If you named your child a nontraditional name...

MRads · February 2013

did you ever have 2nd thoughts? H and I have loved the name Parks Benjamin since we were dating. It is H's great grandfather's name. I love one syllable boy names, and I love that it is not a common name, but it also isn't made up.

Now that it is a reality that we are having a baby boy, I just worry that he'll hate his name. Did anybody else have these concerns? I feel like naming a baby is a lot of pressure. Will this feeling of second guessing ever go away?

animalcrckr · February 2013

Yes, the 2nd guessing will go away. We have stuck with traditional names but it has still seemed weird at first to call the baby by it's name. After awhile it just becomes them though and you cannot imagine them with any other name.

I do not think Parks is super nontraditional, especially since it is a family name. Plus you are pairing it with a very traditional middle name. If your LO ends up detesting their name (which they probably will not) they could always use their MN.

MRads · February 2013

animalcrckr:
Yes, the 2nd guessing will go away. We have stuck with traditional names but it has still seemed weird at first to call the baby by it's name. After awhile it just becomes them though and you cannot imagine them with any other name.
I do not think Parks is super nontraditional, especially since it is a family name. Plus you are pairing it with a very traditional middle name. If your LO ends up detesting their name (which they probably will not) they could always use their MN.

That makes sense about the 2nd guessing. We just found out a few days ago that we are having a boy, so it went from hypothetical baby boy to Parks, and it is weird to have something so firm.

And that is one reason that we are thinking Benjamin. He can go by P. Benjamin Lastname in the professional world if he wants something different than Parks and just Ben if he likes that better. Thanks!

MrsJ723 · February 2013

I very much like the name Parks Benjamin, especially with the family significance. We went with a nontraditional name for DS (Bauer) and have never second guessed it. As soon as we found out he was a boy, that was his name and we've loved it ever since. I think it can take some time to "get used to" a name once you've decided, but you have a few months to try it out and make sure it is the one.

Helenahhandbasket · February 2013

While I wouldn't chose a non -traditional name for my LOs, I often admire them on others.

FWIW, I really like both the sound and significance of Parks Benjamin. Also, Parks, while not a "traditional" FN is easily recognizable and pronounceable. I wouldn't think twice about it!

bsinno · February 2013

for our DD we had narrowed down the list to really feminine and classic names like Charlotte and Helena. I really disliked (and still do!) unisex girls names or surnames-as-FN. So imagine my surprise when she was born and we spontaneously named her Presley! It just felt right for whatever reason and we threw our short list out the window after seeing her. There are times when i can tell someone doesn't like her name but we love it for her and don't regret it.

BlueRidge8 · February 2013

Joy2611:
The only reason I would name my child a nontraditional name is because of family significance, so I'd take heart right there. It was your son's great grandfather's name so there's precedent. It's not like you just lumped some letters together.
You also gave him a very legit and lovely middle name. Should he decide that Parks just isn't for him, Benjamin is a lovely alternative.
I like the name, honestly. It think it's different without being out there. With those two points made above, I would feel comfortable to stop second guessing and go with the name, but I'm not you :-)

What she said.

My DD has a non traditional name and once it was decided upon, that was it. We've never looked back and still adore it because it's her.

metzy144 · February 2013

Joy2611:
The only reason I would name my child a nontraditional name is because of family significance, so I'd take heart right there. It was your son's great grandfather's name so there's precedent. It's not like you just lumped some letters together.
You also gave him a very legit and lovely middle name. Should he decide that Parks just isn't for him, Benjamin is a lovely alternative.
I like the name, honestly. It think it's different without being out there. With those two points made above, I would feel comfortable to stop second guessing and go with the name, but I'm not you :-)

I agree with all of this. I like nontraditional names when they have family significance.

CeCe8579 · February 2013

Joy2611:
The only reason I would name my child a nontraditional name is because of family significance, so I'd take heart right there.nbsp; It was your son's great grandfather's name so there's precedent.nbsp; It's not like you just lumped some letters together.You also gave him a very legit and lovely middle name.nbsp; Should he decide that Parks just isn't for him, Benjamin is a lovely alternative.I like the name, honestly.nbsp; It think it's different without being out there.nbsp; With those two points made above, I would feel comfortable to stop second guessing and go with the name, but I'm not you :

This!

homebird · February 2013

I love Parks Benjamin.

I've always second-geussed names. I loved the name Evelyn from the time I was a little girl, but right before we had DD I almost changed my mind. I was afraid she would hate it, it wouldn't fit her, etc. But once she was here and we started using her name, I can't imagine her as anything else.

Jcraul · February 2013

I love it! Sounds great together!

My husband and I fell in love with Devaney as soon as we say it. It is an Irish Sir name pronounced Devan-E. We got grief from friends and family but it is just so her.

It means Dark haired & she was born with a full head of jet black hair. We do get the occassional person to pernounce it wrong. D-vane-E but once we correct them there is usually no issue going forward.

I don't think your son will hate his name.

MRads · February 2013

Thanks for all your feedback! It is really reassuring that it is natural to 2nd guess your name selection, even if it is a perfectly normal name.

People have suggested Parker, and that is a fine name, but it just doesn't sound like our son. We haven't completely disregarded the idea of Benjamin Parks, but I know SO many Bens, so I don't love it.

salt78 · February 2013

Joy2611:
The only reason I would name my child a nontraditional name is because of family significance, so I'd take heart right there. It was your son's great grandfather's name so there's precedent. It's not like you just lumped some letters together.
You also gave him a very legit and lovely middle name. Should he decide that Parks just isn't for him, Benjamin is a lovely alternative.
I like the name, honestly. It think it's different without being out there. With those two points made above, I would feel comfortable to stop second guessing and go with the name, but I'm not you :-)

Perfectly said.

Blackhawks1 · February 2013

We had names picked out but didn't name DS until we saw him. It took a month or two for the second guessing to stop.

chels0120 · February 2013

Our son's name is Emmery and while not totally out there, isn't highly common. When I was pregnant I had a few people say things like "Why don't you name him Emmerson or Emmett" or whatever. But honestly, we LOVE his name. It fits him SO well and I don't regret it a bit. If you love Parks Benjamin (which I think is an awesome name FWIW) then use it! The fact that it has familial ties is even better!

pamiva1 · February 2013

I think Parks is a great name!

capulet · February 2013

This is why it took us three days after DD was born to commit to a name. The poor birth certificate lady must have gone crazy. We named her my mom's maiden name, which as far as I know no other living person has as a FN (it's an unusual Italian surname). We had decided on it right after the anatomy scan but then second-guessed it in the hospital. Her middle name is Ruth after DH's grandmother, so if she ever gets sick of her FN she can use that. At the age of five, though, her name doesn't seem to cause her much grief. I often have to spell, pronounce, or explain it for people, but it's no big deal, and she owns it. I think Parks Benjamin is a great name and I love the family significance.

janneann1127 · February 2013

I think Parks is a great name. I dig non-traditional myself. I have a friend with a pretty non-traditional name (Amelie) and while people do tend to butcher the pronunciation, she likes having a unique name.

Want a personalized experience?

If you named your child a nontraditional name...

Re: If you named your child a nontraditional name...

Choose Another Board

Search Boards