Daughter is 5, but people are now confessing they don't like her name!

[TangoPurple]

My little girl is called Tyra (Marie is her middle name).

When i was pregnant, i had the name Megan picked out if I had a girl. But when she was born, she just didn't suit it.

Then when she was a few days old, I came across this name in a baby name book, and I fell in love with it. DD suited it so much.

Since then, I've been faced with comments such as 'ohh, very unusual - never heard of it before' and 'Tya? Tyler? Tiara?' 'Did you call her that after Tyra Banks? (this is a very popular comment). But now she's started school, the comments are getting a bit strong. One mum actually said 'Isn't that a black person's name?'.

I'm actually getting so paranoid now about calling her name when we're out in public. There's another girl in dd's year called Beyonce, and I heard a mum say the other day (she was standing in front of me at home time) say: "Oh, here comes Tyra Banks and Beyonce', then start laughing derisively with her pal.

My daughter loves her name and so do I. But I now feel like I've cursed her with a name she's going to be made to feel silly about.

It's actually from the name Thyra which is originally Scandinavian. I hadn't even heard of Tyra Banks until I got to the registry office and the registrar told me about her.

Please make me feel better! (Or just give me your opinions. I can take them. Honest).

[cafebistro]

Your daughter so your choice. Certainly not overly unusual. Ignore people's comments.

[ChippingInLovesAutumn]

You mustn't make your DD self conscious about her name. You need to keep using her name properly, in the way you always have or she will get upset/worried about it.

Tyra Banks was my first though. Tyra it is quite a 'clunky' name and I prefer Megan - but, so what? I'm sure if I knew your little girl then Tyra would be a perfect name for her and it would be hard to imagine her being called anything else. I hated my nieces names when my DB & SIL chose them, the 7 year old I can't imagine being called anything else now and I'm sure in time it will be the same with the baby - it just becomes who they are and you love the name because it's 'them'.

Don't let random witless women worry you so much.

[YDdraigGoch]

I don't particularly like the name, but if I knew you, I wouldn't be so rude as to tell you. I think it's out of order to critiscise something as personal as someone's name.

If you really wanted to, you could change DDs name to Thyra. Either officially, by deed poll, or just by common usage. People would get used to it very quickly.

However, if you and DD like it, then that's all that matters. Don't worry about what other people say.

(PS I've never heard of Tyra Banks either)

[coppertop]

I wouldn't pay any attention to the opinions of someone who is rude and ignorant enough to mock a child like that. They sound like the kind of people who would always look for something to find fault with.

I've never heard of Tyra Banks either.

[DontmindifIdo]

See, what you need to do is put on a slightly patronising air that they are thick and you are the bright one and say "Oh bless, no not as in Tyra Banks! Have you not heard of the norse/greek/whichever goddess Tyra? I do think it's lovely to give them a name with meaning, don't you?"

Then wander away acting all smug making bitchy mother feel thick and uneducated. (Feel free to make up a goddess with this name, they won't know and it'll bug them)

[bitsofmeworkjustfine]

tbh i thought of tyra banks too, but then i do jump with other peoples names too... david (beckham) Kylie (minogue) Alexander (mCqueen)

what anyone else thinks shouldnt worry you. you like it and she does too, so thats all that matters.....

It could be a lot worse... have you seen some of the names on here?

[YDdraigGoch]

I know of a little boy called Chicago!

[TheCatInTheHairnet]

I think it's actually a very pretty name. I LOVE DMIIdo's idea too!

Also, Tyra Banks is a strong, independent, intelligent woman who also happens to be a supermodel. There are worse people to share your name with!!

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

I don't know who tyra banks is tbh. Just ignore if people ask about the name just give the origin you named her and leave it as that. Sounds these comments are coming from fairly narrow minded people I'm pretty shocked at someone saying its that a black name. I would have told them to stop being so ignorant and prejudice.

[SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius]

I would say to them, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all". Or the mumsnet classic, "Did you mean to sound so rude?"

