So, (D)M has just told me she hates our proposed name for DC2.

I know a baby Otto in Belgium. I wouldn't use it though if without a germanic connection.

Totally agree with Chasndon, I just don't understand why people feel the need to discuss every detail of their baby's life (ie: its sex, name etc etc) with anyone else before it is even born?

Your mum's probably thinking of this. I'm afraid when I hear the name Otto, I always hear it in Graham Chapman's voice....

Your child, your choice, though.

Can I just ask EVERYONE on here, to never ever disclose a preferred name until the baby is born?!

Telling people the name before is like asking for feedback (comments)= trouble

Telling them the name once baby is born means they just have to accept it, and won't comment, as the name is then a FACT

OP, do what you like :)

Actually, in Germany the name is very uncool and used by a famous comedian. It is very old fashioned there.

I think foreign names are fine so long as you dont have to use a foreign accent to pronounce it correctly, so, for example, if you are both British

• Astrid fine
• Jean-Baptiste not fine

Therefore, Otto fine. When you said dog's name I immediately thought Rex- never met a dog called Otto

I can't believe how opinionated people are about names. It really is nothing to do with them. Choose a name you like and stick to it. They are nearly all a matter of fashion anyway.

When I hear 'otto' I always think 'eight' in Italian. Is he, by any chance, your 8th child? (probably not). Oh well.

I too have never met a dog called Otto, but it'san excellent name and if I ever get another dog I may call him Otto. We do currently have a dog who rejoices in one of the name suggested upthread. :o

my mum didn't like DN name. told DB and SIL when they suggested it before baby was born. Was sniffy when they were going to use it once baby was born. Once they decided to actually go ahead, mum shut up and has never mentioned it since.
I think once a name becomes a child, the name changes and becomes them, and then you love it because it is the child.
Go with your choice. There are so many different names around now, I don't think kids get teased about names really any more.

When ds was born the lady in the bed opposite had a ptolomy, tolly for short, you should of seen the looks on the midwives faces every time one came in and she told them the baby's name, it was priceless

I don't think that Otto is particularly out there, that people will necessarily assume a German connection (Behind the name has it as German/Scandinavian/English/Dutch/Finnish), or that it would particularly be teasing fodder (depending on where you live and the likely names of school fellows). It's not my cup of tea, but then I don't think that's particularly relevant (far too many people decided they liked my choice of name!). I'd take zipzap's approach and tell your parents that you reflected and are opting for say Attila, Zeus or Ptolomy perhaps...

dh's parents were told that his name was 'a dogs name'. It was the most popular name for boys in the year he was born!

My MIL laughed at us for considering bog standard Harry.

You cant please all of the people all of tge time. Thankfully the only two people who have to like it are you and your dh.

Oops - forgot to say - Hugo is great, but getting very popular, much to my brothers disgust.

FWIW I think the name is awful unless you live in Germany and think he probably will be teased (think history lessons and Bismarck), but yes, it's your choice.

I love Otto! It's a great name.

Fwiw, my mum hated all her grandchildren's names, but she has just had to get used to them

i like it and i would ignore your dm!

if it helps my parents and my mil really did NOT like the names we chose for our children but they are fine with them now and htey have grown on them and they dont comment about them anymore, tho each time iwas pregnant my mil did ask if 'just this one time i would give her grandchild a name that she likes' when her choices were names like Gordon then umm no!

Let us know what you decide.. I got loads of moaning from my sister about ds name and now she loves it, and mil moans about every grandchilds name! Think it's a hobby of hers.

I like it. I have never met a dog called otto. And it's your business what you call your baby. Your mum will just have to stick it!

I think it's a good name, also, your DM has heard of Jack Russell, hasn't she?

If you do decide not to use it though, would your DH consider Hugh (pronounced Hew) rather than Hugo?
Also, how about Octavian?

Loving duke de'vil. Am pg at the mo mind if I pinch?

I still wish I had stuck to my guns and called DS Spike.

It's not a name I'd choose but that's not really the point - it's your choice. I would politely but firmly tell them so.

I like it. When you said a dogs name I was thinking more of Fido and Rover

Go with what you like and so everyone else.

You could pick a stupendous hideous name and tell your mother you are calling him that instead - something that will horrify her alot more than Otto (not that I think Otto is horrifying at all). Then when you revert back to Otto she will be relieved.

If you like it then stick with it.

In the mean time, choose a different, completely outlandish and completely not what you are going to use name that will annoy your pil even more, and say that instead of Otto you are considering Duke D'vil Lexus Lager Snotbuster (or whatever you think will rile your PIL - apologies to anybody that likes the names listed ).

They will have to either pretend to like the new name as you have said you are considering the new one because of them or they will rant and rave about how it is dreadful.

Then when Otto is born and you announce that actually, he looks like an Otto after all, they will be so relieved that you aren't calling him Duke D'vil etc that they will quite like it.

Oh and when my mum did this to my sis and bil about their dd2's name and said it was a dog's name (it's not, it's a nice girl's name that might occasionally get used as a dog's name by people that give their dog's people names rather than a dog's name iyswim) he decided to use my mum's name for one of his dogs or cows the next time he needed to name a girl animal (not sure which it got used for, he's a farmer so there are plenty of animals around to name if need be) so that my mum - who of course considers her name to be a proper person name - now can't argue about it also being a dog name...

not sure if you have pets but maybe your next pair of goldfish/ferrets/dogs/etc could be called after MIL and PIL ?? [evil grin smiley!]

Otto? Von Bismarck is my initial response. With a mental image of the pickelhaube. Don't do it.