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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Unpleasant comments you have received when revealing baby name

270 replies

Polkadotfanatic · 17/02/2012 09:49

My friend has just had a daughter (Monday morning, all new and pink and fresh and gorgeous). She has chosen Alice Elizabeth, (imo) a timeless classic name which wont age.

Her mother's comment:

''Oh. Playing it safe are you?'' Hmm
''Well I suppose someone has to use the boring names so the braver people can use the nicer ones...'' Shock

I mean as comments go, it's not the nastiest, but the timing (Alice was about four hours old and friend was in blissed out baby loveness) wasn't great.

Just wondered what, if any negative comments you had when announcing baby name...

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MagdalenaAlec · 21/06/2012 15:40

"Why Alec?? With all the nice names on OUR SIDE OF THE FAMILY" - Right, Mum, Casimir would have been a much more fitting choice... for a cat

"Alex?" - "No, Alec" - "I see... You wanted the name to be a little creative...like you..." - My aunt, feeling that bringing me flowers was not enough, also added criticism AND psychoanalysis to the package.

Peahen Octavia is also high on our list for DC2! I am already starting to get ready for the comments...

sashh · 21/06/2012 04:41

It is a lovely name, gran will get used to it.

D0oinMeCleanin · 21/06/2012 02:19

dd1's name:

From my ex (not her dad, just good friends, he supported me when her dad should have) - Why would you do that to a child?

From my Gran: I'm just gonna call her Melissa. I can't say that other silly name (her name sounds nothing like Melissa - she then proceeded to call her a variation of her actual name for until dd1 learnt to talk and would correct her)

From my nephew - If she is a girl and you knew she was a girl, like my mam said, why for did you call her a boys name?

Staceisace · 21/06/2012 01:19

To be fair, I did have a cat called Molly. Well, I still do, she's 10 now but lives at home.

My aunt's friend has two girls called Molly and Lily - both of which are names of pets I've had. She didn't know that, obviously.

I'd just put that down to good taste ;) I told her to feel free to use the name Teddy if she has a little boy next!

ThatVikRinA22 · 21/06/2012 01:17

oh and its also my DS middle name.....what on earth can people find wrong with Caleb?

ThatVikRinA22 · 21/06/2012 01:13

can i just point out that Caleb is my DH middle name and was his grandfathers name, who took part in the D day landings and spent years in a german concentration camp.....its also biblical! how can that be chavvy or made up [confused)

ThatVikRinA22 · 21/06/2012 01:10

i was told by a now little seen friend that my DDs name sounded like a cats.

its Molly.

Staceisace · 21/06/2012 01:06

This is why I try to find out the names of babies via text/email - I can't help my reaction showing in my face or sounding in my voice. If I genuinely like the name someone's chosen for their baby I'll obviously say so but I find it so much easier to type something diplomatic if I think the name's a shocker.

In my defence, I'm completely prepared for my family and friends to hate the names of my future children! Any time I have a discussion with someone about baby names we're always very open about what we think - I don't know if it's just my friend group/family though.

We called our cat Teddy and a whole bunch of our friends told us it was terrible and that we should have called him Clive or Spike or something equally as hideous. So I'm expecting an even bigger reaction when baby names are announced.

Loriens · 19/06/2012 10:05

Beautiful name! Timeless and classic but I'm slightly bias as it is the name I had picked for DS2 Grin

Longtalljosie · 18/06/2012 22:41

PlumPeridot - Adele Katherine is a lovely name. Sod your stepmother and go for it. DD's middle name is Katherine and I love it even more now than when we chose it...

Lunarlyte · 23/05/2012 15:25

When revealing DD2s name, my FIL remarked that her name sounded similar to the name of the aeroplane that dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He said that her nickname at school would probably be 'Bomber'

xTonixxx · 23/05/2012 14:07

Each to their own. I've met children called Fanta and Olay and I would be lying if I didn't look a bit like this Shock but I wouldn't dream of saying anything to the parent.

comelywench · 23/05/2012 13:59

When my Sis told someone we'd called our DS Archie, they replied: "What's it short for?"
Sis: "Archie"
Bloke: " but what did they put on the birth certificate?"
Sis: "Archie"
Bloke: "but it's not a real name!"

er it is now! Lol

I feel a bit bad tho - once when I asked someone their DC's name I genuinely couldn't catch what they were saying. They ended up mumbling that it was a family name - really suits the child, I was just too slow picking it up

minouminou · 23/05/2012 12:57

Ha ha! Almost universal disapproval for DS' name, and DD's name got mixed reviews.
Thing is, they've turned out exactly as their names suggest - DS is charming, suave and a man-about-town, and DD is exactly like the female lead in How to Train Your Dragon.

People really can just bugger off.

MIL suggested Joan for DD's middle name - some obscure familial reason. It didn't happen....just doesn't fit with us.

