Mumsnet Talk

DD arrived last month and we decided to call her Beatrice, however our surname is four letters and begins with 'B' and ends with 'all' and I'm starting to have second thoughts about this combination.

We have not registered her yet so we have time to change our minds and would really like some constructive advice. How does it sound to you? Would her name result in teasing? I would really appreciate honest opinions as I'm lying awake worrying about this! What would you do?

I like it very much I think it has a lovely ring to it.. Dont worry imo.

Your surname is likely to cause her some teasing no matter what her first name is - isn't it!

I think the alliteration & the ...ice don't help though - they sort of draw attention to it somehow in a way that something like Katie or Jane don't. I think you'd be better off with a first name that 'stops' rather than slides to an end

Having said that, if you love it, does it really matter??

I love it. Will pm you my daughters name, I had similar worries. It's fine now we're used to it.

I think it sounds lovely. Not sure if I am missing something but I cannot think why she would be teased about her name.

Tricky. I think it does make the surname stand out a bit more, there's no getting away from it. People would remember her name (not a bad thing!) But Beatrice is absolutely lovely. Is she Bea, Beattie or Trixie? I would be a bit concerned about Bea Yoursurname, that does sound slightly comical. Beattie I think could sound rather nice.

A few other names that seem similar to me, in case any of them appeal. I think some of them do make the surname fade into the background a bit more:

Cecelia
Josephine
Juliet
Alice
Madeleine
Rosalind
Imogen

Bit of a wildcard suggestion but could she take your other/maiden surname?! Or have it double-barrelled with your current name?

I remember you posting about this when you were pregnant (I believe, fairly early on). You've had ages to think about this, you finally made a choice (and picked a gorgeous name!), and I think you should just stick with it. Beatrice B@11 sounds fine. Basketball isn't big here like it is in the States so I don't think she'll be teased (e.g. Bea B@11). You can always give her a middle name to fall back on.

If you think it will bother you forever I would change it, but Fwiw I think it's fine. If you did want to change it, does she have a middle name you could swipe it with? I was called one name for the first 6 weeks, then Mum changed her mind and called me something else- one of my proposed middle names.

Swop not swipe!

Thanks for your thoughts - a mixed response.

Baby I'm worried it sounds comical because of the alliteration and our surname - especially when shortened to Bea. We wouldn't use Bea in conjunction with surname though e.g on forms or giving name over the phone only in as a nn day to day.

Beatrice is a lovely name and sounds fine with your surname.

Bea with your surname would bother me tbh, but there must be plenty of people who share your surname with the initial B. And it's not awful like Bea Sting or something.

I would be concerned about Be-a-surname too (but that is just how I hear the names so might never happen).

'chilling out, maxing, relaxing all cool and all, shooting some b-b@1l outside the school'
Fresh Prince of Bel Air

Sorry.

I think its fine. I quite like alliteration in names.

I have a Beatrice and a B surname, she is 2 and it's never commented on. She gets called Bebe by my dad though and it's cute, she is normally called Bea. She has annabelle as her middle name.

I wouldn't like Bea with your surname tbh and there's a good chance as she gets older that's what her friends will call her. It sounds a bit comical (sorry) and I would probably have Beatrice as the middle name instead.

Also think it's tricky because Beatrice Ball sounds extremely cool but Bea Ball is....sorry...cringe-y.

Well I still think it's nice. I don't see anything comical about it. It's hardly Richard Head or some such thing! My DS is Cameron CXXX and I like the way it sounds.

Beatrice B all is a lovely name!

I agree Beatrice B*11 is absolutely fine, but Bea B*11 isn't so good. If she ends up being known as Bea by school & friends it is likely she would be called Bea B*11 at some point. Do you mind that?

Love the idea of using BeBe as a nn!

If you're lying awake worrying about it when you have a tiny baby then I'd change it .

BabyRoger, I knew a Richard Head when I was a kid, seriously wtf were the parents thinking.

I think it's nice and BB is a lovely nickname.

Your surname is going to cause embarrassment anyway - have you thought about giving her a different one? And I do think that Beatrice draws attention to it (a bit like the newsreader Fenella Fudge - the alliteration is ear-catching). FWIW I think you should change it, maybe make Beatrice the middle name - you can still call her Bea for short but the world/school/friends will know her by a different name. Sorry but I'm just not really sure calling her Bea Ba11 is fair.

I don't think it's relevant whether her name will be shortened to Bea or not - sometimes her initial will be used so she would still be B. Surname which is a little comical - sorry to have to say it because Beatrice is a beautiful name.