AIBU to be angry about comments on my granddaughters' names?

It was not a malicious comment. OP, really, sometimes we need to let things go. This is one of those times.

My father has a cousin with that name. It’s most unfortunate

Are they really popular stripper names? Can you cite statistics for that?

This is like the whole Karen thing...a name is used once in some perceived negative way in popular culture and it becomes a "thing" and it becomes open season on that name.

The woman was rude, but at least she didn't say it in front of the kids.

Edited to add - my grandmother was Lola, and she was a Scottish farmer. She'd have given short shrift to anyone who came out with something like that.

They are lovely names. I work with both a Roxy and a Ruby and have never thought anything negative about their names. I think they are nice names that go together well - similar length and pretty. As a nanny myself I can only say enjoy your adventures with them and ignore any ignorance in people.

I’m so sorry OP, some people don’t think before they speak … I would be upset too. Those names don’t make me think of showgirls at all.

Well obviously we don't know your friend's friend whatsoever and as you don't either you don't know what's normal/out of character for her, but she might be a massive musical theatre/burlesque fan and think choosing "showgirl" names is absolutely fabulous and she thought she was paying you a complement.

We recently had a third child, our first two children's names start with the same letter and EVERYONE asked us if our third child's name would start with that letter as well. I think people pick up on themes/patterns in how children are named, and that could be just what your friend's friend did here. She might have thought this was an intentional theme and was making conversation about it.

Another example I've heard a lot is people who call all their children a floral/botanical name, like Fern, Willow and Iris. If your granddaughters had had those names people would likely say "oo don't then all have little floral names". Would you have been offended by that?

I like them. I prefer Roxane ( classic cyrano de bergerac) but Roxy is really cute as are the two others. I think she may have been subconsciously thinking of the song ‘ her name was ‘lola she was a showgirl ‘? Maybe that’s why she said it? I don’t think it was a particularly nasty comment.

I know an adult Roxy. It isnt weird at all and really suits her. She loves it. Like many names, in the abstract ("who will she be as an adult?") It may be easy to imagine a certain situation but once an actual person is standing in front of you with that name they often suit them and it is not the odd situation many seem to imagine

YANBU. The people that made the comments (Jean? Sarah? Louise? Bev? Emma? Susan?) aren't very nice x

@Ellenay the friend is clearly a Barry Manilow fan and that’s where it’s come from….

“Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl
With yellow feathers in her hair and a dress cut down to there..”

Let me explain:
It doesn't matter if people don't like people's baby names.
It's not their choice.
It's not difficult to be polite.
It's not difficult to rise above unpleasant or insulting connotations.
Ignore such people.
Ignore the comments.
Enjoy your grandchildren.
I do hope that's clearer 👍🏼

It’s rude and maybe she didn’t mean to be but it is offensive

Isn't the Barry Mannilow song ' Her name was Lola. She was a showgirl? However, only you know from her tone and demeanour if she meant it to be an insult or not. It doesn't sound like a compliment.

Maybe Barry Manilow holds a clue :

‘Her name was Lola - she was a showgirl at the cocococabana’

Well, read-on: Lola is one, so OP probably isn't going to feel great about your comment.

I think OP all of them are names that wouldn't occasion that reaction on their own, but the three together generates the feel a bit more.

They are all quite well-used at the moment though.

She has.

They are lovely names with strong connections to literature - 'these are my lilies and this is my Lola', 'Your letters brought me here, my love' and the lovely young girl, granddaughter of the Squire! Stupid cow, that woman!

Curious: what were the porn star names: Kitty-Kat? Lola? Fanny? Big Lips Bertha? Titti Anna. Come on, tell us …

No I think she is furious that the woman let her thoughts belch out.

I agree with you that all three together exacerbates the showgirly effect, but it is still not polite to say that because, as @IStillHearTheWaves put it, showgirl is a loaded term.

Sometimes I think things like "Wow, your teeth are like a horse" or "I wonder if you realise how leathery this tanning is making you." But I exercise great caution not to actually say it.

I think you're right OP.

No matter what you think of a person's GC or DC name, you keep it to yourself, unless it's positive.

I have a couple of friends whose children have bonkers names. My DC have commented to me privately how bonkers their names are but they knew better than to say it to my friends and they're children!

Especially when people have already called their children a name, being unkind about it helps no one.

At least on the baby names board your opinion can potentially change a person's mind about a bonkers name. But now, people should keep their opinions to themselves.

Lola and Ruby are very run of the mill girls names these days. But I can see with Roxy how that comment came about. Saying it out loud is something else though.

This.

And the girls all being sisters makes it more of a theme.

Perhaps you’re ‘furious’ because you now know what people think when they hear the three names?

😂😂

It's bad form to comment on any name, other than a (genuine) comment on it being nice.

'Showgirl' is a very loaded term!