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Names you should never burden your child with
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About this list
The names
Bentley
English
"meadow with coarse grass"
Bentley, a somewhat stuffy British surname, previously associated primarily with an incredibly expensive English car, has had a recent surge in popularity, thanks largely to the reality TV shows 16…
King
English
"monarch"
King is a name that sends a mixed message. While some might think of it as more fitting for a canine, others see it as a strong name with offbeat style and a full court of rich associations, from Dr.…
Prince
Latin
"chief, prince"
Prince rose to its highest ranking in a century in 2015, and the tragic death of its most famous bearer in April 2016 propelled it even higher. The Purple Rain legend isn't its only tie to pop…
Treasure
Latin
"highly valued possession"
Doting parents have begun to use names like Precious and Treasure, which are sweet for a baby, but might not hold up over the years. Treasure was used for nearly 300 baby girls in one recent year.
Gaylord
French
"brisk, high-spirited"
Best left on the old southern plantation, sipping his mint julep.
Honey
Word name
Honey entered the US Top 1000 for the first time ever in 2024, following the lead of parents in England, who've elevated this nickname-name to the Top 300 girls' names in the UK. Honey's popularity…
Friend
Word name
Sociable middle name choice with a Quaker feel.
Heavenly
Word name
Heavenly, the word that's become a name, has been flirting with the bottom of the Top 1000 for a handful of years now. Heaven and cousins like Nevaeh have been well-used so adding the popular -ly…
Dimple
An adorable nickname for a smiley baby, but not suggested as a legal name.
Dick
Diminutive of Richard
"dominant ruler"
Dick was a once-common short form of Richard; replaced by Rick or Richie, and finally by the full name itself. Rude meaning -- make that two rude meanings -- pretty much knocks this one out of…
Princess
Word name
"princess"
Part of the trend for formerly canine royal names; this is one a little girl might love—up till the age of eight.
Adolph
German
"noble wolf"
World War II stamped a permanent verboten on Adolph.
Pansy
English flower name from French
"thought"
Pansy is an early floral name that lost credibility when it became a derogatory slang term for gay people. Better these days: Posy or Poppy.
Shade
English word name
Nice sound, but double meaning -- shady glen or shady character.
Lucious
Lucious is a variant of the Latin name Lucius, meaning 'light' or 'illumination.' With roots in ancient Rome, the name carries connotations of brightness and clarity. While less common than similar…
Hortense
Latin
"of the garden"
Hortense is actually the French feminine form of Hortensia, the name of a strong, politically active early Roman woman. Hortense began to be used in the English-speaking world in the nineteenth…
Precious
Latin word name
"of great worth, expensive"
Though many might find it too syrupy, hundreds of parents each year choose this name for their daughters to make them feel special. Precious Ramotswe is the engaging African sleuth in the popular No.…
Lexus
Greek variation of a diminutive of Alexis
Lexus, an automotive newcomer, has recently entered the Top 1000 -- more because of its association, we fear, with the status symbol car than its relation to the name Alexis. If you love this name,…
Star
Word name
Most parents today would prefer the softer-sell Stella. But Star has symbolic power related to Christmas, so this could make one of the perfect names for December babies .
Doctor
Word name
Doctor is an honorific used as a name, somewhat like names such as Bishop, King, and Princess. Banned in New Zealand, Doctor can lead to the kind of confusion you may feel would be only positive for…