Young House Love

Home Decorating, DIY Tutorials, & Shenanigans

  • Shop Our House
  • Our Previous Homes
    • Our Richmond House
    • Our Beach House
    • Our Duplex
  • Before & Afters
    • Our Current House
    • Our Previous House
    • Our Beach House
    • Our Duplex
    • Our First House
    • Our Second House
    • Our Showhouse
  • DIY & Decorating Tips
    • Most Popular
    • Home Improvement
    • Painting
    • Cleaning & Organizing
    • Crafting & Art
    • More . . .
  • Podcast
    • Getting Started
    • Show Notes
  • Shop
    • Our Fav Home Finds
    • Our Lighting Line
    • Our Books
    • Book Club Picks
    • Black-Owned Businesses

Young House Love » Random » What Could Have Been…

| By Sherry Petersik | January 12, 2011 | 814 Comments

What Could Have Been…

When we’re painting we talk about all sorts of weird things that we probably wouldn’t otherwise get around to. And while painting the bedroom we got to the topic of “names that our parents almost gave us.” Get this. My mom wanted to name me Gina. We would have been John & Gina. That made us titter. Not sure if it’s a had to be there thing though. Either way, John’s dad’s choice of names takes the cake. He wanted to name John… wait for it… Lars.

Lars Petersik.

Lars Gina Pic

How funny is that? If I had seen tall dirty blond John at work and asked a coworker “oh who’s that?” and heard them respond with ” that’s Lars Petersik, he’s an account manager.” Let’s just say I would have been all “niiiiice to meeeeeeet you Laaaaars” with that over-enunciated-because-I’m-not-sure-you’re-great-at-deciphering-super-speedy-NY-talkers connotation. The same long drawn out delivery I use with my only-speaks-Italian grandmother. It would have been hysterical. John probably never would have let me live it down. Or asked me to marry him a year-ish later.

But that’s not all. Apparently John’s dad also wanted to name John “Vector.” Because he liked math. How I was able to continue painting with tears of laughter streaming down my face is beyond me. So it got us wondering what you guys were almost named. Come on… someone out there can beat Vector and Lars, right?

More posts from Young House Love

Filed Under: Random

I’m Running Out Of Mirror Puns
At Last, A Video Tour Of Our New House

Comments

  1. Avatar for ErinErin says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:10 pm

    June.

    Apparently, my dad thought I was going to be 87 when I was born.

    Reply
    • Avatar for Courtney CCourtney C says

      September 27, 2012 at 3:43 pm

      AHAHAHHAHAH I know this is very late on the up take btu this made me laugh SO hard outloud because that’s what I always say when someone says they’re going to name their baby “Ruth” or “Elmer” ahahaha.

  2. Avatar for KatieKatie says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:10 pm

    I just found out this past week that my name could have also been Gina! Haha! I am glad my parents chose Katie for me instead! : )

    Reply
  3. Avatar for AmandaAmanda says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:11 pm

    My parents used to torment me and say they would name be Pearly, since my maiden name is Gates.

    Pearly Gates. I would have died probably.

    Reply
  4. Avatar for Kristen MillerKristen Miller says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:11 pm

    I’m a twin, and my dad wanted to name my sister and I, Thelma and Velma….h***z no said my momma! (Thank the good Lord!!!) We ended up Kristen & Amanda :)

    Reply
  5. Avatar for RoxanneRoxanne says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:12 pm

    Had I been a boy, my father wanted to name me Beauregard. That would have been epic.

    Reply
  6. Avatar for JamieJamie says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:12 pm

    I was named after the Invisible Woman, does that count as weird? As a kid I wanted my name to be Tina. Ew.

    Reply
  7. Avatar for StephanieStephanie says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:12 pm

    Vector?!?! Nope, can’t beat it. My dad named me and he was down to Stephanie and Melissa. My mom said she did not to risk me being nicknamed Missy, so Stephanie it is.

    Reply
  8. Avatar for windylouwindylou says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:12 pm

    The list of potential names for me included:

    Cherry
    April

    (and a we-made-up-our-own) Tupin

    I’m very happy they went with Windy.

    Reply
  9. Avatar for Rachel RayRachel Ray says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:12 pm

    I was almost a tiffany…but it worked out…I was Rachel Davis…then i got married and now I’m Rachel Ray! haha!

