What NOT to Name Your Baby Part II

There are a lot of questionable monikers out there when it comes to giving your baby girl or boy a name. Here is a continuation of some of the questionable names for children that I was making last week.

Please don't name your child –

Dick – This name is short for Richard but it has a fairly well-known connation referring to a certain part of the male anatomy and it can also mean that someone is being 'stupid.' It also reminds people of Dick Cheney who is not the most popular man in the world. Best to avoid Dick if you can.
Dexter – Dexter has been a popular name for little boys but it is also associated with the serial killer on the popular show of the same name. Yet another problem is that Dexter is also the name of a popular great Dane that is a cartoon.
Dracula – If you name your kid Dracula, he will be tortured mercilessly all of his child hood life.
Drusilla – This is a name that is a bit campy from Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
Edith – Often associated with the shrill flaky character of Edith Bunker from All in The Family.
Elvira – This name is associated with sexy vampires and is a bit corny to be using nowadays.
Emily – This is a beautiful classic name, but it actually means 'rival.'
Endora – The name is indelibly associated with the mother witch on the television series 'Bewitched.'
Ethel – Often associated with unattractive Big Ethel from the Archie comic strip.
Erzesbet – This is the name of Erzsebet Bothory who was a famous serial killer of women in Europe. She is also known as The Blood Countess.
Garth – Once a classic name it is now associated with the goofy character in Wayne's World.
George – Both George W. Bush and George Bush have made this name seem kind of uptight and unpopular.
Gilligan – This is a name that used to be classic but is now associated with the dopy character on Gilligan's Island. It implies clumsiness and stupidity.
Gomez – Once a classic Spanish name it is now very much associated with the Father character on the Addams Family.
Hannibal – The movie Silence of the Lambs ruined this traditional name for many. It conjures up the memory of a serial killer eating brains with fava beans and a fine chianti.
Hecate – This is a beautiful name but it does mean Queen of the Witches.
Hershey – It is probably not a good idea to name your child after a brand name like a chocolate bar.
Herman – Once a dignified English name it is now associated with The Munsters and The Monster Mash.
Hilda – There are a lot of witches in literature and on television that have been named Hilda and almost all have a great big wart on their nose.

The problem is that names that sound trendy often turn into references from television. This is not the way to go if you want your kid to be taken seriously in life!

Baby Names That Sound Great But You Better Avoid! Part I

Thanks to popular culture there are some baby names out there that you might want to avoid just simply because they are associated with some bizarre characters or simply will not ring right in the ears of others as the child matures!

Adolf – Unfortunately the legacy of Adolf Hitler kind of ruined this lovely name for the rest of us.
Alistair – This is a bit reminiscent of Alistair Crowley, the founder of a huge Satanic Cult.
Archie – This name is a bit too retro and not very sexy – it summons up images of the bigot Archie Bunker and the red-headed cartoon character named Archie.
Attila – This name got a bad rep from Attila the Hun who murdered thousands while taking over the world in the mid-400s B.C. His name is associated always with rape and murder.
Babylon – This is a trendy name for a girl right now but it has a malevolent meaning that alludes that your girl could be slutty or evil.
Banjo – This is a name made hip by actress Rachel Griffiths but it is a name that does not have much personality as it makes you think of the musical instrument.
Barnabas – If you are Goth in bent this might be suitable but the name belongs to a vampire from the movie 'Dark Shadows.'
Buddy – Before naming your kid Buddy be aware that a lot of dog owners call their kid this nowadays.
Buffy – This is okay if you do not mind your child being associated with the nineties show 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer.' It is a bit shallow.
Caesar – The name sounds powerful, like your child could rule the world but it actually means 'hairy!'
Caleb – This is a trendy name for little boys lately but it does mean 'little dog.'
Calvin – This trendy boy's name also means bald!
Cameron – The bi-suitable name of Cameron means 'crooked nose.' Weirdly, star Cameron Diaz had a crooked nose most of her life due to a deviated septum that she only recently had corrected.
Campbell – A name for either a boy or a girl it actually means 'crooked mouth.'
Casper – Technically it means the boy who lives with the wolves but it is a bit too much like the cartoon 'Caspar the Friendly Ghost.'
Cassandra – This means a devious gold-digger or woman who loves to entangle men.
Damien – This was the name of the Kid from 'The Omen' who was supposed to be the AntiChrist.

More good advice about what NOT to name your kid in the next installment of this blog!