‘You get more attention than you would choose’: how an unusual name can shape your life – for better or worse

<p>From Peach to Riot to Aquaman, anything goes now when it comes to kids’ names. There are even companies to help you pick one …</p><p><br>
“I’m lucky I’m not a lawyer or an accountant or something professional,” says Peach Martine, a 23-year-old musician whose Instagram feed is a kaleidoscope of colourful faux fur and leopard-print outfits. “People sometimes have trouble taking my name seriously.” First, there are the jokey comments (“Is your sister named Papaya?”) and then the assumption that she must be “a bit silly”. And don’t get her started on going to Starbucks. “They always put Paige on the cup!”</p><p>Martine wouldn’t dream of changing her first name though. She likes the fact that she has an unusual name. As a singer, she says, it has helped her to be more recognisable. If she had children, she would consider naming them something unique too.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/nov/13/you-get-more-attention-than-you-would-choose-how-an-unusual-name-can-shape-your-life-for-better-or-worse">Continue reading...</a>