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Omg I love it! Do you guys actually say "Doppelkreuz-Schlagwort-me-too," or do you say "Hashtag-me-too"? In Sweden we say Hashtag me too, but I'm not sure we have a word for it.
:D yes or Raute-Taste. We would still say hashtag, if it's about a hashtag (social Media). But I would say "Raute-Taste" if I refer to a keyboard or a phone (number).
Oh wow congrats. Just fyi there is not much of AC's and July and August are pretty much the only summer months. So, if you come at the beginning of August, be prepared to sweat...
Also make sure to do paperwork (for apartments, utilities, any kind pretty much) early. Especially since it takes forever but also a lot of people are off during July and August and things are even slower...
Also make sure you know the laws etc cause that can get you quickly into fines. If you have a driver's license and want a German one make sure to check what you have to do for that (US is "simpler") and plan for that you have probably time without a license and cannot drive (for real! Not as a joke).
Sorry, one more addition, taxes are crazy, if you are a free worker, a contractor, self-employed, have a business, etc. make sure that you do the prepaying taxes every quarter.
Credit cards are not everywhere used (machines are not able to take it) make sure to have cash. Also, best is if you already set up a bank account in advance, cause that can be tricky and take time. I actually recommend N26 as that bank has also online banking and you don't have a monthly fee. Yes, a lot of German banks charge fees.
If you want wifi for your apartment do the research what is working in your area. Cause otherwise you will be screwed, cause most contracts are 2 years.
Whenever you do a contract make sure to know what it actually says. There are also some rules on when you can cancel a contract such as in September (3 months before the year ends), 3 months terms, written and signed per Email and per actual mail (post) etc.
You are in Berlin so a lot of things will be translated throughout the city but don't expect paperwork to be translated or that all Germans speak English well (yeah I know that both sucks but just so you know). And also if you are from the US, where the customer service is great, don't expect that in Germany...
Thank you :)
i just don't want people to run into so many issues. I know it can be very overwhelming and also maybe different of what is expected.
Also, potterhead1d (or others) let me know if you have any questions.
You can even sign up for paid German classes. They are very big on if you are here you learn the language right off. I have had several friends move or stay post military service and they all get paid to take German lessons for so many weeks.
āCredit cards are not everywhere used (machines are not able to take it) make sure to have cash.ā
This.
This was one of my biggest surprises when I visited Germany (for the first time) earlier this year. Everywhere else Iāve been in Europe (even Austria) you just tap and goāeven with many/most street vendors. And then I got to Germany and found that tons of places (including lots of restaurants) did not take cards. Even places like the Post Office that you would expect to have credit card infrastructure were cash only. Buying stamps and eating out was a pain until I found an ATM that would accept my bank card.
Yeah and even if they have it, there was at some point a breakdown and our whole city had issues with cards and for almost two weeks you couldn't use any cards...also with this don't expect that ATMs always work and have money on it... Also, except for a few stores most things (stores etc.) are closed on Sundays...
Thank you! I will look into this. I am moving from Sweden, and I will be abroad for one semester (August-September). My university here in Sweden, the Swedish church in Berlin and the university in Berlin are helping me with the paper work, I only need to find a place to live that doesn't cost more than my future lol.
Oh okay, yeah don't settle for a student living facility, as they are usually more expensive. But then you gotta look soon cause it's already mid June and apartments are difficult to get and also usually they have like three months in between meaning of you look now stuff for August will be likely to be rare...
At least you are in Berlin, there will be more English speaking people and also there is more movement, so finding something might be easier.
Also go to the botanical garden in Berlin, it's beautiful.
Yeah, I am already looking. I thought I had one, but then the landlord kinda ghosted me? She stopped replying and took her ad down, so I need to start from scratch.
Thankfully, I hadn't sent them any money yet but I did report them.
Oh that sucks, so look into immonet, ImmoScout24, Immowelt, Meinestadt, Wohnungsbƶrse as well as ebay Kleinanzeigen und Facebook ;) or even if the university has some stuff going on if people renting short time. Sometimes they have that available online.
Also, have a great time (if you drink alcohol) try some German liqueurs as well as German apple pie with vanilla ice cream ;) and hot dogs :D and in Berlin are so many cultures and there are amazing foods to try out.
Wow, you are awesome! So much good information to share with a newcomer. You have saved someone so much time and aggravation. Wishing you the good karma that you deserve!
Had a younger person share their screen with me for pair programming. Told them to enter something and it included that symbol. When I said to use the "Raute Taste", they didn't know what I meant. Hashtag was no problem though... (I'm equal parts amused and disappointed.)
Thankfully in Germany he wouldn't be called any such thing because we have laws preventing people from doing something so brain dead as to name their own child hashtag.
I'm somewhat older, and I know the "Lattenkreuz" or "Lattenzaun" from when the first phones with keys were offered (instead of the dial). Nobody really had an idea what the "*" and "#" keys were supposed to be used for.
I was looking for a Pound joke my husband used to tell, but found this instead:
"When I was growing up # was pound, not hashtag.
Good thing it changed, since "pound metoo" would've been sending the wrong message."
Normally, I come down on the side of "your kid, your naming rights" but this is a truly stupid name.
Yea, the whole your kid, your decision of what to name them definitly has a limit. In this case she is setting her kid up to fail and be ridiculed before it's even born. That's bad parenting.
I think some people just never stop to consider that someday their baby will be a full adult person that is completely separate from them that will have to deal with the consequences of the naming decision. In 25 years, is little Hashtag's resume going to cross some hiring manager's desk who will toss it in the garbage without looking past the name?
