Couple's bold decision to name baby after Pokémon character leaves internet divided
Naming a baby is far from an easy decision – it's a balance between deciding if you want something unique and bold, or if you want your kid to simply fit into the mold.
Niamh, for example, is quite a unique moniker outside of Ireland, particularly in North West England in the 1990s...
30 years later and Irish names like mine have become a little bit more commonplace in England, but the quirky spellings will always baffle people.
It's definitely a conversation-starter having a uncommon name, but (arguably) there's a thin line between choosing a uncommon name for your kid and picking a moniker that will make them stand out for the wrong reasons...
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In once instance, a mom received some pushback after reportedly wanting to name her child Chernobyl, while another mother found herself unable to name her daughter Xfrgolszzzxy.
Now this mom reportedly wanted to name her second child after a Pokémon character – just like she did with her firstborn.
Sharing the story on Reddit, a woman penned back in 2024: "I just found out one of my friends named her child after a Pokémon and she's planning to do it again.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm a Pokémon fan myself, but this is just wrong. One of my friends (whom I met over Pokémon GO back when it was popular) had a child around 2 years ago, but I never found out his name - until today. His name is Zekrom."
The Redditor continued: "Now, I know very well that Zekrom is on the milder side of Pokémon names when it comes to that, HOWEVER, she is having another child - a girl - and wants to name her Reshiram."
She went on to say that she 'yelled' at her friend over text after learning of her plans. "There is no way in hell that she will name her daughter Reshiram," the woman went on.
The post was upvoted over 2,000 times and sparked quite the discussion on the social media platform with over 700 comments.
"Could be worse; could be Lechonk," one person replied. "At least as far as Pokémon go, those names are cool. They're still Pokémon, so it's tragic."
Somebody else wrote: "I always say, children are not billboards for fandoms. I saw a video of a woman who named her kid Zuko after a character from Last Airbender.
"A lady in my naming group on facebook wanted to incorporate Obi Wan Kenobi into her kids name because her husband was insisting on it."
"There are some Pokémon names I think would be cute baby names... these aren’t one of them," added a third.
What do you think?
Niamh Shackleton