A mum has been left horrified after her sister told her that the baby name she chose sounds very similar to a dog food brand – and now she’s struggling to find an alternative
There’s a lot that goes into choosing the perfect baby name. You first have to decide whether you want to use something classic or something unique, and then you can start whittling down your choices until you’ve selected the name you want to give your child. But there are other things to consider, too.
Many parents spend time thinking about whether the name they’ve chosen can be twisted into unfavourable nicknames or if it makes rude words when paired with their surname. Ultimately, the decision is yours, but it’s worth considering these factors if you don’t want your child to change their name when they’re older.
One mum, however, is facing a dilemma after her sister gave her some bad news about the baby name she wants to use.
She’s currently expecting her first child, and while she doesn’t know the gender yet, she knows she wants to use Pierina for a girl as it is a “family name” that means a lot to her. But her sister’s recent comment has thrown a spanner in the works, as she’s now reconsidering everything.
Her sister told her that people are likely to mispronounce Pierina as “Purina” – the same name as a popular dog food brand.
In a post on Reddit, the mum said: “My boyfriend and I are having our one and only child. We don’t know the gender and don’t want to know until delivery, so we are planning for a boy’s and a girl’s name. My boyfriend and I both love the girl’s name Pierina. It’s a family name on my side and means a lot to me.
“My sister, on the other hand, is very against the name and says that everyone will pronounce it Purina like the dog food brand. Obviously, I hate the idea that she is probably right, but the truth is that’s not how it’s pronounced.
“Despite this being a family name for our family, it is starting to spread around, and other family members are cautioning me against this name. Advice needed, please! Is this name awful?”
Commenters on the post were also quick to tell the mum-to-be that her choice of baby name wasn’t ideal. Some told her to use Pierina as a middle name, while others said to use Piera and keep Pierina as a “special nickname”.
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One person said: “You can use it as a middle name. Your sister is right.”
Another added: “Don’t tell anyone the baby’s name options until he/she is born. However, since you have now told us, I need to be honest. That’s a terrible name.”
Someone else suggested: “[I would use] Piera. I suspect that Pierina is a diminutive form of Piera anyway. Then, mum can use Pierina as a special nickname.”
The mum did not share where she is from, but according to Nameberry, Piera is a feminine name with Italian origins and is a female form of Piero or Pietro. The name comes from the Greek name Petros, meaning “rock” or “stone”, and therefore carries connotations of strength and stability.
Pierina is an alternative form of Piera, and the “-ina” suffix adds a diminutive quality, essentially making the name mean “little Piera”. This means it would work as a nickname for a child named Piera.