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So Irritated With My Dad

brittanispearsbrittanispears member
edited August 2015 in October 2015 Moms
I was talking to my dad a few weeks ago and I told him we'd chosen a name for the baby. I told him we picked Regan (pronounced Ree-gan), as in Regan from the Shakespeare play King Lear. I thought it was a pretty name. So, anyway, my dad's pronouncing it like Ronald Reagan and I corrected him. Then he says, "Regan? Isn't that the girl from The Exorcist''s name?" I told him i didn't know because I'd never seen it. Then he Googles it and says, "Yeah, it sure is." I was so mad! So he basically ruined my vision of the name my husband and I had chosen. I told my husband and he said he doesn't care -- he's never seen the movie, either. He said it didn't matter to him. I've been thinking about changing it but my husband doesn't want to because he loves it. 

What do you ladies think? Am I overthinking it? Do you think anyone will really make that reference when she gets older?
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Re: So Irritated With My Dad

  • bbiutmcphbbiutmcph member
    edited August 2015
    I think yes people will think of Ronald and say it as such as Reagan has been trendy and multiple spelling have occurred. Personally I wouldn't want a child's name associated with that


    Edit:

    Also BTN has it as a variant of Reagan.



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  • Wigglesx2Wigglesx2 member
    I think some people may associate it with both but it's not going to last very long. Maybe for the older generation but they aren't the ones who your child will have to interact with growing up. I would worry more about the younger generation if I worried about anything. And they aren't going to know who either is.
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  • brittanispearsbrittanispears member
    Wigglesx2 said:
    I think some people may associate it with both but it's not going to last very long. Maybe for the older generation but they aren't the ones who your child will have to interact with growing up. I would worry more about the younger generation if I worried about anything. And they aren't going to know who either is.
    You have a point. A few of the people I spoke to didn't even think about the movie when I revealed our name to them. But I have been asked how it's pronounced.
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  • TelebellTelebell member
    Without instruction i'd pronounce it like Ronald Reagan's name too. Not necessarily a bad thing, depending on your politics. She'll also probably be assumed to be male until people know. Maybe change spelling to Reegan to solve the pronunciation issue?
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  • batmom05batmom05 member
    Reagan was the name I chose for my first had he been a girl. Amazingly, I managed to pick all names from horror movies... and not on purpose!
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  • mollypuss1mollypuss1 member
    I immediately thought of the girl in the Exorcist aswell. Sorry. I don't think you can blame your dad for ruining your vision of the name, he didn't name the girl in the movie afterall and If he thought it and I thought it then in pretty sure there will be others who will do the same. If you're ok with that then stick with the name but I really don't think your dad did anything wrong here.
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  • wildbutterfli2001wildbutterfli2001 member
    I didn't think of the exorcist but did think of the Ronald Reagan pronunciation.
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  • CupcakesandquiltsCupcakesandquilts member
    Don't let your dad's reaction ruin the name you picked. He'll adjust to the correct pronunciation once she's here!
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  • millereliz13millereliz13 member
    I thought about the president and my husband thought Exercist, but he also saud, that is so cool. If you love the name, use it.
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  • choyandjillchoyandjill member
    I think your dad did you a favor. Aren't you glad you have that information now, before it's on the birth certificate? At least you can take that into consideration. Of course it's still up to you and your husband. If you really love the name then go for it. Me personally, I wouldn't want my baby girl having the same name as someone in a horror film...
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  • SarahAnne1101SarahAnne1101 member
    My daughter's name is Reagan. I've got that a few times. = / 
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  • cmjn94cmjn94 member
    I have a friend named Regan. I think it's an awesome name (also pronounced Ree-gan).
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  • CCasey2015CCasey2015 member
    mollypuss1 said:

    I immediately thought of the girl in the Exorcist aswell. Sorry. I don't think you can blame your dad for ruining your vision of the name, he didn't name the girl in the movie afterall and If he thought it and I thought it then in pretty sure there will be others who will do the same. If you're ok with that then stick with the name but I really don't think your dad did anything wrong here.

