Is the middle name Barry too cruel?

[PrettyInDecadence]

DH has just announced that he would like this DC to have his father's name as a middle name if a boy. It is Barry. Would we be too cruel to burden bestow a child with this name?

[Haberdashery]

Yes. Are you nuts? It's awful.

[abbypumpkin]

I think your post really says it all as you're obviously not keen. Maybe you could compromise - does he have a better middle name? Or maybe you could change it a little to Harry? Or how about make a list of middle names that you like and let oh dad choose his favourite and involve m that way.

[PorkyandBess]

It is possibly the worst name ever.

[BarryShitpeas]

No, it's a great name.

[jenbird]

One of my best friends is called Barrie. Occasionally he gets the odd comment but actually it is fairly irrelevant. I think a middle name is a great way to show respect to someone you love and doesn't really matter what it is.

[HMQueenElizabeth]

It's a family name! Loads of people have embarrassing family names that they're not especially keen on, but I think it's a very nice thing to do, to honour a child with the name of a family member.

[ScooseLooseAbootThisHoose]

My dh is called Barry I don't find it awful at all!

[PrettyInDecadence]

He doesn't have a middle name :(

See I know FIL would be chuffed to bits if his name was in one of the DC's, but it's a truly awful name! I suggested to DH that we use his middle name as FIL chose that but he was having none of it.

[VoldemortsNipple]

I don't think its that bad. Maybe because I knew a Barry as a child. Its not like its Dick or something.

Anyway, if you agree to this as a middle name, that gives you the deciding vote on the first name :o

[cate16]

I know a three year old Barry named after his dad, he's a lovely little boy.

[PorkyandBess]

3 year old Barry?

Cruel.

[MrsRhettButler]

What's wrong with Barry? I know loads of Barrys, genuinely why everyone thinks it's so bad?

Middle names don't matter much anyway do they?

[Pooka]

Is a middle name.

Is fine.

[Sarcalogos]

I knew a boy at uni called Barry he seemed popular enough, hadn't held him back until we all realised he was a raging racist, which did make him deeply unpopular

[Pooka]

It's actually a really nice sounding name. Just suffers from the Gary/Barry/Sharon/Tracey connotations.

Ignore that. Go with it as middle name. Imagine tht you're naming him after j m Barrie.

[FizzyLaces]

In Edinburgh, Barry is a slang word for brilliant/great. ie 'that's pure barry'

[stleger]

Is FIL from Cork? Barry is short for Finbarr in a lot of Cork Barrys - Finbarr is the local saint. Also a common surname here. I am fairly sure nobody knows two of my teenager's middle names, the other one has decided to use both forenames but she is fairly unusual!

[WithACherryOnTop]

It's fine as a middle name.

I went to primary school with two boys called Barry,this was in the 90s,and I don't think they were ever teased about it. I didn't think anything of it anyway.

[misslinnet]

Not cruel at all as a middle name, especially as it's a family name.

Most people don't know each other's middle names anyway.

[gingerpig]

popular name in Ireland!

[ParkbenchSociety]

As a middle name it's quite cute

[Staceisace]

Yes. Isn't there another nice family name you can use?

One of my grandparents has a name she refused to allow any of her grandchildren to have so her mum's names were used instead.

[mathanxiety]

It's not that bad, and it's actually an Irish surname so it might pass for a surnamey middle name.

You could maybe consider using the name Barra instead -- Barry is the English version; afaik the name originated in Ireland.

I bet there are lots of babies with middle names like Keith, Roger, Graham, etc, that would never be used as first names. DD1 has a friend whose mn is Lorraine after her granny. That's a name you would never use as a first name but it's fine for a mn.

[SPsFanjoHarboursDeadCats]

It's fine as a middle name.

My sister has the name Marjorie as one if her middle names. My Nanna died while my mum was pregnant so my sister got a name from her. It's an old nam but so is her 1st and 2nd then its Marjorie

[stleger]

(DD2's boyfriend is Keith, they are 15. She knows another Keith as well. Two Keiths! But no Barry).