Baby named 'Hashtag' draws Internet fame, ire, skepticism
Meet the trending infant Hashtag Jameson.
The mother reportedly posted a photo of her sleeping baby girl on Facebook with the caption: “Hashtag Jameson was born at 10 oclock last nite. She weys 8pounds and i luv her so much!!!!!”
On Twitter, people use hashtags (or the # symbol) to mark keywords and trending topics. They range from the general – people might add #obama to Twitter posts about the president – to the quirky and esoteric – such as #broncobamma from the finals weeks of the 2012 election.
This infant’s photo is now buzzing all over the web. However, it seems that no one can confirm her name. It’s unclear if “Hashtag” is a legitimate name from a Twitter super fan, an Internet hoax, or, as the Huffington Post put it, "a very unfortunate typo."
Whatever the case, the photo went viral in less than 24 hours after first appearing on the website Awkward Messages, which rounds up odd Web posts and photos.
As skepticism stewed online, many people took to Twitter to argue a parallel question: Is "Hashtag" an appropriate name for any baby? The conversation quickly adopted a hashtag of its own, #babyhashtag.
“That poor girl is going to get made fun of for years to come... I'd go by my middle name instead!” wrote Nicole Pipe, who goes by @TotallyTypeA on Twitter. (The photo, which is acting as an unofficial birth announcement to the world, doesn't say if Hashtag has a middle name.)
“I can see it now. #babyhashtag a few years from now playing in a sand box with her friends 'Like,' 'PTAT,' 'Tweet,' 'Share,' and '@,' " wrote Twitter users @ParisMackey.
Funny you should say that, Paris. In May of 2011, an Israeli couple gave birth to "Like," named after the iconic Facebook button.
"I'm not worried about other children teasing Like," said Like’s mother, Vardit Adler, in an interview with Reuters. The couple's other daughters, "Dvash and Pie, don't seem to mind their special names and nobody teases them."
Another social-media baby was born in Egypt a few months earlier, “Facebook.” The baby girl was named after the website that played a large role in Egypt’s January uprising in 2011.
Whether you think unique baby names are clever or ridiculous, research has shown baby names have long-lasting effects well into adulthood.