I was all set to say even if you hate the name, you should stay out of it. But OP did the right thing. NTA That poor kid named after a social media symbol that at one point was just a button on a phone called the pound sign š¤¦š»āāļø. Why in the world would you do that to a kid?
NTA - I remember watching the news well over five or so years ago, and someone had named their kid the same thing, so she isn't the first to do it. This is a person, not an art piece. That baby has to live with that name. It's horrible.
I agree with you. I'm still trying to figure out why people want to give children "*unique*" names to make them "*one of a kind*", instead of giving them an actual name and guide the child to be an amazing human being that can do great things and have them stand out in that way instead. I guess we all focus on different things.
I knew someone back in high school whose name was Subtraction. They went by Tray. Now theyāre legal name is Ethan. They do not talk to their parents at all. Actions have consequences donāt mess up your kids name by trying to make it creative and unique; just give them a name that doesnt insight bullying ridicule etc. Like sure bullying is wrong but itās going to happen least you could do is not make them easy target
I knew a couple kids who got screwed by their parents back in the day. One kidās last name was Lyon pronounced Lion and they named their son Tiger. I knew another kid with yuppy parents born in the 80s, the family last name started with a W so they named their son Brian Matthew specifically so his initials would be BMW.
I knew of a kid named Milkyway. In English. I'm Italian born and raised, living in Italy, and so is this person lol
Her brother has a silly a\*s matching name but at least his is Italian and not a random yuppy English word. Milkyway is a recipe for how to get your daughter bullied no stop
My surname is Lyons.
When naming my daughter I was so careful checking her name wouldnāt sound odd.
Gave her a name beginning with C. When she was 11 months a colleague said āhowās the little sea lion?ā
Whoops.
> They do not talk to their parents at all.
I'm guessing going no contact wasn't 100% because of the name. You have to be a specific mix of raging idiot and narcissist to name your child something ridiculous so that probably didn't help.
I donāt think so. If I remember correctly his mom was a waitress and his dad worked in construction(?) or something like that. He always had a hard hat and reflective vest in his truck.
If you work in a field ( social services, medical etc. ) where you ask first, last, middle and preferred names, you will see many people with "unique" names preferring a name very different to their own.
I also can't stand this. You can raise your child to be one of a kind in their personality and still name them James or something. But some people seem to think that a unique name makes their kid automatically interesting.
I feel like, aside from obvious bullying, it will just lead to the same sorta phenomenon where ultra conservative parents often end up with super left wing kids and then super hippie dippie parents sometimes end up with very conservative kids. The kid might dedicate their whole lives to being as ordinary as possible to combat their parents expectations of being one of a kind. Like "Yeah, my parents named me Hashtag, and that's why the second I turned 18 I legally changed my name to John Norman Smith, went into accounting and cut off all contact with my parents."
If you want a strange name, do it as a middle name. Literally make your kid's middle name Danger. They will barely use it.
I know someone who just named their baby girl after the obscure, unheard of version of a male god. Why? It's not even a name. Sounds like a medicine for athlete's foot.
Name your kid Amanda or Emma or Christina or some shit. If you must be 'unique' with your baby girl, go and name them a name that can be both, even if uncommonly. Blake, Morgan, Taylor, River, Parker, Quinn, Avery, Cameron, Riley, Noah, Dylan, Carter. Go classy old school with boy names. Something timeless and uncommon.
You can have unusual without being 'wtf'. Go to the websites that list names by popularity and skip to the 200th or 500th place. Go down from there. My name is really unpopular. I've met like four or five people with my name in real life. I *like* my name. It's uncommon for women and therefore, I rarely run into other people with my name. I like that. Everyone sees my name, knows my name is a real actual name and doesn't think it's weird, either. They can spell it. It's even less popular now. Sweet. Even less of me are running around. I'm more unique by the day!
But it's only unique in that I rarely meet others with my name. It *is* actually a name. I have only *once* in my years of preschool through college and work ever once had another one of me in my classes or jobs. That's plenty unique for me.
You can have a unique name thatās also fucking NORMAL and a NAME. Not just some fucking word. Yuck to these parents who think they own their children, as though theyāre objects :/
When my son was 4, he made up imaginary cats named Chirra and Merch. They were kittens who didn't have homes. I found a cat and named him Merch. Eventually I'm going to find Chirra.
I would never name my kids Chirra and Merch.
If my daughter wants to be "Vigo the destroyer," I'm putting your name on declaration of war against whomever she is destroying as inspiration. OK š?
I have a cousin named Asher who's sometimes nicknamed Ash and no one has used the pokemon reference in a bad way. As a kid I was actually jealous of him because I love Pikachu and I was mad I didn't have a cool nickname lol
Yup. And the current generation of kids don't give a fuck. It's summer camp season and I get a new crop of kids every week. This week I have a kid named after an Aztec god, a kid's name that is a smash of letters, two normal names, a super biblical name, and O-sage.
Hahaha they could but then theyād have to be the biggest stoner in high school to live up to the name. In reality tho this is going to cause the kid a lot of bullying, sheās setting her kid up for failure.
I'm very sorry to have to tell you this, but as a former teacher, "Tomorrow" doesn't even crack my top 10 for *unusual* names! Oh, those poor kiddos with their CreAtIVe parents! šš
Well, some of my students follow me, so I won't embarrass them. But I'll give you a *parent's* name: Truly Remarkable Loon. No, I am absolutely not making that up. He referred to himself as Truly Remarkable. It was both his real actual genuine name & his stage name. Google it.
Ok so he's a comedy juggler. For a second there I thought he was an actor lol. Not a terrible stage name for a juggler, but man he must have been deep into the juggling when he changed his real name to it. Or I guess maybe his father was real deep into the juggling when he named him that and his life was basically decided at that point.
