Have you had any really negative reactions to name choices?

[NaiceNickname]

Our DS is due tomorrow. Sister asked today if we have come up with a name yet, and whilst we weren't going to tell anyone for this reason like we didn't tell anyone DDs name until she was born, I'm not that fussed about it being a secret so I told her.

His name will be Leo Alexander.

Her reaction was exactly this "face like she has just smelt sour milk.... aww (in a pitying way, not cutesy) Leo?... milk face again... I like Alexander..." and then walked off.

I know you will never please everyone with your name choices, I just find it incredibly rude to comment so negatively to someones face on what is a very personal and bloody hard choice for the parents!

What is the worst reaction you have had to your name choices? And how do you deal with the negative comments?

[QueenofKelsingra]

We didn't tell anyone until after the DC had arrived for this reason. We actually got loads of compliments, and a lot of 'don't hear that very often now' which we took to be a compliment as that was part of the point! it might not have been meant as a compliment of course!!

the only negative was from MIL who, on hearing DD1's name said 'well its very welsh isn't it?'. Yes dear MIL, because I am welsh perhaps? followed by 'no-one will understand it!' which is daft because a)we only live just over the border, b) it doesn't have any 'welsh letters' like dd or ff and c) PFB DS has a name from DH and therefore MIL's nationality which has accents and is spelt differently to the English equivalent and she never had a problem with that surprisingly!!

[QueenofKelsingra]

PS: Leo Alexander has a lovely flow to it. I know a couple of little leos and it suits them well.

[PrintScreen]

My MiL hated DS' name. We chose it when he was three days old and her comments included "that's a surprise" "he will be bullied" "have you thought of x, y or z instead" "are you sure it's not your hormones" "how do you shout that from the edge of the rugby field". She refused to use the name for months. It really took the shine off the name for me and I still slightly regret the choice.

[Hoggle246]

Leo is a lovely name! Your sister is very bloody rude.

Got a few iffy reactions to ds's name ... Nothing overt, just an occasional look of mild horror. Fuck 'em!

[bigbluestars]

My mother hated my DDs name after she was born. Fair enough , but bloody rude to tell me.
However she has changed her mind and likes it now.

[FayeFruitLoop]

I had "it's very Jewish please don't call him that, I'm really against Israel"

From my grandmother! (Who is Anglican)

And "Adam is a far nicer name than ... " included with a card congratulating us on baby Adam from her sister in law when he was four days old and we had just told family we registered his birth with our first choice

I found it hilarious tbh I was tempted to give them a mouthful but just enjoyed writing to thank them for their congratulations on baby realname
All the more smugly

Also had a few family members saying they don't like biblical names so much for nowadays... Given that they named their kids James and Joshua that was rich

[SomeSunnySunday]

Leo Alexander is a lovely name!

My DM literally shrieked "ghastly!" when told of our (fairly mainstream) girls' name choice for DC1. He was a boy, so I didn't get the satisfaction of using it anyway . DC3 is due imminently - we have never discussed our name choices with anyone again, after that reaction.

[Legionofboom]

Not me but when a friend told her MIL the name she and her dp had chosen for their DD1 the MIL said, 'It's awful, no it's worse than awful it will ruin the poor girl's life.'

Fortunately friend's DD absolutely loves her unusual name.

Your sister was incredibly rude btw.

[TheScenicRoute]

Oh I found everyone has an opinion ranging from all ends of the spectrum. My MIL suggested a name that we both really liked and gave some serious consideration to, but she kept going on and on about it and calling my bump her suggested name before we'd properly decided. In the end I felt SO up against the wall with no room for discussion that I snapped and didn't want to use the name anymore as it suddenly didn't feel like my choice any more. Had she just left it, we might have used the name, I've since found out it's in the UKs top 10 names for last year, so at least I've got an excuse now! We have not told anybody our final decisions. X

[CocobearSqueeze]

FIL told us "what a terrible name, you can't name her that" - this was followed with other unsavoury comments! Too bad because we are using that name ..

[TheTravellingLemon]

As crazy as this sounds it's 100 percent true. A friend of mine had a little boy and named him, let's say George. Her MiL said she hated it and thought he should be named Henry. My friend ignored and named him George anyway. He's now five and both her Pil have NEVER used his name. They either say nothing at all, like darling or sweetie or, if pushed, they call him Henry. Five years old and every birthday card, everything has the name the MiL decided on. Their relationship is pretty awful anyway so it's not even like it could be construed as a joke.

