My daughter has such a unique name that most people can’t pronounce it – but I hope she grows to love it

People all over the world have to go through life with a name they have not chosen – and although it is said that children ‘grow’ their given name, some inevitably hate the choice of their parents.

A mother, who thought it would be ‘nice’ to give her daughter a ‘memorable’ name, can have reason to worry.

Writer Catherine Lamb, 36, admits that many people have difficulty pronouncing the unusual first name of her little girl but she hopes that the 14-month-old Theia (pronounced as Thay-AH) will grow to love it.

The mother, from Kent, told De Telegraaf That she was originally planning to call her daughter Thea and only for Theia Koos – after the Greek Titan -Godin – when she heard another mother talking to a young Thea.

Catherine, who hated the same name as two other girls at school, said it “immediately” dropped her the name Thea – which is actually more popular than people think.

Her decision to abolish the name was completed when she and her husband, Nathanial, heard that distant family members New -Zeeland Also had a daughter named Thea.

The name was the 63rd most popular maiden name in the UK, according to Office for National Statistics Data, in 2023. In that year alone it was given to 716 baby girls.

Catherine wanted to find something that was original, but not a million miles away from the name she once loved, Catherine went to Google.

“I immediately started to google similar names and discovered that the origin of the name Thea is actually from Theia, pronounced something else, the Greek goddess of light,” she told De Telegraaf.

“I thought it was great that it was a strong and elegant name that had some history and mythology behind it.”

For fear that others would try to prevent them from using Theia – or, worse, using the name themselves – Catherine and Nathanial have waived the sharing of their discovery with someone else.

But while the friends and family of the couple were enthusiastic about the name when Theia was born, Catherine regrets that “people forget how to say it.”

Even Nathanial’s mother initially said Thea when her son told her that Theia had arrived.

“I have only met two people who have known how they can pronounce her name by seeing it written down, Catherine added. “They usually molly for thea, or sometimes” u-ah-ah “, or” thigh-ah. “

Catherine is open about the fact that she finds it ‘frustrating’ to always correct people.

But although she sometimes wonders if her little Theia might find it as annoying as she is older, Catherine hopes that her daughter will grow to love the unusual name.

Earlier this year, new data by Baby center revealed which names are abandoned by modern parents – with some who fall no fewer than 433 places in just one year.

For girls, ‘Jamie’ leads the leadership of disappearing names and he drops a huge 320 places in the annual name analysis list of BabyCenter.

‘Katie’ follows closely and drops 290 places, while ‘Remy’ falls 277 positions.

The list follows ‘Liv’ and ‘Analia’, followed by ‘Karina,’ ‘Belle’ and ‘Erin.’

The ‘Bristol’ and ‘Lilia’ comes to complete the list.

On the side of the boys ‘Jamal’ emerged as the most ‘extinct’ name, which fell no fewer than 433 places in one year.

Then comes the name ‘Esteban’, where 283 places fall, followed by ‘Kanon’ and ‘Emery’.

The list continues with ‘Taylor’, ‘Kareem’, ‘Idris’,’ Camilo ‘,’ ‘Matthias’ and’ Danny ‘who complete the last six names.

Every year BabyCenter emphasizes the most popular baby names and analyzes trends of hundreds of thousands of parents who register their newborns.

Experts point out major shifts in naming trends, with whole generations that are confronted with ‘extinction’.

Last year, experts saw the beginning of the end for ‘-aden’ boys’ boys, a trend that will continue this year.

Jaden, which peaked at number 62 in 2002, is now continuing its decline and falls 162 places of his former glory.

Royal-inspired names experience a particularly brutal clearance, in which Catherine dives a stunning 221 places, accompanied by a decrease in names such as Anne, Phillip, Albert and Edward.

Millennial era Namur also see a drop.

Names that once dominated playgrounds in the 80s and 90s that are now confronted with full extinction such as ‘Jamie’ that dominated name cards from 1974 to 1996.

Even beloved nicknames are not immune to this name massacre. Liv, a popular short version of Olivia, was brutally dropped 257 places, while Billy has seen a 167 spot drop.

“One thing that makes a name out of fashion is that it is in fashion for too long,” said Pamela Redmond, whose books about baby names led to the creation of her Siteberry, said the Guardian In June.

An earlier study showed that since the 1980s a decrease in common names in the US has seen when parents wanted to select new names that their children would stand out.

“The baby boomers were the first parents who wanted to be cool, and who wanted their children to be cool too,” Redmond told the BBC.

The way in which parents called their children was more about fitting and choosing a simple and practical name, told Baby name -expert Laura Wattenberg told NPR.

“That was realistic. That was what was expected, “she said, adding to it,” Today the culture is more about standing out instead of fit, and the options are unlimited. Everyone urges to be unique, to be creative. ‘