Are you embarrassed about your name choice?

[elseIlltellyourfather]

DH wants to call DC Barnaby (if it is DS obv.) and it is growing on me. However, when people ask about name ideas I am reluctant to tell them in case they laugh. This makes me think I may regret it when I am calling it in the supermarket! Will I get used to it (I do like it, just worry what people think), or do you still cringe a bit when you say your child's name, years on, if it is a bit unusual (or ponce-tastic)?

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

If I heard you call out Barnaby in the supermarket, I'd think, ah, what a great name! It's when people call out Brayden/Jayden/Chardonnay and Chelsea that I would take note .

I love DD's name, I think it's fab. Wouldn't change it for anything. But they do become their name. That's why I can never understand people who come on here after a year and talk about changing their child's name.

[MamaLazarou]

No, it's the best name in the whole world. I love saying it!

[poppydaisy]

I love my childrens' names even though there will be lots of people who don't like our choices. But I bet they I wouldn't like their name choices either . Why are you so keen to please others, name your kids what YOU want!

[olympialimpet]

BluddyMoFo - that's nothing, I wanted to call ds Topaz I blame the hormones

Like Barnaby btw

[daimbardiva]

I know a little Barnaby, and am totally used to it, and like it. However, our dog is called Barney, and gets called Barnaby on occasion so I'd never used ti myself!

I love the name we chose for ds1 - now number 2 is onthe way we're having really difficulty coming up with anything else we like as much!

[tammytoby]

Why are people get so judgemental about names in this country (UK)? So much so that we make parents feel embarassed about calling their child a (perfectly normal) name ?

[superv1xen]

i called my first DC who is now 5 a name which i loved at the time but now seems to have exploded with popularity and is now seen as chavvy :( there are 3 in his class at school alone! i worry about whether people will have certain opinions about him growing up because of it.

however i now love it because its his name and he couldn't be anything else. i guess what i am saying is it doesn't embarass but i do admit that if i knew this would happen i would have called him something else. so please be sure OP! fwiw i am not very keen on the name barnaby tbh but don't let that put you off! :o

his name is Caeden.

[mayanna123]

I agree with tammy, it is indeed very sad that people have to feel embarassed about someone's name. A name is only a combination of letters used to identify someone/something, nothing more. If anything, we should be encouraging more name diversity - makes life more interesting .

[thisisyesterday]

ds1 is Linus. I LOVE the name and there was never any question that he would be called it.
I did feel a bit weird telling people at first, but only because I knew i'd get weird reactions. so it wasn't that I doubted the name (i know it's fabulous), but because I dislike having to justify myself!

[superv1xen]

i love that name thisisyesterday i was friends at infant school with a boy called linus, he was a lovely little boy :)

[elseIlltellyourfather]

so it wasn't that I doubted the name (i know it's fabulous), but because I dislike having to justify myself! Thats it, thisisyesterday, it isn't the name (thanks for the comments btw) but the reactions or thoughts of others. I have always cared too much what people think but am quite keen on Barnaby. DS1 is Caspar and I can't imagine him being anything else, though we had lots of reactions to it at the time. Probabaly be a girl now (though i don't think it is somehow). Any more comments from anyone?

[JanMorrow]

I know a fair few people probably hate my daughter's name, and will either think it pretentious or just silly, and I admit to being.. not ashamed, but maybe.. shy.. about saying it sometimes, and find myself bracing for any raised eyebrows or comments, but actually, I think it's beautiful and different and it really suits her so ultimately I'm happy, but I know what you mean!

Her name is Juniper (we call her Juno).

Caspar and Barnaby are both fabulous names by the way!

[OhYeahOhRight]

Juno (Juniper) is a beautiful name.

[JanMorrow]

:)

[Continuum]

I go through phases of being a tired of explaining where ds's name is from, even though people are positive about it, sometimes it would just be nice to not have the name conversation. But I love his name, and he absolutely loves his name even though at 7 he now also has comments about it.

Expecting dc2 this year and sometimes I'm tempted to go for something really simple and very common, but then I wonder if the next child would be all pissy about not having a weird name...!!

Anyway, Barnaby is cool. Was chatting with my midwife last week and it's her son's name and I thought it sounded great! Also love the name Caspar, dh has vetoed it though, grrrr!

[MelinaM]

Barnaby's a fabulous name, go for it

[sparkle12mar08]

Nope, I couldn't give a flying jeff what other people think, I love my children's names :) One is a classic, generally well regarded name; the other divides people instantly into fine/chav camps. But the thing is when you hear and see them together the names go brilliantly, both are celtic in origin.

[naturalbaby]

i really like Barnaby.
Am a bit dissappointed Jayden is so popular (&chavvy in some places). Almost all the boys ds plays football with have a name beginning with J and here I was thinking I got an unusal and classic name.

[freesias]

yes , i cringe inwardly whenever i 'm asked my dd4's name , it was choosen by her dad and a name i disliked becuse i felt it was way too jolly hockeysticks and "pony clubby", we eventually changed her name to her second name (the only other name in the entire world dh said he liked )but that is perceived as if anything as even more affected by many .

i have no choice but to live with it but if people ask her name i dread telling them her name . i love my other dc's names and don't care what anyone says about them . in rl others say what lovely names she has but it doesn't take away the doubt .i still worry people will judge her and us me because of her names .

[elseIlltellyourfather]

Freesias thats sad for you. Bet no one else thinks about it much, I expect it feels like it is printed in dayglo orange when you say it but it probably doesn't get much more than a passing thought from anyone. If people are saying the name is lovely then it must be - I don't think people say much positive if they don't like names!