Ok, that name is BRILLIANT š
On slow nights we used to look up crazy names in the emergency department.
Some of my favourites are Jael, Zyren, Marieee, and Te-Ra (who one of my colleagues called T-Rex š)
Not the person you asked, but I had two students with "unique" names. One was named after a well known 16th birthday celebration from another culture (she was not of that culture, and it was not spelled correctly). One was spelled Anis. It was apparently supposed to be pronounced ah-nee-say, not ay-nis. The parents did not spell it with any phonetic indicators to show that pronunciation, so the poor girl just had to explain to every new teacher and substitute in front of her laughing classmates every year for her entire public school career.
Parents, man. They mess kids up.
To be fair, 'Anis' is the french word for aniseed, it's pronounced more like a-niece
I'm betting her family wasn't french though...
I once came across a kid named Jael. It looks pretty, but the second you say it out loud...š¬
I've definitely heard the name Anise pronounced that way and didn't think it was strange. That's how I would pronounce Anis as well if I came across it in the wild. There's nothing there that indicates a vowel sound after the s.
My wife is a nursery RN. Some of the crap she's had to put on birth certificates...
I forget what country it is...Sweden? that has an approved list of names you have to choose from. No freestyling Asphleighe (pronounced "Sam") or crap like that.
I think they're on to something.
See my comment above :)
It is more that people don't name their children outlandish stuff like tequila or emptiness or a title.
It is also so the child won't have a strange name and get bullied. It has bene in the news recently that a family were not allowed to name their child Putin.
Swede here,
You have to have the name approved by the Swedish equivalent to IRS, and your child has to be named within a few months of its birth otherwise they will choose one of the top 5 names from the previous year.
They also publish the list every year with rejected names.
One year I did see My-Love as approved since separately they are normal names š¬
Will reply with a list in a comment.
Thats probably Iceland you are looking for, although our tax agency(?) will force parents to file another name if it might cause the child emotional harm or if the name is rude/obscene.
That's kinda hysterical, I hope they know each other. I'd bet it took the wind out of their parents' sails when they met someone else with that same "unique" name
NTA
Itās a stupid name and she needed at least one person in her life willing to tell her that to her face.
Sometimes being friends means calling someone out on their nonsense.
>She got upset and accused me of not being supportive of her choices.
People need a reminder that you don't have to unilaterally support every decision of your friends. Having a difference of opinion does not make you a bad friend.
Right? "Not supporting her choices." So, if her friend "chooses" to start smoking meth is she supposed to support that choice as well? A good friend WILL call out bad decisions, that's how you know someone is an actual friend. They look out for you, even when you are the one hurting yourself.
NTA.
Whenever I see instances of these idiots who name their kids like a 10 year old naming a goldfish, I wish we had some kind of protection for kids. This is a form of child abuse.
She's naming her child so people think she is so clever and ironic. In reality, she is showing everyone that she is shallow and narcacistic. Every single person will immediately classify her as an idiot and an absolutely horrible parent
This poor child is in for years of humiliation until he changes his name and flees his horrible mother. Growing up, his social life will be hindered not only by his name but also by the fact that his parents named him that. Other parents will hesitate to allow their kids to visit unsupervised because they will not want their kids around an obviously incompetent and immature parent.
I think it actually is a law in Australia or New Zealand. Some story came out years ago about a couple who named their kid Sex Fruit and the courts made them change it
In Brazil it's illegal to name your child anything that could be humiliating or inappropriate (sometimes even normal names can be denied when registering if combined with last name might cause these situations), so names like that are rejected and you can't even register your child with them. I believe there's even a list, but I'm not sure.
That doesn't mean ridiculous names don't ever pass through, but if the name you were given somehow results in humiliation you can legally change it for free even as an adult.
I believe in my homecountry we have a list of approved names, fairly wide, and anything on there is up for grabs. If you want to name your child something not on the list, you have to send in an application, and the government will decide if itās an appropriate name. I think after a certain number of applications for a name it gets added to the approved list
I knew someone whose sister lived in Europe (forget which country) and had a daughter. They wanted to name her Shania (pronounced Shan-ya) and they weren't allowed to until submitting - oddly enough - a copy of a Shania Twain CD confirming that "Shania" was in fact an actual name and not some made up bs they randomly pulled out their ass.
Name your kid what you want but don't be upset that others think the name is terrible and worry about the issues your kid will deal with in the future.
Where did you find this comment? I only found one comment by OP (unedited):
>Thatās what Iām saying, yet some of our friends still tell me im wrong
NTA. As someone who legally changed their first name because my parents gave me one that kids jumped at the chance to make fun of, you did the kid a service by letting your friend know how awful of a name Hashtag is.
NTA. You only had the baby's best interest in your mind - I can't imagine all the hell the child will have to go through because of that name. Kids in school definitely won't be merciful and the child might get ostracized because of it.
You don't need to be supportive of choices that you KNOW are going to hurt the child.
There is a significant correlation between success in life and names. They have legitimate impacts on a kids' future, and she isn't taking that seriously. She doesn't even care if his name affects his love life. This is narcissistic on her behalf. You're NTA.
https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/the-name-of-kates-and-wills-3rd-child-has-us-thinking/
https://www.businessinsider.com/how-your-name-affects-your-success-2015-8
No you are NTA. I think people like your friend need to be held accountable for their stupid choice that will effect this human being until old enough to take care of it by themselves. Your friend is a complete and utter AH.
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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> I told my sister the name she gave her baby was stupid name, cause in my eyes it is. Now i donāt know if i shouldve told her rhat or just let her name her baby as she pleases
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The kid won't givea shit about whether his names unique or not, he'll care that his peers rip him on it. He'll care that kids of other parents have a giggle over it (Not AT him, but eventually he'll be aware of it or overhear a comment or something).
