This Mom Picked an Unusual Baby Name and the Announcement Didn’t Go Well
Choosing a baby name can often be one of the harder decisions you make when you’re expecting. Even if you’ve had your heart set on a certain name since you were five years old, you still have to convince your partner. Unfortunately for some parents-to-be, once they’ve found a name they love, their friends and family might not like it ””and they might actually have the nerve to say so. That’s what happened to a first-time mom when she announced the unique choice she and her husband had fallen in love with.
Jocelyn, who is pregnant with her first child, a boy, recently wrote into the Name Sage with her dilemma:
“I’m due in November with our first child a boy! We have picked the name Riggins Blaine. Blaine is his father’s middle name. Since we’ve announced his name, several people have commented that Riggins is an ”odd” and ”strange” name. It is making me second-guess our choice. I know I shouldn’t care what others think, but I’m curious about whether this is a bad choice for a name?”
I don’t know about you, but when I hear the name Riggins I think of one of the greatest fullbacks in Dillon Pathers history.
Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose….or so Jocelyn thought. But as the Name Sage pointed out, this kind of reaction isn’t uncommon.
“You’ve done all the hard work, and found the right name for your son. But when you joyfully share it with the world, they respond with a dismissive, ”Meh.” Or worse. The bad news? It happens all the time.”
The Name Sage is a pro, though, and pointed out all of the positive attributes of a name like Riggins.
“We like unusual R surnames, think of Ryder and Ryland. That ”˜s’ ending is heard in rising names like Miles and Brooks. It sounds like other fresh name possibilities, including two names just inside the current US Top 1000: Ridge and Briggs.”
The Sage also pointed out that sometimes it just takes a while for people to get used to unusual names. In 2016, only 44 boys were named Riggins in the United States. And of course, in this day and age, there are all sorts of “different” names being given to children. Jocelyn’s son might be the only Riggins, but he won’t be the only kid with a unique name.
Commenters on the Name Sage post were divided, with some firmly against Riggins while other told her to trust her gut.
“I don’t know, it seems like if you ask a wide range of people (not just grandparents for example) and the universal opinion is negative, then there might be something in that.”
“Love it! More importantly, you love it. It’s your child, so don’t let the naysayers have any say!”
Hopefully Jocelyn sticks to her guns and names her little guy Riggins. No matter what, people will love him!
(Image: iStock / Shangarey)
