Couple give baby boy unusual name that is soon to be terminated

Casey Hennessy with her baby son
-Credit: (Image: SWNS)


A couple have given their baby a soon-to-be-extinct name and say he'll be the only child at school with it - despite trolls claiming he'll be bullied. Casey Hennessy, 21, and her partner, Zacchaeus Harper, 25, have always been fans of more traditional names.

When they found out they were expecting a baby boy, they floated the names Winston, Axel and Finnegan but only one name came out on top. Casey gave birth to little Arnold on December 9, 2023, weighing 8lbs 3oz, at 23.13pm.

She said as soon as she looked down at him she knew he was an Arnold. The couple are delighted to have a unique name and say people will dub him Arnie after Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Casey, a health care assistant from, Eastbourne, East Sussex said: "I like the idea of him having a traditional name - it will sound smart. We do shorten his name his Arnie to make him sound more youthful.

“We both like our traditional names. People refer to him as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Hey Arnold as well."

Casey Hennessy with her baby son
Casey Hennessy with her baby son -Credit:SWNS

Casey gave birth to her first child Maggie, two, on the April 28, 2022. When she found out she was expecting her second child in March 2023, she decided she wanted to give him a traditional moniker.

Casey said: "We both like our traditional names and It was so hard to come up with a boy’s names. I like the fact that they are actual names, and they can grow into that name and have nicknames. I also wanted him to the only Arnold in his class."

The name Arnold looks set to go extinct alongside many other vintage names. Casey said as soon as she saw her newborn she wanted to call him Arnold.

Casey said: "He could've been a Winston, Murphy or even an Axel, which are the sort of names we liked but as soon as I saw him I knew he was an Arnold. None of the names suited him, I instantly just knew, and it felt right.”

Since Arnold was born, Casey said she gets mixed reviews from people. She said the older generation like the name while younger people can be more sceptical.

Casey said: "The older generation love it, but it differs with the younger people. I have got comments where people said that he will get bullied because of his name, which I hope will not be the case.

"We do call him Arnie for short but overall we love his name. The older generation do say how 'lovely' the name is and how they haven't heard it in a while."