Happy & Healthy

7 NAMES PARENTS SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT A LITTLE BETTER

I know, choosing a name for your child is incredibly difficult. Do you want a Dutch name or something that doesn't require too much explanation abroad? I'm happy with my name, but I have also considered using my middle name Kirsten because I got so tired of spelling it all the time, day in and day out. Or that everyone twisted my name. By now, I respond to everything, from Megan to Meredith, and I shorten my name to the slightly easier May or Britt, which works much better.

My name is tricky and strange, but as far as I know, it has no vulgar connotation. Unlike some other names, for example. Tip for expectant parents; think carefully about what you burden your child with in life, it can sound completely different abroad.

Kiki

To start with our own Kiki. In the Netherlands, a unique, cheerful name. In Spain, you might as well introduce yourself as Catherine, because Kiki simply means ‘quickie’ there.

Nada

Something like that. Beautiful name, but in Italian, it means ‘nothing’.

Nemo

A study friend of mine named her child Nemo after Captain Nemo. She thought it was a nice idea for her son to be the captain of his own little life. Only when the birth announcement was printed did she realize that Nemo means ‘nobody’ in Latin.

Fanny

Cheerful name, you think. It is, so cheerful that in the United States, they mean your vagina by it.

“Only when the birth announcement was printed did she realize that the name means ‘nobody’ in Latin”

Blaze

The daughter of our favorite hairdresser is named that, a cool name that suits her very well, but someone whispered to me that in the USA, ‘to blaze’ means that you smoke a joint. Oh well, that's also kind of fun.

Dick

An oldie but a goodie, of course, and a shortening of Richard, but Dick still means, well, you know.

Isis

Once a beautiful name. Many parents named their child after the attractive female DJ Isis van der Wel. But now it's all a bit less.

Then there's the phenomenon of surnames. Aside from the fact that the first and last names should somewhat match (may I remind you of Ap Laus and Anna Nas?), the surname can also work against you in life. Actress Abbey Hoes, for example, will seriously have to consider a stage name, because Hoes (pronounced in English) means ‘whores’.

No one said it would be fun, guys. And not easy either.