Parents want to name their kid "4real"

[DiscordantNote]

This topic bring the Zappa family to my mind...there's a few interesting names in there (specifically, Moon Unit and Dweezil).

But seriously...shame on those parents in the article wanting to name their son '4real'...children aren't objects, they're people, too. Parents should take into account how something like that could affect their child's future instead of going for a novelty that only they will appreciate.

[Asthaloth]

[

You realize that's where most names come from. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Rachel, Esther, Mary, etc...

PS: DAMN YOU THREE QUOTE RULE!!!

See, I can understand the disciples (they were only human, afterall) and random people who were a bit odd, but the right hand of the sheppard?
A frikkin Angel? The Angel?

You don't see many Nephilim around (A choir of Angels), so why specific ones?

And my Name predates Christianity, FYI.

[Paul]

I beg to differ. I'm sure he can get a nickname that everyone could call him, and life could be fine. It might not be of course, and his life spirals downwards, but loads of cool funky people that I know have odd names, and they're like that probably cos of a cool funky upbringing by cool funky parents.

I'm quite sure that '4real' can be classified as more than just odd. How about friggin' stupid?

[Rakumel]

I used to work for a church, and one of the things I did was collect new member forms every Sunday. One day I picked one up from the nursery that was from a child named Austin Bowers. Actually, that probably won't be too bad - by the time he reaches the age where kids would start to tease him about his name, all the fame (infamy?) surrounding the Austin Powers movies would be pretty much gone, if it isn't considered so already. Another story I thought of: Last year, there was a child named Notorious enrolled in the school where I was an assistant teacher. She was in one of the preschool classes and in case you were wondering, yes, she did live up to her first name. But then again, so did many of the kids with "normal" names

I dunno, on one hand I feel uncomfortable with any agency telling parents what they can or can't name their child. But on the other hand, I don't think a child should ever be named something because the parents think it's funny. Unusual? Sure. Thought-provoking or meaningful? By all means. But funny? Just...a bad idea in my opinion, and should be avoided. Or at least, as it is in this case, given a LOT more scrutiny before actually getting on the birth certificate. Though that's not really the case here, as the name "4real" did mean something to the parents - but I personally wish that they had thought of a few alternative names that would express their feelings about the "reality" of the impending birth that didn't resort to a gimmick. I think they could have created a unique name without having a number. Numbers are usually designated to machines, products, math, and other impersonal things - it just seems out of place to have one as part of a person's name.

Or, it's entirely possible I'm overthinking this and the kid might even grow up liking the fact that he/she has an unusual name, provided that the parents get their wish.

[theonlysaneone]

I used to work for a church, and one of the things I did was collect new member forms every Sunday. One day I picked one up from the nursery that was from a child named Austin Bowers. Actually, that probably won't be too bad - by the time he reaches the age where kids would start to tease him about his name, all the fame (infamy?) surrounding the Austin Powers movies would be pretty much gone, if it isn't considered so already. Another story I thought of: Last year, there was a child named Notorious enrolled in the school where I was an assistant teacher. She was in one of the preschool classes and in case you were wondering, yes, she did live up to her first name. But then again, so did many of the kids with "normal" names

I dunno, on one hand I feel uncomfortable with any agency telling parents what they can or can't name their child. But on the other hand, I don't think a child should ever be named something because the parents think it's funny. Unusual? Sure. Thought-provoking or meaningful? By all means. But funny? Just...a bad idea in my opinion, and should be avoided. Or at least, as it is in this case, given a LOT more scrutiny before actually getting on the birth certificate. Though that's not really the case here, as the name "4real" did mean something to the parents - but I personally wish that they had thought of a few alternative names that would express their feelings about the "reality" of the impending birth that didn't resort to a gimmick. I think they could have created a unique name without having a number. Numbers are usually designated to machines, products, math, and other impersonal things - it just seems out of place to have one as part of a person's name.

Or, it's entirely possible I'm overthinking this and the kid might even grow up liking the fact that he/she has an unusual name, provided that the parents get their wish.

If I become a celebrity, I'm totally going to name my kid Pumpkin Inspector Bravery.

