Hi y’all! My name is Aspen and personally I just wanted to talk about my experience with the name for any parents or guardians worried about naming their child this. Overall I love this name and have had not many issues, the only ones being asked “do you ski?” Every time I tell someone my name- I do in fact ski. And people spelling it Aspin. I’ve never been called bad nicknames- the only nicknames I’ve had are: Aspi, Aspie, Asp and sometimes Espanol. I love this name and would never put any parents off it- every name has its small things but that’s different for everyone. I hope you love this name as much as I do!
If you are thinking about naming your child this, please ignore all of the people saying that your child will get called cruel nicknames. I am named Aspen and I have never been called anything horrible. In fact, almost every kid/adult I meet tells me how beautiful my name is!
Curious that it is only listed as feminine. While it is trendy for girls now, it is historically masculine. Definitely more unisex now, but should at least be listed as masculine as well as feminine.
Here I was, naming myself this and thinking I was being original. Truth be told, I was considering the name "Aster" but decided against it on the fear of the all the "ass-turd" jokes that would be made. (Ironically, one of my very good friends, also nonbinary, decided on Aster for their name). So I went with Aspen. I love it, and still love it. What I don't love is the amount of "ass-penis" jokes, but hey. If you are named this, you are one of the few, amazing beautiful people named after an amazing, beautiful poplar tree (or the ski resort in Colorado).
I think the description should be edited to mention that this is the common name for a group of tree species that grows in the northern hemisphere. As well, potentially remove the part about the ski resort as it feels extraneous and not relevant to the name's meaning.
My daughter is named Aspyn Penny. I’ve been obsessed with the name for years before we had her and my husband instantly fell in love with it too. The only people who have ever had any sort of negative reaction to the name have been much older people who thought it was “weird”. Everyone else always says how much they love it, and I even had a friend tell me it was #1 on their list too! I’m really surprised by the amount of people on here who hate the name. My name is Amanda and I always got called “A-man-DUH” and made fun of. But I just rolled my eyes and moved on. Kids can be awful, and they’ll make fun of any name they possibly can. I’m more interested in teaching my kid to be strong and take criticism then to not use a name because they “might” get made fun of. I’m also younger and I feel like people around my age and younger are not as big of a-holes as they once were. There’s so many weird names now. Y’all can get over yourselves lol.
― Anonymous User 3/7/2022
2
Lady Aspen is Captain Husk's wife in the book series The Mistmantle Chronicles.
Aspen King Edmonds (2016-) is the daughter of former MLB player Jim Edmonds and reality star Meghan O'Toole King Owens. She was two younger brothers, twins Hart and Hayes.
Aspen is so cute! It's a modern nature name, but it has an old-fashioned vibe too. If you love Aspen, give it to your child. There isn't anything wrong with it. You don't have to agree with my opinion though. :)
No one cares if you wouldn’t name your child this. For those who like the name and would use it, that’s their own choice, not yours. Otherwise, this name is great. I got the idea from Gorillaz “Aspen Forest”. Even though kids could turn the “as” into something terrible (the slang for butt).
Please don’t do this to a poor child. I would absolutely hate being stuck with this name!
― Anonymous User 9/26/2020
-17
I think this name is very interesting. Personally, I wouldn’t name my child this. But otherwise, this kid will pretty much be followed with Ass-pen joke for the rest of their life. But it is a nice name.
― Anonymous User 9/17/2020
0
I can’t believe this is an actual name, it sounds absolutely terrible. It will forever remain a mystery how it has a 78% rating.
