Bad baby names

Many typical American English names have "bad" double meanings that can get you teased at school. Read on for names to watch out for. Bad factor indicates teasing potential.

Alexa ♀

Slang meaning: None, but who wants an Amazon Echo to answer every time someone says your name? Of course, you shouldn't name your child anything that sounds like Siri either, but almost no one does. Probably just a problem for Suri Cruise.
Bad factor: Not bad. However, it will probably get worse with time if Amazon continues to use that name for their device. ("Alexa, open the pod door. Ha, ha, ha!")
Famous namesake: Model and fashion designer Alexa Chung

B.J. ♂♀

Slang meaning:  blow job (oral sex performed on a man)
Bad factor:  Bad, but still not uncommon as a nickname.
Famous namesake: Actor B.J. Novak

Butch ♂

Slang meaning: masculine (adjective). Primarily used about lesbians. (The opposite is femme.)
Bad factor: Not bad since it's a boy's name--and the slang meaning is unknown to elementary school students.
Famous namesake: Western outlaw Butch Cassidy

back to top

Cherry ♀

Slang meaning: virginity
Bad factor: Okay in elementary school, but in middle school or high school, this would be a really bad name to have. The term is most often used to discuss losing virginity. 
Famous namesake: Actress Cherry Jones

Colin ♂

Slang meaning: No slang meaning, but if you pronounce it the way Colin Powell does, (KOH-lin) instead of the usual way (KAH-lin), it sounds like you're talking about your intestines.
Bad factor: Bad. I once had a boss who was dating a guy named Colin pronounced "KOH-lin." People tried hard not to giggle when his name came up in staff meetings. And we were adults. Imagine junior high.
Famous namesake: Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell

Crystal ♀

Slang meaning: Crystal meth (formally methamphetamine), a popular but extremely dangerous and addictive drug.
Bad factor: Bad in middle and high school, and the fact that the crystal form of methamphetamine is most often smoked in a pipe (slang for penis) could make for some bad puns.
Famous namesake: Country singer Crystal Gayle

Dick ♂

Slang meaning: Penis.
Bad factor: Bad. Many older men have this nickname (for Richard) but young men avoid it. 
Famous namesake: Former US Vice President Dick Cheney

back to top

Earl ♂

Slang meaning: Vomit(verb).
Bad factor: Especially bad in high school and college. No longer a popular name.
Famous namesake: Bluegrass musician Earl Scruggs

Fanny ♀

Slang meaning:  Polite word for buttocks (worse, in the UK it can mean vagina.)
Bad factor:  Bad at every age.
Famous namesake:  French actress Fanny Ardant

Gay/Gaylord  ♂

Slang meaning: Gay (Duh!) 
Bad factor: Bad. Unfortunately, as pointed out by rapper Macklemore in the song Same Love, for many people, "Gay is synonymous with the lesser."  Hopefully the stigma attached to that word by high school students (and adults) will decrease with time.
Famous namesake: Best selling author Gay Talese

back to top