I’m the type of person who constantly researches the latest trends in baby names. Not because I’m an expecting mother-to-be, but because I’m a fiction writer. As such, I’m scouring the internet for the most stand-out names to assign to my book characters — something that has a unique ring to it and aligns with my characters’ distinctive personality traits. 

This is an essential step for a writer and should not be taken lightly. After all, can you imagine how much less threatening a character like Lord Voldemort would be if he were given the name Sheldon Fiddleson instead? (Yeah, not nearly as scary.) Can you envision a world where Katniss Everdeen was instead called Ashley Grant? Yeah, no. It just wouldn’t fit the same way, now would it?

I’ve always been particularly drawn to names with a more gender-bending edge. For instance, I get weirdly giddy whenever I meet a woman with a traditionally masculine name, like Spencer, Kyle, or Sailor. Meanwhile, I feel the same excitement when I meet a man with a more traditionally feminine name, like Kendall, Cleo, or Avery. 

According to research, there’s been a rise in overtly masculine names being given to boys as a sort of counter-reaction to the changes we’re seeing surrounding gender fluidity in modern times. While I believe there’s nothing wrong with giving your son a standardly masculine name for the sake of classic appeal and tradition, I miiiight be side-eyeing the parents who have decided to take this step a liiiiittle too far. 

Parents are resorting to weapon-related names for their sons

Look. I’m a nuanced person. I’m all for the “live and let live” mentality. I truly am. But the fact that there has been an uptick of parents naming their sons after weapons to ensure their masculinity is… well, maybe a bit excessive for my taste. But that’s just me. 

According to Sophie Kihm, Editor and Chief at Nameberry, there’s been a slight but noticeable increase in male names like Dagger, Blade, Trigger, Arson, and Cutter. *Gulps.* 

If you haven’t noticed, all these names have a dangerous, violent ring to them. 

While some theorists believe this is simply a way to give a bit of an interesting edge to the names of their little ones, no different than cowboy western names, others believe this is done as a reaction to spite the rapidly evolving gender bending changes of the 2020s. Jennifer Moss of Babynames.com suggests this uptick in weapon names could be a strategic move for strict and conservative parents to ensure their sons adhere to traditionally masculine attributes. 

I don’t know, you guys. I remember thinking Gwyneth Paltrow was the strange one for naming her daughter Apple. Now, I think “Apple” is a practically standard name compared to Gunner, Arson, and Trigger. 

Why the names you assign your children won’t determine their character 

But the thing most of these parents don’t seem to realize is that a name won’t change how a person is at the core. Neither will the values you instill in them from a young age. Just because you raise your kids to see the world one way doesn’t mean they’ll grow up to have the same values and perspective as you. 

For instance, one of my dear friends, Isobella, has extremely conservative folks who prefer the classic, white picket fence image within their family unit. Her family strays as far away from coloring outside the lines as possible. This didn’t stop Isobella from getting a nose ring in high school, or dyeing her hair bright purple just in time for the family Christmas photos. (Surprise, Mom!) 

Although Isobella has grown out of her teenage rebellion era, she has confided in me that she probably wouldn’t have sought out so much rebellion and resistance during her youth if her parents weren’t straight-laced and strict about her image. 

Meanwhile, I’m pretty much the opposite — my mom and dad have always been so Laissez-faire and relaxed about their parenting style, that it’s basically shaped me into a goody-two-shoes. Why should I rebel when I have nothing to rebel against?

That raises the question — what values are parents hoping to instill in their little ones by giving them names such as Trigger, Cannon, and Shooter?? Unless they haven’t picked up a newspaper in the past several years, you’d think they’d be privy to the fact that violence is now more prevalent than ever in the U.S., causing more harm and distress than we’ve seen in our country throughout history. 

With parents giving their sons such harmful names, it only seems to endorse the violence that is taking over places that were once considered safe in the US, like schools, movie theaters, and parades. 

Suppose parents want to give their sons masculine names and ensure masculine values within them. In that case, there are tons of positive traits and characteristics we can associate with traditional masculinity that have absolutely nothing to do with violence. Traits like leadership, skills, a sense of humor, and confidence. Because there’s a whole lot to celebrate when it comes to traditional masculinity that is 100% violence-free. 

What do you think? Are these names simply edgy? Or do they have problematic undertones?