Sometimes people go too far when trying to be original. Yes, originality is good, as long it doesn't pose a risk of hurting other people in one way or another.
For example, naming babies. Some parents tend to go over the top and come up with the most unhinged names. And these names make a child a potential bully target. Just like in today's story - a woman picked out very weird names for her unborn kid. And even her friend saying that the kid would be bullied couldn't change her mind.
More info: Reddit
What to do when you tell your friend she is making a mistake with her child's name, but she won't listen?
Image credits: Garon Piceli (not the actual photo)
This woman got into a fight with her pregnant friend after telling her not to doom her kid with the names Daynger or Tinkerbelle
Image credits: Henley Design Studio (not the actual photo)
Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)
Image credits: u/XxFireflyxxX
The woman suggested editing the chosen names after the friends reconciled
The woman from today’s story is happy that her friend is about to have a baby. The only problem that the OP sees in this situation is the names her friend picked out. The mom-to-be decided to name her child either Daynger or Tinkerbelle, as she wants the name to be unique.
Back in the day, the OP used to get bullied for her name. And now, she thinks that her friend is setting her child up for the same fate. So, she suggested making these names middle ones, if the mom-to-be is completely sure about them.
That made her friend upset, which resulted in the OP being called a bad friend and being ignored for over a week. Later, the OP found out why her friend lashed out so harshly. Seemingly, there have been some pregnancy and relationship issues in her life. Thus, the woman apologized for having such an intense reaction. Then the friends discussed several ways to edit the names to be less conspicuous.
Evidently, the OP’s friend isn’t the only one who thought of the name Daynger. While it’s not in the top 100 most popular names, it is popular enough to have its own analysis page. If you wonder what this name might mean, it symbolizes energy, a helper and stimulator. It is, just as the OP noted, another form of the name Danger.
If you’re a fan of Disney, you likely understand what is the inspiration behind the name Tinkerbelle. It’s the name of a fairy character, first introduced in Peter Pan. The character is a mender of pots and kettles (a tinker) with a voice sounding like a tinkling bell.
But these names aren’t even the weirdest ones to exist! You can check out this list of the weirdest names of 2023 to see what people are coming up with. It includes names such as Bogger, Muffin (man?), Poot and many other abominations.
Image credits: Kristina Paukshtite (not the actual photo)
Bored Panda also reached out to Sophie Kihm, who’s editor-in-chief at Nameberry. Make sure to check out their site for more interesting information about names!
Sophie said, “Every year, Nameberry looks at the statistics and collects the craziest baby names in America.” For example, these names include violence-related names such as Shooter or Trigger, nature-related ones like Rooster and Strawberry, and even a literally devilish name - Lucifer. “All of these names were given to five or more children in 2022.”
“These days, parents want to stand out from the crowd with their baby name choice. Choosing a truly unusual and eye-catching name is a way to get attention, make a style statement, and ensure that your child is the only person they know with their given name.”
Talking about people getting bullied over their weird names, Sophie said “Name teasing has decreased as the name pool has widened, but still may occur with truly extreme names. The biggest danger, psychologically, is the assumptions that people may make about a person based on their name.
People are primed to assume someone named Chaos or Rowdy will be, well, chaotic. Even though a child with those names could very well be gentle and mellow. A person with these names is more likely to be judged prematurely — potentially to their detriment — than someone with a less evocative name.
However, having a truly unique name can also be positive for the child. It makes a person memorable and attracts attention. If the child is someone who appreciates these things, they could thrive with an unusual, eye-catching name.”
Lastly, Nameberry’s editor-in-chief advised parents considering an uncommon name for their child: “The best question to ask yourself when considering an unconventional name for a child is this: Would I appreciate having this name? If the answer is no, then you may want to reconsider your name choice. If the answer is yes, you can feel more confident moving ahead with your choice.”
The name Daynger proved to be especially funny to folks online. A lot of them made hilarious jokes about it. They also stated that someone needs to stop these parents from naming their children absurd names. Also, everyone in the comments unanimously agreed that the OP wasn't a jerk in this story, as she only tried to make the situation better. Some even said that Daynger and Tinkerbelle would be better nicknames than actual legal names.
People online couldn't stop making fun of these name variations, especially Daynger, and noted that the author's friend needs to get a reality check
