Comments on: Why I No Longer Care for The Baby Name Wizard http://www.nancy.cc/2009/11/16/why-i-no-longer-care-for-the-baby-name-wizard/ Need a baby name? I'd love to help. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:45:24 +0000 hourly 1 By: Nancy http://www.nancy.cc/2009/11/16/why-i-no-longer-care-for-the-baby-name-wizard/comment-page-1/#comment-347777 Nancy Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:46:18 +0000 http://www.nancy.cc/?p=7896#comment-347777 That's a good point. I'm sure many people who inadvertently choose trendy names change their story after the fact to make the names seem more legitimate/authentic. (I would certainly be tempted.) And I can't fault the Wizard book for getting people to think a bit harder about baby names. I think that's a great accomplishment. I just worry that all its talk of image and style and popularity will convince people think that these are the most important factors to consider, or, worse, the <em>only</em> factors to consider. Kinda like baby naming-tunnel vision. That’s a good point. I’m sure many people who inadvertently choose trendy names change their story after the fact to make the names seem more legitimate/authentic. (I would certainly be tempted.)

And I can’t fault the Wizard book for getting people to think a bit harder about baby names. I think that’s a great accomplishment.

I just worry that all its talk of image and style and popularity will convince people think that these are the most important factors to consider, or, worse, the only factors to consider. Kinda like baby naming-tunnel vision.

]]> By: CN Heidelberg http://www.nancy.cc/2009/11/16/why-i-no-longer-care-for-the-baby-name-wizard/comment-page-1/#comment-347725 CN Heidelberg Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:10:21 +0000 http://www.nancy.cc/?p=7896#comment-347725 I definitely prefer the reasoning that the parents like the name rather than they like the style of it, but in the end you can't often tell the difference anyway. Many people will be revisionist and say it was because they liked a name even if they had other reasons, or will say it was for some far-fetched reason because they don't want to admit they just liked a name that everyone else also liked (they want to stake a more valid claim on it). I think Wizard is just tapping into a huge audience of people who do care more about what everyone else will think of the name than what they think of it. To a certain extent they are right (you don't want to give your kid a name that will end up causing them a lot of pain because it's really not in style), but it ends up just turning style over faster and ensuring everything ends up dated more quickly. I definitely prefer the reasoning that the parents like the name rather than they like the style of it, but in the end you can’t often tell the difference anyway. Many people will be revisionist and say it was because they liked a name even if they had other reasons, or will say it was for some far-fetched reason because they don’t want to admit they just liked a name that everyone else also liked (they want to stake a more valid claim on it).
I think Wizard is just tapping into a huge audience of people who do care more about what everyone else will think of the name than what they think of it. To a certain extent they are right (you don’t want to give your kid a name that will end up causing them a lot of pain because it’s really not in style), but it ends up just turning style over faster and ensuring everything ends up dated more quickly.

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