[Anoohilator]

I beg to differ. I'm sure he can get a nickname that everyone could call him, and life could be fine. It might not be of course, and his life spirals downwards, but loads of cool funky people that I know have odd names, and they're like that probably cos of a cool funky upbringing by cool funky parents.

I'm quite sure that '4real' can be classified as more than just odd. How about friggin' stupid?

It's not a lot worse than being called loser. And he did all right in life.

[Mongrel]

...and the kid might even grow up liking the fact that he/she has an unusual name, provided that the parents get their wish.

There are times when I've needed to bubble in my name on a form(you fill in one bubble per row, and there's a bubble for each letter of the alphabet, so the computer can "read" your name). And these forms rarely even have a hyphen, which isn't a particularly unusual character to be found in a name. This kid, if he gets stuck with a number in his name, will suffer the eternal frustration of having his name changed to fit what the machine can read--you think it's no big deal, but it's bothered me since I was little that my name is different depending on what the machine could make of it. "4real" will turn into "For-real" and "Foreal" and "Four Real" and all sorts of annoying variatons.
That's just one annoyance I can think of. Unless the parents spend the rest of their lives convincing their kid that he should be proud of having a number in his name, I can almost guarantee that this kid either hates his name or gets it legally changed to avoid the hassles.

[Igg]

Meh, I spend half my life as IldikA%~E

[Paul]

I beg to differ. I'm sure he can get a nickname that everyone could call him, and life could be fine. It might not be of course, and his life spirals downwards, but loads of cool funky people that I know have odd names, and they're like that probably cos of a cool funky upbringing by cool funky parents.

I'm quite sure that '4real' can be classified as more than just odd. How about friggin' stupid?

It's not a lot worse than being called loser. And he did all right in life.

But it is worse.

[Anoohilator]

But it is worse.

Enough to guarantee that he'll be introverted, withdrawn and shy?

[Paul]

But it is worse.

Enough to guarantee that he'll be introverted, withdrawn and shy?

I'm pretty sure if you were bullied your entire life, you would become introverted, withdrawn, and shy and let's face it, any one with the name '4real' is going to be bullied for most of their childhood.

[Siouxper]

Meh, I spend half my life as IldikA%~E

What about the other half

I spent half my life as idkmybffjill.

[Igg]

Meh, I spend half my life as IldikA%~E

What about the other half

I spent half my life as idkmybffjill.

Well the other half would be spent as my actual name

[Anoohilator]

But it is worse.

Enough to guarantee that he'll be introverted, withdrawn and shy?

I'm pretty sure if you were bullied your entire life, you would become introverted, withdrawn, and shy and let's face it, any one with the name '4real' is going to be bullied for most of their childhood.

If you were bullied. After this, I'm going to leave the subject be, cos it's getting a bit repetitive. I agree that the parents were quite selfish, and probably didn't think much about what could arise from him having a name like 4real. Having said that, it all depends on what kind of community the kid is living in, and how much support he gets from his family.

I find it so easy to imagine this kid growing up fine, making friends that don't realise how "stupid" his name is, and even when they do, they don't care. He might get a bit of hassle, but I can't imagine him getting more abuse than somebody called Loser. He'd unofficially ditch the numeral, and everyone could call him "Real." I know so many people (most of them asian) who are known by a different name, than the name they were assigned to at birth.

[Asparagus Queen]

"4real" will turn into "For-real" and "Foreal" and "Four Real" and all sorts of annoying variatons.
That's just one annoyance I can think of.

I can see Areal being another one computers could come up with if the kid writes his name like this 4 instead of a 4 with an open top, not a closed top.

http://www.2spare.com/item_37345.aspx Found another article with funny names in it. Some have already been mentioned in here, like Winner and Loser Lane.

One of the names from that webpage: Cardinal Sin

Jaime Cardinal Sin, was a priest of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. He led the Archdiocese of Manila as its archbishop and was later elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Paul VI.
His name prompted many jokes --a "cardinal sin" is one of the seven deadly sins-- and Sin himself made light of it. He often referred to his residence as "the house of Sin."... to which you're all invited, ya.