Lizzie writes:
I was due 3 days ago with my son and we still don’t have a name. (GAH!) ANYWAY, here’s where your first reaction advice comes in: we like the nickname Buzz as in Buzz Aldrin, Buzz Peterson, Buzz Stephen, etc. Do you think this kid would die of BUZZ LIGHTYEAR syndrome as he grows up? Is it too generational a reference do you think? I JUST DON’T KNOW!
This is one of those questions where we won’t know until we collect a large enough sample. To ME, the nickname Buzz brings to mind both Buzz Lightyear and Buzz Aldrin—but not in an exclusive, “no one else may have this name” sort of way. I would blink if I encountered it on a child, only because I’ve never heard it on a child before—but I don’t think I’d blink TWICE. On the other hand, I’m not a peer of your child-to-be.
I hope everyone else will give their reactions as well, to give us a good solid sample. Also, this needs a poll, but it’s hard to know what the poll should say. I’ll wing it; it’s over to the right, under the ad. [Poll closed; see results below.]
[Edited to add: Note that this is a question about using Buzz as a NICKNAME, not as a given name.]
I definitely feel like it’s a nickname, rather than a given name, but I think I like it. Even if it does say Buzz Lightyear, I feel like that’s a positive association.
I like it, actually. People will associate it with Buzz Lightyear, but that is not a bad association. I can imagine meeting a kid with that name and thinking it is great.
I think it sounds pleasing, but if I heard it in the wilds of playgroundtopia, I would assume it was a nickname for something. Buzz Aldrin himself was actually named Edwin.
While I think it sounds great on a kid, I would be concerned about how he is perceived as an adult. Baseball player? Small-town mayor? Car Salesman? Buzz is a name with a lot of personality, and can sound incongruous with a profession such as… accountant, or french literature professor. On the other hand, your son could define the name for people.
I’m, eh, don’t know. It sounds kitchy and cute, it does remind me of the astronaut, a true american hero, but then I remember that Buzz wasn’t his real name. It was his nickname, his real name was Edwin Eugene Aldrin. Culturally speaking it does remind me of Buzz Lightyear. I think maybe it is not such a good idea. If I met some parents who had named their child Buzz I honestly think I would appropriatly fawn over the baby then when were alone I would look at my husband and say, “Really? Buzz?” In that not good disbelieving kind of way.
I think Buzz is an adorable nickname, but I’ve gotta wonder — what’s the given name with it?
I love it as a cute and spunky nickname, like Buddy. I think many of his peers will assume Buzz Lightyear, but as a kid, that’d probably be cool!
If it helps the debate at all, his given name would be a super boring old-man family name along the lines of Ambrose… Buzz would just be a nickname.
i think it’s cute for a little boy, especially if you feel that his given name is boring. i definitely would not put it on the birth certificate, but it sounds like you’ve got that covered. i say, “go for it!”
I think Buzz is an adorable nickname for any name. I have a friend from high school named Glen and we always called him Buzz or Buzzy. My mother has a cousin named Robert but he always went by Buzz. It’s so cute and perfect for a wee baby AND a grown up. I don’t really think of Lightyear OR Aldrin.
I don’t think the Buzz Lightyear connection is “just generational”, since I saw the first movie in the theatre when it came out and my son is obsessed with the movies 15 years later. However, I don’t think that’s a bad connection (everyone loves Buzz!) at all, and it’s a super cute nickname.
This definitely IS generational, but I also hear Kevin from Home Alone saying the name “Buzz” in my head, because I believe he had a jerk of a brother named Buzz. Not such a great connection but probably not going to connect in most people’s minds. :)
My first two thoughts were Buzz Lightyear and the annoying older brother from the Home Alone movies. I didn’t even connect with Buzz Aldrin at first. And I really doubt your son’s friends will either, as least while he’s young. I think it works okay as a nickname as long as there is a real usable name to fall back on if he needs/wants it later.
I think you won’t be able to avoid the Buzz Lightyear association, but as others have said, it’s not bad. And I think once people get used to a child’s name the association goes away. So other than being prepared for a raised eyebrow every now and then, I think it’s fine to use.
When I first saw it, I thought of Buzz Aldrin, not Buzz Lightyear. And that is very strange considering I have an 8 year old who LOVES Toy Story.
I like it. It reminds me of the no nonsense nickname ‘Hank’.
As a nickname I think it’s awesome. I wouldn’t give it to a child as a given name though, just because I’d want him to have options. Not everyone can be an astronaut, and Judge Buzz Smith just doesn’t sound great to my ear. But as a nickname? I think it’s adorable.
Congrats!
The more I think about it, the more I love it. Especially if the given name is Ambrose!
I would vote “maybe” tending towards “no” for a birth certificate name, but I am an enthusiastic YES for a nickname for a stuffy old man family name. I’d be delighted to meet a little Ambrose nicknamed Buzz, or really any other name nicknamed Buzz.
I say yes as a nickname, no as stand alone.
Sure for a nn. But NO for a real name. The Toy Story movies are one of the highest grossing movies ever. Buzz Lightyear is one popular character.
My grandma wennt by Buzz. It became her nn because she was a fast toddler. I actually never knew her real name until after she passed away. It was Enid.
I love love love it as a nickname. I have an uncle Marvin who goes by Bus, short for Buster. To me it sounds generational, but I think of the 50s not Toy Story.