    I have to agree with PP. I don't think your "dad" ruined your vision. He might have pointed out something to you that you didn't want to know. But you can't blame him for that. When naming our kids we have to learn to have thicker skin. Everyone will have an opinion.
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  • sarahewilliams118sarahewilliams118 member
    I love the name!! With all the unique names popping up lately, it's easy for anyone to pronounce a name wrong....if you wanted to avoid that you could change the spelling to Reegan like others have said, which I personally think is super cute as well! I would never associate it with a horror film.... But who cares? The name Regan is so adorable. :)
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  • hempysanhempysan member
    As a teacher I've actually come across a few Reagans (like the pres.) and I have always mispronounced them at first as Regan. That is just what my brain jumps to first. Although that may be because one of the characters in one of my favorite book series has that name. I hadn't even thought of the exorcist character but some people will and unfortunately I don't think many people have read King Lear so people might not get that reference. I say if you love the name then keep it and if you still worried about it give her a middle name that is a little more common that she can go by if she wants. In the end its your baby so you can name her whatever you want and I'm sure your dad will love her no matter what her name is. 
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  • KLHauck12KLHauck12 member
    A lot of people might have that reaction....because they are used to seeing it in reference to the president....and I have seen that name pronounced the same as the president. As for the exorcist, it depends on the crowd, whether that comes to mind. But you might want to reconsider if it's going to bother you that badly when people make those associations.
    If not, then don't let it bother you what your dad says. He will adjust once the baby arrives and that is her name. When my dad first heard our name (Vivian) he made a face because it was the name of a mean character on some children's show he watched back in the 1950s. But I just said too bad. He would have an association and an opinion on any name! Now that he knows that is the name we have for sure chosen he has shut up about it. I think we are going with the middle name he likes (same as mine - which he chose when I was born) so that will make him happy. But I don't make my choices based on that.... Its my baby and everyone else will adjust. I suggest taking the same attitude!
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  • hammy_711hammy_711 member
    Well, educated people will probably think Shakespeare, especially if you spell it Regan.  I woulndn't worry about the others :)  I think it's a great name and I've never heard of a boy named Regan.  Plus it's hella better than Goneril!

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  • sdnyc99sdnyc99 member
    I didn't think of the movie at all. And I would pronounce it as "Ree-gan", but that's because I know a couple of Regans. Both awesome people and I think it's a great name!
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  • mightyk23mightyk23 member
    That's ok, don't feel bad about it. I get a lot of poop from people bc my daughter's name is Ursula (meaning little she bear) and everyone has to bring up the little mermaid and the sea witch. So I've just come to embrace it and say yup! Just like the sea witch.
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  • OperaSingerMommyOperaSingerMommy member
    I like the name. Yes, people may pronounce it incorrectly but there are many trendy names that have that issue. We're using Ava and I've already had more than one person say ah-va. Can I also just say that The Exorcist is an excellent movie? Whether people first think about that movie, King Lear, or the former prez, you really can't go wrong ;)
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  • mumsy21mumsy21 member
    There is always going to be something negative associated with a name, even if it's someone you didn't like at school, aslong as you like the sound of the name it doesn't matter! :)
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  • babyvelasquez2015babyvelasquez2015 member
    1. I didn't think of the exorcists. I've seen it... But didn't even realize that was her name.
    2. I thought you were naming your baby boy that. Until I saw you say it was a girl.
    3. I pronounced it as Ronald Reagan.

    But in the end if you and DH love it that's what really matters!
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  • JaqiDec04JaqiDec04 member
    I know at least two Regan's under the age of 3, in my own family. And I always pronounce it like Rhonald Reagan, but don't think about the president, or the movie.

    If you want it pronounced Reegan, I'd probably spell it with the double EEs.
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  • gogracegograce member
    As soon as you said "King Lear," I recognized the name! I've never seen "The Exorcist. I don't love the name ONLY because Regan was one of the evil sisters! Other than that, I think it's lovely.

    I know I've been asked several times if I was named after a family member. Grace is a popular middle name these days, but it's still fairly rare for me to come across another person with the first name Grace. I wish that when people asked me if I was named after someone, I had a cool story. All I have is "My mom named me after George Burns' wife." I don't even know who they are! How cool would it be to be able to say "My parents named me after a Shakespearean character." I think that's just the coolest!

    I recently told a girl that we're naming our son "Ronald" because we're really big fans of Reagan. She'd asked why we're going with that name because it's "not something you hear anymore." I felt defensive, mostly because I know for a fact she made up her child's name. We're naming him after my husband's grandfather, but it was none of her business. It just really ticked me off that she'd ask me that online and come across as judge-y.
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  • jennchristine41jennchristine41 member
    My moms side of the family doesn't like the name my boyfriend and I picked out either, but we both love it and are keeping it.
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