Hi Jennifer,

My husband and I have been arguing lately over what to name the boy we’re expecting. I like generic names since my name is Chaesyn (like Chasen) and no one knows how to spell it or even say it. Ever since I was a teenager I’ve loved the name James and wanted to name my son, if I had one, James. When I fell in love with my husband and once we got married I never even thought about this but his last name is Kirk. Would my son get teased for having the name James Kirk like in Star Trek?

Sincerely,
Chaesen

Dear Chaesen,kirk

Being an avid Star Trek fan, I have to say: THAT IS SO COOL!  James Kirk is an amazing, iconic character. It would be different if your husband’s last name was Duck and you wanted to name your son Donald.  However, I don’t see a teasing factor with James Kirk.  At least, not as a child, since most children have not yet been exposed to Star Trek.  Those that have seen the current movies would be a little older. And if anyone tried to tease him, your son could always say “I’m so awesome, the character was named after ME!”

What does your husband think?

Let me know what you decide!

Sincerely,
Jennifer

Jennifer Moss (she/her) is the founder of BabyNames.com, author of The Baby Names Workbook, and Producer of The Baby Names Podcast. Jennifer is widely regarded as the leading expert on popular baby name trends and the naming process, serving as the authoritative source on the subject for national and international media.

Jennifer entered the tech arena in the 80s as a software developer and database architect, and became a pioneer in the Internet industry. In addition to operating BabyNames.com, Jennifer owns a web development agency in central California.