    Reply
  10. Avatar for rebeccarebecca says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:12 pm

    OMG that is amazing! Lars…really. All I can think of now is that movie Lars and the real girl.

    Reply
  11. Avatar for kristen anderlkristen anderl says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:13 pm

    Was that taken in front of Brio? Love that place!

    I was born at 11:15pm on December 6th – if I had been born on the 7th my parents were going to name me Pearl! Thank God for being born 45 minutes ahead of schedule!

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      January 12, 2011 at 2:14 pm

      Hey Kristen,

      Yes! So good. Love it there.

      xo,
      s

  12. Avatar for Rebecca @ the lil house that couldRebecca @ the lil house that could says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:13 pm

    I was supposed to be Amanda Marie. My mom told everyone that was my name. Then the day I was born, she changed her mind and basically admitted to pulling Rebecca out of her arse. So I have no middle name, because apparently she couldn’t come up with 2 names that quickly.

    My husband was supposed to be Michelle….

    Reply
  13. Avatar for MandyMandy says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:13 pm

    Sort of along the same lines, not as bad as Vector (although I’m good friends with a Lars)… when I was in college a girl emailed me because she googled herself and we had the same first and last name. Admittedly it’s pretty weird, we have a pretty unique maiden name. She told me her middle name was Lynn and when I told my parents about it, my mom said she wanted to name me Amanda Lynn too but my dad wouldn’t let her because he didn’t want my name to be an instrument (a-mandolin). Good old dad, always looking out for me.

    Reply
  14. Avatar for RobinRobin says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:13 pm

    I was going to be ‘Roy’ if I was a boy.

    Reply
  15. Avatar for AmandaAmanda says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:13 pm

    My mother wanted to name me Kirby. Mind you that my maiden name was Hoover. My uncle asked her, “What’s her middle name going to be? Eureka?” I could have been a vacuum triptych.

    Reply
  16. Avatar for KristenKristen says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:13 pm

    I was almost a Melanie, which is SO not me!!!

    Reply
  17. Avatar for KateKate says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:13 pm

    my brother and I were almost Wallace and Veronica…GROSS!

    Reply
  18. Avatar for Jennifer KJennifer K says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:14 pm

    We had a Swedish foreign exchange student in my high school named Lars. He was gorgeous!!! Ah, the memories.

    If I had been a boy, they were going to name me Todd. Not exciting. Certainly not as good as Vector. :)

    Reply
  19. Avatar for AmandaAmanda says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:14 pm

    Ok…this sounds utterly ridiculous…

    But my grandfather wanted me to be named Peregrine. Peregrine you ask??? Yes, apparently it was the first child born on the Mayflower when the English settled in New England. I always thought that was hysterical!!

    Reply
  20. Avatar for TamishaTamisha says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:15 pm

    “Stagger” as in “Stagger Lee”

    Yeah, thanks but no thanks, Pop! Glad mom prevailed.

    Reply
  21. Avatar for laurenlauren says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:15 pm

    i made the mistake of telling my 5 year old daughter those ugly names i almost had— now ihave to hear them all the time since thse are the names of HER babies now. :)

    Reply
  22. Avatar for Erin N.Erin N. says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:15 pm

    I would have been called Brandy, if not for the woman sitting next to my mom in the delivery room. The kind lady told my mom that all the Brandies she knew turned out to be alcoholic. (I’m sure that’s not true, but I guess at that time it was enough to scare my mother.)

    Reply
  23. Avatar for ClaireClaire says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:15 pm

    My mom wanted to name me Abraham if I turned out to be a boy. Abraham! Oh the humiliation.

    My FIL wanted to name my husband (who’s also named John) Buck. BUCK. I can guarantee I would not have married him then…

    Reply
  24. Avatar for KatherineKatherine says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:15 pm

    That is hilarious! I hated my name as a child, and my mom told me that she almost named me Zelda to get me to quit complaining. I used to sign cards to my parents with the name Crystal because that’s what I wanted my name to be.

    Reply
  25. Avatar for Julia MJulia M says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:15 pm

    Okay, I am the 4th of 5 girls in my family–so they were counting on me being a boy after 3 girls already. My baby blanket was blue and had “Billy Joe” embroidered in it. Noooooooo! Hahahaha. I am so glad I was a girl. :)

    Dropping “Dang Gina” would be kinda fun. :)

    Reply
  26. Avatar for Maggie RoseMaggie Rose says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:15 pm

    My mom says she knew my name before they were even pregnant (I’m named after her mother who died a year before I was born). However, if I was a boy, my hippie parents would have named me Cedar Isaiah Morgan. Thank God it worked out the other way!

