MiL Nightmare

Magnus is a fab name. Ignore her comments!

Ah, lollystix, now-entirely-hypothetical DS2 would have been Fergus . Now I shall turn into a bitter mother/MIL desperately suggesting to any of my children expecting boys "Ooooh, why don't you name him Fergus, that's a lovely name..."

Lovely choices.

My DS is called Malachy, MIL upon hearing it snapped "what's his middle name". MIL's mother said "just because you read something in a book, doesn't make it good".

MIL now loves it.

Don't discuss it pre baby...although saying that he was Leo when he lived in my belly but when he came out I didn't think he was a Leo.

Bloody predictive text - warrior princess - not prince

I also know Norwegian/scots couple with a Magnus. It's not weird in Scotland. I love it and would have loved it for ds4 but ds3 is a fergus and it's too close. We like lachlan - means from the land of the lakes and Viking so that could be appropriate for you but I can imagine what your MIL would think. Personally not loving Aurora but am really loving Astrid. It's beautiful - warrior prince name. Agree Aurora a bit more Disney princess but it's honestly YOUR choice - no one else's

PrincessJenga my Granny is like that, although not Scottsih, she is a geordie. The first thing I asked my Mum after DD was born a few weeks ago was 'What did my Gran say about DD's name?' She only asked if it was after anyone. I'm sure though that she has had worse to say about it.

You have to start seeing it as a family joke. My (Scottish) grandmother used to be the gossip of the family. She couldn't get out much so would sit on her sofa calling family and friends on a kind of rota keeping us all up to date with family news. I realise this sounds awful, but she was the loveliest, loveliest woman, she just loved a chat! Anyway, baby names were her particar favourite gossip and she slated every single name she passed on. Honestly, in the 20 years I was old enough to be part of the gossip chain I never heard her say a single good thing about any name. It became a family joke. We loved her for it. I'm really sad she won't be here to criticise my name choices!

I know your situation is different, but seriously, just laugh at with her: "oh mil, you're so funny. I can't wait till baby's here and you have to call it my choice"

Magnus is fabulous. Ignore her. I think I slightly prefer Astrid to Aurora, too but I like all your choices - really, do ignore her.

Lovely names!

I had same with MIL, reacted awfully to my preferred boys name (had a DD so didn't have to decide whether to stuff her or not in the end).

Learn this- in future never ever discuss your truly favouredbaby names in real life until you are announcing the arrival, then people have to be kind!!

Cheers for that. Got it.

I did study a little bit of Danish when I went to Copenhagen for the jazz festival a few years ago. It was ridiculously difficult and all the lovely Danes spoke English so well, I was embarrassed to even try a simple hello or thank you.

OP- hope we've convinced you to use the fabulous Magnus.

(practices Magnus with surname just in case....mmmm Magnus)

gallicgirl - our Danish relatives pronounce it kind of like "Mownus" ("Mow" pronounced like "Cow"). The "g" is almost lost, and the "a" at the start is much more of an "auw" sound. Hard to write phonetically in English as I don't think these are really sounds that we even have!

Hi, I have a Magnus and the only nickname he gets at school is 'Magnet' - which he likes as he is very into electricity etc. I have had some negative reactions to the name but so many people out and about have told me that it is an utterly excellent name. I suspect it is a slightly 'marmite' name IYKWIM. He so is a Magnus anyway - any other name just wouldn't have worked! I totally love Astrid btw - if I ever had a daughter it would certainly be a top choice.

She sounds very rude. I wouldn't discuss names with her any more - if she asks, say you haven't decided yet (which is true, nothing is ever certain at this stage!). And when baby is born, just announce the name.

The bullying thing is such nonsense. I was bullied at school, despite having THE most popular girls name for my year of birth. Plenty of children have less common names and don't get bullied. The way I see it, bullies can always find something to pick on, and if the name isn't an obvious target they'll just use something else.

I like your choices by the way :) Personally would consider Astrid as the first name for a girl, as I really like it, but your way is fine too!

Arf at "weapons grade bonkers", will be nicking that for me own purposes

God - don't even enter into a dialogue about with her. The responses 'mm' 'uh huh' and 'anyway.....' come into their own on this one.

It's your choice, and your suggestions are both great. Don't stress it.

This is the exact reason we are keeping our name shortlist a secret - but that doesn't stop the in laws asking weekly (at least!) if we will share them with them!!

I have told them we are looking at quite classical, not-too-popular names for DD - FIL's suggestions have included Terri and McKenzie. Yet he has slagged off Jemima as being too 'new-fangled' (which he doesn't know is one of the names we have been considering).

It just goes to show that peoples' perceptions of names is massively varied. FWIW I think both your names are lovely. And if I were you, if MIL brings it up again, I would gently mention that your lovely DH was bullied (due to his name?) so perhaps he is a better judge of these things than her.

Magnus is lovely (DS was nearly Magnus) and would have been my top suggestion for a Scottish/Scandinavian couple wishing to reflect both backgrounds.

Aurora is a little Disney Princess for my personal taste, but it's a perfectly fine name on someone else's baby. And we had Astrid on our shortlist for DD2.

I think sometimes our parents' generation is just out of touch with current naming trends and thinks perfectly mainstream names will sound "weird".

when will people learn to stop telling others their chosen name before the baby is born. I see this thread time and time again and it is the same story every time.

lovely names :)

we had Astrid as a possibility for our dd.

my mil didnt/doesnt like the names we gave our kids, but they are OUR children and they suit their names and she is used to them now.

One of my dearest friends is called Astrid so I adore it. She was named after the Belgian Princes that died very young in a car crash.... Love Magnus,and have always had a soft spot for' Marius' . Go ahead and name your children whatever you and your DH want. They are YOUR children.

It's not up to your mil, it's up to you and dh.
Not sure why this is even an issue.

They're gorgeous names and I have known more than one Magnus in Scotland.

Astrid is particularly beautiful, IMO.

It's no one's business but yours and DH's what you call your children!

I had Swedish friends at school called Lief and Sven. No-one ever teased them. In fact, they were generally hero-worshipped for being tall, blond, handsome and cool.

They are beautiful names, very unusual and had someone told me they were going to name their child Magnus Stephen or Aurora Astrid I may have been a bit and at first but the more I think about it the more I like them.