Naming your baby after another person is probably the ultimate compliment. After all, you’d never bestow a name upon your kid that you associate with a terrible person who has terrible qualities. To give a loved one a namesake is a high honor: a way to let that person know how much you think of them, what they mean to you, and that you want their contributions to the world to be remembered through passing on their name.
So … what if you love the person, but you kinda can’t stand the name?
Maybe you’d like to name your daughter after your grandma Karen — but while Karen was a great choice when your grandma was born, it carries an entirely different meaning (and its own signature hairstyle!) these days. Or maybe, as much as you love your great-aunt Veraminta or your longtime family friend Iggy, you’re just not a fan of their names.
There are many scenarios where giving your child someone else’s name might not be the most enticing option, no matter how strongly you feel about the person. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up your dream of giving your child a loved one’s name! There are plenty of alternative options that let you pay homage to someone without saddling your child with a mediocre moniker that you (or they!) don’t like.
Choose a version with some international flavor.
English isn’t the only language in the world, and many classic names have more appealing (and less common) international versions. Want to give your son your dad’s name — but his name is John, and there are bazillions of other Johns out there? Go for Janek, Ivan, Johannes, Jens, Ivo, Gianni, Giovanni, or Sean: all international versions of the name John!
Combine elements of first, middle, and last for a new and unique name.
Why narrow the options down when most people have at least three names to choose from? For example, Martina Lorene could become Marlo: a cute and contemporary-sounding option that still borrows from your loved one. Lynette Marie Jackson could become Nettie, Lynmarie, or Jacklyn. You get the idea!
Or, just use the middle or last — period.
Nobody says it doesn’t count if it’s not the person’s first name! If Granny’s first name is the eyebrow-raising Zeldetta, but her middle name is the much-more-normal Eloise, go for the middle. And there are a ton of surnames that make great first names — think Sullivan, Harper, Parker, and Beckett — so if the last name works, use that instead!
Add or subtract letters.
Virginia could become Viri, Via, Gina, or Gia. You could turn Ezekiel into Zel or Kel. Be creative and see what you can come up with by subtracting (or even adding) letters! Conversely, you could also just rearrange the letters of the name to come up with something entirely new.
Use a nickname.
Even the most old-fashioned or outdated-sounding names can be ripe with nickname possibilities. Florence could become Flor, Flora, or Flossie. Leviticus could be Levi, and Augustine could be Gus, Augie, or August.
Find a name that shares the same meaning.
If you truly can’t stand the name — or any of its potential variants — you can look to the meaning for inspiration. Maybe your beloved uncle’s name is Cornelius King, but both Cornelius and King are out of the question for you. Try Brendan, Kian, Malik, Reyes, or Jun — which all mean “king!” Or maybe Grandma Ljubinka’s name, which means “love”, is a little too hard to pronounce in English; try out Amora, Minna, or Carys, which mean the same.
Find a name with a common nickname.
If you’d love to name your son after a William in your life, but the name isn’t your cup of tea, find a similar name you like better that can share a nickname. William and Wilson, for example, can both go by Will. Harriet, Collette, Alouette, Bernadette, Yvette, Odetta … any of these can go by the nickname Etta!
Name symbolically.
You can still pay the sweetest tribute to someone without actually using their name. Perhaps your mother-in-law, Gertrude, is a cheerful person who enjoys rose gardening, reading, and was born in Colorado. Name your baby after one of the qualities you admire about her, or one of the hobbies she’s known for, or a special place in her life! Just based on those few details, you’ve got the choices of Joy, Rose, Flora, Sylvia or Charlotte (after literary geniuses Sylvia Plath and Charlotte Brontë, just to name a couple), Aspen or Denver.
Use the same initials — or the same beginning and ending.
Aunt Heather’s name might sound a little ’80s to you, so why not go with Harper? It begins and ends with the same sound, but is a little more contemporary. Or just steal her initials: Heather Jean could instead be Hadley Jane.
Use the name … but go by the initials.
And speaking of initials: If you absolutely, positively must use the person’s actual name, in its entirety … if you feel that using any variation of it or altering it in any way would be somehow disingenuous … then you could always just refer to your baby by their initials. Because D.J. might be more preferable than, say, Darrold Jeronimo.
You can still name a girl after a boy, or vice versa.
Maybe the problem is that you reeeeally wanted to name your baby after Grandpa Emilio, but you’re expecting a girl. Go with Emilia! By adding an -a or an -ette to a name, you can feminize it. There are a ton of female versions of male names, like Charlotte (Charles), Georgia (George), and Antoinette (Anthony). Likewise, you could turn Patricia into Patrick, Maxine into Max, or Brianna into Brian. Not to mention that “grandpa names” are hugely popular picks for girls right now — so for example, naming your daughter Frankie after your Grandpa Frank would be totally on-trend!
See? There are a ton of creative ways that you can pay tribute to someone you love without settling for a name you don’t like. Your baby gets a sweet name origin story, a special bond with that special person … and a name that everybody can agree on.
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