There are many things to consider when it comes to choosing a baby name.
Whether you’re a fan of timeless classics or unique and interesting monikers, there are several things you have to think about before settling on a name for your child. Checking that names flow well with your surname, making sure you don’t accidentally give your child unfortunate initials, and ensuring you don’t unnecessarily complicate the spelling are all things parents should consider before finalising the birth certificate.
But one dad has found that his choice of name for his son has an entirely different problem – as people actually think it’s “too clever”. The man was left baffled when he asked for opinions on the two names in the running on social media, as some claimed he and his wife were “trying too hard” to sound smart.
In a post on Reddit, the dad said he and his wife have narrowed down their list to just two names – Atreus and Atlas. He’s leaning toward Atlas himself, while his wife is a bigger fan of Atreus, so they were looking for some outside opinion to try and help them come to a final decision.
He wrote: “So my wife is pregnant, and we have two names picked out but can’t decide. The two options are Atreus (fearless) and Atlas (enduring). Our last name is Armstrong. Both names flow well with our last name.
“My wife is leaning towards Atreus and I’m leaning towards Atlas. Help us decide. What do you guys think?”
But many commenters were not as helpful as the dad thought they might be, with some telling him he should go back to the drawing board completely, and others outright telling him that both monikers are “terrible”.
One person said: “In my humble opinion, no to both. It’s coming off a little too ‘clever’. You’re literally putting the world on that child’s shoulders by naming him Atlas.” Another added: “Atlas Armstrong sounds like something a 12 year old came up with. Atreus is the annoying kid in the God of War series. Terrible names.”
Someone else claimed the names sounded “pretentious”, while others said that both names would still invite teasing from children at school. They noted Atreus looks similar to “uterus”, while Atlas Armstrong “sounds like a parody”, given that in Greek mythology Atlas was tasked with holding the world on his shoulders – presumably making his arms strong.
Other commenters were more helpful, however, as they offered alternative monikers that still fit the letter theme, such as Atticus, Alexander, Arthur, and Arlo. There was also one person who suggested other names rooted in Greek mythology that were less “out-there”, including Damon, Philip, and Hector.
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