There is a subreddit called the same name, 'r/tragedeigh', and it is full of names that have been misspelled, or made up for the sake of appearing distinctive. We've compiled our favorite names from the subreddit, so grab a snack and let's get scrolling!
More and more parents are deciding to give their children unique names. It's a product of our evolving cultures.
According to Aysha Imtiaz from 'Family Tree', "Research shows today’s rising popularity of unique baby names reflects a move from collectivism to individualistic societies and provides important contextual clues about whom parents want their children to be."
We all are unique, especially to our parents. They know that your name will be one of the biggest parts of you, so they understand the need to try and give a baby a one-of-a-kind name. "Our given name forges our identity, influences name stereotypes, may dictate the types of jobs we pursue and even predict career achievements."
Some parents try and give international names, so it would be better known abroad. Some find unique words in foreign languages and adapt them to a name. Just like in one of these posts on the subreddit, when a girl was named Lecesta after a city in the United Kingdom (Leicester).
Giving unique names is surely a new trend. In the past, parents used to name their kids with the most popular names (like William in Britain). This resulted in half of Great Britain's boys' names being the same. Imtiaz says, "This is because naming conventions were founded in religious and ancestral ties. For example, scriptural names were popular, and English Puritans sometimes named their children after moral attributes, such as Faith or Mercy." Similarly, in Islamic countries, children's names tend to be religion-related, like Muhammad, after the Holy Prophet.
Laura Wattenberg, founder of namerology.com and author of The Baby Name Wizard, says that a baby's name is also a parent's self-expression: "Research has established the steady decrease in common names in the US from the 1950s, especially from 1983, and a recent macro-level study analyzing 348 million American baby names across 137 years (1880 to 2017) showed Baby Boomers increased the number of novel names per thousand people four-fold for boys and 2.75 times for girls."
Today, parents' styles and values are reflected in the names they give their kids. Pamela Redmond, the author of "Beyond Jennifer & Jason", a book about generations, believes that, "We hear a lot of parents saying they want to give their sons gender-neutral names to signal feminist values, or honor family in a way that’s in step with current styles – so Grandpa Arthur may get honored by giving your son the middle name Bear, Arthur’s meaning."
We encourage you to stay unique and in style. As we've learned, a name is a huge part of a human's identity. Just be cautious and don't let it become a 'Tragedeigh'. Keep scrolling to see more of these unique names and if you're looking for some more content on the topic, check out our previous editions about it.
