Naming your new baby requires plenty of thought, with expectant parents drawing from all manner of influences.
Some may find inspiration in great literature or classic movies, while others may look to the world of nature and flowers.
Often, we’ll get our names from beloved family members, carrying on a strong sense of tradition and legacy.
However, there are some doting mummies and daddies who really think outside of the box, or should I say bucket…
KFC have gifted a vast amount of money to a family who opted to name their infant daughter after the bearded chicken entrepreneur, Colonel Harland Sanders.
Fortunately, the little mite hasn’t been christened ‘The Colonel’ or ‘3 Piece Original’ or anything, but rather, the actually very pretty name of Harland Rose.
Her proud parents deliberately named her after the chicken man himself during a baby naming competition, with the hope of increasing the popularity of this vintage name.
KFC’s Twitter account sent out a tweet which read:
I’m as pleased as pumpkin punch to announce the winner of our Baby Harland Naming Contest and the Harland who will be ushering in an all-new generation of Harlands, little Harland Rose.
I’m as pleased as pumpkin punch to announce the winner of our Baby Harland Naming Contest and the Harland who will be ushering in an all-new generation of Harlands, little Harland Rose. pic.twitter.com/wI2SNshsZ6
— KFC (@kfc) October 30, 2018
Weighing 8lbs 1oz at birth, baby Harland Rose entered the world on September 9, sharing the very same birthday as the Colonel himself, who was born in Indiana back in 1890.
The adorable poppet may be just 21 inches in length, but this little girl has already received a considerable amount towards her education, with a donation of $11,000 (£8,600) put towards her future college studies.
The £11,000 is of course a cheeky reference to the secret 11 different herbs and spices KFC famously use in their chicken recipe. And let’s face it, this’ll prove a pretty tasty sum to have once those student loans start to pour in.
People have reacted in multiple ways to the unusual naming choice, with many people congratulating the parents for naming their child after such an entrepreneurial and iconic role model.
One person cheered:
Beautiful baby. And, what an important person to be named after. I would be very proud to have that awesome, unique name.
Another applauded:
Adorable!! Welcome to the World Harland Rose. What a beautiful and unique name.
Beautiful baby. And, what an important person to be named after. I would be very proud to have that awesome, unique name.
— Cindy Wurster Sjogren (@GoNavy27) October 30, 2018
Adorable!! Welcome to the World Harland Rose. 😇 What a beautiful and unique name.
— Halw (@helton_hh) October 30, 2018
However, some KFC fans found the name to be just a little too unusual for their chicken-lovin’ tastebuds.
One person lamented:
Poor kid
While another scoffed:
Pffft! She was named after a fried chicken joint!
Lol, so the parents will have to explain to them how they named her in the future… "Well honey, we were offered a lump sum of cash to name you after the CEO of a fast food chain"… pic.twitter.com/4BpbOpyC7p
— Tommy Love (@tommyeugenehar2) October 30, 2018
Mommy/Daddy…how did i get my name?
Parents: we named you Harland for free fried chicken
— Michael (@BballMichael) October 30, 2018
Hopefully, this little girl will be able to use this additional college funding to pursue the same sort of global business success as her famous namesake.
Do you think the name Harland will come back into fashion any time soon? Or is this just a flash in the frying pan?
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.