I’m in love with my daughter’s unique name but haters tell me it’s meant for dogs, not people

In 2023, there are an almost infinite number of baby names to choose from … but that doesn’t mean they should be chosen.

One mom found this out the hard way, when she enthusiastically posted her suggestion in a parenting group this week… and then watched her hopes be shot down in… ahem, flames.

You’ll see what I mean.

Writing in an Australian parenting Facebook group, the Melbourne mom asks, “Is the name Smokie really such a bad idea for a little girls name?”

“I keep coming back to that name and everyone keeps telling me it’s a no go, but I’m so in love with the name I can’t change my mind… but don’t want to make a mistake with the name.”

“I’m thinking of naming my little girl Smokie-Marie, Marie is after my sister so I’m wanting that as a full name and giving her my other sister’s name as her middle name; the name flows together nicely for me but don’t want to set my kid up for failure with a name not everyone agrees on!”

“Does anybody else have the name Smokie for a baby other than a pet name? Honestly I heard it one day and loved it. I don’t like common names, I like names nobody else has.”

The comments on the post did what online comments do the best: set fire to an idea.

“Smokey is the nickname of a machine that produces too much smoke. A train, a tractor, a car with a bad exhaust. It is also used as a name for grey colored pets. Then there is the Australian slang, Smoko, a short work break traditionally used for smoking,” one observed.

Another advised, “It doesn’t matter if you want to call your kid Smokie, or Durrie, or Ciggy — births, deaths, and marriages very likely just won’t let you.”

Others tried to give the poster a reality check, with one writing, “Just remember you’re not only naming a baby, you’re naming a school child; will they get teased, a young professional will they be hired and taken seriously, an adult/old woman. Don’t let your crazed whim be a burden and abuse for the rest of your poor child’s life.”

There were some who offered alternatives, such as: “How about a Stormy Marie?”

And: “What about Misty instead? Similar but sweeter?”

But mostly, the comments section did not support Smokie as a name: “Smokie is a name for a dog, cat or rabbit. Not a human child who has to grow up to be an adult applying for jobs and getting their resume laughed at and thrown out.”

Finally, there was this brutal assessment:

“Smokie sounds like the nickname of a 50 something year old woman with a raspy voice that has been chain-smoking her whole life.”

One commenter had the courage to speak up for the pregnant woman who quite literally had asked for opinions:

“What the hell… it’s your kid. If you want it to be called Smokie, that is totally up to you! It’s the name you chose for your child… some people need some respect… how dare anyone make you feel bad.”