    Reply
  27. Avatar for StaceyStacey says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:15 pm

    I’m a Christmas baby so my mother wanted to name me Holly Noel. My father put his foot down on that one pretty fast. I am soooo not a Holly. The funny part? When I first met my husband he was dating a Holly…as he says “I was dating the wrong Holly”

    Reply
  28. Avatar for LauraLaura says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    Well, If I was a boy I was going to be name Corey. I just can’t see the male version of me being a Corey…nor do I know what the male version of me would be like….the other girl choice was Laurel after the flower (mountain laurel). But my dad always said that he wanted to name my brother Belvedere. I’m pretty certain he was joking. I hope. :)

    Reply
  29. Avatar for Nikki @ NotTheBlandingsNikki @ NotTheBlandings says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    I can’t seriously be the first commentor – I’m usually # 426!
    I don’t have a funny ‘would have been my name story’ but a funny how I met my dh. Years ago, my girlfriend wanted to set me up with some great guy, telling me how he just broke up with his girlfriend who had the same name as me. So he wouldn’t forget my name – wouldn’t that be great? Surprisingly, I passed :) A year later, she set us up (unknowingly), we hit it off, and 2 months later I connected him back as the same setup guy! Still cracks me up!

    Reply
  30. Avatar for TT says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    My mother was desperate to name me after Travis after the Air Force Base on which I was born– despite the fact that I was a GIRL!!! (Way to win THAT battle, dad!)

    Ironically, I married a Travis.

    Reply
  31. Avatar for KellyKelly says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    A few years ago I found the list of suggestions in a baby book. My mom’s list of names were fairly common. Sarah. Allison Page (after her siblings). And so on. My father’s list of names on the back was insane. I was *this* *close* to being named . . . Freda Athena. You have GOT to be joking!!!

    Reply
  32. Avatar for LindsayLindsay says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    I don’t know if it’s as out there as Lars, but my dad wanted to name me Chesney. This was in the pre-Kenny Chesney days, but still… can you imagine what it would have been like to be in middle school then all of the sudden it looks like you are named after a mediocre country singer? Yeesh!

    Reply
  33. Avatar for heatherfheatherf says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    While I was going to be Kevin if I were a boy, my fiance would have been named Cokissa if he had been a girl. My best friend was almost named Cristobelle, and her dad was almost named Aloyisius.

    Reply
  34. Avatar for AshleyAshley says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    My parents already had three girls and were convinced that I was going to be a boy. My name would have been Dane Christian. When I was born, they took me to my sisters and asked them what my name should be…and here I am today.

    Reply
  35. Avatar for NodakademicNodakademic says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    Hah, Lars.That’s pretty bad… but a good friend of mine’s dad wanted to name him Thor. Or Nikon. Both were firmly vetoed by his mother, who chose a much less oddball name!

    Reply
  36. Avatar for KateKate says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    My mom wanted to name me Bronwyn. To me that sounds like the name of the meek and mild librarian in a trashy romance novel who becomes gorgeous and wild when she takes down her hair and gets rid of her glasses.

    Reply
  37. Avatar for Cait @ Hernando HouseCait @ Hernando House says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    My mom wanted to name me Carrie after her grandmother, but didn’t because the movie had just come out. They referred to my sister as “Elmo” before she was born, if I remember correctly.

    My husband was supposed to be Sarah Elizabeth. Surprise!

    Reply
  38. Avatar for liz @ bontempsbeignetliz @ bontempsbeignet says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:17 pm

    Sadly, I don’t have an awesome ‘almost’ name. If I was born a boy, I would’ve been Christopher. Lame. Lars and Vector would make great future baby names!! kidding ; )

    Reply
  39. Avatar for LaraLara says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:17 pm

    My maiden name is Yacus…my Ukrainian-American grandparents almost named my dad Yuri instead of George. How cruel would it been for the kid growing up in central Jersey to be Yuri Yacus?! Oh the horror. ;)
    Thanks for sharing the laughs, as always.

