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Baby names

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

Original poster

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

486 replies

KidderminsterKate · 04/03/2012 12:48

Well, title says it all really. DS is 10 weeks old and is a handsome smilng chap already so gets alot of attention. My parents hate his name but are sort of used to it...my other DC's love the name but its HVs and shop keepers and friends and friends of friends that usually just eh and then oh.

I wasnt bothered at first but now its starting to get to me. I do love the name but am a bit embarrassed now.

Would these sort of things make you change the name??? I'm thinking of changing it to Edward (Ted).

OP posts:
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edam · 20/09/2012 20:12

Glad you are happy with it, OP.

Callipygian · 20/09/2012 20:10

I think its a great name, very manly

Badgerina · 20/09/2012 17:14

Hahahaha! Ok I just read the rest of the thread. Fair dos OP! Glad it worked out for you.

Badgerina · 20/09/2012 17:13

Bear sounds like Bare. It sounds like naked.

It's also what all the kids say to mean "extremely" or "very"

e.g.: "That is BARE/BEAR good, blud!"

I would change it to Edward asap and call him Bear for a nn.

DoingItForMyself · 20/09/2012 17:06

I loved it then and I still love it now - v Envy as I wish I'd thought of it! Love Fox too.

Niceupthedance · 20/09/2012 17:00

Good for you OP. there was a Fox at my playgroup and he was cool.

bulletwithbutterflywings · 20/09/2012 16:59

Good for you, it's a gorgeous name :)

5madthings · 20/09/2012 16:51

yay Grin

Original poster
KidderminsterKate · 20/09/2012 16:41

Not been on MN for ages.......but thought I'd come back and update. I road the storm out and Bear is now 9 months. It trips off the tongue without embarrassment now and I love it. I can't imagine him as anything else and at playgroup the name seems to fit in with the others e.g. Archie, Billy, Freddie, Frank...even a Bruce!

Glad I stuck to it but still surprised I was 'brave' enough to do it - must have been the hormones! My others kids have unusual ish names but nothing like Bear!

OP posts:
threeleftfeet · 09/03/2012 15:12

i'm a fan of unusual names.

i would change it to give him an option, but continue to call him Bear as his NN.

FWIW I know someone who's called an animal name. his mum gave it to him as a NN when he was two and it's just his name now. It's how he introduces himself as it to new people and he's in his mid 30s now., I couldn't imagine him called anything else!

CaptainHetty · 09/03/2012 14:01

It's not something I would use personally, and I'm afraid I'd probably be a bit.. O_o if I heard someone call it out at the park or something. I agree with a PP who said most babies 'suit' cute names, its as they get older it might be slightly more of an issue.

But, that said, he is your child and if you genuinely like the name you shouldn't change it based on other people's opinions. I would perhaps consider giving him a more traditional middle name so if he decides it's holding him back or anything as an adult he can use an alternative.

Solo · 09/03/2012 13:43

What a lovely name!! I love it and think you should be brave and keep it. Before you know it, you'll hear of a few more boys called Bear and you'll start getting cross that your Ds isn't the only one! (happened to me with Dd's name ~ heard of another baby with her name just yesterday).

It's a fab name KK. :)

SlinkingOutsideInFrocks · 08/03/2012 00:09

The fact the OP is embarrassed after 10 weeks, says it all....

MrsJoeDuffy · 07/03/2012 23:51

Befuzzled is your GP Dr Pixie off the telly? Her real name s Bernadette.

maddiemostmerry · 07/03/2012 22:26

My maiden name was in a bear/bare vein. I hated it. Constantly had the piss taken out of it all through school. Everyone thought they were the first to make the jokeHmm
I couldn't wait to get rid of it.
Be prepared for him to have a lot of "Are you bare, bear?" "Are you mummies little teddy bear, bear?" type comments.

I would keep it as a nickname but change it. Sorry

MorrisZapp · 07/03/2012 21:57

Why for the love of god can't people give their kids proper names and then use whatever name they like in the family.

It really gets my goat. The world seems awash with people calling their kids after other peoples nicknames... Bear, Junior etc.

Why wouldn't you just call him Edward then let the nickname develop the way nicknames are meant to?

You did ask for an opinion. Bear is adorable, I call my wee boy my bear all the time. But I wouldn't name a child darling or sweetheart.

BorderDancer · 07/03/2012 21:43

p.s one of my best friends has a Ted. We call him Tedders

See someone did mention Teddy Bear....slinks off

BorderDancer · 07/03/2012 21:42

I think it's ok as a middle name. Definitely think his name should be Edward Bear Rumplestiltskin. However if it's Edward Bear, some smart arse will call him Teddy Bear. Sorry if that's come up, my eyes are hurting from a combination of reading and giggling at the guessing names!

DialMforMummy · 07/03/2012 20:30

I don't particularly like it but I think you should tell people to shove it.

BlueAndRedMakePurple · 07/03/2012 19:35

Bear? I'm really not sure how I feel about it.

But I'm in the camp of give them a proper name on their BC. My ds1 is TJ Shock, but they are his initials. DH would have had him Teejay on the BC Hmm but I put my foot down and gave him a name he could use as an adult. Although he's actually a bit young for his name at the moment!

PercyFilth · 07/03/2012 17:38

A major problem with Bear is that it sounds like Bare. That really should settle the matter.

chandellina · 07/03/2012 15:04

great name, don't listen to the naysayers.

detachandtrustyourself · 07/03/2012 14:02

It's not about the OP being brave, it's about forcing her little boy to be brave.

Be brave kidder and change it to a normal name that he won't have to develop character building strategies to deal with odd looks, teasing and bullying.

minko · 07/03/2012 13:52

Back on the Tee Jay thing - DS goes to school with a boy called TJ who has a brother called AJ. And that's their names, not initials... I think Bear is a fine name by comparison.

GooseyLoosey · 07/03/2012 13:41

Agree go with Edward as a first name, but for the love of God do not then use Bear as a middle name. You cannot saddle him with Teddy Bear for his whole life.

by the way, we know a little Ted and no one has ever teased him for his name.