Ya'll are haters. Some of y'all just came on here to trash on the name. Y'all are the types of people that drive some like Miss Bonnie to want to change their name. Some of y'all took 'personal impression' to heart and way too seriously and put a whole life story and vendetta online.If your name is Aspen (like myself) or you're considering it as a name, please don't listen to any of the wankers putting down a unique yet simple name. Yes, you have immature people making the typical immature jokes about it, but remember or impart on future Aspens how unoriginal and pathetic those people and their jokes are. Those bullies, which is what they (and some of the people in this thread) are, have nothing better to do but try and make people feel bad about a name that is perfectly lovely for any gender. Most of the teasing is from kids, which can be stopped. As you get older, then people just become assholes, like that one dude's friends. Ignore these people, I don't know what their deal is (insecurity probably) but they are irrelevant and their opinions mean nothing. But, for the most part, people will love and compliment the name. It's crisp, it's unique without being ostentatious, and it's sure to leave a memorable impression. I have many times been told it's a cute name, that it's being considered for their child, or how they met another Aspen and how lovely that person was. I've been the first Aspen some people have ever met, the only Aspen that another Aspen had ever met. The name is not for everybody, I'll admit it doesn't suit everyone. Some names just don't fit the person (personally I could never be anything else but Aspen, though it took a long time to love and embrace my name. I wanted to change it so badly when I was a kid because of barnacle headed bullies with uncreative insults. I'm glad I stuck it to those pigs and stuck with my name.) There's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to change your name because of the pain associated with it, or because you just felt like you weren't really an Aspen. But to all the other Aspens out there, current and future, this is for you. It's a great name, don't let some Tom, Dick, or Harry, or plain Janes tell you otherwise. And don't feel scared or bad about speaking up for yourself and correcting people who somehow manage to misspell it.It's as gorgeous as the tree, with the same duality (soft and strong), the same relentlessness and determination. And all the haters and bullies can get bent.
No offense to anyone named Aspen, first of all. But I have three reasons why I dislike this name VERY much. 1) Ass-pen? Really? She will get made fun of. 2) The name just makes me think of Aspen the place, where rich people go to stay in their vacation houses, so it sounds very snobby to me. 3) I know this is kind of ridiculous, but I knew a girl named Aspen who was a jerk.
I'm not sure why people are hating on this name so much. I mean, I may be biased as it is my own name, but I love it and I think it sounds so pretty. It's such a feminine name. Yes younger kids who are more juvenile will make fun of it but it doesn't really matter if you love this name.
Dated a girl named Aspen for 2 years when I was younger. Most people called her Penny for as long as I remember. I remember not liking her family because I grew up in an affluent area and found it strange she was named after the ski resort where her family vacations. Anyway my friends called her Ass. Bottom line is almost every name gets boiled down to a simple nickname at some point. She was still called Ass by my male friends usually when they would be annoyed after leaving them to chill after a smoke session or playin games or just guy things in general. It was good natured but she hated it and just put on a facade if it did slip out in front of her. Also when people would say asshole or ass etc not referring to her it would draw her attention. Penny is a good nickname for Aspen but she kind of forced it on people from a young age even though people liked it. This is what I called her and didn't notice anyone else's comments including Penny as a casual nickname because I can assure you people won't call her Aspen all the time. I don't think it's a good boy's name at all- there is something feminine about it. Perhaps personal experience influenced that. Good name, just expect Ass to be used. It's inevitable. I would like to add there was a South Park episode that came out around this time (Early 2000s pre netflix or streaming days when everyone it seemed like saw it) about Aspen and there was a running joke about it smelling like ass. This did not help. Overall though she got shit from other girls rarely but this was more centered on rich brat stupid name variety then the ass association who didn't like her or her family but not from guys except in the previously mentioned context.
― Anonymous User 4/30/2019
2
Kid will probably get a lot of ass pen jokes from immature kids. It'll probably be even worse for a boy with this name. Super feminine sounding.
I don’t understand why only 22% of this name is bad if it sounds so silly! I think it’s cute, but hilarious at the same time. I wouldn’t name a child this myself, but it’s okay.
― Anonymous User 11/12/2018
4
Ass Pen.
― Anonymous User 10/14/2018
-5
The name Aspen was given to 123 boys in the US in 2017.
In my case, I must admit that the name made my life a living hell.Why...?A. The name's pronunciation always led to me landing myself in a mess of trouble because it comes out as A**-Pen no matter how it is said, which made it so that I was scared of having to do a self introduction, as I, being a child, never did get why I would get a glare or a double take or a reprimanding from the individuals that I would meet. Whenever it wasn't the listed reactions, I was inevitably being subjected to wave after wave of trashy jokes and nicknames that still float by to this day. B. The name made it impossible for me to go to a place with a similar name without the inhabitants or the workers finding it necessary to cause a scene because of my name. Whenever it isn't the listed happening, I would be begging my family and my friends to not address me by my birth name whilst we were out in public because I knew that, if they addressed me by my birth name, there was a chance that someone would overhear them and inevitably cause a scene over it. C. The name was a gold mine for the bullies -- the bullying got so bad that I had to resort to ditching my birth name for my middle name all throughout my high school years in an attempt to become less of a target.My mother did not realize that my birth name had had such a negative impact on my life until she stumbled across a note book that I'd used to record the experiences that I'd had with my birth name and the plan to get a name change because, Hell, I had had enough.In the end, she did grant me permission to get a name change and I now have a first name that I not only adore, but I can actually go by without a hitch.P.S.: I will not condemn you if you want to use this name, but, I will wish you luck and hope that you don't end up going through the nightmare that I did.