    Reply
  40. Avatar for ChelseaChelsea says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:17 pm

    At one point, my parents thought about going old-school-Welsh and naming me Blodwyn or Bronwyn. Yeah, I lucked out there! They also thought about Gwyneth, though, which wouldn’t have been so bad.

    Reply
  41. Avatar for IreneIrene says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:17 pm

    Holly.. worst part? my former last name was Wood *shakes head* Thank goodness they went traditional LOL

    Reply
  42. Avatar for PennyPenny says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:17 pm

    My sister who is 4 years older than me wanted to name me April Tiger. If I had been a boy it would have been Matthew Everett which i think is pretty cool. Either way i lucked out Penny is great but it took me a while to appriciate it.

    Reply
  43. Avatar for AshleyAshley says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:17 pm

    Um both my Dh and I are math people and scarily, Vector is appealing to me as a future kiddos name :) Darn you!

    Reply
  44. Avatar for KerryKerry says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:17 pm

    My mom has told me a ton of crazy names that she “considered” for me, but I highly doubt any of them were actually considered. My other half on the other hand… his father was set on having him named “Heath”. I’m glad they decided to go with Brett instead! :)

    Reply
  45. Avatar for AdamAdam says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:17 pm

    I was almost named after my great-great grandfather: Erasmus Lafayette. My parents instead went family agnostic and came up with Adam Dell.

    Reply
  46. Avatar for CourtneyCourtney says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:17 pm

    My husband’s father wanted to name him Falcon. Luckily his mother intervened and he was named Christopher instead.

    Reply
  47. Avatar for SophieSophie says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:17 pm

    I was almost named Lewis…
    Up until the moment I was born, my parents thought I was a boy. When my dad had said ‘it’s a girl!’ my mom still didn’t believe him.

    My brother was almost Sandy. SO glad they chose Alexander instead!

    What about Clara and Burger? What other names did you consider for them?

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      January 12, 2011 at 2:18 pm

      Hey Sophie,

      We went through a lot of family names for the bean, but Clara Kenley paid homage to three different family members (John’s grandma Clara, my dad Ken, and my great aunt Lee) so it was a strong contender for a while. We did have to meet her to make sure it fit, and it totally did. She looked just like a baby Clara the moment she came into the world. As for Burger, he was 2 lbs and liked to sleep curled up in a little hamburger patty shape. He also had a spotted belly like a cow. Hamburger was just the perfect name.

      xo,
      s

  48. Avatar for KaraKara says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:17 pm

    This isn’t exactly the same thing but when my mom was pregnant with my brother I wanted to name him Fritz if he was a boy and Gladys if he was a girl. Good thing she ignored the suggestions….

    Reply
  49. Avatar for EmilyEmily says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:17 pm

    My mom wanted to name me Esther. I actually like the name Lars (for an animal). I have a cat named Fritz and I think that Fritz and Lars go together nicely!

    Reply
  50. Avatar for NoraNora says

    January 12, 2011 at 2:17 pm

    There is a couple who used to be the am radio show for KLOVE that were John and Sherry, they used to refer to each other as dumpling… I think of them everytime I read the blog!

    Reply
Newer Comments »

Stuff We Love

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

John and Sherry smiling against pink backgroundHey, we’re John & Sherry. We’ve fixed up 7 homes, written books, designed products, started a podcast, and then downsized & moved to the beach! Here you’ll find over 3,000 DIY projects & home updates. More about us…
*This site contains ads and affiliate links*
See our disclaimer & privacy policy to learn more

Latest Finds

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

SHOP OUR LIGHTING

Young House Love Shades Of Light Capiz Chandelier

GET POSTS BY EMAIL

We’re Digging

Traditional Rug
The “Magic” Rug
Smokeless Solo Stove Firepit
Smokeless Firepit
Woven Storage Ottoman
Storage Ottoman
Subtle Pink Rug
Our Bedroom Rug
Blue Air 211 Air Purifier
Our Air Purifiers
Faux Potted Olive Tree
Faux Olive Tree
Kohler Memoirs Toilet
Our Favorite Toilet
Soft Striped Rug
Soft Striped Rug
SEE MORE OF OUR FAVORITE FINDS > >

  • About
  • FAQs
  • Press
  • Contact
  • :)

© 2023 Young House Love ® · Disclaimer · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · A Fun Wordpress theme on Genesis Framework · Hosted by Liquid Web