WantAnOrange · 19/05/2012 20:07

Yesturday I told a group of friends that we are thinking of Artemis if I have a girl. One friend came out with, "What, for a girl?! Shock

err yeah, it's a girl's name....Confused

When DS was a few days old, I was still in hospital because he had jaundice. A nurse asked what his name is. When I told her (his name is Caleb), she said "oh" and actually scowled at me! She didn't say another word to me after that. So strange! I have since learned, via mumsnet, that some people consider caleb to be a chavvy, made up name (despite the fact that it is in the bible) so maybe she was of the same opinion, who knows?

LetUsPrey · 19/05/2012 15:59

When we were considering Henry for DC1, my mum told me "that's a bit posh for you isn't it?" We ended up going with something else but not because of her comments.

DS2 has three names (one we liked and then middle names after someone on my side and someone on DH's side) and then our surname. My mum said that three names were unnecessary. At first she used to address cards, etc to him using just the first two name initials and then his surname.

Benaberry · 19/05/2012 14:04

MIL: "Oh no...You haven't have you? Really?!"

Then a few weeks later when we said we were off to register the birth (had to wait ages for an appointment): "Oh, are you still calling him that then? I thought you'd waited so long to register because you'd changed your minds" Angry

She still resolutely spells DS's name wrong now, and he's 5.

It's not as if it's even that odd, long or difficult to spell - DS is Ifor (mn Bryn). DH is Welsh and so is MIL, and she'd been going on for years about using welsh names as BIL hadn't with his!

Who knows what she's going to make of DS2 when he arrives and we finally agree on something...Hmm

wizzler · 14/05/2012 21:32

" Good one.." "what are you really going to call him?"

EliasRose · 14/05/2012 19:56

My MIL totally flipped out on hearing our daughters name, Anouk.

For a week she wouldn't talk to us, and actually said things to my husband about 'not being able to have us in the family' and how we had 'broken her heart', she 'wouldn't be able to bond with our little girl', how we should have asked her first (!!!) and actually asked us to change it.....

She only apologised when husband told her how hurt we were, and was shocked that it would have upset us. She is a bit crazy though!

Really ruined our first few weeks with our amazing little girl.... Just hoping she doesn't flip again this time!!

Booette · 12/05/2012 10:50

On telling SIL I wanted to call DS2 Declan - "Oh that's a poofs name, if you call him that I'm not going to use it" Shock We didn't use it, but I really wish we had now. (And it left me wondering what the hell a poof name is?? Stupid bint)

DS5 - Why have you called him Barnaby as a full name? Barney was bad enough. Damn, I wish I'd gone with Ptolemy just to see the outrage!

I thought by not mentioning the name till they were born I'd avoid the negative comments but I was wrong.

karinajack · 12/05/2012 08:43

We aren't revealing the name of our wriggly bum till he's out lol but revealed to mil on Wednesday were expecting another boy ds1 is 4 amd her reaction was oh well u can try again !!!
Feel like tapping her mouth up my son thinks its awesome he's going to have a brother and the little ones healthy that's all I wanted xx
Rant over lol

saltylams · 12/05/2012 07:55

Whilst I was still lying in hospital in that blissed out post-labour state my brother (always a total b+&$@&%) arrived to see me. When I told him the name we had chosen he said 'Rosie - that's a whore's name.' I don't have anything to do with him. Rosie is now 25.

mum47 · 19/03/2012 13:53

P.S Alice Elizabeth is gorgeous. Alice was one of my girls name choices - along with Esme Elizabeth, which everyone I mentioned it to failed to have a response for, and I knew it didn't really go with surname but I did so love it..

mum47 · 19/03/2012 13:51

My DS has what I consider to be a lovely though quite unusual name. After he was born my mil went to order me flowers from the local florist, who asked DS' name and when told, said oh my daughter is called that! She said that they knew it was a boy's name but loved and used it anyway. Wasn't too bothered but DS goes to High School next year and florist's daughter will be about three years above him - only other person with this name -everyone will prob expect my DS to be a girl! :(

Polkadotfanatic · 19/03/2012 13:38

Hi there, OP here and I thought I would update. Alice is absolutely gorgeous, just over a month old now and a wee dote. My friend has taken to motherhood like a trooper and is now able to laugh about her mother's initial reaction. For her part, her mother is totally in love with Alice and seems to have forgotten her comments. All remains calm in their family :)

On another note, my neice's birthday party this weekend had a gorgeous little 4yo Pandora - my mum ''well she's destined to have her teenage years being asked by boys to show them her box....''.

Oh dear. Blush

Looks like I won't be safe from attack either....especially when I tell her my favourite girl's name is Poesie... lol

This has been an absolutely brilliant thread, thanks to all that replied.

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