With all the crazy baby names around today, what do you think? There are a bunch of stories about babies with strange names, such as 4Real and Talulah Does The Hula From Hawaii. Should parents be able to choose whatever name they want for their child?

What I want to know is, how can a kid named 4Real fill their name in tests graded by computers? They don't let you put any numbers in.

Yeah, I read that article too. I think it's actually Talulah does the Hula and she's from Hawaii, not that the -from Hawaii- part is part of her name. But in any case, the girl was embarrassed enough to not tell anyone what her name was. That one, to me though, doesn't seem anywhere near as bad as being named Number 16 Bus Shelter or Sex Fruit. You really have to hate your kids to be so cruelly passive-aggressive.

But I can't pick any of those on the poll. I don't think there should be a list of approved names, just that people ought to use a little more common sense when picking names. Like with Talulah does the Hula. If her parents had just named her Talulah, kids probably would've put together the Hula part on their own. The parents are effectively taking all the work out of making fun of their daughter for the other kids on the playground.

I clicked 'Yes' because, would you want to walk down the street and see one of your neighbors outside and say "Hi Bob!" and most of your neighbors shout Hi and wave tat you?
Or when you ask who's cooking for the big party over the weekend and someone says, "Jill is" so everyones (that is going to the party) wife named Jill cooks something for the party?

I've done this in my own game where I used "normal" names.
I many multiples of about every name.
Since Downloading a few sims and hearing different names I've used the "normal" names and also the others.

Allison, I love your Avatar!

Well I definitely think a list of approved names is going way too far - there'd be plenty of ethnic names which simply wouldn't be included, and people like to do alternate spellings or combine two names and that kind of thing - stuff that isn't way weird but doesn't make your kid have just another boring name.

That being said, I think it's extremely cruel to saddle a kid with a really weird name, and I don't know why any parent would do that besides having their head shoved so far up their bum they can't hear everyone going, "They want to name her WHAT?!"

If you really want to give your kid a weird name, use it as a middle name. That way it's not something they're going to get mocked mercilessly about, and if they do actually like it, they're welcome to go by it instead if they so choose.

I'd love to see a trend of people changing their names when they hit puberty or adulthood if they choose. I think parents should give their kids a nice, normal name and then if the kid wants to keep it, great - or they should be given a free name change once they're old enough to choose a new one, when they decide what they really like. I don't think many people really love their names, and the name you give a baby is not really the same as the name you'd give an adult, especially after they've developed a personality and individuality of their own. I know it's a tradition in some more tribal cultures - I'd love to see it adopted on a more widespread basis.

There's already a debate about the use of unusual names here...

Although I pity some children being stuck with ridiculous names, I don't agree in a pre-aproved list, it would end up with too many dupilcates. And some unsual names are nice. Some of them make my job as a teacher more interesting anyways! No one wants a class full of Fred's...

I'm not sure what to click in the poll though, as what do you class as "weird"? That's a very personal thing... I agree with not being offensive, but how do you define weird? My name seems normal to me, but someone from another country might think it's "weird"...

i voted yes, but it can't be anythign too weird/offensive.

'cause that list was actually around here long time ago. not really a list but there is a guy who has to say yes nice name. no too weird. and 'cause of that half the time you weren't able to pick something you liked 'cause it wasn't belgian enough. now that is different though and not many names are picked off. but names as Lacey or Raven (wich i personnaly love) are found pretty weird around here but still chooseable

I'm a fan of unusual names, but not to the point the kids will get teased. Isn't there a celeb who named their kid Pilot Inspektor? Seriously.
I agree with HP, use it as a middle name. I really like the name 'Jonny' but for a girl, yet I wouldn't use it as a first name, I'd use it as a middle name. (Though it's tough to think of a good first name to go with it.)

Heck, back when I was growing up, people found my name (Annalise) unusual, but I loved it. Now it's getting too common I think. Honestly though, I think more and more kids are going by nicknames now instead of their 'true' names.

A problem, which doesn't exist in Europe. Here, your kid's name has to be aproved. If the responsible person thinks, that your child will have problems in its future life because of its name, you'll have to search another one.
I personally don't understand why it's not the same in the U.S.. A kids well-beeing is much more important than a unique name.

As much as I dislike the idea of some (what I can only imagine is white trash) parent naming their kid Sex Fruit (I am fairly certain that if they were to look on babynames.com, they could have found something that equated Fruit of the Womb that was less distasteful and meaning nearly equel), I hate other people, specifically politictians interfering with other people's parenting (save for physical abuse), even if it means they screw up their child for the rest of his/her natural life.