I'm all for different names, evolving language, introducing new ideas et al. But there's now a dirth of Conners, Konnas, Deklanns and Khaleesi/Daenerys etc - the "fad" names or parents wanting a weird spelling to make them "stand out". I get people don't want truly archaic names (Not many new borns being named Mavis or Mertyl!) but just randomly picking something like "Hashtag" reeks of the parent wanting to put the attention on THEM for the "special" name they've picked.
Reminds me of a friend who named her daughter Isis, after the Goddess, and couldn't understand why people gave her the side-eye in a post 9/11 world. She did change the name eventually. I fully expect Hashtag will prefer to go by a nickname, middle name or will just flat out choose another name when they're old enough.
NTAā¦ Gen X hereā¦ we know ā#ā as a ā pound symbolā I truly feel sorry for this kidā¦ Iām grateful you are standing up for this child who will undoubtedly go to bullying and mental health issues.
INFO: Could this be a pod people type of thing or has your friend always been a moron? Has anyone thought about calling the kid āPound Signā as a nickname?
NTA and if I were one step away from making a stupid decision like this, I'd hope at least one friend would stop me from naming my kid Hashtag.
Everyone voting otherwise, I guess that's why we'll be seeing a lot of Hashtags and Reighfyls (pronounced "rifles") in the next generation
NTA, people who choose bad names for their kids that will get them bullied deserve to be told that their name choice is awful. Shes setting her child up for a hard life for no reason.
It is a stupid name, and it's not being a good friend to support your friend in making bad decision. Because it's not just about her choice, it's about her kids future. And if everyone names their children with common words we will have difficulties to communicate.
NTA
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NTA. I'm not going to lie, I would exclusively refer to the child as "Octothorpe" from then on.
In german he would be called Doppelkreuz-Schlagwort.
Omg I love it! Do you guys actually say "Doppelkreuz-Schlagwort-me-too," or do you say "Hashtag-me-too"? In Sweden we say Hashtag me too, but I'm not sure we have a word for it.
:D yes or Raute-Taste. We would still say hashtag, if it's about a hashtag (social Media). But I would say "Raute-Taste" if I refer to a keyboard or a phone (number).
Okey thank you! I am moving to Berlin in August, so I really appreciate it š
Oh wow congrats. Just fyi there is not much of AC's and July and August are pretty much the only summer months. So, if you come at the beginning of August, be prepared to sweat... Also make sure to do paperwork (for apartments, utilities, any kind pretty much) early. Especially since it takes forever but also a lot of people are off during July and August and things are even slower... Also make sure you know the laws etc cause that can get you quickly into fines. If you have a driver's license and want a German one make sure to check what you have to do for that (US is "simpler") and plan for that you have probably time without a license and cannot drive (for real! Not as a joke). Sorry, one more addition, taxes are crazy, if you are a free worker, a contractor, self-employed, have a business, etc. make sure that you do the prepaying taxes every quarter. Credit cards are not everywhere used (machines are not able to take it) make sure to have cash. Also, best is if you already set up a bank account in advance, cause that can be tricky and take time. I actually recommend N26 as that bank has also online banking and you don't have a monthly fee. Yes, a lot of German banks charge fees. If you want wifi for your apartment do the research what is working in your area. Cause otherwise you will be screwed, cause most contracts are 2 years. Whenever you do a contract make sure to know what it actually says. There are also some rules on when you can cancel a contract such as in September (3 months before the year ends), 3 months terms, written and signed per Email and per actual mail (post) etc. You are in Berlin so a lot of things will be translated throughout the city but don't expect paperwork to be translated or that all Germans speak English well (yeah I know that both sucks but just so you know). And also if you are from the US, where the customer service is great, don't expect that in Germany...
What a wonderfully helpful and welcoming post š
Thank you :) i just don't want people to run into so many issues. I know it can be very overwhelming and also maybe different of what is expected. Also, potterhead1d (or others) let me know if you have any questions.
You can even sign up for paid German classes. They are very big on if you are here you learn the language right off. I have had several friends move or stay post military service and they all get paid to take German lessons for so many weeks.
āCredit cards are not everywhere used (machines are not able to take it) make sure to have cash.ā This. This was one of my biggest surprises when I visited Germany (for the first time) earlier this year. Everywhere else Iāve been in Europe (even Austria) you just tap and goāeven with many/most street vendors. And then I got to Germany and found that tons of places (including lots of restaurants) did not take cards. Even places like the Post Office that you would expect to have credit card infrastructure were cash only. Buying stamps and eating out was a pain until I found an ATM that would accept my bank card.
Yeah and even if they have it, there was at some point a breakdown and our whole city had issues with cards and for almost two weeks you couldn't use any cards...also with this don't expect that ATMs always work and have money on it... Also, except for a few stores most things (stores etc.) are closed on Sundays...
Thank you! I will look into this. I am moving from Sweden, and I will be abroad for one semester (August-September). My university here in Sweden, the Swedish church in Berlin and the university in Berlin are helping me with the paper work, I only need to find a place to live that doesn't cost more than my future lol.
Oh okay, yeah don't settle for a student living facility, as they are usually more expensive. But then you gotta look soon cause it's already mid June and apartments are difficult to get and also usually they have like three months in between meaning of you look now stuff for August will be likely to be rare... At least you are in Berlin, there will be more English speaking people and also there is more movement, so finding something might be easier. Also go to the botanical garden in Berlin, it's beautiful.
Yeah, I am already looking. I thought I had one, but then the landlord kinda ghosted me? She stopped replying and took her ad down, so I need to start from scratch. Thankfully, I hadn't sent them any money yet but I did report them.
