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!

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!