I know a female Aspen who is very pretty, attractive, nice and funny. Aspen is one of my favourite names, if not the favourite. Those who say it is vulgar or inappropriate, it is only so when you actually go out of your way to make it so. I had no such thoughts when I first encountered it. Now, I think Aspen is a very beautiful name.
― Anonymous User 4/24/2018
4
My name is Aspen Shea, and some of these comments are just downright terrible. I've always gotten compliments on my name. I believe that it is a rather strong and smart-sounding name, while also holding femininity. I was born in 2000 and have yet to meet someone with the same name as me. The only drawbacks are people thinking your name is Ashlyn. My friends and I laugh about my name ("Pain in the ass, ass-pen") but you know it's all in fun and if anyone really tried to make fun of me I would just point out how unoriginal their name is compared to mine. :)
― Anonymous User 4/18/2018
5
My dog's name is Aspen. She is a girl. She is the colors of the Rocky Mountains and a white hair on top of her head. She is very feminine and gets compliments. If you google Aspen Chinese Crested you will find her online.
My son's name is Aspen Jayce. I have to start off by saying that some of these comments are downright cruel sounding. You can dislike something without having to bash it. I feel for some of the people commenting on here that have this name. I also want to state that regarding the comment above that states that a boy with the name Aspen would be "ridiculed to no end" well, that is just untrue. In the 15+ years that my son has carried this name it has not once been targeted as something to pick on. Our experience has been the exact opposite with thousands upon thousands of "I absolutely LOVE your son's name". "Aspen" is my absolute favorite name for either a male or a female.
Hey friend! My daughter is Aspen Marie too! She's 4 months old. As I looked for names for our daughter during my pregnancy, I was inspired by nature. The Aspen has been one of my two favorite trees since my earliest years. When I looked up what meaning or spiritual significance the Aspen might have, I found 4 beautiful and powerful ones, and within them were hopes and dreams I already had in my heart for my child. And I think it's a beautiful name! It was so so perfect. Here they are (These are part snippets from sites I looked at, and part my words…)Aspen is associated with "conquering fear." Its very name ‘Populus tremula’ (the trembling Poplar) hints at its nature, as Aspen quivers with the slightest breeze, always on the move, a way of shielding oneself. But fear is not to be feared – rather recognized as the opportunity to embrace our shadow selves and grow. The Aspen feels and faces its fears, standing its ground, and it is therefore the energy of the spiritual warrior. Aspens give us the protection to master our fears. (I was always a fear-based child and I felt so much fear when I was laboring and especially in the pushing stage! My hope for Aspen is that she'll learn to face, conquer and rise above her fears - and most importantly, face her shadow self - way earlier than I started to. Because that’s when you can begin to live out life most beautifully and to the fullest. Everything before then is merely the path of growing, learning and healing - but which is supremely important!) The Aspen is associated with “resurrection” and “endurance" (and it touches on conquering fears again too). It is calming to anxieties about changes within our life. It awakens greater soul fearlessness. It can bring hidden fears to the surface so they can be faced. Once met with determination, there occurs a rebirth and an increasing ability to overcome impossible odds. Also, they are intertwined with their "grove" at the roots and spread through shoots in the earth, so when a fire may destroy a forest, the Aspen grove will endure and live through it. In addition, the Aspen is therefore "grounded." All that strength, life and fortitude under the surface!In many cultures and religions the wind is associated with the Voice of the Divine Spirit, and in the boughs and leaves of the Aspen, the wind finds a distinctive voice to inspire those who would listen. Anything closely associated to wind, like the Aspen, was deemed sacred. The movement of the wind through the canopy and the sun dappling through the leaves can have a mesmerizing effect, encouraging a contemplative and meditative frame of mind. Aspens are given a significance of being "especially able to listen to the Divine." Aspens have "a healing ability through sound." To sit beneath one and listen to its leaves is to hear a thousand thousand voices, all singing the songs of life and its mysteries. I liked this significance very much due to her father, who is a musician and artist who also deeply understands the power of beats, rhythm and sound. And anyone who knows me, knows that one of the things I deem most important and sacred in the world is "healing."
