When it comes to picking a baby name, there’s a lot to mull over. Whether you’re drawn to classic names or fancy something unique and quirky, there are several factors to weigh up before making a final decision.
It’s important to check that the chosen name gels well with your surname, avoid giving your child potentially embarrassing initials, and steer clear of overly complicated spellings. These are all considerations parents should ponder prior to signing off on the birth certificate.
However, one father has encountered a rather unusual issue with his choice of name for his son – people think it’s “too clever”. The perplexed dad sought opinions on social media about two names he and his wife were considering, only to find some accusing them of “trying too hard” to appear intelligent.
In a Reddit post, the father explained that he and his pregnant wife had whittled their options down to Atreus and Atlas. He personally prefers Atlas, while his wife is more inclined towards Atreus, so they turned to the internet for some external advice to help reach a consensus.
He posted: “So my wife is pregnant, and we have two names picked out but can’t decide. The two options are Atreus (fearless) and Atlas (enduring). Our last name is Armstrong. Both names flow well with our last name.
“My wife is leaning towards Atreus and I’m leaning towards Atlas. Help us decide. What do you guys think?”.
Despite a father’s hope for constructive feedback on potential names for his son, he faced tough criticism from online commenters. Some suggested he should return to the drawing board completely, while others bluntly called both name choices “terrible”.
One individual remarked: “In my humble opinion, no to both. It’s coming off a little too ‘clever’. You’re literally putting the world on that child’s shoulders by naming him Atlas.”
Another added: “Atlas Armstrong sounds like something a 12 year old came up with. Atreus is the annoying kid in the God of War series. Terrible names.”
Additionally, a commenter used the term “pretentious” to describe the names, and multiple people highlighted that either name could prompt teasing at school. They pointed out that Atreus could be mocked for its similarity to “uterus” and that Atlas Armstrong, in the context of Greek mythology where Atlas holds the world on his shoulders, “sounds like a parody.”
However, not all feedback was negative, as some commenters presented alternative suggestions that still captured the dad’s preference for an ‘A’ themed name, including Atticus, Alexander, Arthur, and Arlo. Plus, there was a suggestion for names from Greek mythology that are more subtle, such as Damon, Philip, and Hector.