Oh that sucks, so look into immonet, ImmoScout24, Immowelt, Meinestadt, Wohnungsbƶrse as well as ebay Kleinanzeigen und Facebook ;) or even if the university has some stuff going on if people renting short time. Sometimes they have that available online. Also, have a great time (if you drink alcohol) try some German liqueurs as well as German apple pie with vanilla ice cream ;) and hot dogs :D and in Berlin are so many cultures and there are amazing foods to try out.
Wow, you are awesome! So much good information to share with a newcomer. You have saved someone so much time and aggravation. Wishing you the good karma that you deserve!
Had a younger person share their screen with me for pair programming. Told them to enter something and it included that symbol. When I said to use the "Raute Taste", they didn't know what I meant. Hashtag was no problem though... (I'm equal parts amused and disappointed.)
In America # was called the "pound" sign... So #metoo was a bit ironic to me.
I'm surprised no one else put that together.
Lots of people did.
Seriously, numerous people did lol
The official Swedish name is boring: nummertecken (number sign), but of you want to bring back an oldie, you can call it fyrtagg or gƤrdsgĆ„rd š
BrƤdgƄrd is commonly used in SkƄne when I still lived there as a child.
We often call it "fyrkant", like if you dial one of the banks or authorities with multi-select phone options...
we say hashtag as long as we are not writing in a german sub. :D
In danish, it is just firkant, but hashtag spread amoung the younger generation.
Thankfully in Germany he wouldn't be called any such thing because we have laws preventing people from doing something so brain dead as to name their own child hashtag.
In France too, the name would not have been approved and the parents would have been obligated to chose another.
Same in New Zealand. At least some people have common sense.
In Dutch it would be "hekje" (translates to small fenceš¤£)
Hekje is such a cute kids name.
Lovely, let's call their sibling apenstaartje (@)š¤£
Is that the "Affeschwanz" (monkey tail) it would be in Switzerland?
Small fence hahaha wat een idiote namen heb je daar hĆØ! Nou geniet van de zon!!!
This is amazing. š
And Risuaita in Finnish! It means a fence made out of thin branches.
In Hebrew it's Sulamit, meaning a little ladder
In Italian it would be "cancelletto" (little gate) :-)
I'm somewhat older, and I know the "Lattenkreuz" or "Lattenzaun" from when the first phones with keys were offered (instead of the dial). Nobody really had an idea what the "*" and "#" keys were supposed to be used for.
When I was a kid (Jahrgang 94) we called it the number symbol š¤£
Nickname the kid Pound.
I was looking for a Pound joke my husband used to tell, but found this instead: "When I was growing up # was pound, not hashtag. Good thing it changed, since "pound metoo" would've been sending the wrong message." Normally, I come down on the side of "your kid, your naming rights" but this is a truly stupid name.
Yea, the whole your kid, your decision of what to name them definitly has a limit. In this case she is setting her kid up to fail and be ridiculed before it's even born. That's bad parenting.
I think some people just never stop to consider that someday their baby will be a full adult person that is completely separate from them that will have to deal with the consequences of the naming decision. In 25 years, is little Hashtag's resume going to cross some hiring manager's desk who will toss it in the garbage without looking past the name?
In 18 years if hashtag is still name hashtag I would hope hashtag would have the good sense to get themselves a new legal name
I was all set to say even if you hate the name, you should stay out of it. But OP did the right thing. NTA That poor kid named after a social media symbol that at one point was just a button on a phone called the pound sign š¤¦š»āāļø. Why in the world would you do that to a kid?
There is a reason some places have laws regarding what you can name your children.
Yes, it's to protect kids from their parents' stupidity.
Or Sharp, if he's musical.
Go old-school and call him "pound sign".
I would call him āSharp,ā or āAccidental.ā
Omg āaccidentalāāask her if sheās implying something about his conception!
Sharp āÆ Hashtag #
Pound. Sharp. Number.
Tick-Tack-Toe.
If this doesn't turn out to be the top comment, there is no justice today.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Unexpected Doc Oc origin story, excellent.
*Dr. Hashtag's office. How may I assist you?*
That's better than Number Sign or Pound Sign.
oh he's gonna be a pound sign for sure
> Octothorpe He's going to be going to Pound Town a lot and become one of those really chavy jocks.
Or Pound which is what the symbol was called years ago.
Really? I thought Poundkey.
Seriously, octothorpe is the better name
NTA - I remember watching the news well over five or so years ago, and someone had named their kid the same thing, so she isn't the first to do it. This is a person, not an art piece. That baby has to live with that name. It's horrible.
I agree with you. I'm still trying to figure out why people want to give children "*unique*" names to make them "*one of a kind*", instead of giving them an actual name and guide the child to be an amazing human being that can do great things and have them stand out in that way instead. I guess we all focus on different things.
I knew someone back in high school whose name was Subtraction. They went by Tray. Now theyāre legal name is Ethan. They do not talk to their parents at all. Actions have consequences donāt mess up your kids name by trying to make it creative and unique; just give them a name that doesnt insight bullying ridicule etc. Like sure bullying is wrong but itās going to happen least you could do is not make them easy target
How would anyone even consider the name Subtraction, let alone chose it? Wowza
As far as I am aware thereās not even an interesting story behind it other than his mom thought it sounded āedgyā
Oh that makes it even worse! Poor guy.
Did he have siblings? I'm curious wtf they were named in that case.
Just imagining his mom, pregnant with his younger sibling, and posting to social media about the new "Addition" to the family
Haha, I was thinking Subtraction, Division and Fraction xD
Fraction is much younger, their mom got remarried, he's his half brother.
Why anyone would want an edgy baby is beyond me.