Throughout my pregnancy I would go on four mile hikes daily in the deciduous forest near my home. I live in a moderate climate (6) with cold winters and hot summers. The Aspen trees don't thrive here naturally because they prefer a cooler temperature but there was one Aspen tree growing steadily miles into the woods. It stood about sixty feet tall and had a ring of earth around its base. The thin white trunk stood firm yet feminine against the backdrop of massive oak and maple trees surrounding her. At her head the canopy opened and the sun's rays barreled down illuminating her length. In the summer her heart shaped leaves were bright green and glistened. When autumn came they turned crimson and were perpetually shimmering in even the slightest breeze. This tree was strong and stunning; graceful and unique. So when I named my baby girl I picked the most beautiful thing I could think of. Aspen Marie was born on December 16th and I pray she grows to possess all the qualities I saw in her namesake.
I named my daughter Aspen in 2000. We live in beautiful central Utah, and the Aspens, also called Quakies, are as plentiful as they are gorgeous. It fits my daughter, and she has always been complimented on her name. Her nick names range from Aspey to Asp-a-doodle. She's even been called "Quakie" in good fun.
― Anonymous User 4/19/2016
5
I really love Aspen for a boy. Very masculine, earthy, and natural. And maybe even "Penn" for a nickname? (Like Penn Badgely?) I just loooove the name entirely.
― Anonymous User 2/11/2016
6
I assumed Aspen was a masculine name, but I guess not. I think it sounds more appropriate for a boy, although it is beautiful either way.
My name is Aspen, I just had to look up this name because I would get bullied all the time because of my name. This helped me know more about my name and that I should just shake it off.
― Anonymous User 2/6/2016
4
I'm surprised so many people think this is a feminine name. I read the name somewhere without context and assumed it was a boy's name. It could certainly be unisex but it just doesn't sound feminine to me at all. I don't know anyone with the name but I have a story with a character named Aspen. It's such a nice name!
― Anonymous User 2/5/2016
3
My daughters name is Aspen she is 7 months old but I chose this name 12 years ago. Almost everyone tells me how beautiful it is. The only con to this name is people assume Aspen is a boy's name. I have no idea why because it's super feminine.
This name is just awful; I don't even know where to begin! The fact that it's high within the top 1000 names (#397) is just mind boggling. There are just too many reasons why this name is a horrible choice.
― Anonymous User 1/8/2016
-9
A name only becomes ugly when a person leaves an ugly opinion. Aspen, personally, sounds unisex to me. I love the connotation associated with it. It's unique and modern and very youthful sounding!
I love place names and nature names and I think Aspen reminds me of a wintry day outside having fun. I like it for a boy or girl and I think the negative sound effects are overblown. Maybe spell it Azpen, so you avoid the sound issues.
I hope it doesn't seem queer for me to comment on my own name, but I do so since I have a right to my own name. My example of an impression for this name is my own life. I loved my name before I even knew what it meant, still I love it to this day. As my friends said to me, my name gives me a kind of glow and a skip in my step, my own journey with this name has been an exciting one and I love every second of it. I hope those in the future find pleasure in my name as well.
