Finding your child's name on "stuff"

[catsarecute]

When I was in Las Vegas last weekend, I went into a souvenir shop and was browsing the license plates and key chains with names on them. One of our name choices was no where to be found on any of the 8 displays I looked at. It wasn't even a choice. Our other name choice was on every single display, whether it was sold out or not.

I hope we can do a lot of traveling with our child as I did with my family growing up and I know finding my name easily on those cheesy items was exciting and my parents often purchased those items for me and my sister.

The thought of our kid not finding her name on those souvenir items makes me less excited about giving her that name.

Is this something other people think about??

[kermit]

I never thought of it, though I doubt the name we chose would be on any of those items. I have a super common name and I don't think I ever got key chains or anything. I don't see it as a big deal.

[D2M]

Nope. In the age of Etsy and DIY everything, you can have clothes embroidered and personalized trinkets painted with no problem. For what it's worth, I've only found my name on pre-made souvenirs when I'm in the part of the world where my name is popular. I never felt like I missed out as a kid

[SJ]

I don't think this is a huge deal.

There are a million places online (Etsy, PBKids, etc. etc. etc.) where you can get custom blankets, backpacks, suitcases, jewelry boxes, whatever you want with whatever name you wish on it, so you should be fine.

I wouldn't let the availability of mass-produced travel trinkets sway you, although I also enjoy cute personalized items.

[VillainV]

I haven't checked the name we picked out for LO, but it's fairly common, so I wouldn't think it would be TOO hard to find. Having said that, H's name is also fairly common and he can almost never find his name. My name fairly UNcommon, and I have never once found my name on anything. In fact, I have a running bet with all of my friends that if they ever find my name on anything in a souvenir shop and buy it for me, I'll take them out to dinner. It's never happened.

And honestly, it's not a big deal to me if my kid can't find stuff with his name on it. H and I have made it just fine, so I don't think it's a huge deal.

[changedname]

It used to be a really big deal to me as a kid that I couldn't find my name on anything. Now I feel bad that I inflicting the same on my child but as pp have said, nowadays, you can get a lot more personalized.

[teep]

I wouldn't let it change my decision. I had a TON of crap as a kid with my name on it, but it really is just a waste of money IMO. I'd almost be glad for the name not to be available and save me the $7 for the key ring or whatever haha and PP are right, you can easily get custom stuff done.

[rbp]

I have never found my name on tourist trap junk and am no worse for the wear.

[speyedr]

My name is a traditional name but has a non traditional spelling so I never was able to find things with the correct spelling on them. LO is going to be the same way. She has a top 10 name but with a different spelling. I fought DH on the spelling and he is just too in love and I love the name but only moderately like the spelling we are going with. I choose not to fight that battle and it's cute to see DH so in love with our little girls name!

[ringstrue]

DD is 4.5 and has a common name and she has like 10 Christmas ornaments with her name on it already. Then her relatives keep monogramming stuff for her. Honestly I'm totally over it. I think its a good idea to not "make up" a name for your kid and all, but all I see is things I can't resell at a garage sale or give away as hand-me-downs when she is too big or old for them.

[atlas]

My name was always on those things, but my sister's name is a slightly odd spelling of a pretty common name and never had it on the key chain stuff. I think my sister always said she would make sure her kids could get those and give them a common name.

Me, I really couldn't care less. I hated that sort of junk when I was a kid so I most likely wouldn't buy it for my child if their name was there or not.

[catsarecute]

I'm going to put this one in the "silly stuff I worry about" category! Thanks for your feedback. I appreciate it!!!

[sunshine608]

I did think hard about it ( more for a girl than a boy though) because I loved stuff like that when I was a kid and always felt bad for kids whose name weren't available. In the end, I haven't see our name on too many thing, but will likely be on stuff in the next few years as trends change. In fact, I couldn't find my very common name the other weekend when I was in Florida.

[lulu21]

I grew up not finding my name on anything! And if I did it was a different spelling. I agree with the internet I'm sure you can find stuff with the baby's name or have stuff made

[loira]

I never found my name on anything when I was little, but then it exploded in popularity in the late 80s and early 90s (not Jennifer, but similarly 80s trendy). In fact, a book written in the mid 90s called 'The last word on first names' (by the nameberry people) declared that 'no matter how you spell it, nothing about the name _____ is original anymore'.

So you never know, your less common choice might end up on souvenir stuff yet.

[statlerwaldorf]

I have a somewhat common name, but I could never find the right spelling. I don't think it's a big deal especially since you can get stuff personalized easily now. I'm pretty sure I won't find DD's name on anything especially since I went with a slightly less common spelling.

[andthentherewere10]

My name was never on anything. It never really phased me but I am quite sure my parents would NOT have purchased that crap either.

It was important to me to have an easily spelled first name, so the name had to be commonplace enough so that the average person could spell it. Our last name is a name that will always have to be spelled.

[Deleted]

Feb 18, 2014 10:25:32 GMT -5 catsarecute said:

Is this something other people think about??

Never once crossed my mind and neither of my kids have u-neek names

[robinsbff]

i've thought about it but only because my mom makes a big deal that when she was little she was the only one of the 5 kids in her family who could never find pencils with her name on them. everyone else got pencils but not her. we got her pencils with her name on them from oriental trading company one year for christmas, haha. it wouldn't change my choice in names but it has crossed my mind.