A mother has been criticised after people claimed the Greek-inspired name she chose for her baby resembled a brand of ‘frozen pizza’.
Choosing a nickname for your little one can be a daunting task. Not only do you have to go through a list of names that sound good, but you also have to make sure that the name fits well with your last name.
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It is also important to check that the name cannot lead to rude nicknames or unfortunate initial combinations that could lead to bullying at school.
However, one couple who thought they had found the perfect name for their son had to reconsider their choice after realising it was completely ‘made up’.
Furthermore, the new parents cannot find the origin of the name anywhere. According to users on social media, the name reminds them of a ‘frozen pizza brand’.
The mother shared on Reddit that she and her husband are of German and Indian descent, though they currently live in the US.
Read more stories about baby names
They hesitated for a long time about a name for their son, but eventually they decided on Elios. They thought it was an Italian name, based on the Greek word for the sun, “Helios”.
But after delving deeper into the choice, they soon discovered that the correct Italian version is actually Elio. What to do next has divided them.
While her partner doesn’t mind ‘making up’ a name and still wants to use Elios, the mother is less enthusiastic about it.
She said: “We have become so fixated on the name by now. We continue to affectionately call the bump that and have found a suitable (Hindu) middle name.
“My husband likes it so much that he just wants to use it, even though it’s not a real name. I’m a little hesitant.
”As a European I’m hesitant about ‘making up’ a name, but after living in the US for so long it doesn’t seem that far off.
“We’re torn about using Elio because we don’t like the sound of it and there’s a Disney movie with that name coming out next year.”
Unfortunately for the couple, things went from bad to worse when a few people in the comments pointed out that Elios looks a lot like a frozen pizza brand sold in the US, namely Ellio’s Pizza.
Someone said, “Ellios is a pizza brand, that’s what I mean. That’s how it’s pronounced.”
Another added: “I’m a child of the 80s from the American Midwest and all I can think of is Ellio’s Pizza, a really cheap, low quality frozen pizza place that we all loved as kids.
Are Unique Baby Names Worth It?
You may think that a unique name will make you stand out, but is it really?
Josie Griffiths, deputy editor of Fabulous, talks about the problems she had with her name as a child.
As a child, I wanted nothing more than a personalized keychain with my name on it.
But it wasn’t. The closest I could get were Rosie, Joseph (not so nice for such a little girl) and Joanne.
Josie is short for Josephine, a French first name, and I’ve been in my twenties without ever meeting anyone with the same first name.
When I try to introduce myself to people I get called all sorts of random names like Tracey and Stacey and it can be quite annoying.
Although I’ve met a few Josies in the past year (there are a few around my age), it’s still a much rarer name than most of my friends’ names.
Overall I don’t mind it, at least it’s not crude or spelled weird.
And that means I can get away with ‘doing a Cheryl’ and just calling myself Josie.
I’m getting married this year and some friends are shocked that I’m changing my last name. It’s not considered cool or feminist these days. I explain to them that I’m not that attached to Griffiths because I always just say ‘Hi, I’m Josie’ when I call a friend.
I like being unique and I will definitely try to achieve this when naming my own children.
You have to watch out for the crude names, so after nine years as a lifestyle journalist I will definitely avoid them.
“Probably a US only snack and I’m not even sure if it still exists for kids to associate with, but that’s all I hear when I read your post.”
However, others responded by saying that it’s hard to find names that don’t remind people of brands or celebrities with similar names, so the couple shouldn’t worry too much about it.
Someone wrote: “The problem with names is that they are all made up.
“Making up a name is fine.”
Another agreed, adding: “I honestly wouldn’t have known it wasn’t a name if you hadn’t mentioned it.
“It’s beautiful and sounds classic. I think you should use it if you both love it. I can’t think of a reason why not.”
