I regret the ‘hippy’ name I gave my daughter – people constantly ask me about the meaning, Strangers Things ruined it
A MAN has shared his regret of giving her daughter a ”hippy” moniker, which has now become popular thanks to Stranger Things.
The father explained that at the time, he and his partner were both hippies and opted for a rather unusual name for their daughter – one that’s also a number.
The uncommon moniker – Eleven – has since grown in popularity thanks to the Netflix hit series Stranger Things, where one of the main characters, played by Millie Bobby Brown, shares the same moniker.
The father, who now regrets the choice, claimed that the duo had come up with the name before the show hit our screens.
“This was before Stranger Things came out. We thought it was mystical, beautiful, and cool and unique.
“And we were annoying self righteous hippies,” he joked.
After growing out of the hippie mindset and lifestyle, the dad came to regret the choice – and said he’d always hoped the daughter would change it as she got older.
The kid, now in middle school, still goes by Eleven, joking that nobody ever forgets her name.
“I feel bad sometimes, and constantly get asked what the deal is with her name.
”And a lot of people are bad at times so they’ll ask me if she is named after the show, or a lot of folks assume she adopted it after the show.”
That isn’t the case, though his daughter does love Stranger Things, the dad noted, adding he was hoping she starts going by Elle instead.
Although many agreed Eleven isn’t a great name, some social media users reckoned the story was wholesome.
One said: “I definitely thought of Stranger Things immediately (love the show), but I also kind of genuinely like the sound of it.
”It’s pretty, not horrifically misspelled, easy to shorten to Elle or Ellie, and most importantly — she likes it.”
Another chimed in: “Sounds like you raised your kid well, and she has an optimistic and resilient personality.
Are Unique Baby Names Worth The Hassle?
Fabulous' Deputy Editor reveals the turmoil she faced with her own name while growing up.
When I was a child, all I wanted was one of those personalised keyrings with my name on it.
But no joy, the closest I could find was Rosie, Joseph (not great for a little girl) and Joanne.
Josie is short for Josephine, which is a French name, and I managed to reach my 20s without ever meeting anyone who shared it.
When I try to introduce myself to people, I get all sorts of random things – like Tracey and Stacey – which can be pretty annoying.
Although I have come into contact with a couple of Josies over the last year – there seems to be a few of us around my age – it’s still a much rarer name than most of my friends have.
On the whole I don’t mind it, at least it’s not rude or crazily spelt.
And it means I can get away with ‘doing a Cheryl’ and just referring to myself as Josie.
I’m getting married this year and some friends are shocked that I’m changing my surname, as it’s not seen as very cool or feminist to do so these days, but I explain to them that I’m not that attached to Griffiths as I’d always just say ‘hi it’s Josie’ when ringing a mate up.
I think it’s nice to be unique and I’ll definitely try and replicate this when naming my own kids.
It’s the rude names you’ve got to watch out for, so after nine years as a lifestyle journalist I’ll definitely be avoiding those.
”This is the best case scenario for anyone who has an attention-grabbing name.”
“This is so cute, at the end of the day if she loves her name isn’t that what actually matters?” someone else agreed.
The news comes after Millie 20, secretly married Jon Bon Jovi’s model son, 22, earlier this year, in May.
A source said: “Millie and Jake quietly said their vows in America last weekend.
“They are planning a bigger ceremony in the US later this year but now they have legally married and done all the paperwork.
“It was a very low-key, romantic affair with their closest family with them as they said their vows.”
Fabulous will pay for your exclusive stories. Just email: fabulousdigital@the-sun.co.uk and pop EXCLUSIVE in the subject line.
Win an £8k trip of a lifetime to the Maldives
FABULOUS is the home of high-street fashion – we even launched our own range earlier this month.
And now our Fabulous High Street Fashion Awards are back – giving you the chance to voice your opinion on all your favourite brands.
Do you love a shopping spree at M&S or are you more of an F&F woman?
Do you lust after celebrity partnerships or are you all about the perfect pair of shoes?
Have your say and you could win a dream holiday – we’ve teamed up with Ifuru Island Maldives to create an amazing prize.
You could win 7 nights for two adults in a Sunset Sky Suite at Ifuru Island Maldives on an Exclusively Yours Premium All-Inclusive package, plus return economy flights from London to Maldives and return domestic transfers for two adults.
For your chance to win this dream getaway, vote and enter HERE by July 28, 2024. T&Cs apply*