Last week Reddit asked users to post the worst baby names they’d ever encountered which threw up some pretty interesting responses… Hellzel anybody?
I’m actually all for weird baby names. I think I get this from my mother whose name is so common that she herself knows at least three other people with the exact same name (I’m talking first name and surname here). She was full of baby name suggestions when I was preggers. From the unusual (Gobnat), to the wonderful (Pythagoras) and the mildly insane (Audrey… for a boy). Of her bizarre proposed names my personal fave was Aeneas – which manages to be most unfortunately reminiscent of both ‘anus’ and ‘penis’ all at the same time.
My own taste in baby names also veered towards the outlandish while I was pregnant which eventually led me to stop mentioning contenders to others as they were usually met with derision. People can be pretty judgemental about baby names so I kept the shortlist to myself and after we named my son (I was in a morphine haze, I don’t know what The Man’s excuse is) I never sought anyones opinions on it. I’m sure Frank Zappa never asked for anyone’s approval when naming his daughter, Moon Unit.
Of course, the bearers of wild and wacky monikers often struggle under the weight of their unusual names.
Moon Unit (who prefers to go by ‘Moon’) has spoken out about her alternative upbringing and has often lamented having famous parents.
Her husband has said:
“Her name has been part of pop culture ever since she was born. It was a news story when she was born that this crazy rock star guy named his kid Moon Unit. She is used to it. She has had it her whole life.”
Moon may be used to it, but Zowie Bowie went for some ch-ch-changes pretty sharpish once he hit his teens and adopted ‘Joe’ as his first name and reverted to the original family name, Jones.
Reddit readers offered up some pretty wacky baby names:
One user posted:
“Hellzel. According to her, her mother liked Hazel but her dad was a biker and loved hells angels, so they came up with this mess.”
Another knew this usually named little boy:
“Some years ago, I ran in to an ex boyfriend at the gas station with his new girlfriend and her little boy in the back seat. His name was Rage.”
This Florida bank worker keeps a list:
“I work at a bank in North Florida and have been keeping a list of names I come across. My favorite so far is definitely ‘I’munique‘. It was on her ID and everything.”
And finally, hands down the worst:
“‘Orgasm‘ – As the daughter of a Labor and Delivery nurse, I’ve heard an abundance of terrible baby names, but I’d have to say this is by far the worst! Sadly, I’m not kidding.”