[Roobix04]

I've put this before but the day dd was born we decided on a name and text dp's dnan. The name is a little unusual and includes a very personal middle name which is also my middle name. We told her the reasons for the choices in the text. She replied with "I'm not a fan but I suppose I'll get used to it." Dp had to wrestle the phone off me so I didn't text back saying "How fucking gracious of you!" I know it doesn't seem like much but it's just so rude to insult such a special and personal decision!

[LetticeKnollys]

MIL's response to DS1's name: "Right... Well I suppose it's better than [OH'S cousin's recent daughter]'s name".

[elotrolado]

Lovely names that go nicely together. I would ignore, although I didn't but then again the name we had originally chosen really didn't go with our surname - so we went with the safer second option.

[Yorkshirelassreturns]

Yes. I wanted to call our dd Esme once I found out that we were having a girl. My mum made it plain that she disliked the name and it totally ruined it for me so we didn't use it. However, in hindsight I am really pleased as I much prefer the name that we chose and my mum and I have similar taste so if she hated it, I think I would have gone off it at some point.

Your sister has been very rude though and I really like your name choice. If you still love it, go for it!! X

[Velvetbee]

I was once told on here that DC4's name was so awful we obviously didn't love him.

[RaptorInaPorkPieHat]

Yes. I made the mistake of telling a colleague early on that we were thinking of Genevieve (after my fave film). The response really put me off and we chose a different name, to which the MIL (after DD arrived) declared "Well, you DO like your unusual names don't you!" and then suggested we named her after her instead

[cigarsofthepharaoh]

Everyone on my mum's side of the family hated my name, and the nickname that my parents decided to use, so they chose a different nickname. I see them rarely now but when I do, I often don't reply to them as I don't associate that name with me - it's all very awkward and I used to wonder if they disliked me as much as my name.

Funnily enough, they hate the names I chose for my children - and my brother chose for his - and were very vocal about it. I refused to let them use any other name though - they aren't getting away with it this time!

[happybunny2014]

MIL made some comments about my daughter's name when we told her we'd chosen Eva... Mostly that the poor child was going to be outcast at school for having the initials E.T and would be bullied mercilessly and called things like Alien etc (She had chosen to ignore the fact we were double-barreling our surnames so her initials weren't going to be E.T ) She also said that we should be looking for more well heard of names instead of something weird? I don't think Eva is particularly odd... Expecting DC2 and are keeping names to ourselves this time!

[bigoldbird]

Someone I worked with asked me if I regretted calling dd Verity.

[Linguaphile]

My FIL told us that if we named our daughter Philippa/Pippa, people would call her 'bum' in school because of Pippa Middleton. Sigh.

[RudyTuesday]

I didn't tell anyone DS. name until he arrived. It's a top ten name that I've always loved. My family were a bit off, asking me what made me pick it. They'd suggested names to me when I was pregnant and were obviously miffed that I didn't use any of them. I was bit upset by their quiet disappointment but am over it now - sod them.

[dorasee]

Be the bigger, better person and don't give a toss what others think. They'll get over their little trip and you, in the long run, won't resent them at all for trying to dissuade you from naming your baby what YOU wish to.
Leo Alexander is gorgeous! Strong and noble.
And your sister will get over herself in time. Once everyone meets your precious baby, all that 'name angst' will go out the window. This has happened to me with all three births... it just all goes away and years from now, no one will remember disagreeing over Leo Alexander's name. He'll be Leo, the boy you all adore!

[BabyDubsEverywhere]

yes! to all four of our dc's names. We've had all sorts of comments - 'you've made it up', 'where the hell did you find that from', 'its chavvy', 'its a dogs name', 'its not a real name', 'how can I tell my friends that's their name!', 'my friends think I cant spell when I tell them your dc names'... all accompanied with expressions. Mostly my mother btw. Oh how we laughed

[StupidFlanders]

Never in real life but on MN apparently my DS has a dog's name and my dd had a cow's name!

In rl everyone is polite, in fact, with ds1 I came up with a name combination that sounded great. When I realised its from a joke everyone told me they assumed I knew! I didn't use it btw.