Every couple expecting a child knows: finding “the” right first name is a delicate task. Between the tastes of the two parents, the desired sound, the desired symbol, it is difficult to find the rare pearl in the blink of an eye. And when both parents agree, you still have to face the opinions of others. This is precisely what happened with a mother who came to complain about being misunderstood on the Reddit network. It must be said that the first name in question is indeed… unpublished.
The name of a goddess, a symbol… which falls flat
In reality, these parents followed a rather common trend: drawing inspiration from mythology and a foreign language to create a meaningful first name.
“It’s a combination of ‘Nyx’, the Greek goddess of the night, and ‘Irina’, a name meaning ‘peace’ in Greek. We thought it sounded poetic, strong and unique.” reveals the young mother on Reddit.
An association which gave birth to the first name Nyxiryn, to be pronounced “Nikserin” according to her.
“It looks like poor quality syrup”
Proud of their findings, the parents were nevertheless quickly confronted with the surprise of their family. Enter the sister who remains silent, before saying that she finds this “interesting” and the aunt who bursts into laughter, the mother doubts. Hence his message to find comfort. But the web being cruel, quite the opposite happens there.
“it looks like a password or username” wonders an Internet user, “This is me mashing my keyboard.” reacted another.
But the most recurring comments mention a name which curiously resembles that of a medicine : “It looks like a poor quality cough syrup”,”It’s true. The name sounds like a prescription. (…) Amoxicillin, Aspirin, Penicillin, Nyxerin…” many Internet users mock. A reaction that can hurt when you talk about your own child.
A very original first name, gift or burden?
This mother’s intervention suggests a certain doubt about her own choice. However, she is not alone in daring to use a new first name. Elon Musk in particular, distinguished himself in the art of naming his latest born (out of 11 children) in a surprising way: X Æ A-12, Exa Dark Sideral or even Techno Mechanicus. But how far can we go when we choose originality?
Early childhood psychologist Héloïse Junier responded to us in a previous topic. For her, if there is no perfect first name, it must still be chosen with full knowledge of the facts:
“Our first name is, from our birth, a component of our identity. It is not nothing! This means that it will influence the way we look at ourselves, our self-esteem, the way others see us, our social life, our psychological well-being and also our personality, which has been highlighted by numerous research studies since the end of the 20th century.”
But what about a first name that is unique, even unpronounceable, or resembles an antihistamine?
“Choosing to give your child a very, very original first name is not without consequences” agrees the psychologist. “In the eyes of certain researchers, first names that are too rare and/or unappreciated by others could even constitute what they call a “social handicap”. Some studies in fact highlight that an unusual first name seems more associated with adaptation problems, lower self-evaluation and sometimes even lower academic, social and professional success. Even if, of course, the first name is only one factor among others! This is why it is always good to put things into perspective” she recalled.
So the pressure is there. But rest assured. If you are looking for an original first name for your unborn child, there is a wide range of choices between a very classic first name and a winning Scrabble first name. Including pretty, original and sweet first names that you will find on True Medical.