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The Covid pandemic brought us lots of things... Misery, loneliness, lockdowns, remote work, and a whole bunch of bizarre baby names. Quarantina, Pandemica, Virusandra, Mia Corona, Covidleigh, and Zeneca are among some of the strangest names that no ever child asked for but got anyway.

This ridiculous trend of giving offspring offbeat names seems to have started long before 2020. Some thought Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin had consciously malfunctioned when they called their firstborn Apple in 2004. A few more celebrities jumped on the bandwagon. Then Elon Musk came along and said, "Hold my Tesla," before naming his son X Æ A-12.

We thought we'd heard it all but it seems some parents can't stop. Won't stop. Someone asked, "What’s a name of a child that proves that the parents aren’t serious people?" and we could've sworn the world had lost its marbles. From U-R-H-Y-N-E-Z (proudly pronounced 'Your Highness!'), to Random (who has a younger brother named Extra), it's probably safe to say that more than a few name changes might be happening sometime in the future.

#1

A girl wearing a tiara, representing kids who might have unfortunate names due to parental choices. Naming your daughter Princess just screams “pregnant in high school” to me

skyrunner_7 , Hoàng Phương Nguyễn/Pexels Report

What happened to the good old days of Peter, John, Mary And Jane? Sometimes it seems as if some parents are competing for a gold star on the World's Walk of Shameful Names.

The fact that they think their children are going to glamorously glide through life sporting a name like Random, Extra, Pandemica, Bimbo or Rope makes us feel like their baby-naming rights might need to be revoked.

Unconventional, unique and plain ridiculous names can set a child up for a lifetime of teasing, mockery and jokes. Not to mention the administrative chaos that could come from strange spellings or bizarre characters. Official legal documents, passports, birth certificates, and flight tickets can all get lost in translation, so to speak.

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    #2

    Close-up of Elon Musk, a parent who may give kids unfortunate names. X Æ A-Xii, Exa Dark Sideræl, Techno "Tau" Mechanicus, etc... oh wait these just prove he's a comic book villain.

    rlbergman , U.S. Air Force / Trevor Cokley Report

    Fungus John
    Community Member
    5 minutes ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    what a loser. the Tau and the Imperium are bitter enemies, thats like calling a kid Adolf Weinstein.

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    #3

    Renesmee

    msflowers72 Report

    tom (bat/man)
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    yeah, yeah, once we get those grapes out of your mouth we will release you

    Some parents go for offbeat names to ensure that their kids stand out and don't just blend into the crowd. Others, it seems, do it simply to be funny. Either way, they clearly don't realize how damaging a bizarre name can potentially be for their offspring.

    In 2024, the BBC reported that studies had found that men with uncommon first names were more likely to drop out of school and be lonely later in life. "One study, found that psychiatric patients with more unusual names tended to be more disturbed," added the media outlet.

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    #5

    Hands holding various dollar bills, suggesting financial implications for parents of kids with unfortunate names. I work with a lady named Tappy. Also, a few years ago, I came across a name while working (insurance industry) King Money III. The third!!!! There’s three of these jokers?

    narchochzzz , www.kaboompics.com/Pexels Report

    #6

    Woman with sun-kissed hair, illustrating the diverse backgrounds of kids with unfortunate names. I work with a woman named Sunshine. She has two sisters named Rainbow and Delight and one brother named Gerald.

    brittjschwartz , Eda Yurtkuran/Pexels Report

    tom (bat/man)
    Community Member
    1 hour ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Gerald got lucky, maybe by the 4th child his parents learned their lesson.

    But a bizarre name doesn't always have to spell disaster. One expert says that being bullied, teased or mocked because of your name can actually lead to better impulse control.

    "They actually benefit from that experience by learning to control their emotions or their impulses, which is of course a great skill for success," argues Dalton Conley, a sociologist at New York University and the author of Parentology: Everything You Wanted to Know about the Science of Raising Children. 

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    Conley himself has come under attack for naming his daughter E.... (yes, that's it. That's the full name).

    #7

    Daenerys Targaryen, a powerful character whose story involves unfortunate names and parentage. Naming your baby Khalessi (Game of Thrones)

    afternoon.drportia , Game of Thrones/HBO Report

    Whiskey Tango Delicious
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Uh, spoiler alert! The name was cool, until it wasn't. ☠️

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    #8

    A close-up of a bronze emblem for the US Department of the Navy, a key part of unfortunate names and their origins. I worked in enrollment and this little boy’s name was Navy Seals Jr. JUNIOR! Two generations of straight foolishness 😂🤣

    jamerican.soul , Arian Fernandez/Pexels Report

    Toika Gao
    Community Member
    8 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In Chile, more specifically in the port of Valparaíso, you can find women called "Usnavy" (oos - NAH - vee). Their parents saw the "name" written on US ships - US Navy 😂

    #9

    Kviiilin. Pronounced Kaitlin. Parents used the Roman numerals for 8 in place of the ‘ait’ in the name.
    And yes, it’s true.

    beasredblanket2 Report

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    Conley says he and his wife were in the process of choosing a name for their baby when she was born two months premature.

