An expectant dad is torn over whether he should name his baby son after the world-famous Sesame Street character Elmo.
The man said he had always been fond of the unique name because it was what his great grandfather was called.
‘Elmo is a family name for me, though only my great grandfather has had it recently. My wife loves the name as much as I do,’ he said in a Reddit thread.
However, the soon-to-be parents are unsure whether they’re making the wrong decision as the name was made famous by the hugely popular kids’ show.
‘Our only concern is of course potential teasing from others because of the tv character. Since Sesame Street came out, the name Elmo has plummeted in popularity,’ the dad-to-be said.
‘We like the name and its uniqueness, but don’t want to set him up for a life of teasing. What do we think? Setting up the lad to fail, or should we go for it?
‘Is it child abuse to name your son Elmo in the year 2025?’
His post has divided everyone, with many expressing their thoughts on the name.
An expectant couple is torn over whether they should name their baby son after the world-famous Sesame Street character Elmo (file image)
‘I actually said to my husband recently that I love the name Elmo. Sadly I do think Sesame Street is still too relevant. Maybe a tribute name that sounds similar: Elio, Elias, Milo, Mo?’ one mum said.
Many were brutally honest, but suggested giving Elmo to the boy as a middle name.
‘Elmo the Sesame Street character will be relevant for the next 100 years. If you love the name then go for it. I think it would be much better as a middle name and maybe a nickname,’ one shared.
‘Pass on Elmo unless you want him to have a hard time. I think a middle name is a good compromise,’ another said.
‘Elmo would make a great middle name,’ one added.
However, some suggested they would steer clear of the name because they’d never be able to get the iconic bright red puppet out of their minds.
‘I don’t think it’s usable, unfortunately,’ one suggested.
‘I personally would 100 per cent consider this child abuse. I’m sorry,’ another said.
Others shared their own experiences after meeting someone named out a famous Sesame Street character.
‘I knew an adult (probably 40 now) named Ernie and he turned out fine. That said he probably dealt with a lot on name-related stuff (teasing, questions, jokes etc) growing up. Middle name might be ideal with a story,’ one shared.
‘I worked with an Elmer and we all called him Elmo. I loved him! And no one f***ed with him either,’ another revealed.
Meanwhile, many pointed out that the teasing would mostly come from adults who grew up watching Sesame Street.
However, the soon-to-be parents are unsure whether they’re making the wrong decision as the name Elmo was made famous by the hugely popular kids’ show Sesame Street
‘Go for it but you’ll get Sesame Street comments from adults. Kids won’t make fun in my opinion,’ one said.
‘I think most if any teasing would come from adults who remember when Elmo was big. But children, it would go right over their head. You can always put adults in their place,’ another shared.
‘I married an Elmo and even the children never connected it,’ one revealed.
But many new parents confirmed that Elmo is just as popular as he was many decades ago.
‘My two-year-old is obsessed with Elmo and Big Bird. The newer episodes are much more modern than the old ones,’ one revealed.
‘I have a four-year-old and a one-year-old, Sesame Street is as big as ever, all kids know Elmo. I am not sure Sesame Street will ever stop being popular to be honest. There must be something about it because kids adore Elmo no matter the generation,’ another added.
Despite a majority of people suggesting the couple could use Elmo as a middle name, the husband confirmed: ‘We already have a middle name in mind, most likely my father-in-law’s.’
