I was the kid with the weird name - trust me, don't do it to your kids

"I'm living proof of why it's better to play it safe - and I can give you my four, big, annoying reasons to consider."

Before you get too excited about choosing that super-unique baby name, let me give you a little friendly advice: tread carefully.

It might sound tempting to go for something quirky and cool, but trust me, there’s a whole world of unintended consequences waiting for that tiny human you’re about to name.

As someone who’s spent their life navigating the world with an out-of-the-box name, I speak from experience when I say, naming your kid something unusual is like handing them a lifetime of conversation starters - whether they want them or not!

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"I was the kid with the weird name"

Growing up with the name Rebel during the ‘80s was like being the star of a movie I didn’t audition for - except the adults kept mistaking me for James Dean. Seriously, I don’t know how many times I heard, “Rebel? Like Rebel Without a Cause?” 

My name felt like it set me apart from the moment I was born. I was the kid with a weird name, and there were days when I wished I could blend in like everyone else.

In Australia, when I grew up, it was the era of Debbies, Lisas, Kristies … definitely not Rebels. So, I stood out, sometimes too much.

A Rebel without a cause. Image: Supplied.

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"Rebel is the name on my birth certificate"

Social situations could be – and still are – sometimes tricky. Whenever I meet new people, I always get the same question: “Is that your real name?” Over and over again.

There is always this disbelief, like I made it up to sound cool, and I have to explain that, yes, Rebel is the name on my birth certificate. It’s always felt like I have to justify who I am.

In public, my mum would call out, “Rebel, come here!” and you’d see heads whip around like they expected me to be some punk-rock kid, or a pet dog. Nope, just me in my school uniform, looking like every other kid - except with this wild name that seemed to throw people into a spin.

Speaking of my mum, let me tell you about a ridiculous conversation we had on the evening before my youngest was born.

Mum: “Are you going to tell me the name?”

Me: “No, be patient. You’ll find out tomorrow with everyone else.”

Mum: “Oh God, it’s not something weird, is it?”

Me: “Well, it’s not f@#$ing Rebel!”

The nerve!

A very demure Rebel. Image: supplied

The four reasons you shouldn't give your kid a weird name

Still thinking about giving your kid an out-of-the-box name? Here’s a few things to consider.

First off, prepare them for The Roll Call Struggle. From day one in school, that name is going to be met with raised eyebrows, confused looks, and probably more mispronunciations than you can imagine!

Also, brace them for The Explanation Marathon. Your kid’s going to become a professional name explainer. “Is that your real name?” “What does it mean?” They’ll be answering these questions like it’s their side hustle.

Oh, and get ready for the jokes. If your name has any sort of meaning, people are going to have a field day with it.

Lastly, a really unusual name can catch people off guard. Your child may have to walk into job interviews with people who are still processing their name when they should be focusing on their resume.

As I have gotten older, I have earned to embrace the uniqueness of my name. I have realised that being a Rebel, in the end, didn’t have to mean being difficult or unruly - it could mean being true to myself, standing out, and not being afraid to be different, even when that was hard.

If you’re really considering going this route, give your kid the tools to navigate the world with confidence and a sense of humour. Teach them to own it and laugh along the way, because they’re going to need that resilience!

But before you make your final decision, just take a moment to picture your kid at 10 years old, explaining their name for the umpteenth time to a stranger at the park, or at 25, introducing themselves at a business meeting.

If you still love the name after all that, then go for it! Just know that you’re not only giving them a name, but a lifelong story to tell - and a lot of puzzled looks to deal with.

Originally published as I was the kid with the weird name - trust me, don't do it to your kids