Baby essentials specialists at For Your Little One have compiled a list of nine popular baby names that parents may want to reconsider after learning their meanings. While the names are not fundamentally 'wrong', some carry translations that are less cheerful than expected.
Names with unfortunate meanings
Mallory, typically chosen for baby girls, derives from the old French maleüré, which means "unfortunate". Its popularity reached its height in 1988 and has declined steadily since. Mara, another name for girls, translates to "bitter" in Hebrew. In biblical scripture, Naomi, Ruth's mother-in-law, adopted the name Mara to convey her sorrow following her husband and sons' deaths.
Cameron, a unisex name that enjoys widespread popularity, has a rather unflattering translation. Its Gaelic origins, "cam" and "sròn", mean crooked nose. Tristan, stemming from the French "triste", signifies sad or melancholy.
More names with sorrowful origins
Dolores, an endearing traditional name, translates to 'sorrows' in Spanish. It originates from the Latin "dolor", carrying the identical meaning. It is a favoured choice among Roman Catholic families owing to Nuestra Señora de los Dolores ("Our Lady of Sorrows"), also recognised as the Virgin Mary.
Brónagh / Bróna (Brónach), an Irish name that sounds like 'bro-nah' or 'bro-nuh', comes from the Gaelic term brónach, signifying "sorrow" or "sadness".
Names with physical and animal associations
Claudia, the female form of Claudius, is connected to the Latin claudus, signifying lame or crippled. Cecilia, a girl's name with Italian roots, derives from the Latin name Caecilia and the Latin caecus, meaning "blind" or "hidden".
Portia, a female name with Latin origins, means "pig". Nevertheless, it has become more widespread following its use in several Shakespeare works, including the Merchant of Venice and Julius Caesar, frequently given to powerful female characters.
If these names appeal to parents regardless of their meaning, they can still be chosen, but for those seeking something more cheerful, these might be options to avoid.
