There’s a lot of thought that needs to go into choosing a baby name. You can’t just pick out a first name that you love and stop there, or there’s a chance you might accidentally lump your baby with a horrendously unfortunate but ultimately hilarious-sounding name when it’s paired with your family surname.
One mum on social media is facing this exact dilemma, as there’s a baby name she would love to use but can’t because of how it sounds with her surname. The mum, who runs a parenting tips account with her sister, posted a video asking people for baby names that they “could never use”, as she shared her own.
In the TikTok video, the mum revealed that her last name is Brich, so the one name she could never give her child is Britney – as it would turn her daughter’s name into a popular Britney Spears quote.
She said: “My last name is Brich, [so I could never use] Britney. It’s Britney Brich.”
The popular Britney Spears quote, “It’s Britney, b****”, came from her 2007 song Gimme More, and quickly became an iconic piece of pop culture. Britney also said it in her 2012 song Scream and Shout, and it has been featured in TV shows like the US version of The Office in the past.
The phrase, which has now become a meme online, was reportedly conceived in the recording studio by producer Danja, who jokingly muttered it under his breath while coaching Britney in the recording booth. The singer then said it into the microphone during recording, and it made its way onto the final release of Gimme More.
Commenters on the mum’s TikTok video were torn over the name, however. Some said naming your daughter Britney Brich would be “iconic”, as most people see the phrase as a positive thing, but others agreed that it wasn’t a good idea.
One person said: “I’ll argue that Britney is the ONLY option.”
Another added: “Can’t use? You mean absolutely must use!”
Most people used the comments to share their own experiences with unfortunate names, either by talking about names they can’t give their children, or revealing their own tragically hilarious monikers.
Someone posted: “My parents didn’t think my middle name through … Jordan B. Eaton.”
Another shared: “I have a friend whose last name is Dorr. She PURPOSELY named her son Gryffin.”
A third wrote: “Cox, unfortunately, the list is LONG. Devastated that Eden is not an option.”
Giving your child a name that doesn’t pair well with your surname is not illegal in the UK, but there are some rules you should bear in mind before choosing your child’s name.
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You cannot give your child:
- Offensive or obscene names
- Names with numbers of symbols, such as James2 or @Victoria
- Names that are misleading, such as title-based names like Queen or Lord
- Names that are impossible to pronounce
According to the UK Deed Poll Office, names that are racist or considered to be harmful to the child could be illegal and banned in some parts of the UK.