A couple have chosen the soon-to-be-extinct name for their baby, confident he will be the only one at his school with it, despite critics suggesting he faces bullying. Casey Hennessy, 21, and her partner Zacchaeus Harper, 25, have always preferred traditional names.
After finding out they were expecting a boy, they considered names like Winston, Axel and Finnegan, but in the end one name stood out. Little Arnold was born to Casey on December 9, 2023, weighing 8 pounds 3 ounces, at 11:13 p.m.
Casey said that as soon as she saw him, she knew he was Arnold. The couple are thrilled with their unique choice and believe people will affectionately call him Arnie after Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Casey, a healthcare assistant from Eastbourne, East Sussex, said: “I like the idea of him having a traditional name – it sounds clever. We’re shortening his name to Arnie to make him sound more youthful.”
“We both like our traditional names. People also call him Arnold Schwarzenegger and Hey Arnold,” says Bristol Live.
Casey gave birth to her first child, two-year-old Maggie, on April 28, 2022. When she found out she was pregnant with her second child in March 2023, she decided she wanted to give him a traditional name.
Casey added: “We both appreciate traditional names and it was so hard to come up with boys’ names. I like that they’re real names and they can grow into that name and have nicknames. I also wanted him to just be Arnold in his class.”
The nickname Arnold is on the verge of extinction, along with many other old-fashioned names. Casey revealed that as soon as she laid eyes on her newborn, she was named Arnold.
Casey explained: “He could have been Winston, Murphy or even Axel, which are the names we liked, but as soon as I saw him, I knew he was Arnold. No name suited him, I just knew right away, and it felt right.”
Casey revealed that since Arnold’s arrival, opinion on his name has been divided. He has noticed that although the elderly love the name, the younger ones are not always convinced.
Casey noted: “The older generation love it but it’s different with the younger crowd. I’ve had comments saying she’s being bullied because of her name, which hopefully won’t happen.
“We call him Arnie for short, but overall we love his name. The older generation say how ‘lovely’ the name is and how they haven’t heard it in a while.”
