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Help[Opinions] Re: Smith/Smythe?
in reply to a message by MissJazJonesy
I'm going to add to my answer because you brought up some fair points.
The problem with Smith isn't that it's popular as a surname; it's that it's the generic surname. That's why I think it falls so flat as a first name (on a boy or girl, and I brought up a boy because I met one). I agree with you that inherently hating a name just because it's popular or a surname doesn't necessarily make sense, and normally that's criticism I'd ignore, but Smith is a special case where it's beyond just "common", I think.
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"We are all horrible and wonderful and figuring it out." - Harris Wittels
The problem with Smith isn't that it's popular as a surname; it's that it's the generic surname. That's why I think it falls so flat as a first name (on a boy or girl, and I brought up a boy because I met one). I agree with you that inherently hating a name just because it's popular or a surname doesn't necessarily make sense, and normally that's criticism I'd ignore, but Smith is a special case where it's beyond just "common", I think.
"We are all horrible and wonderful and figuring it out." - Harris Wittels
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Actually, I think it does make sense to hate a name because its popular. Not in the sense that you would hate a band because everyone else likes it, but because its just boring and terribly "keeping up with the Jones'" to have the same name. Even that phrase brings up a valid point. It may as well be "keeping up with the Smiths" its so common.
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