Everyone laughs at my babies name......thinking of changing it????

See the problem with Bear is that it isn't actually a name, is it?

No more so than zebra or wildebeest

I have the solution - why not change his name to Bruno?

I wouldnt change it ..think its a great name.

I know exactly how you feel though ,when i had my first son 20 years ago i choose a name that people laughed at ...my mother refused to call my son by his name and called him baby for the first 7 months :)

I think you will regret changing it.

Just a suggestion, Welsh for bear is 'arth' how about Arthur?!

I like it but only as a nickname. What were you thinking Kate?

I'd definitely change it to Edward on his BC.You can still call him Bear.

I'd change it to Edward I think. With Bear as a lovely nickname.

Bear is BRILLIANT! Don't change it. I wouldn't have the nerve to use it but it would make me happy to meet someone who had.

Rupert Bear?

Bear is cute - as someone who was relieved to discover that this baby is a girl because I couldn't get past wanting to call a boy Wolfie, I have no right to judge. However, I do think it might be nice for him to have a sensible name to use for job applications etc. Has he got a normal middle name he could use for that? If so, I wouldn't bother changing.

By the way, Bear could be a nn for Bernard see here.

Schrodingers Mew, now I want to know what your name is!

GinPalace, toupee tape. I imagine.

Really can't understand anyone calling a child BEAR.

Do him a favour and change it to John.

We had someone at Primary school with an unusual first name and he just used his middle name. The teacher announced his full name and then told us to use his middle name, so it was no secret and we all thought it was fab that he was able to use his other name :)

I love Bear. I was pushed into giving DD my favourite name as her middle name, because everyone said she would be teased.

I can't see what's so wrong with Bear - after all there are (a few) kids called Tiger or Wolf, not to mention all the other animal-related names - Robin, Cat, Bea, Jay, Jenny, Jack etc.. that are just commonplace.
If you love it, stick with it. After the initial surprise, it stops being an issue and it becomes accepted. Sod what other people think.
I don't buy the what about when he's an adult argument either, if he turns out to be a doctor/lawyer whatever he will be Dr X or Mr X not Dr Bear!

I know a Bear, he's a very dashing young Captain in the British Army!

always thought it was his nickname until I saw his ID card.

If you don't change it then he will when he grows up. And I don't think he will thank you for having it as a name in the mean time or having the faff of changing.

By all means keep it as a nickname, but do give him a proper name he can use on job applications and the like.

While your other DC like the name, they are children and won't have given any thought about the consequences of giving a baby such an unusual name.

quickhide i am guessing your brother was Conan! i had that on my names list for ds4, but dp wasnt so keen, because of the films but i had never seen them so it didnt have that link for me, i still like the name!

i think Bear is fine and the child can change it themselves if they want to later, does he have a middle name op?

i don't like it. when he's a pre teen/teen he will get ribbed Bear/Bare.

Another YES vote here, it is fabulous. You can't please all of the people all of the time, and nor should you aim to. Go with what you like, if he doesn't like it when he is older, he can change it.

Bear is his real full name? Sorry but you should change it. Imagine a lanky 15 year old 'hi I'm Bear'... It's just not fair. The fact that you want to change it to Ted makes me giggle... Do you have a stuffed toy obsession?

Fine as a nickname, but better to have Edward on his birth certificate. I have to confess that I would probably have a bit of a giggle about meeting a child called Bear, but only because it would make me think that the parents were great admirers of Bear Grylls, who is a knob of epic proportions.

I'm surprised no one has suggested Winnie. Or Pooh.

Seriously, I do not think Bear is a good idea as a first name. Other people have made the points very well, so I won't go over the same ground.

Re Bjorn meaning bear. Fair do's, but is Bjorn a homophone for a word meaning naked? I'm guessing not.

I love it, and thought about it for a middle name for my DS. But as his name is Teddy, my DH said No.

Keep it definitely, who cares what anyone else thinks. So much nicer to have a name that no one else has. I bet no one laughs at Bear Gryles (yes I know his name is Edward but bet you most don't).

Aha Wheresmycaffeine, but hasn't he changed his name by deedpoll to Bear now? At least that's what I read on Wikipedia so it must be true

Another vote for changing it to Edward on the bc though. My brother has a v unusual name - the name of a famous barbarian played by Arnold Schwarzaneger, and he was the least barbarian like kid you could meet! Kids at school were not slow to point out the irony...

I actually like it!

And a big fuck off to whoever slated Jack as a name. Names don't make a child fall into the background dull personalities do.