    "We had narrowed down the selections to a bunch of E- names, but we couldn't ultimately decide," he explained. "Then we came up with the idea of, 'Let's just constrain the first degree of freedom. Let's just give her the first letter and then she can decide when she's old enough what it stands for.'"

    E, now an adult, rolled with the punches. "I think once you're given a name, you get used to it - it's part of you," she told the BBC.

    #10

    A sleeping baby wearing a small golden crown, symbolizing the innocence before knowing about unfortunate names. In the NICU there was a baby next to my son named King. I said oh they’re so going to regret that later.

    keyonnarobles , Ong Béo Studio - BH ĐN/Pexels Report

    Ann Jeppesen
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That’s a dogs name. At least here in Denmark it is.

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    #11

    Two kids with backpacks, seen from behind, leaning against a railing, possibly discussing unfortunate names. I worked at a photography studio in college. A couple came in with their sons: Denim, Suede, and

    Rope.

    eurypterid , Norma Mortenson/Pexels Report

    #12

    A smiling man with curly hair, holding a blue sports drink and waving, reflecting on unfortunate names. I have a cousin named "Bimbo". I thought it was just a nickname, but it's his real government name. 😭

    cy.anciado , Ave Calvar Martinez/Pexels Report

    TonjaLasagne
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My step-brother’s nickname since he was a child has been B***o but he’s been *Bim* for decades…it s***s when you are the youngest of the tribe! I couldn’t imagine anyone actually giving a child that moniker as their REAL name, though.

    If we've learned anything from the names Apple, X Æ A-12, Bimbo or Pandemica, it's that times have certainly changed.

    “I think in past generations, parents were much more concerned about their kids’ names fitting in. But in the past 20 years, the focus has been 100% on standing out,” says Laura Wattenberg, founder of the baby-naming site Baby Name Wizard. “Parents are really, really worried about their kids being ordinary.”

    #13

    A man with dreadlocks and a nose ring looks thoughtful, perhaps reflecting on unfortunate names. Semaj… cause why tf is your named James backwards!?

    gorgeousvalencia , Alex Green/Pexels Report

    Toika Gao
    Community Member
    2 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The name is Dnob. Semaj Dnob.

    #14

    COVID-19 written on asphalt with arrows and figures, implying a difficult path for kids with unfortunate names. I know people named their child Covid and Rona. Like whut??????

    sujeniel , Nathan J Hilton/Pexels Report

    TheSubmissiveToe
    Community Member
    47 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Rona is an old name and had nothing to do with the virus. Rona Barrett, anyone? Good lord, I just aged myself.

    #15

    Breezy. My flabber was gasted when I realized it was the child's name and not their dog's.

    rebel__steph Report

    Wattenberg told Quartz that research has shown that people find familiar, easy-to-pronounce names to be likable and trustworthy. She said that when you hear from a person with a name like Dave or Jen or Mike, “you’re more likely to answer their email, more likely to swipe right on Tinder.”

    Yet, more and more parents are throwing caution to the wind, and burning the box when it comes to naming their children. Some believe they're doing their offspring a favor.

    “Parents are worried about their kids’ futures and want to carve out shelf space in the marketplace of life,” says Wattenberg. “Some think that standing out with a name will help their kids do that.”

    Never miss a story that brings joy to the world. Follow on Google News

    #16

    A woman with red hair looking stressed, holding her head, related to kids with unfortunate names. I knew a fantastic girl named True False (like the family surname was False and they decided, with absolute impunity, to foist an actual pun upon their daughter as her government name) and she loathed it. LOATHED it.

    l.l.tyrrellwriter , Mikael Blomkvist/Pexels Report

    #17

    A parent with an arm around a child, looking at the water, considering the impact of unfortunate names. I’ve got you all beat. Working as a Peds RN, ER calls for an admission to the floor. Nurse spells out kids name for me. U-r-h-y-n-e-z. Naturally I ask, “how is it pronounced?” She responded mother told her but she can’t remember. Nurse was Filipino, idk if she was just playing and wanted me to hear it for myself. iykyk. So when patient is transferred to floor for admission, I asked mom, “how is your son’s name pronounced?” She replied very matter-of-factly, “Your highness!” Me: “oh, ok” 🫠

    sahmami09 , Mayara Caroline Mombelli/Pexels Report

    Toujin C'Thlu
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Telling that kid to do something is going to be interesting

    #18

    I worked in a doctor’s office and had to call a patient into the exam room. Her name was September. I said “You should have been here last week. We had a patient named February.”
    She replied that’s my sister. My mother liked calendars. 📅 🥺

    mross1953 Report

    Lukas (f​u​ck/tra​ns​pho​b​es)
    Community Member
    Premium
    57 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I had two foster siblings named Summer and Autumn. I also know somebody who chose the name Saturday when he transitioned, cool-a*s name, makes me wish I'd chosen something more creative than just "Lukas" lol

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    In 2023, the UK’s Office for National Statistics revealed that 64,560 unique names were being registered each year. That's twice as many as in 1999. And this year, the US parenting website and app BabyCenter announced that Juniper, Malachi and Emersyn had made it into the top 100 names for the first time ever.

