Trying to pick a baby name is not an easy thing to do. There are so many ways it can go wrong if we choose a name that isn't quite right. We have to take things into account such as how it's spelled and pronounced and how it will play with the initials. We have to worry about how it can be used as a negative nickname and if, in a few years, somehow the name will become tainted (like anyone who named their daughter Siri before she became a thing).
Some parents take those points into consideration and others don't care. Not even a little bit. Instead, some parents do things to the beat of their own drum -- including choosing a baby name. We've heard some strange baby name choices from celebrities in the past, but regular people make unusual decisions too.
Here are 16 of the strangest baby names that we've heard in a really long time. And, yes, all of them are real.
X Æ A-Xii
Elon Musk and his girlfriend Grimes are not regular people. They have celebrity status, and when they welcomed their baby boy, the two did what other celebrities often do but took it to the next level. Instead of giving their child a basic name, they looked to things that inspired them and came out with the baby name X Æ A-Xii. Good luck having any teacher try to say that name one day.
Abcde
Sometimes parents have to get creative to help their child stand out, and one couple decided that their baby should stand out with a name that's a nod to the entire English alphabet. According to a thread on Netmums, one couple named their child Abcde – pronounced Ab-si-dee.
Covid
There is no question that this time of our lives has been some of the strangest months. As the world slows down and new measures are put into place to help reduce the spread of a virus that's caused a pandemic, one family thought it was a good idea to use that as inspiration for their baby's name. Yes, they named one of their twins Covid.
Corona
The parents who had twins – the first name Covid – well, they named the other baby Corona. Both names serve as a nod to the virus that caused the world to slow down. It's an interesting choice because they're both named after a virus, which isn't the happiest of places to find inspiration. However, if getting attention was important, it worked. These names went viral.
Sanitizer
Names inspired by health crisis didn't end at Corona and Covid. Another set of parents took the same inspiration and ran with it in a different direction for their baby name. Choosing the name Sanitizer, the family said the name is a symbol of protection against the virus, because hand sanitizer is one of the ways to help reduce the spread.
Version 2.0
We know that some families have a tradition of naming their kids after family members -- often choosing "Junior" to note this connection. One dad from Michigan felt that tradition was too boring and decided to go another way -- naming his child Version 2.0-- his full name being Jon Version 2.0.
Binx
We love names that are cute and could be nicknames, but Binx, which is a real name a real kid is walking around with, is a little strange. According to baby name sites, it's a US name because there's likely only one kid who's been given that moniker. However, it is a unisex name so at least it has that going for it, right?
$helly
There is nothing strange or unusual about the baby name Shelly. In fact, it was a really popular choice back in the '60s. However, two parents took the baby name Shelly up a notch and gave their child the official baby name $helly, with the dollar sign replacing the "S" as their unique spin on the classic name.
The introduction of Facebook into our lives has allowed us to stay connected to so many people. We can find out what our friend's crew from high school are up to 20 years later without needing to run into them at random in the store. It's done a lot of good for the world -- and some bad -- but one family felt it gave all good feels and decided to name their baby in honor of the social network, naming their child Facebook.
Portabella
There are times when we don't agree with a name choice someone gave their child. Honestly, the only time it's appropriate to say anything is if it's our own child. But, there are times where a name is weird enough that saying something is inevitable. One sister felt compelled to say something about the baby name her sister planned to give her baby: Portabella, after the mushroom.
Fifa
Picking a baby name inspired by our favorite sport's star is a great place to find inspiration for a good, strong baby name. Someone took that a touch further and decided to name their child Fifa, in honor of the international governing body of football -- or soccer, as Americans know it. An interesting choice and certainly unique.
Heart Eyes Emoji
There are several baby names we come across or hear that we've got no idea how to spell them. Perhaps it has interesting accents we're not used to or maybe there are several different ways it could be spelled. One family had this encounter because the name they gave their child isn't in the US keyboard. It's simply an emoji repeated three times -- the heart eyes emoji. Yes, the parents used the actual symbols as the name for their child.
KVIIIlyn
The name Kaitlyn is one of those baby names that has a whole variety of different ways it could be spelled. Could be started with a C or a K. Could have a y or not and a handful of variations in between. One family made viral news after they took the name Katilyn in a new direction -- naming their baby KVIIlyn, pronounced the same way as Kaitlyn.
Hashtag
With the introduction of social media, we've had a whole slew of new terms thrown our way. Before, the number sign used to be something we have to hit on the phone to send a message to voicemail. Now, it's a way to categorize social media messages, and Hashtag was given to a baby as its name in honor of the versatile symbol.
Like
There are a lot of different ways the English language treats the word "like." It can be used as a filler word, to describe things we enjoy, and in social media, it's taken on the meaning of support or agreement. One family decided they liked this word so much they used it as a name for their baby, like it or not.
There are many people who are very brand loyal, only sharing or using the brands they love. The same is true for technology as well, and it's totally typical for us to have one search engine we use above the rest. One family took their love for Google search engine and gave their baby a name that cannot be mistaken for a love of the company. Yes, they named their baby Oliver Google Kai.
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