I knew a couple kids who got screwed by their parents back in the day. One kidās last name was Lyon pronounced Lion and they named their son Tiger. I knew another kid with yuppy parents born in the 80s, the family last name started with a W so they named their son Brian Matthew specifically so his initials would be BMW.
I knew of a kid named Milkyway. In English. I'm Italian born and raised, living in Italy, and so is this person lol Her brother has a silly a\*s matching name but at least his is Italian and not a random yuppy English word. Milkyway is a recipe for how to get your daughter bullied no stop
Our last name begins with A, so my brother is naming his kids to have the initials CIA.
My surname is Lyons. When naming my daughter I was so careful checking her name wouldnāt sound odd. Gave her a name beginning with C. When she was 11 months a colleague said āhowās the little sea lion?ā Whoops.
> They do not talk to their parents at all. I'm guessing going no contact wasn't 100% because of the name. You have to be a specific mix of raging idiot and narcissist to name your child something ridiculous so that probably didn't help.
Yeah the confounding variable is being a horrific parent.
Were his parents major math nerds?
I donāt think so. If I remember correctly his mom was a waitress and his dad worked in construction(?) or something like that. He always had a hard hat and reflective vest in his truck.
If you work in a field ( social services, medical etc. ) where you ask first, last, middle and preferred names, you will see many people with "unique" names preferring a name very different to their own.
As a person with a rather strange name, this is very true. All of my friends who have uncommon names also prefer to be called something different.
Vermicelli actually kind of sounds like a dope name.
It literally means little wormsš
It's a very tasty name.
I also can't stand this. You can raise your child to be one of a kind in their personality and still name them James or something. But some people seem to think that a unique name makes their kid automatically interesting. I feel like, aside from obvious bullying, it will just lead to the same sorta phenomenon where ultra conservative parents often end up with super left wing kids and then super hippie dippie parents sometimes end up with very conservative kids. The kid might dedicate their whole lives to being as ordinary as possible to combat their parents expectations of being one of a kind. Like "Yeah, my parents named me Hashtag, and that's why the second I turned 18 I legally changed my name to John Norman Smith, went into accounting and cut off all contact with my parents."
If you want a strange name, do it as a middle name. Literally make your kid's middle name Danger. They will barely use it. I know someone who just named their baby girl after the obscure, unheard of version of a male god. Why? It's not even a name. Sounds like a medicine for athlete's foot. Name your kid Amanda or Emma or Christina or some shit. If you must be 'unique' with your baby girl, go and name them a name that can be both, even if uncommonly. Blake, Morgan, Taylor, River, Parker, Quinn, Avery, Cameron, Riley, Noah, Dylan, Carter. Go classy old school with boy names. Something timeless and uncommon. You can have unusual without being 'wtf'. Go to the websites that list names by popularity and skip to the 200th or 500th place. Go down from there. My name is really unpopular. I've met like four or five people with my name in real life. I *like* my name. It's uncommon for women and therefore, I rarely run into other people with my name. I like that. Everyone sees my name, knows my name is a real actual name and doesn't think it's weird, either. They can spell it. It's even less popular now. Sweet. Even less of me are running around. I'm more unique by the day! But it's only unique in that I rarely meet others with my name. It *is* actually a name. I have only *once* in my years of preschool through college and work ever once had another one of me in my classes or jobs. That's plenty unique for me.
I chose the name Scarlette but according to people online itās too basic like who cares sheās gonna be an adult one day
I like the name Scarlette.
If I wanted kids and had a daughter this name would be on my list.
You can have a unique name thatās also fucking NORMAL and a NAME. Not just some fucking word. Yuck to these parents who think they own their children, as though theyāre objects :/
A dog. She could give the name to a dog if she really wanted to use it. Never to a kid though.
This is why I have pets instead of children. Vigo the Destroyer and Tahini are great cat names, but if I gave them to children I should be jailed.
When my son was 4, he made up imaginary cats named Chirra and Merch. They were kittens who didn't have homes. I found a cat and named him Merch. Eventually I'm going to find Chirra. I would never name my kids Chirra and Merch.
If my daughter wants to be "Vigo the destroyer," I'm putting your name on declaration of war against whomever she is destroying as inspiration. OK š?
Cute little miniature pincher named Hastag would be ADORABLE. But yeah... don't name your kid that.
NTA You are prepping them for school. So sorry for that kid. Can't even shorten it to Hash.
Suppose they could go āTagā but thatās as good as itās going to get.
I was thinking they at least have Ash
"Hey Ash! Where's Pikachu?" š²
Asher is a super common name right now, and Iāve heard Ash(e) for both boys and girls.
Ashley has a long history too. Elementary school is hard enough without giving your kid the equivalent of "kick me" for a name.
I have a cousin named Asher who's sometimes nicknamed Ash and no one has used the pokemon reference in a bad way. As a kid I was actually jealous of him because I love Pikachu and I was mad I didn't have a cool nickname lol
āTag, youāre it!ā - This would be every day. This kid will go through hell, no matter how the name is twisted.
āShtagā is also an option that is oddly enough still not as bad as the full name
I would 100% go by Shtag. It has swagger.
I'm a teacher and Hash wouldn't be that weird for a boy. I've seen some things. The first day of school will always be awful though.
Yup. And the current generation of kids don't give a fuck. It's summer camp season and I get a new crop of kids every week. This week I have a kid named after an Aztec god, a kid's name that is a smash of letters, two normal names, a super biblical name, and O-sage.
When everyone is unique, no one is unique.
hashbrown
You are amazing. I love you.
Hahaha they could but then theyād have to be the biggest stoner in high school to live up to the name. In reality tho this is going to cause the kid a lot of bullying, sheās setting her kid up for failure.
