Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last week, you’ll know that Pokémon Go fever has swept the nation. People are absolutely wild for it, so much so that parents are starting to name their babies after Pokémon creatures.
As with all fad names, there is always an initial surge of intense popularity. For example, when Game of Thrones first aired in 2011, Khaleesi and Daenerys became the name choice for baby girls. And history repeats itself now with the launch of Pokémon Go: names such as Roselia, Eevee and Onyx, creatures from the game, are becoming trending name choices for girls, while the name of the protagonist of the series, Ash, is becoming popular for boys. But the difference between GoT and Pokémon Go is that at the very least, the GoT characters are human.
At the time, it seems like a good idea – you love something so much that it seems natural to want to name your offspring after it – but will the name hold up a few years down the line when the fad dies down? And what will happen when your son or daughter grows up and has to live with the name Pickachu or Bulbasaur? Imagine the following (exaggerated) scenario, if you will:
Job interviewer: Hello, what’s your name? [holds out hand]
Your future child: [shakes interviewer’s hand] Hi. I’m Pika.
Job interview: Pika…?
Your future child: [embarrassed] Yes…as in…Pika…chu…
[Long Pause]
Job interviewer: Your parents played Pokémon Go when you were born, didn’t they?
Your future child: …yeah.
Job interviewer: Right.
Your future child: My brother is called Charmander.
Job interviewer: I see. We’ll let you know. Thanks for coming in.
See? Faddish names are dangerous. They rarely hold up to the test of time and could be damaging to your child’s future in the long run.
Don’t take the risk. Ditch the Pokémon Go and use babynames.co.uk instead.
