Help me move on!

[Bluesand1]

Hello
In looking for a name for my second child I stumbled across the baby names forum on Mumsnet. Call me sensitive but it has really got to me as there are some negative comments about the name of my other child ie not middle class enough, naughty boy. I obviously care far to much what other people think and I've seen similar comments about other perfectly normal names but it still bothers me. Am I being ridiculous? I've got it in my head he will be labelled the next Vicky Pollard!

[Bluesand1]

Nothing wrong with Vicky but hopefully you know what a mean - an expression I got from that forum about another name

[SmallBee]

I think the trouble with names is that the world and their mother have an opinion on them. Mainly because they/we know someone with that name and we then tend to associate their personality with that name in general.
For example I associate the name Nicholas with someone who has no respect for anybodies personal space, because there was a little boy I went to school with called Nicholas who was like that.
My MIL confessed that she was glad we didn't name our DD Olivia because at school that's what her bully was called.

The thing is, your DS will have the opportunity to help people have positive associations with his name and not think of him as a 'naughty boy'. (FYI the naughty boys in my school were Robert and Stephen).
It's a shame knowing someone thinks that about the name you chose, but remember if they're you're actually family and friends the won't think that anymore, they'll just think of your lovely DS.

[DowntonDiva]

I'm due next week and our first choice girls name gets absolutely slated on here. It's slightly "odd" and not popular (think around 1000 in the baby name charts). People just don't like it rather than being associated with anything negative, class etc..

Use the name you love, it's your baby.

Congratulations

[SmallBee]

Oh and speaking as someone who shops at Ocado and can't control her caramelised onion hummus intake (it's like posh crack to me)
Who cares whether it's middle class or not? Some of us are dickheads. As a group, we aren't that great. Some of us think waitrose essentials range is genuinely essential. I wouldn't worry what we think.

[Bluesand1]

Thank you. You're right. Yeah people have said they do not like the sound of his name too. There are positive comments but the few negative always stand out.

[BexusSugarush]

We called our little girl Ayla, which had to be kept a massive secret until she was born as everyone ruined all the other names we liked with their opinions. 'Ayla' has come under alot of criticism as well unfortunately, mostly with opinions such as 'other kids won't know how to spell her name' and 'no one will remember because it's weird'. Which are completely ridiculous opinions when I really sit and consider them - she is our daughter who we birthed and raised so WE, as responsible adults, get to pick her name and deal with any consequences.

People also make it harder on themselves by trying to pronounce her name 'Eye-la', like the name Isla, which annoys me no end. If we wanted to call her that, we'd have spelt it that way. We're not trying to make her life hard; her name is said how it's spelt, which is alot easier than most kid's names.

At the end of the day, they are YOUR children and you have to live with your choice, regardless of what other people say. How often do you find adults saying 'urgh I HATE the name my parents gave me!'? It does happen, granted, but not often. Babies names go in and out of fashion, so what isn't in fashion now might well be in 10 years!

[Bluesand1]

Ayla is a lovely name. My friends wife is named Ayla. I always thought it was nice and never had issue with how to pronounce it. Thank you! My little boy is Ethan. We picked it because he is American and has classic connotations there which we like.

[strawberrybubblegum]

Ethan is a lovely name, and not at all 'naughty boy' or 'not middle class'!

I find it a very gentle-sounding name. Haven't known any Ethans - and I didn't know it was traditional in the US - but my initial reaction to the name is positive.

I really think you should put it out of your mind, OP. By definition, almost every child we meet will have a name we didn't choose for our own child - but think about how you feel about your eldest childs friends. As soon as you know them, when you hear their name all you think about is THEM.

[acquiescence]

How do you pronounce ayla? I am intruiged as I would have pronounced it aye-la. Is it like eh-la?

[acquiescence]

Ps I think ayla is lovely with either pronunciation 😊

[PresidentCJCregg]

Ethan is lovely! Not 'naughty boy' at all.