Hey everyone! I’m back with another blog.
Now, this time around, you’re probably expecting another Eurovision review, or a Seattle blog, or even another mythology blog.
But no. Not today.
Because I have something I’d like to address.
Earlier today, I was stuck on a part of a story I was writing since a name was throwing me off.
I was writing a modern version of Hyacinthus’s myth as told in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and I had changed Zephyrus’s name to Gale.
However, since my sister has been obsessed with Baldur’s Gate 3, I can’t hear the name Gale without thinking of the Wizard of Waterdeep.
So, I wanted another name relating to wind I could use for Zephyrus. Because I no longer wanted to use Gale, especially due to what Gale/Zephyrus ends up doing (RIP Hyacinthus).
So, I ended up searching up wind-themed baby names to look for some replacement name.
And I ended up getting…no good ideas.
Because a lot of the baby names sound pretentious.
Now, listen. I know choosing a name for your baby is fun. It’s a child and you’re giving them a name. You want something pretty, or cute, or clever.
But I think a lot of parents need to understand that their child has to LIVE with that name for at LEAST 18 years before they can change that name. IT’S A BIG DECISION.
And before that, they have to go through EDUCATION. Where they’re likely to get bullied for literally ANYTHING. Especially their name.
If you give your child an abnormal name (e.g. Abcde, longer names in different languages you do not know, math symbols), you need to realize you are giving bullies something to use against them.
I think that longer, themed names should be given to original characters rather than actual people. Especially names with mythological roots.
I am BEGGING you people: IF you are naming your child something from mythology, or giving them even a middle name from mythology, PLEASE take the time to research that character. If that character has different names, and what they are MOST known for.
PLEASE do not name your child Zeus, Agamemnon, or Nephele. I’M BEGGING YOU.
Please just THINK about what could happen to you child if you give them an abnormal name.
Now I’m not saying things like “you shouldn’t name your son Abby” or “don’t name your daughter Logan”. I’m also saying you can’t name your child something from a different language (Lux honestly goes hard as a baby name). You can name your child whatever, names don’t have a gender, society has just placed those boundaries. It’s okay to cross those.
I’m saying, consider if your child will get bullied or not specifically because of their name. Consider if your child will hate you for naming them that.
If it’s a pun (eg. Allie Gaeta), reconsider. Please. Just put some thought into it.
And: would you like it if that was your name?
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk. And if you’re naming a child, please think about what I’ve said.