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

My ds knows a 3 year old Bear, so your ds is not alone. It's fine. There'll always be a slight initial reaction, but that is what happens with unusual names. They can be a useful twit filter-those who witter on about it are letting you know what tiresome people they are. He'll be fine, so if you still like it don't change it.

Makes me think of the delicious Bear Grylls ....so I like it.
Mind you I have a Ted and I know a Hunter....

It is stupid, he will be be beaten & ridiculed. if you love him, change it.

I can get on board with Wolf, as it's also a surname so doesn't sound too outlandish, also I believe that in Germany it's quite a popular shortened form of Wolfgang.

If I met someone whose non nickname, actual official name was Bear I would assume their parents desperately wanted people to see their kids and by extension they themselves as being cool. I do see that you are inevitably making a statement about yourself no matter what you call your child. So ok Bear isn't the very worst. Also I suppose Behr is a surname too so you could claim some German lineage.

Tiger however is ALL kinds of wrong. I've noticed it popping up recently (e.g. the actor who plays the older boy in Outnumbered) and I just cannot understand why anyone would inflict this on their child.

Most names, even the most unusual/foreign/funny ones tend to just become the person who owns the name and people don't think of the name, just the person. Go with Bear - it is much more original, less overused and cooler than Edward/Ted.

In fact, I think it is quite sad that so many of us would rather choose a top 10 name that is already used by thousands of others than a cool, slightly less common names. It is not like the OP called her son Poopoohead or UglyPugly. She called him a fairly normal name, albeit one that isn't used that widely. And the Wolf and Tiger I know are both lovely, lovely boys/teenagers.

I'm in complete disagreement with everyone else. I like the name Bear, and would stick with it.

Be brave Kidderminster Kate.

If you are a film/pop star or tv personality you can call your child 'UglyMug' and no-one will bat an eyelid. If you live in London, not many people would bat an eyelid.

If you live in A-F-Nowhere (as I used to) the child will be teased mercilessly. I used to live there and have a fairly 'normal' name (not unheard of or weird, but not all that common) and I used to get some fairly nasty bullying over it.

I have to say, if I was introduced to someone (adult or child) who was called 'Bear' I would assume it was a nickname. I worked with someone whose first name was Teddy and surname sounded very very much like 'Bear'. He was a very serious man though.

Didn't Alicia Silverstone call her DS Bear Blu? I'd just think you/your DP were big fans of her and copied the name.

I think the problem is that people are taken aback by this name already and the baby is 10wks old.

OP is finding it embarrasing and is finding it hard to deal with already.

Kids will tease him. It is inevitable.

OP, you need to know whether you will be able to deal with the constant requests to repeat/spell/clarify his name as how you react will have an effect on how your son will react.

If you are finding it hard to deal with people's reactions, then you have to question whether this is fair on your son.

However, if you feel you can cope with it, can react positively and confidently and therefore can show your son how to react and deaal with it, the go for it!

Wow, befuzzled, I batted an eyelid when I found out a GP who was seeing me was called Jemima. Trying to imagine what I'd have felt if it had been Pixie... I suppose with a GP called Pixie you just know seriously suspect that that person had to fight against their hippy family laissez-faire attitude to claw they way up through medical studies.

How many stereotypes did I just manage to cram into 5 lines? The point is though that most people do it. I think if there is a combination of serious name and fanciful name at least they have the choice. I always think about Frank Zappa's son, who ended up changing his name and becoming an accountant or something, and also always slightly wonder whether Bob Geldof's daughters haven't been typecast by their names. (although the oldest one with the really silly name is now a nurse I think).

Do you know initially I was OMG what a ridiculous name but now I love it !!It totally grown on me

" If you live in a more cosmopolitan area children won't bat an eyelid."

Only if by "cosmopolitan" you mean "stuffed with dumb celebrity names".

423 posts later...your choice is

1. Keep Bear Alexander but at school, forms etc underline the middle name as the one to be known as i.e. Bear Alexander

1. Change BC to Edward (Arthur, Barney, Bernie ) but keep Bear as NN

1. Change BC to Alexander Bear (doesn't actually sound as good imho but it is easier on him and you can always shorten it to Xander which was one of your original choices)

As a teacher I think Bear is -wait for it- too much for him to bare.
As a nickname it is fab.
As the name on the bc but Alexander as the failsafe (i.e. name to be commonly known as) would be the compromise for me if in the UK you have that option of course.

Bear is a really, really stupid name to give a child. You need to change it.

There is nothing cosmopolitan about Bear. This is half the problem.

I think Bear Alexander is a pretty good name actually. But you (and your son) need to be thick skinned if you don't live in a cosmopolitan area. Round here, no one would bat much of an eyelid I don't think. I like it. Keep it. Maybe always emphasise that he has 2 names and then he can be Alex at secondary school if it worries him. I am not sure it will though in 2020 whatever.

Also, surely Bear Grylis, real name or not, has paved the way?

My GP is called Pixie. I don't take her less seriously as a result.

Maybe it depends upon where you live. If you live in a more cosmopolitan area children won't bat an eyelid.

Sorry, but Bear is a ridiculous name for a child and it will cause people to laugh and titter at him or whisper about it. Edward on the other hand is a lovely name.

This is not an "unusual" name though. It is a cruel one. People are already laughing at it.

He will get teased in the playground because kids are like that. You can pretend as much as you like that he won't but it's going to happen. I am begging you, for the sake of your child's future happiness, to change his name. Give him the name Edward then call him Bear as a nickname. Then when he's old enough he can choose to use Edward, Ted, Ed or, if he wants to, Bear.

If I have another one I'm going to call him Gobshite. By the law of averages I'll get at least 40% of the people I tell saying "Hey, great name! If you love it, that's all that matters! It'll make him so cool to his friends!". Bloody hell.

I don't think he will get teased in the playground. There are lots of unusual names these days. Keep it.

If it's what you really want to do then change his name. You 've got until he's 12 months but if it's what you're going to do then do it sooner rather than later.

"You are the one that will use it all day everyday"

No, the child is the one who has to use it every day of their lives.