Baby Name Question

[Blisspath]

We are expecting a child in a few months, and have painstakingly went through several names. We wanted something different that would separate him as we both believe that a name can have a profound influence on a child's personality. After searching long and hard we found the name Galen, only to be told by friends and family that it was a bad idea because of the way it is pronounced(Gay-Lynn). Galen is Greek for healer. Galen was also one of the earliest influences on medicine and pharmacy and there is a recurring character with the name in a book series that we both enjoy. I don't want to doom my son to ridicule throughout school, even though he probably would have my badass DNA:) Do you guys think that we should stick by the name or look at alternatives?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galen

[Beldaran]

I think Galen is a great name! You shouldn't let the mouth-breathing ass holes that may or may not tease your children help decide the name. Imagine the slobbering bully that will gall him "gay" because of his name. Are you really going to let that stupid fucking jerk help you choose your son's name?

Name your son whatever you want and teach him to kick people's asses. Problem solved.

[Icey]

Yeah, I agree, if you both love the name, stick with it. There are ways to make fun of anyone's name; and if there aren't yet, it'll either be "weird" or rhyme with some slur that's not invented yet. Best policy is to just not worry about it, and do what you feel is right and pick what you both love =)

[Pineconn]

I guarantee at one point in his life he will be ridiculed for his name, but everyone is. I mean, in fourth grade I remember someone saying "Michael Michael motorcycle" to me. More humorous is that the ridiculer's name was also Michael. :eyebrow:

But yeah, I like Galen; it's very original. Much better than your millionth Tom or James.

[Feasul]

According to babynames.com, Galen means "calm", Jason means "healer." Galen's a good name, though.

[Prrkitty]

I agree... it's a great name. Don't fret over what "might" happen. Do what you want and let the future make of itself what it will... when the time comes. :)

[MoonCheese]

I knew a guy named Galen in high school.

Just about any name can and will be made fun of. My last name is ridiculously Italian and it always got twisted into derogatory nicknames. Even my parents called me funny stuff.

[rock_nog]

Name him Sue. Trust me on this.

[Starkist]

Galen was Captain Picard's professor of archeology at Starfleet Academy. He later died after Picard rejected his offer to join him on a search for the meaning of life in the universe. Later, when Picard infiltrated a group of mercenaries who were raiding ancient ruins on various planets, he used Galen as a pseudonym.

Great name. :)

[Shazza Dani]

Galen is a fucking awesome name!

And that's my 7 cents.

[Feasul]

Galen was Captain Picard's professor of archeology at Starfleet Academy. He later died after Picard rejected his offer to join him on a search for the meaning of life in the universe. Later, when Picard infiltrated a group of mercenaries who were raiding ancient ruins on various planets, he used Galen as a pseudonym.

Great name. :)

How the heck did I miss that? I'm such a bad nerd. *runs off crying*

[Aliem]

I don't think I've ever heard that name before. I think it sounds pretty cool... Though I really like names that aren't all that common =)

[Yoshiman]

I wouldn't worry about a kid being made fun of for his name too much. If someone wants to make fun of him, they'll find something.

My parents intentionally picked all our names out so they didn't rhyme with anything (my first name was almost Jay). And while you couldn't get anything to rhyme with my first name, I was still made fun of for other stuff (middle school was the worst).

Then my cousin came up with the name "Craig Craig Hairy Leg." We can just call her Lizzy the Lizard, though. :p


For actual name choosing, Galen sounds alright. Just don't name him a common name with an odd spelling. Like Mikael or Blayke.

[Aegix Drakan]

Galen is a great name.



:P and it's true, no matter what your name is, peole will mess it up in some way. No one could come up with anything stupid for my first name, so they messed up my last name. Being called EEEloi, or Elroy (with added slurs to it) or being called El-waa by this one jerk was not very funny. >_> Veeeeeeery mature bunch in my high school...

...BTW, if you're wondering, my last name is french. >_> and despite me living in Quebec, I have met only 2 people (if that) who called me be the french pronunciation.

[MasterSwordUltima]

I guarantee at one point in his life he will be ridiculed for his name, but everyone is. I mean, in fourth grade I remember someone saying "Michael Michael motorcycle" to me. More humorous is that the ridiculer's name was also Michael. :eyebrow:

But yeah, I like Galen; it's very original. Much better than your millionth Tom or James.

:(

Dechipher and I are going to tag team the fuck out of you.

---

Galen is a pretty neat name. I personally think naming your kid something unique is something they'll cherish when they get older, not so much from elementry - middle school, however. But thats like, 6 years. Sute and I planned on naming our son [if we have a son] Gage. So its not like you're the only one with a child that has a unique name.

[deathbyhokie]

The name's fine. As has been mentioned, kids will find something to make fun of, whether it be a name, or anything else.


Dechipher and I are going to tag team the fuck out of you.


That, on the other hand, is gay. Very gay.

[Pineconn]

It was an example, MSU. ;) At one point there were seven (or eight) Michaels in my grade, so technically I have a common name. So fine then, "Much better than your millionth Michael."

[Breaker]

Whenever I saw or heard about a kid with a weird name like Galen or Gage, I thought "what the fuck were their parents thinking?". Now I know. They were probably regulars of a gaming forum like this one, which explains A LOT.

[Beldaran]

Whenever I saw or heard about a kid with a weird name like Galen or Gage, I thought "what the fuck were their parents thinking?". Now I know. They were probably regulars of a gaming forum like this one, which explains A LOT.

I think those names are a lot better than naming every single person after a Bible character.

I'm happy to not have a bible name. If I did, I'd change it.

[moocow]

Galen is a sweet name. I like it, a lot. I have baby names picked out... I hated trying to figure out what I wanted to name Bladen. I changed my mind a million times and finally decided the night before I had him, lol. But I have a boy's name and a girl's name picked out for round two. And it's gonna be a while before round two... lol

I know someone who just had a baby and named him Ryder Danger. I'm not kidding. At all.

[Masamune]

Valor is a badass name.

[Archibaldo]

Should have gone with "The Hulk". No one fucks with "The Hulk".

[Beldaran]

If I had a son I would name him Thor. If I had a daughter, I would name her Athena.

[Modus Ponens]

I want to name a son Henry Peter and a daughter Zelda Penelope.

As for your choice, Galen is a rad name. Though, it sure would be nice if somehow we got to choose our own names, instead of being stuck with whatever weird choices our parents went with, like Zelda or Henry.

[Starkist]

If I had a son and daughter I would name them Peter and Catherine.

Then, whenever anyone asks how they're doing, I can just say "Oh, they're great."

:)