We've all seen pun-based names in books, films, and other media before - such as the likes of Holly Wood, Joe King, and Jack Pott - but have you ever met someone with a name that leaves them open to jokes? Parents should never be judged for the name they choose for their baby, but it's always a good idea to double-check that the moniker you pick doesn't create problems when paired with your surname.
One mum, however, has admitted she chose to give her daughter a name that is also a pun, after she claimed growing up with a friend called Justin Case had "sparked her interest" in wordplay. The mum said she had chosen to call her daughter Astoria Booker and calls her Stori for short, making her name sound like "storybook".
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In a post on Reddit, she said: "So, I admittedly love creative name play choices, and I went with one for my daughter, Astoria Booker (Stori Book). I knew a Justin Case growing up which may have sparked my interest. What types of combinations have you heard? Thoughts?"
The mum later explained in an edit that Booker is her daughter's middle name and not her surname, so the pun isn't as obvious to those who don't know her well enough to know her full name.
She added: "I don't think it's nearly as obvious as this subreddit seems to think it is. We have an uncommon last name and with the middle name being Booker, it won’t be used often either way. I've only had one person, a librarian, notice the correlation between the first and middle name."
Commenters on the post were split, as some said the name sounded fine, but others said naming children after puns and jokes was "cruel" - as it could lead to them being picked on at school if their classmates see the connection.
One person said: "Astoria Booker is cute and pretty sounding, and not glaring obvious [as a pun of] storybook."
While another added: "Astoria Booker is not an obvious name play to me at all - I'm all for these 'if you know you know' kind of name plays. More obvious ones like Justin Case seem a little cruel toward the child."
But someone else disagreed, stating: "Your poor daughter."
"I definitely wouldn't pat myself on the back for naming my kid a clumsy play on words like Astoria Booker for no reason,", a fourth wrote, "If anything it would be a con that a name I loved had a lame pun in it.
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