By Ariane Sohrabi-Shiraz
When you name your baby there are a number of things you have to consider - including whether you're allowed to use the moniker at all.
Not many baby names are banned in the UK, but apparently, back in 2016 a British mum was banned from naming her baby Cyanide. And recently another couple received some pushback when it came to naming their son.
Pauline and Maxwell Bacon knew the name they had picked for their son would prove controversial - but they don't care. They welcomed their son Theodore Smokey Bacon, who they affectionately call Teddy, in 2021.
The couple, who live in East London, met in 2017 after they were introduced through friends. They love the unique moniker, which is a fun celebration of Maxwell's family name.
Pauline and Maxwell, who are in their 30s and work in business development, have even decided to call their future kids Maple and Crispi Bacon. But the name has proved to be like Marmite - some people love it, while others aren't so sure.
Speaking to The Sun, Pauline said: "Smokey is our pride and joy. Our little Bacon boy has a vast collection of tee-shirts with piglets on them. His dad has a cute pig tattoo in honour of him and his godfather has a tattoo of a teddy bear holding up a piece of smoking bacon, inked to celebrate his birth and christening. We're deadly serious about the name and it's a celebration of a unique family tradition."
When Pauline found out her husband-to-be's surname was Bacon, she couldn't stop laughing - but she thought it was fantastic. Particularly because her maiden name is Fridh - a Swedish name which is pronounced like 'fried'.
So when they got married in December 2020 she proudly became Mrs Fridh Bacon - and they were determined to take full advantage of the unique family name. When they first started dating, Pauline immediately took to Maxwell, who told her about his grandfather, who went by the nickname 'Streaky' all his life.
She thought it was hilarious, and admired her husband-to-be for telling her about being "bullied" at school because of his surname. Luckily, because he "stepped up and embraced the name" - the teasing stopped. So for them it was a no-brainer that their children would have names that celebrated the tradition - and decided not long after meeting that they would name their firstborn after the tasty snack.
But naming him wasn't straight-forward. Smokey was born in Sweden, where Pauline's family still live, where you can't register a birth name if it's a word that's in common use, or known as an identifier. Pauline explained: "When I tried to register Theodore Smoky Bacon with the normal spelling of Smoky I was told it would be impossible as 'smoky' describes a fire."
So they decided to add an 'e', to the name, which officials then approved. Pauline explained that it's not a spelling error, but instead just a necessity to "tick the bureaucratic boxes". While some people raise eyebrows, many people find it funny.
According to Pauline, those over 35 "either declare it bonkers, say nothing or shake their heads in horror," while those under 35 think it's "cool and epic". But Pauline says they "love" their son's name, and "can't wait" to introduce Maple and Crispi into the world.
Do you have a story to share? You can email ariane.sohrabishiraz@reachplc.com