    Interestingly, some adults are opting to change their conventional names in order to be more unique.

    #19

    An ex neighbor named his children Mercedes and Bently. Poor people

    bottlesgonewild Report

    Forrest Hobbs
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Mercedes is a perfectly ordinary Spanish (female) name. Bentley? The cars were named after a Mr Bentley, so - less so, eh?

    #20

    Two kids from behind, one with an arm around the other, contemplating the future and their names. I went to school with a guy named Random who had a younger brother named extra. Their father was later convicted of counterfeiting and undermining US currency market.

    marchek_nyc , Hurrah suhail/Pexels Report

    #21

    A television screen displaying the ESPN+ logo and Stephen A's World, a modern context for discussions about names. A former neighbor named her kid ESPN. I think it was pronounced ehspin…

    harasaroon , Tech Daily/Unsplash Report

    The Guardian reported last year that Rebecca, Thomas, Muhammad and David featured in the top 10 most changed names, swapped out for Liam, Riley, Kayleigh and Remiel. It added that one provider of legal deed polls said that one in six of all applications were from people changing their name to live "more authentically."

    Whether you love your name, or hate your name, it's important to remember, in the words of Dr. Seuss: Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!

    #22

    A child walks away into the sunset, an image evoking the innocence of kids before names become significant. Precious Shartenay. We think the mom didn’t know how to spell or pronounce Chardonnay.

    kiki_boniki , Мария/Pexels Report

    tom (bat/man)
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The "shartenay" is what happens the next day after several bottles of wine...cant fart with confidence

    #23

    A white surgical mask lies on a light blue background, unrelated to unfortunate names. You guys will not stop laughing once you see the names registered in the Philippines during covid😫 Ex: Covid Bryant, Quarantina/Quinton, Pandemica, Virusandra, Pippa(PPE), Mia Corona, Covidleigh, McCovyd, Dela Ta(Canned goods), Zoom(online meet), Zeneca(vaccine) etc😭😭😭

    reynuahhh123 , Anna Shvets/Pexels Report

    Forrest Hobbs
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well. Pippa is a perfectly good shortened version of 'Philippa'. As for the rest? Perhaps someone with an understanding of Philippine culture might be able to explain, 'cos I can't.

    #24

    A silhouette of a child against a sunset, representing the impact of unfortunate names on kids. I went to school with a girl named Neon Skyy. Her sister was Breezi. Her son was Hero Jupiter Exavion.

    love_thej , Renjith Tomy Pkm/Pexels Report

    Sanguina
    Community Member
    26 minutes ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I went to high school with a girl named Autumn Day.

    #25

    As a teacher I’ve seen a lot of weird names, particularly middle names. My top 3 favorite are Looktwice, T-Rex, and Starrr (her first name also had 3 of the same letter in it: Alexxxis).

    stephanieschieltz Report

    Angela C
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A name like Alexxxis definitely points to a particular future career path

    #26

    The back of a woman's head with curly brown hair and a white bow, relating to kids with unfortunate names. High school teacher. Had a student one year whose first name was
    Baby Girl
    I kid you not.

    stitchinaddiction , Alexandre Canteiro/Pexels Report

    SchadenFreudian Psychology
    Community Member
    48 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That’s what they call her in the hospital before the parents designate a name.

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    #27

    A'miracle will always be a weird one for me. My mom used to work in the ER and had a rambunctious little girl in the waiting room. Her mother proceeds to yell, "A'miracle, if you don't settle down right now I'm gonna turn you into A'ACCIDENT!".

    _sophia_hicks Report

    #28

    A church couple named their daughters Dior and Victoria

    lizzyybeann Report

    #29

    I know a Rope, a Kash, and a Cash who's last name was Profit

    lndsybxtr111 Report

    #30

    A friend gave his son the legal middle name of Danger.

    krjstin Report

    #31

    This coming up right after a post about a baby named Jaxson. There's Jackson. There's Jaxon. And then there's whatever that is. You cannot tell me it's not pronounced jack-sa-son.

    mishlove18 Report

    SchadenFreudian Psychology
    Community Member
    45 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have a friend whose daughter named her son Jax. I hope when he gets older he insists on being “Jack.”