I was named Aspen by my father in '91 before it started gaining popularity because we lived in CO and he was enamored by the trees and thought they were so stunning, so when I was born it was a no-brainer.While I was in elementary school, of COURSE people tried to make fun of it, but they were all so lame they didn't even have an effect on lil 6, 7, 8, 9 year old me, and actually some of my best friends in high school, got a kick out of all the nicknames they could come up with "Aspanda, Asskittle, Asponder," and they filled out 3 pages back to back and I thought it was so cute and funny, because they didn't do it to be malicious, they did it because, yes, Aspen can be made into a bunch of different words.And the ol' "Hey Aspen, how's your ass been" was literally used by one person who was also a good friend who just thought it was comical, and I laughed then too! Instead of worrying about what your kid is going to get made fun of for, teach them to laugh at themselves and get a sense of humor...Now that I'm an adult EVERY TIME I tell someone my name (98%, I'm not kidding) they always always say "Wow, what a beautiful name!" Ever since I left MIDDLE school, no one has ever insulted me for my name. And regarding Aspirin, only one person says that and he's my uncle, so he gets free reign. When I was younger I wanted to change my name to something "normal" like Melissa or Jessica because I had my own self-esteem issues, but now that I'm older I would NEVER even dream of doing that. My full name is so unique people ask me if it's a stage name, and I think that's pretty dang cool.So as a fellow Aspen-er, go ahead and name your child that! It's a great name! And every kid is going to get made fun of no matter what. In 3rd grade this girl thought she was insulting me by calling me Leafy Dog (because my last name is kinda canine related) and that was probably... the worst thing any one has called me, which is saying a lot considering that's like nothing (a literal 3rd grade level insult))
I'm on the fence with this name. My husband is from Colorado and suggested it and my first impression was, "Cute!" But no, I don't think I could saddle a kid with this name forever. Maybe a middle name?
This name reminds me WAY too much of "Aspergers" for my comfort. Also "Asthma" It also sounds like "has been\ass been" The name is just rather harsh and sounds more of an insult than anything.
― Anonymous User 10/26/2014
-5
I like how it's a nature name which does make it seem quite beautiful. The downfall, however, is that Aspen sounds very similar to Aspirin...
― Anonymous User 10/5/2014
5
I named my daughter Aspen in 2001. I have never heard of or met another person with that name. I am excited to read there are several others that named their daughter the same. It means "shining mountains" due to the heart shaped Aspen leaves shimmering when the wind blows. I feel Aspen is a beautiful name. My daughter constantly gets compliments every time her name is heard for the first time.
I named my daughter Aspen in 1986 when it was not a popular name to others. She was named after the beautiful Aspen trees in my favorite place Aspen, Colorado. She has grown to be as beautiful as both and when people meet her they love her name as well as her! She has had teachers and friends name their children after her. It's a beautiful name!
The name Aspen holds something special that no one knows about until they get to know the individual. Aspen is a strong name and with it the bearer has the ability to fight through everything they face in their life. Aspen also has the ability to make everyone love her without knowing that she is doing it.
My first name is Aspen. My parents gave me the name in 1981... maybe I'm the original? Lol! I'm amazed to see other aspens on here! I have never met another Aspen... pretty cool, I'm not alone, lol. I love my name! Yes, there was some teasing as a kid... Aspen give me an aspirin, asspain, etc. But, it didn't bother me at all. The comments that say pretentious are absurd. I was raised in a trailer & grew up in a horse barn. I can't afford to ski in Aspen, or anywhere for that matter, lol. But, I would if I could! People too often say something's pretentious just because they can't afford it. Mchivers posted that Aspen can make it through anything life throws... absolutely true! Actually, everything in that comment is eerily true! :-)
I love this name. To me it's feminine, but in no way girly. Reminds me of misty Aspen groves in the Rockies. I also once had the pleasure of meeting a lovely wolf named Aspen :)
I love Aspen trees, but I think for a name it's very ugly. "Asp" isn't an appealing sound to my ear and makes me think of the asp which is a type of snake.
― Anonymous User 1/25/2011
-2
Any guy named this name would be ridiculed to no end. This is SUCH a feminine sounding name. I had a dog named Aspen once. Very pretty name and ages well.
I first heard the name when I was reading the first book of the Mistmantle Chronicles "Urchin of the Riding Stars". It was the name of one of the nemesis but nevertheless I found the name pleasing.
My first name is Aspen. People often think it's a odd name for a girl, but I really like it, I would change it for the world. Say it out loud, it's a nice name.
This name can also be used for boys, seeing as it's a word name, and not the name of a flower. As a side note, I very strongly dislike this name. It's like it's trying to be different but while following all the trendy naming styles.
I think this name would be much more suitable for guys. It kind of reminds me of Asperger's Syndrome, but that's probably because I've been diagnosed with it. I don't think the association will be made by many people, and this isn't that bad a name.
When I named my daughter Aspen in 1997, I had never heard it used as a name. I used to hike in the mountains with my dad, and I loved the shimmery-leaved, graceful Aspen trees, so I thought it would make a perfect name for my beautiful baby girl!