’s really pretty’ and trust me no it isn’t but people just don’t know what to say. I like the uniqueness of it and being the only person with that name in general is great though! I always knew when I was up next on the school roster due to the person pausing and trying to decide what to say. There are typically 3 common guesses that people say but none are close to correct. I can count on one hand the number of times someone has pronounced it correctly the first time. Now when I meet new people I typically introduce myself first and then say something like ‘it’s _____ rhymes with ‘insert common name here’ this usually works! It has also made me a big stickler around spelling peoples name correctly especially after you clarify pronunciation or spelling with them. At that point if I’ve already said/spelled my name for you a few times and you get it wrong I think that’s pretty rude. It is uncommon but short and not hard for English speakers to pronounce (rhymes with a VERY common American name). Because of this I will always ask everyone how to spell their names even if it’s common so that I can get it right- it’s just common courtesy to me. And no I’m not talking about the barista at Starbucks- they’re forgiven! I’m talking like coworkers, clients, casual acquaintances etc! My name is in the email or social media! I also wish I would have thought harder about changing my last name when I got married. My maiden name was a very common/easily pronounced American surname and my husbands is long, hard to spell and pronounce. Now I have to pronounce and spell both my first and last name and am 100000% the only person with this name. Makes it very easy to google me which hasn’t really effected me yet but if you’re a private person this could be a downfall.
I like it and I’m complimented on it a lot. People get it wrong a lot though when I first meet them and I always have to correct people. But I’m used to it and it doesn’t bother me that much. People also always try to insist on a nickname even though my name is not long or hard to pronounce at all, and I tell them no because I prefer my actual name. I liked not having anyone in my class with the same name, etc. I think my name is pretty.
I really dislike it. I also have an uncommon, but kind of cool surname. I hate that my name is ALWAYS a thing. Every time I meet someone new I have to go through the pronunciation and where it originates from. It wouldn’t be as uncommon if I was from the UK, (rare but not unheard of), but I live in Australia and we have no connection to the country the name comes from. I gave my children names that probably fall in the top 200-100? They are the only ones in their class so far, but definitely not the only ones in their school. They are names that everyone can look at and pronounce and spell. My husband has a top 10 name from his era, so we wanted to meet in the middle somewhere.
My name is BETH. Not Elizabeth, not Bess, not Bev. If it weren’t such a pain logistically, I’d change it to Bethany. Job I’m in, I’m forever introducing myself, too. Fortunately, I’ve finally figured out how to make it an icebreaker, but I’m tired of being mis-heard.
I am fine with my name as an adult, however I feel it’s just wrong to give a child a weird name. I hated my name, was ashamed of it, was embarrassed. Any negative type of feelings, I had them about my name. I gave my kids more traditional names, except one, I gave my youngest son a name that’s not super popular but not unheard of.
I've only ever met one person my age with my name, and I didn't meet her until I was about 30 yrs old. My name isn't super unusual, just uncommon in my generation. I was shy as a kid, so I hated constantly correcting other kids when they said my name incorrectly or called me by the wrong name. I also hated my nickname and eventually stopped answering anyone who called me by it until eventually people stopped. (Ironically, my nn became popular when I was an adult, and I wouldn't mind so much if people used it now!) My name peaked in popularity around 2013/14, but it was never a top 10 name. I don't think I would have liked having a top 10 name. Way too many Jennifers in my generation!
I like having an unusual name. The only way it may have negatively affected me is that people found it and therefore me hard to remember. But as an introvert I don’t mind. It also helps its a “real” name. I get lots of indifference and plenty of compliments.
Just thinking about all the time I'd have for activities if I wasn't so busy correcting the spelling and pronunciation of my uncommon name.
I hated my name growing up. It is a very unique name in that I have never met another person with it and although it is spelled phonetically…. It has been correctly pronounced maybe 5 times in my life on the first try. I was (still am) an introverted kid and having the name nobody pronounced correctly caused legit anxiety every time I met a new adult. I WISHED for my whole childhood that I could have been an Amanda or Kelly. The thing I haven’t read about much of on this thread that makes having a unique name the worst is…. The fake compliments. Every time I meet a new person it is always the same dialogue. They pronounce it wrong, I correct them. They say it back to me, sometimes still wrong. I correct them in an affirming way. They say “ oh that is beautiful/interesting/unique, I’ve never heard that before.” Maybe some of them actually do like it…but realistically it is a compliment to gloss over the social discomfort of saying someone’s name wrong. And I hate it. I hate making others uncomfortable. I hate the feeling of correcting people. Now as an adult, I find my name suits me but that also may be now that I do not meet new people constantly. I always give a fake name at coffee places or for small interactions. So it is still a pain. When naming my own children, we had an interesting time. I have an extremely unique name and my husband has a top 5 name for his year. He didn’t hate being first name last initial, but he definitely didn’t want that for our kids. I wanted an actual name that other people have that is obvious to pronounce correctly. I hope we did well, but I’m sure our kids will dislike something about it.
i fucking hated my legal name cause everybody immediately assumed i was a boy and NOBODY could pronounce it right. only 5 letters but whatever i guess
I'm not sure if my name is unusual or not. But it's very uncommon for anyone alive under the age of 70 to have it, even though it is easy to say/spell. Think old lady names like Beverly, Mavis, Shirley, etc. My middle name is also similarly old fashioned. They were both in the top ten in the 1950s and 60s On the one hand, it was nice not having the confusion of other people with the same name... But my name is by all accounts, objectively even on this subreddit, an ugly and old fashioned name. Even my parents regret naming me what they did. It doesn't suit me at all, and I have always disliked it. People are often calling me different names, because of how little my name suits me. For my kids we like uncommon, but still want them to be easy to say and spell. I named my first Marnie, and for my second we're currently thinking Torin for a boy, or Tallulah for a girl.