    #32

    My mom went to high school with a woman named Ima Rose Bush.

    bri_t_ney Report

    #33

    Felony. Our bank teller’s name is Felony.

    winetraveltita Report

    #34

    I met a Ya'majesty once

    thetalentedlittleripley Report

    #35

    I know someone named their son Cesar Ian just because he was delivered via cesarean 😫😫

    nv.donewell Report

    #36

    In elementary school I knew a peanut, mackie and coco. (Macadamia, coconut) 😅

    mountainsandmeadowfarm Report

    tom (bat/man)
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    that was when you were allowed to take nuts to school

    #37

    I once taught a Millionaire

    mi_wellness_adventures Report

    #38

    i used to know someone named rumor. it was their government name

    ju.noooo Report

    #39

    Megatron. But in Thailand, there are kids named iPhone, Facebook, IG, Pony, Lemon Sherbet Ice-Cream, New Orleans etc. Sooo… 🤷🏻‍♀️

    jane.pongpanich Report

    #40

    My previous neighbor named her oldest son "Imagine"... but it is pronounced as "E-mah-zhuh-nay"

    tygress200 Report

    David Jeffery
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Where is the 'z' sound in this spelling?

    #41

    I used to work with a girl named Pepsi

    fleauxasaurus Report

    #42

    I knew somebody in school named Abu. His siblings is named Jasmine and Aladdin. I told him his parents funny as hell to name them after the characters 🤣

    sayamiyazaki28 Report

    #43

    My name’s legally London Britton.

    thelondonexperience.__ Report

    #44

    Samwise. Don’t come at me I love LOTR too, but it’s a girl. Stahp.

    lindsayjade77 Report

    #45

    Here in the Philippines, there’s that kid named “Drink Water”. And no, I’m not kidding.

    neckuhhh Report

    tom (bat/man)
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    we had a kid in high school whose surname was Drinkwater

    #46

    I went to high school with a girl named Fancee Liddle Riddle.

    some_guy_named_cory Report

    #47

    “Locket Romance”
    “Poetry Lucia”
    They’re twins, boy/girl, first and middle names, I can’t even with influencers 🤦‍♀️

    kenzie_lou_who_14 Report

    #48

    I just recently read a head line about a FEDERAL JUDGE named Sparkle! Kind of threw out my argument that I need to name my child something that will be taken seriously in case they choose to run for public office.

    awfullypositive Report

    #49

    Met a set of sisters named ruby, sapphire, and emerald. I dont know if they had more siblings but im really curious now

    hailee.moore7 Report

    Tango Wox
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Big fans of a single Pokemon Gen lol

    #50

    I knew someone in high school named apple who had a sister named cherry. Craziest revelation of my young life at the time 😂

    jonathan.antoine25 Report

    #51

    Sterling, bronze, golden. And their dogs are steel and silver.... the dogs came first.

    _ninaa.ninaa_ Report

    #52

    Twins girls- Abra and Cadabra
    Cute for a pair of puppies or kittens, not cute for humans.

    moxie_girl53ot Report

    #53

    Satchel, like a man purse

    britybritb Report

    #54

    "Kheighyam" can't they just do it like Keiam

    justbeinga_hoenestperson Report

    #55

    When I was at my college orientation, they showed us a video by an alumna named Cupcake.

    astrocommiemommy Report

    #56

    Actor Jason Lee named his son Pilot Inspector

    merissamerissa Report

    #57

    Queencess. Yes, a mix of queen and princess

    needsninikki Report

    #58

    My Great neice named her daughters Journey and Dreamer.

    nancy.pihl Report

    #59

    We had a trio of sisters at my highschool named “brandy” “tequila” and… any guesses? Beer? Wine? Vodka? Champagne?
    All wrong, the third was named “America”

    jashmcduckus Report

    #60

    Delivered a baby with first name “daddy yankee”

    dale_lobo Report

    #61

    In the news here in the Philippines, there were siblings named Macaroni 85 and Spaghetti 88. Not even kidding 😵‍💫

    allieterations Report

    #62

    had a kiddo in my pre-k class named Obi-wan (went by Obi). sisters name… Padme!

    k_sanchhh Report

    #63

    Any “”blank” Jr.”. Like, come up with an original name for the kid. It’s selfish and lazy.

    pbandjjshop Report

    #64

    Worked in registration in PEDS ER and met Lemonjello and Orangello. Pronounced “limahngelo” and “orahngelo”

    karawthigpen Report

    #65

    I know someone who named their kids Luna, Sonny, and Rocky. Parents are very unserious.

    peaceofsandie Report

    #66

    I know a family that lives in Texas and has 3 sons. Two are named Dallas and Austin. The youngest is Mark.

    em_skehill Report

    SchadenFreudian Psychology
    Community Member
    42 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That’s sane, compared to some of the names here.