To: A certain parent

[amphrite]

I hope you realize that you daughter was near tears the first day of lessons when we did attendance and she had to tell me her name was ETHAN. She also almost cried when she had to tell the girl covering my class one day. It is a good thing you can afford to send her to a private school, because that means you can probably afford the therapy she will need later on because you a: Wanted to be clever, or B: decided not to hide that fact that you wanted another boy.

[Kogarashi]

I sense someone will be filling out name-change forms come their 18th birthday.

::looks over at Baby:: Hey, I gave you an okay name, right? Right?

[Geek King]

I hope you realize that you daughter was near tears the first day of lessons when we did attendance and she had to tell me her name was ETHAN. She also almost cried when she had to tell the girl covering my class one day.

Poor kid. I have a name, that until recently, I had only ever met two other people that had the same name, both female. Fortunately, it was so rare to hear the name, that most people didn't know. Otherwise, it would have become just one more thing for me to hate classmates over in Jr. high.

Giving your kid a unique name is fine, but please try to remember your kid has to live with it.

[Andara Bledin]

Anne Rice's birth name was Howard. When she went to school for the first time, however, she told her teacher that her name was Anne, and her mother didn't say otherwise.

Some names are cool, either way, but some names need more consideration.

Ethan? What kind of a name is that for a girl?

^-.-^

[Plaidman]

Geek King, anyway we can know the name?

As for me. Birthname is William. However the entire family has called me Driver for my entire life. That is no joke. Quite funny to see my mom pissed off at me and shouting Driver instead of William.


As ya can tell, in High School I realize the hatred of /difference/ so I went by my birth name. Now adays I prefer Driver, but no-one belives me.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

All the Ethans I've ever been aware of are guys.

[Kogarashi]

Same here, IPF. I have a cousin (male) named Ethan.

Worst I encountered in high school wasn't poor choice of naming so much as sucky attendance sheet software.

One of my classmates was a guy by the name of Brendal. Not a bad name, if you ask me, though I wouldn't give it to one of my children. But no one thought twice about it or joked about it or anything.

Except when we had a substitute teacher. You see, on the attendance sheets, names are printed last name first. So Brendal would've been Surname, Brendal. Unfortunately, that was one letter too long for the software.

Sure enough, the teacher would call for "Brenda Surname," and Brendal would have to endure the class's snickers and the teacher's disbelief as he raised his hand and corrected them.

Of course, I've had at least one teacher give me the Look of Disbelief when I got a haircut. Apparently I look like a boy when I have short hair, and my first name is very feminine. By that time, though, I'd gotten used to being mistaken for male.

[Sheldonrs]

And I thought it was bad being named Sheldon. HATED the name growing up.
I like it now though.

[NotSoInnocent]

Gah.. I got -tons- of teasing in school for my name. "Autumn".... jeez! "Where's the rest of the seasons?", "Have a nice trip. See you next FALL!" and on and on and on.

This is why my children have very normal names. "Angel"-girl, "Alicia"-girl, "Annalise"-girl, "Alexander"-boy.... I refuse to give their classmates more ammunition than they will come up with on their own.

What made my name worse (in my mind) was that it wasn't chosen because I was born in the fall (close, but not quite)... My mother named me after a Madame in a romance novel that she was reading when she went into labor with me!

[Primer]

This is why my children have very normal names. "Angel"-girl, "Alicia"-girl, "Annalise"-girl, "Alexander"-boy....

The only problem I foresee with that, is when they get old enough to start receiving mail, and it's addressed to "A. Surname."

Both of my brothers have the same first initial and it caused quite a few arguments.

[Rine]

I knew a girl named Michael. She seemed okay with it and so did most of the other kids. I guess after the first day, everyone got used to it. If anyone teased her, she'd ignore them or tease them right back...once she even beat someone up about it.

It was a well known rumor/fact that her dad named her Michael because he wanted a boy and all he got was three girls.

Ethan is a nice name...I could see it as a girl's name, but would I name my girl that? Probably not. I feel for that little girl and wonder why the parents decided to name their girl that. However, she shouldn't be ashamed of her name.

[CaroPhoenix]

The only problem I foresee with that, is when they get old enough to start receiving mail, and it's addressed to "A. Surname."

Both of my brothers have the same first initial and it caused quite a few arguments.

My sister and I have the same first and middle initials! Yeah, my mom and dad were weird.

Also, my daughter and her 2 cousins (on her father's side) all have the same first initial (fortunately, they all have different middle initials). Whew.

[tropicsgoddess]

Sure it sucks for the little girl to be named Ethan,but it's better than some crazy name like...Apple (Gwenyth Paltrow's daughter).

[Cyphr]

Of course, I've had at least one teacher give me the Look of Disbelief when I got a haircut. Apparently I look like a boy when I have short hair, and my first name is very feminine. By that time, though, I'd gotten used to being mistaken for male.

I have a friend that seriously enjoys being mistakable for a guy - says it means only people who know her well are going to ask her out.

[myswtghst]

Sure it sucks for the little girl to be named Ethan,but it's better than some crazy name like...Apple (Gwenyth Paltrow's daughter).

And really, that's nothing. Shannyn Sossamyn named her son Audio Science. Which is not a name.

I always liked my name (Leslie) because it's relatively unique, but not completely unheard of. I'm glad I didn't end up an Elizabeth, like I was meant to be, as it's much more common - I actually had to be renamed as, shortly before I was born, a neighbor of my parents had a daughter and named her Elizabeth. I kind of feel like I should have thanked her for being born first.