What’s with baby names these days?
Growing up, I had a last name that drew a lot of fun- at my expense.
It rhymed with pickle. Throughout elementary school, I went from being Karen H to Karen Hickel pickle.
It was made worse when I got to college when my last name went through another permutation and became hickey, for no good reason. True story.
Then, I got a 1970 Impala that was painted grass green, a color picked by someone else-not saying who. It became the Pickle behind my back.
This pickle thing seems to be a recurring theme.
We won’t even discuss my middle name. I am the only person in the newsroom allowed to NOT use my middle initial when I name files.
Going to La Pierre was wonderful. It’s a beautiful and charming last name.
However, try calling the hospital or the credit card company with La Pierre. We get:
“There’s no La Pierre in our database.”
I answer- “we’ve been doing business with you for 20 years. . .
It could be worse.
Some countries have to approve baby names such as New Zealand.
They have banned such names as: “No. 16 bus shelter.”
At least the child would have gone through life knowing where he or she was conceived.
How about some other requests such as “Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116”???” It can be pronounced however the parents want. Difficult to spell though.
Or Latrine or Syphilis?
No kidding.
One of the most important responsibilities of a parent is to give their child a good name. That beautiful baby will grow through life with that name.
Giving your child a dumb name or spelling to be unique or make a statement is child abuse.
To give a sweet baby the name “Lula does the Hula in Hawaii” should call for a home visit from SRS.
There are many beautiful names in the baby books or names that were popular a century ago, such as Faith or Hope, as my grandmother was named.
Many parents today saddle kids with names that have spare letters randomly spread throughout or are made up, and the spelling is not phonetic.
Maybe New Zealand has it right.
Tribune reporter Karen La Pierre can be reached at klapierre@gbtribune.com.