Trueblood as middle name. Not vampires.

[capulet]

So aside from the fact that we make cute kids and yay babies and all that, one of the reasons I'm happy we're having #3 is that I have a chance to name a child after my late grandmother.  We are team green and due in early March.

My grandma's full maiden name was Ursula Anne Trueblood (married LN is my maiden name, which we used as a MN for DS).  So we have a couple of options if it's a girl, but for various reasons we would probably use Trueblood as a MN for either sex.

We've gotten mixed feedback on the name from our friends, primarily because of the HBO show.  I am of the opinion that 1. anything goes for a MN, 2. it's more important to me to honor my grandmother than to worry about pop culture references, and 3. Trueblood is actually kind of a badass name.  But I'm biased, of course, so I want to ask what my baby name peeps think.

[dreadpiratebuttercup]

Sorry, I'm not a fan. I think it's actually the "blood"'part that turns me off. I don't faint at the sight of blood or anything, but the thought of the word blood in a name is gross to me. The HBO.thing doesn't bother me.

I'm not the biggest fan of True or Ursula either, but I think either of those would be better than Trueblood.

[estrellas]

I grok the wanting to honor a family member, but there's the note that MNs do come up. Where I live at a boarding school, middle names are on all paperwork - staff and student's - so MNs are out there, a lot. I would not choose it for my kid, and would go with Ursula or Anne. That said - my SIL's got a middle name of Marlowe, which is also NMS, but is a (great?)grandmother's maiden name that is used as a MN, so there's history on DH's side of using it as well.

[kellybenelly83]

I can appreciate using a last name in some contexts, but Trueblood just sounds really not ok. I would see if there was some sort of variation you could play with.

Imagine filling out paperwork later in life.
Applying for a mortgage, Kate Trueblood Smith......bleh

[Idani]

I read the Sookie Stackhouse series way before the TrueBlood show (which totally ruined it btw) all that aside though I truly can't get behind Trueblood as a mn even though I usually think anything goes. It sounds so descriptive and violent and the maiden name thing isn't something anyone is going to think or probably even believe in all honestly. I would probably do True for either sex.

[ellabb043]

I would not and I like more unusual names. Go for True, or Anne, or Trudy? Anything but not the actual Trueblood name. It's long, awkward and I agree with PP that the "blood" part is the part that gets me not the HBO reference.

[capulet]

Jan 28, 2015 16:23:47 GMT -5 ellabb043 said:

I would not and I like more unusual names. Go for True, or Anne, or Trudy? Anything but not the actual Trueblood name. It's long, awkward and I agree with PP that the "blood" part is the part that gets me not the HBO reference.

Given that our LN is one syllable, a longer MN is preferable for us.  (Ursula has other issues with our LN and frontrunner girl FN, but the length by itself is not a problem.)

As for the -blood part, yeah.  I am used to it, and my grandmother and her ancestors lived with it as a LN they had to use every day, so I didn't anticipate the visceral reaction everyone has to it.  Few if any of our friends raised this objection, for whatever reason.  I don't know if that changes my mind, especially if it's a boy, but it's good to know.

[setsuna17]

Yeah, it just sounds weird. I also understand wanting to honor a family member, but it just would really make me think you were a vampire fan.

[bromios]

I love it. I absolutely love it. And you have a completely legit backstory, so I say doitdoitdoitdoitdoit!

[beevol]

Ursula Trueblood is a truly badass name.

I'm in the anything goes camp for a middle name, but everyone will assume it's an homage to the books/show and it's kind of a weird middle name. I like True as a mn for either sex better personally.

[ajetter]

I personally don't like it, but not because I associate it with the show. It just feels a little too much for me. Too weird. Ursula is pretty awesome though.

[chibiyui]

I'm sorry, I can't handle trueblood as a middle name. I think True would be fantastic though.

[daystardreams]

True is awesome. I went to school with a kid that's last name is True. I always thought it was so awesome!

[clearlycrystal]

The show is off the air now. I don't see it being all that relevant in a few years. If you and DH love it I say go for it.

[DanaScullyX]

I'm really not a fan, middle names do get used and are important. And Trueblood just screams pop culture, since no one else will know it has family significance.

[bromios]

Mns do get used, but not on anything resembling a regular basis (at least 95% of the people I know IRL have no idea what my mn is), and, honestly, it is a great name and if anyone ever asked if the name was a pop culture reference, the kid could say, "No, it's a family surname." I say it's beautifully gothic and elegant as hell.

[TheEleventhHour]

It doesn't bother me. I would use it! It is a family name. I would never think it was a pop culture reference at all if that is a concern.

[capulet]

Can I disregard all the responses that don't validate my opinion if one of the people who agrees with me is bromios?

[normadix]

It doesn't bother me

[bromios]

Jan 29, 2015 13:08:57 GMT -5 capulet said:

Can I disregard all the responses that don't validate my opinion if one of the people who agrees with me is bromios?

Yup

[sissykate21]

capulet - I say go for it.
Honestly, I didn't expect all these negative responses. It's an historically traditional naming method to use a surname as a child's middle name, regardless of the surname's bad assery. And you're right; Trueblood is a bad ass name. As bromios stated, you have an entirely legit reason for using that name. It's a real name. It's a family name.
Your logic is sound. Use it.

[missycee]

I want to like it but I just don't. I agree with others who said True would be fantastic though.

[Deleted]

It's NMS but I think it's an interesting name choice, especially if there is a back story to it. DH and I are planning to use his grandma's maiden name as a MN if we ever have a boy, even though it's an uncommon name (it means "hardy bear"). As long as you are prepared to answer questions about your name choice I say go for it.

[billyhorrible]

Okay, so I was a religious Trueblood watcher - I loved the show. But the first thing I thought when I saw the title of the post was "last name" not "synthetic blood."

I'm fairly certain, based on gut instinct only, that Trueblood as a name is fairly historic. And it doesn't strike me as the least bit odd to use it as a middle name.

[puppygurl21]

Personally, I wouldn't use it. Even if I could get over the HBO connection, I don't really like the idea of blood in a name. It's one thing when is a LN because there's nothing you can do about it but to use it on purpose... no. I'd find another way to honor your grandmother.

[Deleted]

NMS. It kinda gives me a weird feeling (no offense). But if you feel totally comfortable with it then go with it.

[mags]

Use Ursula to honor her.

[jmski]

People don't use and remember a middle name that often except when the middle name stands out and this one definitely will. I would imagine your child will hear about their middle name all the time. It's not one you hear and forget, and its not one you just scan across on paper and forget. I would not use it.

[macchiatto]

I'm not familiar with the show but even without the reference, I find that really unappealing and odd for a middle name. I disagree that anything goes for middle names; I wouldn't want my kids to have a MN that they may hope no one ever finds out, kwim? (Sure, they might think it's bad ass but I think there's a reasonable chance that they'd hate it.) I agree with trying to find another name that honors her. I also think there are loads of ways to honor people that have nothing to do with names and I'd rather give my child a name that serves them well than saddle them with a hard-to-pull-off name "in honor of" someone. This opinion was influenced by my beloved grandpa though; he has a hard-to-pull-off name and strictly forbade me from ever using it on a child of my own.

[chelscole]

I agree that anything goes for middle names but I would use Ursula! What a bad ass name! I know you said it doesn't go well with your last name but surely to God Trueblood doesn't sound better haha.

I want to also say that if you have a boy, I think he will think the name is really awesome. I think if you have a girl, she will find it humiliating and never tell anyone and be embarrassed when people find out. It is something she will grown out of and appreciate the family connection but it won't be for a long time down the road.