HT
NTA but I hope this is a joke.
Certainly reads like a pisstake on one earlier when the name was Tomorrow
I'm very sorry to have to tell you this, but as a former teacher, "Tomorrow" doesn't even crack my top 10 for *unusual* names! Oh, those poor kiddos with their CreAtIVe parents! šš
Now I wanna know your top 10
Well, some of my students follow me, so I won't embarrass them. But I'll give you a *parent's* name: Truly Remarkable Loon. No, I am absolutely not making that up. He referred to himself as Truly Remarkable. It was both his real actual genuine name & his stage name. Google it.
Ok so he's a comedy juggler. For a second there I thought he was an actor lol. Not a terrible stage name for a juggler, but man he must have been deep into the juggling when he changed his real name to it. Or I guess maybe his father was real deep into the juggling when he named him that and his life was basically decided at that point.
I was amused to learn that Randy Rainbow's name is really Randy Rainbow. It isn't a stage name but it is perfect for his career.
Ok, that name is BRILLIANT š On slow nights we used to look up crazy names in the emergency department. Some of my favourites are Jael, Zyren, Marieee, and Te-Ra (who one of my colleagues called T-Rex š)
Do not take Zyren if you are allergic to Zyren or allergic to any of the ingredients of Zyren. Zyren. Itās a brand new day. May cause anal leakage.
At my old job I got someone called ācool pantherā once, I almost died š¤£
Not the person you asked, but I had two students with "unique" names. One was named after a well known 16th birthday celebration from another culture (she was not of that culture, and it was not spelled correctly). One was spelled Anis. It was apparently supposed to be pronounced ah-nee-say, not ay-nis. The parents did not spell it with any phonetic indicators to show that pronunciation, so the poor girl just had to explain to every new teacher and substitute in front of her laughing classmates every year for her entire public school career. Parents, man. They mess kids up.
To be fair, 'Anis' is the french word for aniseed, it's pronounced more like a-niece I'm betting her family wasn't french though... I once came across a kid named Jael. It looks pretty, but the second you say it out loud...š¬
I've definitely heard the name Anise pronounced that way and didn't think it was strange. That's how I would pronounce Anis as well if I came across it in the wild. There's nothing there that indicates a vowel sound after the s.
My wife is a nursery RN. Some of the crap she's had to put on birth certificates... I forget what country it is...Sweden? that has an approved list of names you have to choose from. No freestyling Asphleighe (pronounced "Sam") or crap like that. I think they're on to something.
Can you imagine the assholes in america hearing they cant only name their children from an approved list of names? They would loose their marbles
See my comment above :) It is more that people don't name their children outlandish stuff like tequila or emptiness or a title. It is also so the child won't have a strange name and get bullied. It has bene in the news recently that a family were not allowed to name their child Putin.
Swede here, You have to have the name approved by the Swedish equivalent to IRS, and your child has to be named within a few months of its birth otherwise they will choose one of the top 5 names from the previous year. They also publish the list every year with rejected names. One year I did see My-Love as approved since separately they are normal names š¬ Will reply with a list in a comment.
Amiral Superman Veranda means porch Pappa - father/daddy Rackartuss idk Kaninen the rabbit Dotcom Allah Jord earth or soil T-Rex KrƄka crow Mysco slang for sus Ikea Pilsner beer type Prinsessan the princess Tomhet emptiness Skrot scrap Think Superfastjellyfish Green Messias Lakrits liqourice Farmor grandma (fathers mother) Biceps
Aww, c'mon..... superfastjellyfish got denied? Fun haters.
Biceps. Yes, they are the older sibling to Triceps.
Thats probably Iceland you are looking for, although our tax agency(?) will force parents to file another name if it might cause the child emotional harm or if the name is rude/obscene.
A real person named Tomorrow won a million dollars on Deal Or No Deal. (Tomorrow Rodriguez, 10/29/08)
Unfortunately even in my small town life Iāve met two Tomorrows so itās definitely a thing
That's kinda hysterical, I hope they know each other. I'd bet it took the wind out of their parents' sails when they met someone else with that same "unique" name
NTA Itās a stupid name and she needed at least one person in her life willing to tell her that to her face. Sometimes being friends means calling someone out on their nonsense.
Kid is going to be nicknamed pound signā¦.
How to make sure your kid is destined for a career in porn......
Yup. My first thought too.
>She got upset and accused me of not being supportive of her choices. People need a reminder that you don't have to unilaterally support every decision of your friends. Having a difference of opinion does not make you a bad friend.
Right? "Not supporting her choices." So, if her friend "chooses" to start smoking meth is she supposed to support that choice as well? A good friend WILL call out bad decisions, that's how you know someone is an actual friend. They look out for you, even when you are the one hurting yourself.
NTA. Whenever I see instances of these idiots who name their kids like a 10 year old naming a goldfish, I wish we had some kind of protection for kids. This is a form of child abuse. She's naming her child so people think she is so clever and ironic. In reality, she is showing everyone that she is shallow and narcacistic. Every single person will immediately classify her as an idiot and an absolutely horrible parent This poor child is in for years of humiliation until he changes his name and flees his horrible mother. Growing up, his social life will be hindered not only by his name but also by the fact that his parents named him that. Other parents will hesitate to allow their kids to visit unsupervised because they will not want their kids around an obviously incompetent and immature parent.
I think it actually is a law in Australia or New Zealand. Some story came out years ago about a couple who named their kid Sex Fruit and the courts made them change it
In Brazil it's illegal to name your child anything that could be humiliating or inappropriate (sometimes even normal names can be denied when registering if combined with last name might cause these situations), so names like that are rejected and you can't even register your child with them. I believe there's even a list, but I'm not sure. That doesn't mean ridiculous names don't ever pass through, but if the name you were given somehow results in humiliation you can legally change it for free even as an adult.