By the way, Sex Fruit sounds like a girls name doesn't it?

I think that people should be able to name their children what they want. My theory is that most parents aren't "allowed" to just pick the name they want, either the other parent, or a friend/relative/sibling-of-the-newborn will also have some part in the decision. For example my mother wanted to name my brother 'Fire Stack Miracle', she wanted to name me 'Bronte' (after the Bronte sisters) and she wanted to name my sister 'Clover.' All of these names were vetoed by another party. My sister's middle name is Clover so I concur that the middle name idea has merit.

Yes, but it hasn't been touched in exactly four months, so... restarting is probably fine.


Anyway. There's absolutely no reason why there should be an approved list of names, because, as HP pointed out, there are so many perfectly wonderful names that would be left off the list due to being overlooked. Additionally, an approved list of names would make it very difficult for new names to ever come into circulation... not to mention that an approved list would be horrifyingly oppressive and an infringement on our freedom of expression.

At the same time, there ought to be SOME kind of system in check to make sure that parents don't send their kids off with some sort of atrocious name like Painful Diarrhea or something equally terrible. Giving a kid a horrible name is equivalent to signing the kid up for eighteen years of pure, unadulterated torture at the hands of cruel classmates, and they ought to be ashamed of themselves for being selfish enough to name their children on a whim.

Perhaps parents seeking to name their children something as horrifyingly outlandish as Talulah Does the Hula could be stopped by social workers on the grounds of preemptive child abuse? After all, it's very clear what will happen when other kids find out about their name...

Does this happen in england too?

yeah, England is probably an exception... but in France, the Netherlands or my native country it's like this.

That's not a terrible idea. You have to write the name on the birth certificate anyway when you register the birth... seems like it wouldn't be too terrible to have someone go, "Err, no, you cannot name your daughter Funktastic Pickletrain, try again."

If only it would keep people from just plain misspelling their kids names because they're too dumb to look it up... like my poor niece Pennelloppe. *sighs and smacks her brother upside the head for that one*

Styledx - Why not pick a first name instead that lets you use that as a nickname? Something like Joanna or Johanna or suchlike. I think a lot of parents don't think of that option.

On another note, I'm totally naming my next sim Funktastic Pickletrain.

It's like you have read my mind HP. :einstein
I have always disliked the name my parents gave me and have wanted to change it for many years (i'm 29 now) but the government charging money (about £50/$100) to change my own name is rediculous. Plus there's the then added charges of having to change my passport, driving license etc etc over too the total cost will probably add up to over £100/$200. i think giving you the free option of changing your name over between the ages of 16-21 is a great idea. I would of definitely jumped at the chance!

Actually that's a good idea! Thanks HP!

These days it seems if you want your childs name to be REALLY original, go for a simple plain name like "Jane". It sure would stand out from the rest of the class if parents continue to name their kids these weird names. "Hey mummy! A new kid came in to my class today! His name is Pickle Truck Investigator!"

and belgium.

maybe all members of the EU?!

oh my god, that's such a ridiculous rule. it's so thought police. who cares what someone names their own child? personally, i wish people would use a bit more creativity in picking names and drop this inane prejudice against non-conforming names.

when i have a daughter i'm naming her 'sunset' after the movie with gloria swanson (i don't really like gloria or norma). i know it will look very out there on her professional resume, but i don't care. i'm hoping for a very out there kind of child.

I'm naming my child, if they are a boy, FM2030, after the futurist of the same name.

If a girl, then I shall name her Spectra.

That is, if my partner lets me.

I feel parents should name their kid what they want but I just think it's really weird to name your child 4Real, that's taking it overboard. Just hope he/she doesn't get picked on in school.

if they have a parent who actually named them 4real, let's just hope they go to school.

I don't think that people should be able to name their kids whatever they want. For example, my name is Tesla. My parents found it in a book, BUT they "forgot" or "didn't know" that it was also a horrible 80's band, and a scientist!

I got teased all throughout school for it, and it was horrible. I still am a little embarassed to tell people my name because it is so weird, and I feel bad for everyone else who has weird names.

That's a beautiful name!

Do you just shorten it to Tess?

Parents can be so cruel! although I like the name Tesla :-)
I was named after a song by my mums favourite band, which I thought was really cool until I actually listened to the song. It soon became clear that it's about a girl who commits suicide because she can't carry on living anymore!
Great!, nice one mum, thanks! [/sarcasm]