I say yes as a nickname, no as a given name. My first thought was Buzz Lightyear only because I have a 3 year old boy who is OBSESSED with Buzz.
My 6 year old daughter’s name is Hannah. When she was about 3 years old she started getting a lot of Hannah Montana and Hannah Banana. It died off when she was about 5 years old when she would tell people that wasn’t her name.
Just be prepared for a lot of Buzz Lightyear toys and things like that.
I’m not really a big fan, it just sounds sort of odd for a real child, to me.
I know someone with a little boy named Buzz Brooks. (First name and middle name.) I think it’s such a great name – it has character and spunk! I like it. I think that once everyone gets to know YOUR little Buzz, they’ll forget all about Lightyear, Aldrin, et. al.
I don’t think Buzz is a good idea at all for a given name. I looked for how Buzz Aldrin (given name Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr.) happened to be called Buzz: “The nickname “Buzz” originated in childhood: the younger of his two elder sisters mispronounced “brother” as “buzzer”, and this was shortened to Buzz.” And “the popular space ranger character Buzz Lightyear, from Pixar’s Toy Story movie series, is named after him…”
I suggest that you give your son a real name and if he buzzes around the house later on or for some other reason seems like a “Buzz”, then you could start calling him that. Not every little boy’s personality would fit the nickname Buzz. When your son is grown up the given name Buzz might not make the impression he would like to make on resumes, etc.
In 2009 fewer than 5 American baby boys (if any) were given the name Buzz.
PS I reread your note and it seems that you’re only considering “Buzz” as a nickname, but don’t have the given name chosen either. If you’re set on “Buzz”, how about a given name along the lines of Benjamin Zachary, initials BZ, thus Buzz? This way your little “Buzz” would have a regular name to fall back on if he decides he doesn’t want to be called Buzz forever. “Buzz” for Benjamin Zachary, maybe called Benjamin some of the time too, makes some sense to me. Kind of like friends’ son named Travis James and always called “TJ” by them, who chose to be “Travis” when he grew up (and grew out of TJ — he’s a college prof. now).
The given name could be any first name beginning with a B followed by any middle name beginning with Z. Benjamin Zachary was the first such name I thought of, and I like it a lot.
I have an uncle named Anthony but I have only ever known him as Uncle Buzz and even his mother calls him Buzz (in this case the nickname started at high school).
While the Buzz Lightyear reference will undoubtedly have a strong connection for his peers I don’t think the nickname is unusual or negative.
My Dad is named Arthur, but has gone by Buzz his whole life. I recently told my son (age 3.5) what his Grandude’s first name was and he said, “Like Buzz Lightyear?!” He was awed and thrilled. I think it’s an adorable nickname, though, even for a kiddo in our generation instead of my father’s. My dad got the name because he was a busy, hyper sort of kiddo who “buzzed around the room non-stop”–or so the family story goes.
Haha, I think it’s adorable! I would definitely come up with a good “reason” for calling him Buzz, though- because the question will undoubtedly come up, and it’s be cuter to have a story like Buzz Aldrin’s rather than just “We really liked it.”
Love it, think you should use it. If his given name is super old-timey, I might consider giving him a nice, “normal” middle name, incase he grows up and hates Buzz, but also hates Ambrose (or whatever the given name is). In this situation, I think options is the key!
But I love Buzz, it’s got nothing but GREAT associations and it’s different but familiar.
Buzz is kind of like Huck. I like both, but they are more like nicknames. I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. There’s no great “full name” for either–a Huckleberry is likely to be teased. I can’t even think of what Buzz would be a nickname for. Sometimes it’s better to just name them the nickname. I know a Buzz and never thought it wasn’t a good name. I never even thought it was all that unusual. I say it’s okay if you like it!
I love Buzz as a nn for a name like Ambrose (which I like as well). I have all the associations mentioned above, none negative.
Good luck!
This is my second post. I still think it is a cute nn. But for the posters that stated they don’t connect it with the Toy Story character Buzz Lightyear…..The Toy Story triology is a crazy empire of toys. Children LOVE IT! It is the most popular kids film of all time. It would be like giving your child the nn ET. Except Buzz is cuter. Personally I would never use it. And I would get so tired of people asking/connecting it with Toy Story! ” Buzz where’s woody?” “Space Ranger”
As nicknames go, that’s a pretty cool one. Even if he did get a lot of “to infinity… and BEYOND” or bumblebee comments from classmates, that’s not really a bad thing. It might get annoying if he heard it all the time, but you can say that about anything, really.
I really like Buzz as a nickname.
I think instantly and only of Buzz Lightyear.
Though I bet there would be plenty of beer jokes in college.
To Infinity and Beyond!
If his given name is Ambrose, it’s likely he’ll pronounce it Buzz as a small child anyway (Am-buzz) because the /br/ blend is hard to pronounce for little ones. So it would seem like the natural choice for a nn!
I say as a nickname use it. Just be prepared that your son may not like it when he gets older and may start going by his real name. The flip side is that if you find Buzz lightyear comments annoying by the time he’s six months old you have the option to drop it.
I have to ask, i know this is an old post but did you name him Buzz?
We have a 2 year old & we named him Busby, although he is know as Buzz, in fact i don’t think anyone has ever called him Busby which is quite amusing.
I have to say the majority of people love it, I couldn’t actually imaging him being called anything else…