A father shared his regret over naming his daughter Eleven, a name he initially believed to be unique and in line with his ‘hippie’ lifestyle. Popular culture can heavily influence baby names, causing once obscure names to become mainstream almost overnight.
The father posted on the Reddit page Tragedeigh, expressing his initial excitement about the name. He explained, “My hippie baby mama and I named our kid Eleven. This was before Stranger Things came out. We thought it was mystical, beautiful, and cool and unique.” Despite his initial confidence, he admitted, “And we were annoying self-righteous hippies.”
When Stranger Things premiered, the name Eleven gained widespread recognition thanks to Millie Bobbie Brown’s character. The dad mentioned that his daughter also enjoys the show and prefers to stick with her unique name, despite having the option to go by Elle or Ellie. “She loves Stranger Things, which I just find to be the cutest thing ever,” he said.
Before the show’s popularity, the father was surprised to meet another person named Eleven, a young man who was also the child of hippies from Kentucky.
While Eleven hasn’t become a common baby name and doesn’t appear on popular name lists, the father’s perspective has shifted. “It’s definitely something I regret now that I’m no longer a card-carrying hippie,” he admitted. However, he appreciates that the name is part of his daughter’s unique story.
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Reddit users had mixed reactions. One user commented positively, saying, “It’s pretty, not horrifically misspelled, easy to shorten to Elle or Ellie, and most importantly — she likes it.” Another user added, “Sounds like you raised your kid well, and she has an optimistic and resilient personality.”
However, some users criticized the choice. One user argued, “Naming a child is not like creating an original fictional character… it’s unfair to saddle a child with an intentionally wacky name because you want to provoke reactions in strangers.”
While the father regrets the decision, he is content that his daughter embraces her unique name.
