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[Opinions] Kuiper
I was thinking of putting it on my list as a middle name since it shares the same meaning as my mom's maiden name. WDYT? Any strong opinions?
http://www.behindthename.com/pnl/146182
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I'm Dutch and I see this as a surname only. It's unheard of as a FN / MN and even illegal to use as such in the Netherlands. One of the very few rules there are regarding names is that a surname cannot be used as a FN / MN (unless it's something like Thomas, which already is commonly used as a FN). If you must use it, then a MN only. The -UI- sound in Kuiper, is a sound that non-Dutch speakers usually mispronounce.
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It just makes me think of the Kuiper belt. I'd put it on the middle name list but not the first name (because I do think it's a little hard to pronounce).
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Makes me think of the Kuiper Belt.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuiper_belt

This message was edited 3/19/2018, 12:16 PM

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I love that association!
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It makes me think of the Kuiper Belt, which is kind of cool. It isn't really a first name, but if it's used to honor your mom's maiden name then it makes sense. The only question I'd have is why not just use your mom's maiden name directly?
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I wouldn't use her maiden name because her family has never used the most common pronunciation of Cooper (we've always used the second pronunciation with Coop like took). I wouldn't want to use an honor name that will always be mispronounced.
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It is very nice, but I feel like people may confuse it for Jupiter and Cooper combined. As a middle name, it would be very cool. If you used it, when all the little boys have John and James and Robert, your son will have something unique and interesting. Plus, if you are into astronomy it will have a special meaning for your son.
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It would definitely be a middle name only. I have so many names I like for firsts and prefer to keep honors in the middle. I have to admit the other reason I like it is due to the astronomy tie.
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Fine as a mn; risky because of the likelihood of butchered pronunciation as a fn.
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I agree it would be problematic as a first name. My surname already gets butchered and I wouldn't want a fn and ln that have that issue.
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I think it’s alright as a middle name. I would never use it as a FN because people would probably mispronounce it and think it’s a variant of Cooper.
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I didn't realize how many people would notice it and immediately associate it with Cooper. I'll have to consider whether that is worth removing it from my list or not.
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Cool name for an astronomy buff. Difficult pronunciation.
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Pronunciation could be an issue. It certainly something I'll keep in mind!
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Maybe as a middle name, but only if you’re an astronomer. People will butcher the spelling and pronunciation for the kid’s whole life. Plus it’s a little too surnamey for me.
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That's true about the pronunciation issues. It's the same problem with Cooper, so I might just have to give up and look to some other surnames on her side.
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We had a kid at school named Kuiper, but it was just because his mum wanted to spell Cooper differently. As a MN ok, but as a FN it looks like a horribly butchered version of Cooper
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I would go with Cooper (still as a MN), but my family has always used the second pronunciation (which no one else seems to use). So, it would drive me nuts to hear people pronounce it wrong and I don't want to be pretentious and correct them all. I was hoping Kuiper might be better.It might be more hassle than it is worth.
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I agree!
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Hi !!!I usually dislike surnames as first names. If you have a Dutch ancestry it is ok because it is a very particular name and I think that few people would guess that it is the Dutch for Cooper.As it is honouring I think that it is ok though.
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No Dutch ancestry here, which is also another reason I've wondered about using it!
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