[HokeyCokeyPigInAPokey]

I thought Tyra Banks straight away too, sorry.

And i suppose because of that i would not associate it with someone white. Troll may think me ignorant and prejudice for that but it's true.

Dh is black, dd1 is called Naomi, i often get asked if it's after Naomi Campbell - because i'd want to name my first born after a mad mobile phone throwing bint

[Lebkuchenlover]

No idea who/what Tyra Banks is - a place or a person .

Your daughter IS Tyra and you need to be confident about using her name and ignoring others' rude comments. There is nothing rude or silly about the name, is there? And it isn't overused as so many others these days, so that's great.

I am sure people will just think of your lovely daughter when they hear Tyra. And if she is a lovely person then that is what Tyra will mean to them.

[Spero]

I think all sorts of rude things about other people's name choices but I would never, ever be so witless, crass or cruel to say anything to their face, or their mother's face!

Tyra is a fine name. Makes me think of Tyra Banks, but so what? a beautiful, successful woman, not a bad role model.

It's been her name for five years, I think it would be confusing and a bit unkind to start messing with it.

For what it's worth, I don't like Megan at all - it's a lumpy, clunky name.

We all have different opinions - what's the great old saying? Opinions are like arseholes, everyone's got one...

[HardlyEverHoovers]

I think it's a lovely name and can't believe people would be so rude!

[Lebkuchenlover]

I wonder more about the narrow mindedness of your fellow mums, actually. Those comments ("Isn't it a black person's name?") says so much about her - I wonder what her background is...! You definately need to rise above that!

[InNeedOfBrandy]

I quite like it, I'm sure it suits your dd very well. Beyonce is quite ridiculous IMO but Tyra is lovely. It's not a ghetto black name it's a pretty name for white/black/asian/blue people

[TheEnthusiasticTroll]

Ah hockey would you voice it some one?, that would just seem very rude and ignorant if you did.

[typicalvirgo]

[shocked] ay some of the comments you have received

you really do need to get a new circle of friends.

(I've no idea who or what Tyra banks is )

Sounds a pretty mname to me.

[WizardofOs]

I have only ever some across one person called Tyra and that is Tyra Banks. To then assume that Tyra is a black name would be a bizarre leap of logic.

[joanbyers]

It's her name, and these people are very rude.

[spaghettina]

People can be so rude and spiteful...ignore them. Also, "very unusual" is not necessarily a bad thing! (I say that as someone whose DD's name is in the top ten).

Tyra is a perfectly good name, not that strange imho. It's memorable, short and strong sounding.

Do what an earlier poster said and shut people up by telling them she's named after a goddess - and even if she had been named after Tyra Banks, as others have said - she's not a bad role model!

[SmethwickBelle]

I think it's a nice name and anyway I like Tyra Banks. Sod them all, every bugger's got an opinion.

[Shodan]

What a strange idea, that a name can 'belong' to one race/colour/creed!

It's a very pretty name.

I'd go with Don'tmindifIdo's suggestion if anyone's rude enough to comment unfavourably upon it again.

Or, alternatively, just blow a big fat spitty raspberry at them.

[marshmallowpies]

I know a Tyra, a very feisty, kind, entertaining West Indian mother of 3 & now grandmother to many (she's an old friend of my parents).

Because I associate the name with someone much older than me, I do think of it as a rather 'motherly' name, but that's just based on my own experience. It's a great name, either way.

[MolotovCocktail]

Hmmm ... The problem is clearly to do with other's misinformed ideas about names that should be given, and give clues about one's ethnicity. I assume it's the 'isn't that a black persons name?' are comments that bother you the most. Those comments manage to be insulting on so many levels.

It's ridiculous. Some friends of mine are Indian and their kids do not have Indian names. My kids don't have Irish names (we're Irish). So what?

Ignore these very thoughtless and obviously ignorant people. If you get comments like that, direct the comment back to them e.g.

"Tyra: isn't that a black persons name?"
"No. Tyra is Scandinavian. But tell me, what names are typically 'black?'"