Don't blame the children, they had no choice

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I've always been interested in names, perhaps because I have a (real) first name that used to be very common, but has since become somewhat rare. Due to its former prominence, my name has several shortened forms, none of which I mind, but none of which I have a firm preference toward, which makes for an awkward moment nearly every time I meet someone new.

But it's silly to talk about my name when I won't even tell you what it is. Instead, let's mock the baby-naming proclivities of today's parents, who seem to be getting dumber by the year:

Last year, [Nevaeh] was the 70th-most-popular name for baby girls, ahead of Sara, Vanessa and Amanda.

[...]

Nevaeh is not in the Bible or any religious text. It is not from a foreign language. It is not the name of a celebrity, real or fictional.

Nevaeh is Heaven spelled backward.

[...]

The surge of Nevaeh can be traced to a single event: the appearance of a Christian rock star, Sonny Sandoval of P.O.D., on MTV in 2000 with his baby daughter, Nevaeh. "Heaven spelled backwards," he said.

For the last few years, I've seen quite a few Dakotas, Montanas and Skylers and hoped that the nation would someday come to its senses. Sure, we live in a car culture, but giving your baby a name better suited to a minivan is a step too far. Now we're in the realm of letter-reversing, which is even worse, since explaining it, just like when I explain that I have no nickname preference, requires an awkward moment upon introduction.

Steve: Hello, I'm Steve, nice to meet you.
Nevaeh: Hello, I'm Nevaeh.
Steve: That's a very nice name. Is it Arabic?
Nevaeh: No, it's heaven spelled backwards. My mother was really into Christian nu-metal right around the time I was born. In fact, I was concieved in the parking lot at a Silver Ring Thing abstinence rally.
Steve: Wow, that's great. My name backwards is Evets, which is a soon-to-be-launched website for British vets.
Nevaeh: As in retired brave British soldiers?
Steve: No, as in the people who put your dog down.

Sidenote: The article on Neveahs was written by Jennifer 8. Lee, who has long been mocked for her middle name, but has made a (alphanumeric) name for herself as a great party host.

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Hola faretaste
mekodinosad

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