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Names Not to Name Your Kid

There are plenty of names out there that people are cursed with due to the fact that their parents were blissfully unaware of the meaning or the teasing possibilities of their name.
  1. Robert
    • Origin:

      English from German
    • Meaning:

      "bright fame"
    • Description:

      Robert was the Number 1 boys' name in the US in both 1925 and 1950, and in fact was in the Top 25 for more than a century, giving it true classic status. Strong if not quite stylish, Robert remains in the Top 100 for baby boys as a family favorite.
  2. Annabelle
    • Origin:

      Combination of Anna and Belle or French form of Amabel
    • Meaning:

      "loving"
    • Description:

      This is a charming name that rose steeply along with other-belle names, such as Isabelle, until the horror film Annabelle and its sequels knocked it out of favor. Made famous by the Edgar Allen Poe poem Annabel Lee. Annabelle is saucy and stylish, a tad upscale, has a sense of humor, is melodious and lively, but is unfortunately off its peak.
  3. Karen
    • Origin:

      Danish variation of Katherine, Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "pure; lotus flower"
    • Description:

      Karen, a once sweet Danish import, was so popular during the baby boom (Karen was Number 3 in 1960) that it's become a mem in recent years, representing a hostile white woman—one who usually wants to speak with the manager.
  4. Viola
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "violet"
    • Description:

      Viola has plenty of positive elements going for it: the rhythm of the musical instrument, the association with the flower, the trending 'Vi' beginning and its leading role in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. With a touch of international flair, it also avoids the violent/Violet some parents have.
  5. Chad
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "battle warrior"
    • Description:

      Despite all the "hanging," "dangling," and "pregnant" chad jokes of the 2000 election, this saint's name and remnant of the Brad-Tad era didn't get a boost in popularity. But Chad still holds some surfer-boy appeal for a number of modern parents.
  6. Kyle
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "narrow spit of land"
    • Description:

      Kyle is still appreciated by thousands of parents each year for its combination of simplicity, strength, and style; it was in the Top 20 for most of the nineties. As a Scottish surname, it dates back to the fifteenth century.
  7. Jared
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "he descends"
    • Description:

      Jared is an Old Testament name that has been popular for decades--it was revived in the sixties via TV westerns-- and is still an appealing option.
  8. Anakin
    • Origin:

      American invented name
    • Description:

      Anakin Skywalker, aka Darth Vader, is the antagonist in the original Star Wars trilogy. The name Anakin first entered the US Top 1000 in 2014. Its meaning is unknown but is thought to be an homage to a friend of George Lucas.
  9. Melvin
    • Origin:

      English and Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "council protector"
    • Description:

      This once perfectly respectable surname has suffered decades of abuse, not least by Jerry Lewis's character in the fifties. NFL running back Melvin Gordon stars for the Los Angeles Chargers.
  10. Alexa
    • Origin:

      Greek, English
    • Meaning:

      "defending men"
    • Description:

      Alexa was a steadily popular modern classic until Amazon's virtual assistant Alexa was released in 2013. It remains relatively well used in the US despite this, though its standing keeps dropping for obvious reasons. Too bad, because it's a strong and pretty name (which is probably why Amazon used it.)
  11. Portia
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "pig"
    • Description:

      Portia is a perfect role-model name, relating to Shakespeare's brilliant and spirited lawyer in The Merchant of Venice, and is now also a Hunger Games name .
  12. Alouette
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "lark"
    • Description:

      Alouette is a sweet Gallic twist in the stylish bird name genre made familiar via the charming French children's song, Alouette, gentile alouette.
  13. Lexie
    • Description:

      Lexi and Lexie, pixie-ish offshoots of the prolific Alex family, have come into their own, remaining in the Top 1000 for more than 20 years now.
  14. Landry
    • Origin:

      French and English
    • Meaning:

      "ruler of the land"
    • Description:

      A rising surname, perhaps inspired by legendary Dallas Cowboys football coach Tom Landry, this name is historically associated with St. Landry, a 7th-century bishop of Paris and founder of the city's first hospital. Derived from the Germanic Landric, giving it a strong and distinctive meaning, it was used as a masculine choice in France during the latter half of the 20th-century, while in the US, it is a gender neutral option.
  15. Nevaeh
    • Origin:

      Modern invented name
    • Description:

      Nevaeh: an already bold word name with the unusual twist of being spelled backwards; a nightmare for those who love traditional, classic names; a divisive option on name forums across the internet; and a spelling and pronunciation that aren’t quite intuitive at first glance.
  16. Salma
    • Origin:

      Arabic
    • Meaning:

      "safe"
    • Description:

      Mexican-born actress Salma Hayek lends a large dollop of glamour to this name that would otherwise resemble the middle-aged Selma.
  17. Abcde

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