In 2023, we've seen a revolutionary change in baby names, with parents opting for more unusual names than ever before.
Choosing a baby name isn't easy and more and more people are trying to make them unique and memorable, but one mum has sparked a debate after posting a potential moniker online and people think it's hilarious, claiming it sounds like a car with a bad exhaust.
Enthusiastically posting her suggestion on an Aussie parenting Facebook group, the Melbourne mum found out the hard way that her name wasn't a popular one. The curious mum-to-be asked fellow parents: "Is the name Smokie really such a bad idea for a little girls name? I keep coming back to that name and everyone keeps telling me it's a no go, but I'm so in love with the name I can't change my mind... but don't want to make a mistake with the name.
"I'm thinking of naming my little girl Smokie-Marie. Marie is after my sister so I'm wanting that as a full name and giving her my other sister's name as her middle name; the name flows together nicely for me but don't want to set my kid up for failure with a name not everyone agrees on!
"Does anybody else have the name Smokie for a baby other than a pet name? Honestly I heard it one day and loved it. I don't like common names, I like names nobody else has."
However, the group members weren't a fan and were quick to compare the name to a car, a tractor, a train, a pets' name and even a smoker.
One user commented: "Smokey is the nickname of a machine that produces too much smoke. A train, a tractor, a car with a bad exhaust. It is also used as a name for grey coloured pets. Then there is the Australian slang, Smoko, a short work break traditionally used for smoking."
With another saying: "It doesn’t matter if you want to call your kid Smokie, or Durrie, or Ciggy — births, deaths, and marriages very likely just won’t let you."
Others tried to give the mum a reality check, with one writing: "Just remember you're not only naming a baby, you're naming a school child; will they get teased, a young professional will they be hired and taken seriously, an adult/old woman. Don't let your crazed whim be a burden and abuse for the rest of your poor child's life."
"Smokie is a name for a dog, cat or rabbit. Not a human child who has to grow up to be an adult applying for jobs and getting their resume laughed at and thrown out." Writes another.
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