WHETHER you go down the traditional route or not, deciding on what name to give your new bundle of joy is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make as a parent.
But while naming a newborn can be something of a minefield in 2019, some parents have taken their quest for individuality to all new extremes with their rather unusual monikers…
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The National Records of Scotland (NRS) has published its annual full list of names given to the 47,785 babies born across the country in 2018.
And while Jack and Olivia topped the list of the most popular names once again, some of the more unique monikers to emerge last year included Awesome, Arrow and Merlin.
Meanwhile, the names Lucifer, Harlem-Ace, Winter, Wit and Valentine also proved popular for parents of little boys wanting to make a statement with their child’s name.
As for the newborn who was named after the letter ‘A’, we’re guessing his parents probably weren’t fans of Pretty Little Liars…
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What’s more, some of the downright bizarre girl names to feature on the list were Nun, Favour, and Ocean.
And just to double up on the individuality front, popular double-barrelled forenames included Alba-Crystal and Luna-Marvella.
Meanwhile, other super girly names that sound like something straight out of a fairytale were Princess, Perspehone, Rainbow, Royalty, Rarity and Snow.
As always, other parents looked no further than their favourite musicians for inspiration.
Bowie, Cobain, Elvis, Elton, Cobain and Dre proved popular boy names in 2018 whereas Paloma and Macie-Gray featured as nod to two of the most famous female artists.
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But while there’s no denying that opting for an unusual name is a surefire way to raise a few eyebrows, parenting groups have warned that this decision can affect your child’s employment chances later in life.
Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts said: “Lots of Mumsnet users look for baby names that are in the sweet spot between ‘unusual’ and ‘plain weird’ – few children really enjoy being one of four Amelias or Olivers in their class and it’s understandable that parents want something a bit different.
“Unfair as it is, really odd names could have an impact on future employment prospects (can you really envisage a future Chief Inspector Ultron or Professor Cutiepie?) and at the very least you’ll need to prepare your child for a lifetime of explaining their name every time they meet someone new.”
What’s more, a recent Mumsnet poll found that 26 per cent of parents had a name they weren’t brave enough to actually use whereas 45 per cent decided against an unusual moniker for fear of it being “too quirky”.
In more parenting news, Matalan is selling matching mum, daughter and GRAN Peppa Pig pyjama sets for Mother’s Day.
And this lad’s nursery school photo has gone viral after he pulled a hilarious face on picture day.
Plus this mum has been left outraged after her brother UNINVITED her 10-year-old children from his wedding.
