What NOT to Name That Baby Part III!

The problem with baby names is that people sometimes assign it to the child without really checking into the meaning of the name or bothering to see if it is the name of a popular and sometimes evil character from pop culture. Here is Part III of my look at baby names every parent should avoid.

Honey – The name is so sweet it may be hard for your child to be taken seriously when older.
Ichabod – Long ago this was a fine English name but it is the real name of the Headless Horseman of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Idi – A male name that is often associated with Ugandan tyrant Idi Amin.
Jesus – This is a name, although legitimate for anyone to use, that could get your child in trouble with religious types who consider it to be a sacred name in the future.
Johnson – Johnson used to be a nice name but you probably want to avoid it now as it is a nickname for the male penis.
Julia – Believe it or not the real meaning of the name Julia is 'a bearded youth.' Still the name sounds so lovely. How it got to be a girl's name is a bit of a mystery. I guess you are okay with this one as long as nobody looks it up.
Kevin – Have you ever wondered why you meet the occasional girl named Kevin? It is because the name actually means 'beautiful at birth.' Some parents may prefer a name with a more masculine meaning.
Leah – This is a beautiful Biblical name but it's true meaning is 'weary.
Lindsay – This name is now very much associated with Lindsay Lohan who is a troubled celebrity addict –the name is also very much overused as it was so popular ten years ago.
Merlin – This is a campy name that belongs to too many magicians including ones from Camelot and quite a few Las Vegas and Hollywood showmen types. It would be a difficult name for most people to take seriously.
Myra – People in Britain have been avoiding the name Myra ever since Myra Hindley murdered five children in the Manchester area of London in the mid-1960s.
Norbert – This name has always been associated with wallflowers and nerds. Choose something more dashing.
Lucifer – It sounds hip but it is another name for Satan, even though it means 'Morningstar.' You are best to avoid your child being profiled by Christians or being accused of being raised by Devil Worshippers in the schoolyard.
As you can see, naming your baby can be a bit of a headache. More about avoiding giving your baby a name in the fourth and final installment of momweblog's investigation into the subject!

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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!

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