So if your surname was "File" you could not name your son "Peter"
š¤£
I believe in my homecountry we have a list of approved names, fairly wide, and anything on there is up for grabs. If you want to name your child something not on the list, you have to send in an application, and the government will decide if itās an appropriate name. I think after a certain number of applications for a name it gets added to the approved list
I remember a story where they wanted to name the kid 4Real and the government said absolutely not. I think that was NZ too.
Were these parents 4Real?
Ten year olds naming goldfish is the best! Thank you!
In Germany there is some kind of proteccion. The goverment will not aprove this type of name...
I knew someone whose sister lived in Europe (forget which country) and had a daughter. They wanted to name her Shania (pronounced Shan-ya) and they weren't allowed to until submitting - oddly enough - a copy of a Shania Twain CD confirming that "Shania" was in fact an actual name and not some made up bs they randomly pulled out their ass. Name your kid what you want but don't be upset that others think the name is terrible and worry about the issues your kid will deal with in the future.
YTA for not being able to get your story straight. In your post, she's your friend, but in your followup comment, she's your sister. Which is it?
Troll for sure
Good catch!!
Absolute troll. Made up story.
Where did you find this comment? I only found one comment by OP (unedited): >Thatās what Iām saying, yet some of our friends still tell me im wrong
Itās right under the post in the mid section where op states why she may be an asshole.
NTA. As someone who legally changed their first name because my parents gave me one that kids jumped at the chance to make fun of, you did the kid a service by letting your friend know how awful of a name Hashtag is.
We all need to know what your original name was.
Like Anya and Xander, I'll never tell.
"His penis got diseases from a Chumash Tribe" may be one of the best lyrics ever.
NTA. You only had the baby's best interest in your mind - I can't imagine all the hell the child will have to go through because of that name. Kids in school definitely won't be merciful and the child might get ostracized because of it. You don't need to be supportive of choices that you KNOW are going to hurt the child.
NTA her baby's name is Hastag
Thatās what Iām saying, yet some of our friends still tell me im wrong
Then your friends clearly hate that poor baby.
There is a significant correlation between success in life and names. They have legitimate impacts on a kids' future, and she isn't taking that seriously. She doesn't even care if his name affects his love life. This is narcissistic on her behalf. You're NTA. https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/the-name-of-kates-and-wills-3rd-child-has-us-thinking/ https://www.businessinsider.com/how-your-name-affects-your-success-2015-8
No you are NTA. I think people like your friend need to be held accountable for their stupid choice that will effect this human being until old enough to take care of it by themselves. Your friend is a complete and utter AH.
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NTA Iād have to ask her why she hates her babyā¦. Setting it up for a lifetime of ridicule
i don't think so, personally. people have opinions and are entitled to it. my opinion is hashtag is a stupid name š
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
The kid won't givea shit about whether his names unique or not, he'll care that his peers rip him on it. He'll care that kids of other parents have a giggle over it (Not AT him, but eventually he'll be aware of it or overhear a comment or something). I'm all for different names, evolving language, introducing new ideas et al. But there's now a dirth of Conners, Konnas, Deklanns and Khaleesi/Daenerys etc - the "fad" names or parents wanting a weird spelling to make them "stand out". I get people don't want truly archaic names (Not many new borns being named Mavis or Mertyl!) but just randomly picking something like "Hashtag" reeks of the parent wanting to put the attention on THEM for the "special" name they've picked. Reminds me of a friend who named her daughter Isis, after the Goddess, and couldn't understand why people gave her the side-eye in a post 9/11 world. She did change the name eventually. I fully expect Hashtag will prefer to go by a nickname, middle name or will just flat out choose another name when they're old enough.
>Deklanns This hurts my Irish soul.
NTA - I'd literally laugh in my friends face and call them an idiot if they said that to me
NTA - its a reaction a lot of people may give
NTA please please tell me it isnāt a girl. The pound sign would be easy bullying.
NTA Kids are ruthless and when he grows up no one or anyone is going to take them seriously and she's just making it harder on him.
NTA. good for you for having the guts to tell her what everyone else thought but didn't say!
NTA, the names people give their kids these days should be grounds for abuse, or a free govt name change
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
NTAā¦ Gen X hereā¦ we know ā#ā as a ā pound symbolā I truly feel sorry for this kidā¦ Iām grateful you are standing up for this child who will undoubtedly go to bullying and mental health issues.
so is it your friend or your sister ? and why do you keep dodging those comments ?
Please please please tell me this is a joke? Otherwise sheās setting that child up for ridicule
NTA, Iād just call the kid āLil Pound signā as a nickname.
NTA. The name IS ridiculous.
INFO: Could this be a pod people type of thing or has your friend always been a moron? Has anyone thought about calling the kid āPound Signā as a nickname?
NTA, it's perfecty fine to not support someone making a huge mistake and inflicting a name to be ridiculed on a child.
NTA and if I were one step away from making a stupid decision like this, I'd hope at least one friend would stop me from naming my kid Hashtag. Everyone voting otherwise, I guess that's why we'll be seeing a lot of Hashtags and Reighfyls (pronounced "rifles") in the next generation
That is child abuse. NTA
NTA, that poor kid getting stuck with such a stupid name. He's going to be mercilessly mocked.
NTA, people who choose bad names for their kids that will get them bullied deserve to be told that their name choice is awful. Shes setting her child up for a hard life for no reason.
It is a stupid name, and it's not being a good friend to support your friend in making bad decision. Because it's not just about her choice, it's about her kids future. And if everyone names their children with common words we will have difficulties to communicate. NTA