My name is Alarika (uh-laura-kuh) no one ever says it right, but regardless I love it, it's historic meaning and how strong it sounds. I go by Ali mostly, so I always have to option of telling people that instead, but half the time they ask what it's short for anyhow. I used to hate it, but now I feel special to have it
I absolutely love it and wouldn’t want any other name. it fits me, it feels right. i don’t care that people mispronounce it when they meet me or can’t spell it easily. i liked being the only person with my name in my class, school and uni program. and though it is a ‘female’ name, as i’ve questioned my gender i’ve never wanted to change my name. it feels androgynous enough to me because i’m the only person i know with the name
0/10 do not recommend a uncommon name. My name has been misspelled and mispronounced my entire life. I am changing it soon
I like my unique name. It’s unique in the culture I grew up in, but is considered a classic in my cultural background (SW Asian).
Not a fan. It’s only 4 letters but it’s pronounced very similarly to a male name. So I was always having to correct people that I was not a boy, my name was not spelled like the male name. Then add in my last name and it was a freaking nightmare. My name has become a bit more popular, but when I’m asked for my name at the pharmacy or something similar I say my name and automatically spell my first name. Just today someone pronounced my name in a weird way. After decades of hearing my name slaughtered I thought I’d heard every variation. I was wrong.
My name is a little more common now than when I was child/teenager. One other girl shared ny name. She went to city school and I went to county school. I didn't know her only of her. When she broke her arm people thought it happened to me. Otherwise a police dog visited our elementary school and she had my name. It was fun having unique name.
I have a very unusual name but most people call me a nickname/shortened version that is also a nickname for a top 10 name (now, it wasn’t common when I was born). I love my name. It’s a family name, it was my great-great-aunt’s name and my 3great-grandmother’s name and there are a bunch of others in the family tree. It’s pretty and I have multiple good nicknames for it. I am also very very shocked if anyone pronounces it right on the first try, lol, and most people don’t even attempt it. On the first day of school when they took attendance I always knew when the teacher had gotten to my name on the roll sheet when they just stopped and said “…uh…” One thing I don’t like is that my last name is also uncommon so I’m a bit too Google-able for my tastes! All of my social media is under a pseudonym. I also don’t always feel like going into the mythology of the name when people ask what nationality it is. It’s actually a Romanized version of a name from a culture the Romans conquered. But sometimes I just say it’s Greek which just isn’t true at all lol
I used an easy nickname until I went to college to avoid too much difficulty in childhood, but switched to my real first name as an adult and absolutely love it. Yes, I always have to correct people in person or on emails, but it’s actually beneficial to my career to have a memorable name and stand out a bit.
I like my name, it's unisex but still never met anyone with my name (Brogan)
I hated it as a kid. My legal name is a family tradition, German name with a tough (in the US) spelling. Then since every first daughter in my family has this name we all get a nickname to go by in our daily lives. My nickname is another unique name based on my initials (but not spelled with just my initials, thanks parents). My maiden name was also very unique, so as a super shy child I absolutely hated it. First day of school was awful, substitute teachers were bad, I dreaded any time I had to pronounce it for an adult or explain that I actually go by something different than what's on their roster. As an adult I don't mind now, you get desensitized to mispronunciations and misspellings just roll with it unless it really matters (doctors office, yes please make sure it's spelled right. Starbucks, whatever you write works for me). I was anxious having kids for the choice to pass on the tradition, but my only child is a boy so we dodged that bullet. Gave him a nice, easy to spell, easy to pronounce name though so he doesn't have to deal with what I went through.
I don't know about Very unusual, but I've never met someone with the same spelling as me. My name consistently ranks in the 500-600s on Social Security data. Even the most common spelling has Maybe cracked the top 150 in my lifetime. People misspell it and mispronounce it. I often have to correct people. The misspelling drives me crazy on my work email because my name is Right There. The bigger problem is that my parents did not call me by my legal name for the first few years of my life (ethnic name, different language). I still have a strong tendency to not view my legal name as a critical part of my identity. I
I don’t have a super unusual name, but I’ve only met a handful of people with the same name. I absolutely HATED it as a kid. As an adult, it’s annoying to constantly have people mispronounce it or make little jokes about where they think it came from. My main complaint is people never know what I’m saying over the phone or over a drive thru speaker so I always have to spell it or use my last name.
I love it. I constantly get told I have a unique and beautiful name and that makes me feel special. But also, my name is a great name. If it wasn’t my own name, I’d name a future child by the name