A MUM has faced backlash after people insisted the Greek-inspired name she’s picked for her baby sounds like a ”frozen pizza” brand.
Choosing a moniker for your little one can be quite the task – not only you need to go through a list of picks that sound nice in your eyes but also ensure it flows nicely with your surname.
It’s also essential to double-check the name doesn’t potentially result in any rude nicknames or unfortunate initial combinations that might lead to bullying at school.
However, one couple who believed they’d found the ideal name for their son has now been forced to reconsider their choice after realising it’s totally ”made up”.
What’s more, not only can the new parents not find its origins anywhere, social media users said the name reminds them of a “frozen pizza brand”.
Taking to Reddit, the mum explained she and her hubby are of German and Indian heritage, although they currently reside in the US.
They spent a long time deciding on a name for their baby boy but eventually stumbled across Elios – a moniker they believed was an Italian name based on the Greek word for the sun, “Helios”.
However, after doing a deeper dive into the pick, the pair soon found the correct Italian version is actually Elio – and what to do now has left them divided.
While her partner doesn’t mind “inventing” a name and still wants to use Elios, the mother isn’t as keen.
She said: “By now we are so set on the name. We keep calling the bump lovingly by it and have found a fitting (Hindu) middle name.
”My husband likes it so much that he is willing to just use it, even if it isn’t a proper name, I am a bit torn.
”As a European, I’m hesitant to potentially ‘invent’ a name, but after living in the US for so long it also doesn’t seem too far off.
“We’re hesitant to use Elio instead, as we don’t like the sound of it as much and there is a Disney movie with the name as the title coming out next year.”
Sadly for the couple, things went from bad to worse when a few people in the comments pointed out that Elios is very close to a frozen pizza brand sold in the US called Ellio’s Pizza.
One person said: “Ellios is a pizza brand, that’s what I think of. It’s pronounced like that.”
While another added: “I’m an 80s kid from the Midwest US, and all I think of is Ellio’s Pizza, which is a really cheap, low-quality frozen pizza which we all loved as kids.
YOU may think having a unique name helps you to stand out, but is it all it's cracked up to be?
Fabulous’ Deputy Editor Josie Griffiths reveals the turmoil she faced with her own name while growing up.
When I was a child, all I wanted was one of those personalised keyrings with my name on it.
But no joy, the closest I could find was Rosie, Joseph (not great for a little girl) and Joanne.
Josie is short for Josephine, which is a French name, and I managed to reach my 20s without ever meeting anyone who shared it.
When I try to introduce myself to people, I get all sorts of random things – like Tracey and Stacey – which can be pretty annoying.
Although I have come into contact with a couple of Josies over the last year – there seems to be a few of us around my age – it’s still a much rarer name than most of my friends have.
On the whole I don’t mind it, at least it’s not rude or crazily spelt.
And it means I can get away with ‘doing a Cheryl’ and just referring to myself as Josie.
I’m getting married this year and some friends are shocked that I’m changing my surname, as it’s not seen as very cool or feminist to do so these days, but I explain to them that I’m not that attached to Griffiths as I’d always just say ‘hi it’s Josie’ when ringing a mate up.
I think it’s nice to be unique and I’ll definitely try and replicate this when naming my own kids.
It’s the rude names you’ve got to watch out for, so after nine years as a lifestyle journalist I’ll definitely be avoiding those.
”Probably a US-specific snack and I’m not even sure if it still exists for kids today to associate it with, but that’s all I hear when I read your post.”
But others hit back, saying it’s challenging to find names which don’t make people think of brands or celebs with similar monikers, so the pair shouldn’t really worry too much about it.
Someone wrote: “Here’s the thing about names… they’re all made up.
”Making up a name is fine.”
Another agreed, adding: “I honestly would not have known it was not a name if you haven’t said it.
”It’s beautiful and sounds classic. I think you should use it if you both love it. I can’t think of a reason why not.”
