Choosing a child’s name can be a stressful experience, especially if both parents don’t agree on a moniker. But for one couple from east London, they knew exactly what they wanted to call their son.
Little did they know, they’d face a minor hurdle when trying to register him. But Pauline and Maxwell Bacon embraced the controversy surrounding their son’s name with open arms. In 2021, they introduced Theodore Smokey Bacon to the world, who they lovingly call Teddy.
Residing in East London, Pauline and Maxwell, both in their 30s and working in business development, met in 2017 through mutual friends. They adore the distinctive name, which pays homage to Maxwell’s family name in a playful manner.
The Bacons have plans for more uniquely named offspring, with Maple and Crispi Bacon on the roster for future children. However, their choice of name has divided opinion, much like Marmite some are fans, while others are less convinced, reports the Mirror.
In an interview with The Sun, Pauline expressed: “Smokey is our pride and joy. Our little Bacon boy has a vast collection of tee-shirts with piglets on them. His dad has a cute pig tattoo in honour of him and his godfather has a tattoo of a teddy bear holding up a piece of smoking bacon, inked to celebrate his birth and christening. We’re deadly serious about the name and it’s a celebration of a unique family tradition.”
When Pauline discovered her future husband’s surname was Bacon, she found it incredibly amusing – but also thought it was brilliant. Especially since her maiden name is Fridh – a Swedish name pronounced like ‘fried’.
So, when they tied the knot in December 2020, she joyfully became Mrs Fridh Bacon – and they were keen to make the most of their unique family name. When they first began dating, Pauline instantly warmed to Maxwell, who shared stories about his grandfather, affectionately known as ‘Streaky’ throughout his life.
She found it extremely funny, and admired her future husband for sharing his experiences of being “bullied” at school due to his unusual surname. Fortunately, because he “stepped up and embraced the name”, the teasing ceased.
Therefore, it was an easy decision that their children would carry names that honoured the tradition – and they decided early on in their relationship that their first child would be named after the delicious treat.
However, naming him wasn’t simple. Smokey was born in Sweden, where Pauline’s family resides, and there are rules against registering a birth name if it’s a commonly used word or known identifier.
Pauline explained: “When I tried to register Theodore Smoky Bacon with the normal spelling of Smoky I was told it would be impossible as ‘smoky’ describes a fire.”
They ended up adding an ‘e’ to the moniker, a modification which officials then accepted. Pauline emphasised that it isn’t a spelling mistake, but simply a means to “tick the bureaucratic boxes”.
Despite receiving mixed responses, many find it amusing.
Pauline mentions that those over 35 often react shockingly, by either declaring it absurd, staying silent or shaking their heads in horror, while those under 35 deem it as “cool and epic”. Regardless, Pauline assures they “love” their son’s name, and are eagerly anticipating introducing Maple and Crispi to the world.
