The Most Hated Baby Names in America

Live Science ^ | April 28, 2011 | Stephanie Pappas

[decimon]

When it comes to names, everybody's got an opinion. But while figuring out what names people like is pretty simple -- the U.S. Social Security Administration keeps a list of the most popular baby names each year -- figuring out what people hate is trickier.

It turns out that in the case of names, love and hate aren't mutually exclusive. A new informal survey of the most disliked names in America finds that popularity often breeds backlash, as a quick track to baby-name fame seems to also trigger hate for that name. Among the most-hated "trendy" names are Jayden, Brayden, Madison and Addison.

The most commonly cited name that put people's teeth on edge was Nevaeh, or "heaven" spelled backward. That name didn't exist until the 1990s, but it took off in popularity in 2003, shooting from the 150th most common baby name in that year to the 31st most popular in 2007 (as of 2009, it stood at No. 34).

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The survey also turned up a few interesting trends. The first is that people hate gender-bending names, particularly when a masculine name becomes feminine, as with Madison (which tied for second-most-hated for boys with 16 separate mentions) and Addison (which tied for sixth with eight mentions). They also hate names they can't spell, including Kaitlyn, which got eight mentions and tied for sixth. (People say "Caitlin" is fine because it's traditional, Wattenberg said, though the original Irish pronunciation of that spelling would be closer to "Kathleen.")

...The most hated boys' names -- Jayden, Brayden, Aiden and Kayden -- all rhyme and all shot up from obscurity during the last decade. Among girls, a spate of "Mc"-names sparked annoyance: Mackenzie, McKenna and Makayla all made the top 10.

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[Windflier]

What annoys me the most is when parents spell the name of the child so strangely that when you call it out you get the stink eye for getting it wrong.

Guilty over here, but I'd never think of giving you the stink eye for mis-pronouncing my daughter's name.

Her name is Briagh (bree-ah), which is Scots Gaelic for "beautiful, fine, lovely, etc."

Folks in the family were fit to be tied when they found out that my wife and I had chosen that name for her, but they didn't realize that my wife had been wanting that name for her first daughter since she was a teenager. She just didn't have a clue how to spell it until we met.

I was very much into Gaelic language studies at the time (lotta Scot blood in me) and I instantly recognized it when she said it. The rest is history, and my girl loves her name.

[Windflier]

Ya know, I find Spanish to be one of the most abrasive, annoying sounding languages on the planet.

Damn... Second time in a week that we've agreed on something. Now, get back to your corner before I punch you.

[linn37]

I appreciate that and thank you for not giving me the stink eye,its never my intention to mispronounce peoples names but it happens