[Opinions] How important are initials to you?
As the title says, do you put importance on initials?
What I have seen you usually see initials on nametags (middle or first+middle) and on letters (first+middle) and unless you get something monographed you never see the first+middle+last initials together so would it matter if it’s a bad or silly meaning?
Would the following bother you?
Beatrice Una Thompson (butt)
IRE Dennison (ire = anger)
Tristan E. Ford (TF = the f*)
Henry Otto Trafford (HOT)
Samson Saul (SS)
formerly Belphoebe
⭐️
I am in the mood
to dissolve
in the sky.
- Virginia Woolf
What I have seen you usually see initials on nametags (middle or first+middle) and on letters (first+middle) and unless you get something monographed you never see the first+middle+last initials together so would it matter if it’s a bad or silly meaning?
Would the following bother you?
Beatrice Una Thompson (butt)
IRE Dennison (ire = anger)
Tristan E. Ford (TF = the f*)
Henry Otto Trafford (HOT)
Samson Saul (SS)
⭐️
I am in the mood
to dissolve
in the sky.
- Virginia Woolf
This message was edited 12/7/2023, 12:10 PM
Replies
Not at all, since the initials are never mentioned where I’m living
I’d avoid anything too vulgar or obviously rude. So off that list, I’d just avoid butt.
I don’t care unless they spell out something controversial, something that will make the child endure teasing, or vulgar.
Caroline Ann T. (Cat? So what?)
Collin Andrew R. (Who cares)
Katherine Frances C. ( KFC? You are getting into dangerous territory here)
Anna Sophia S. (Beware)
Paula Irene G. ( Not good)
Kelsey Kristine K. ( Terrible)
Caroline Ann T. (Cat? So what?)
Collin Andrew R. (Who cares)
Katherine Frances C. ( KFC? You are getting into dangerous territory here)
Anna Sophia S. (Beware)
Paula Irene G. ( Not good)
Kelsey Kristine K. ( Terrible)
If they spell out something comedic, I personally wouldn’t use them; initials are pretty important to me. This being said, I’m not going to be upset if initials spell out “car,” lab,” “hot,” “TF,” and the likes…but “BUTT” and “RAT” would probably bother me, lol.
Of your examples, BUTT and SS are the only one that would bother me. I’d also avoid A.H. Not particularly nice but not bad initials (eg Carla Ariadne Ridgeway) wouldn’t bother me.
I notice them when I learn someone's middle name, and I would notice if mine spelled something inauspicious. So I care.
My threshold for when it would interfere with name choice, is just based on how inauspicious I personally perceive initials to be - would they bother me if they were mine?
All the ones you listed would be just fine with me if I liked the name and had carefully chosen it.
My threshold for when it would interfere with name choice, is just based on how inauspicious I personally perceive initials to be - would they bother me if they were mine?
All the ones you listed would be just fine with me if I liked the name and had carefully chosen it.
Generally speaking, full initials are so seldom seen that I don't think they'd be an issue most of the time. But, a boy named Martin Oliver McKenzie or a girl named Dinah Alison Davis might run into trouble.
Pretty important, would reconsider if it wasn't a nice combo
I wouldn't like but, the others are ok
I wouldn't like but, the others are ok
It’s important enough, but IMO there are more important factors when naming a child.
If my kid happened to have initials like RAD, MVP, or something of the sort I wouldn’t mind because I quite like that actually. If we’re talking initials like F*G, CRY, PIG, etc. I would definitely avoid that. Otherwise I would prefer neutral initials that don’t swing one way or the other.
If my kid happened to have initials like RAD, MVP, or something of the sort I wouldn’t mind because I quite like that actually. If we’re talking initials like F*G, CRY, PIG, etc. I would definitely avoid that. Otherwise I would prefer neutral initials that don’t swing one way or the other.
I think it really depends on the intials and context. Like if it's in honor of a person (using their intials) it's okay to plan a name around that. If it ends up in a "oh look at that" moment and what they are it can be a cute quirk (like my husband's intials are MRS!). My now last name starts with an S so of course we were trying to avoid things like A.S.S. in naming our children but overall, it is what it is. Mine ended up being ALS after I got married.
I like it when initials spell something fun but I wouldn't engineer an entire name around it. There are some initials I would try to avoid so I would change a name to avoid bad initials.
I don't think "but" is the same as "butt", but it's still maybe not the best initials.
"Ire" doesn't bother me, neither does "TF". "Hot" would be funny, not bad. I'd want to avoid SS too.
First, middle, and last initials are often together on paperwork where you're supposed to initial something, or written on your stuff in school. Also people just talk about middle names and initials so it will be discussed even if you never write it anywhere.
I don't think "but" is the same as "butt", but it's still maybe not the best initials.
"Ire" doesn't bother me, neither does "TF". "Hot" would be funny, not bad. I'd want to avoid SS too.
First, middle, and last initials are often together on paperwork where you're supposed to initial something, or written on your stuff in school. Also people just talk about middle names and initials so it will be discussed even if you never write it anywhere.
I wouldn't say initials are super important to me, because in general my interest in names doesn't include worrying about real-world application. So I rarely think about surnames.
But when I do have to contend with initials, I find that I have some preferences. Sometimes I have no idea why. Initials KNB are not as nice as KRB, for instance. CSM is better than CKM. Why? I don't know, my brain just decided.
Words that are a bit silly and random don't really bother me. BUT, WHY, HOT, etc, that's all fine. As you said, most of the time people don't use the middle initial. SS is an interesting one, I know people with SS initials and I have never even noticed it. I guess I'm a bit oblivious.
A friend of mine, whose husband is a teacher, insisted on giving their second kid an extra middle name just to avoid giving him initials that would be a misspelled rude word. He was worried the kid would be teased. But I do not remember caring at all about people's full initials when I was a kid, even during the worst of the bullying years!
But when I do have to contend with initials, I find that I have some preferences. Sometimes I have no idea why. Initials KNB are not as nice as KRB, for instance. CSM is better than CKM. Why? I don't know, my brain just decided.
Words that are a bit silly and random don't really bother me. BUT, WHY, HOT, etc, that's all fine. As you said, most of the time people don't use the middle initial. SS is an interesting one, I know people with SS initials and I have never even noticed it. I guess I'm a bit oblivious.
A friend of mine, whose husband is a teacher, insisted on giving their second kid an extra middle name just to avoid giving him initials that would be a misspelled rude word. He was worried the kid would be teased. But I do not remember caring at all about people's full initials when I was a kid, even during the worst of the bullying years!
Initials are definitely important. My initials before marriage spelt out RAG but if my father had his way it would have spelled out the British slang word for cigarettes.
Imagine if your name was Marsaili Olwen Oliphant or Walter Henry Arthur Tesdale or Thomas William Andrew Tierney as that could lead to bullying if others found out.
Imagine if your name was Marsaili Olwen Oliphant or Walter Henry Arthur Tesdale or Thomas William Andrew Tierney as that could lead to bullying if others found out.
Fag would’ve ben bad!