Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Baby names

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

Rose and Fred

69 replies

upsandowns · 11/08/2012 22:17

My daughter is nearly 2 and called Rose (Rosie)

Our next baby arrives in December and we wanted to call him Fred.

The unpleasant association didn't cross our minds until we shared the idea with a few friends but now it feels wrong to keep Fred as it stands as an option. So we are considering Wilfred.

Thoughts? Still too close to Fred? Too old fashioned?

Thanks everyone

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
CleoSmackYa · 13/08/2012 16:55

Noooo!

Arabellasmella · 13/08/2012 16:48

Really shocked. Absolutely not!!! Think would probably steer away from Wilf too to be on safe side.

imustbepatient · 13/08/2012 14:32

Wilfred is still too close and as another poster mentioned above you won't be able to control what nn people use for him when he is at school etc hence he could still be called Fred instead of Wilf, despite your best efforts.

Plus (and it's purely personal of course!) I'm not sure Wilfred / Wilf is a nice enough name to warrant taking the risk.

I'm sure you'll find something else which you like just as much.

Dogsmom · 13/08/2012 14:26

I rememeber Rosie & Jim too and now have the theme song stuck in my head 'chugging along in the old Rag doll'

sorry, I digress, also agree with the masses about not using a name that'd be shortened to Fred.

SirBoobAlot · 13/08/2012 12:59

You really really can't do that. No.

rockinhippy · 13/08/2012 12:58

Ditto here, my first thoughts also the Wests & I thought Troll

Kaluki · 13/08/2012 12:55

Wanda - clearly we are the only two old enough to remember Rosie and Jim!!!
Shock

Viviennemary · 12/08/2012 18:50

Absolultely not. It would be sick.

Back2Two · 12/08/2012 18:32

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn due to privacy concerns

mogandme · 12/08/2012 18:31

Best friends dc are Rosie and Fred; the connotation never crossed my mind.

DelGirl · 12/08/2012 18:27

west connection here too before I opened the thread. What about Edward?

WandaDoff · 12/08/2012 18:22

How about Jim? Grin

TodaysAGoodDayForTeamGB · 12/08/2012 10:27

Please not Fred. People will be making the connection for years to come, and the kids will get taunted me thinks.

BuntCadger · 12/08/2012 10:26

William?

BuntCadger · 12/08/2012 10:25

No no no no no

LarkinSky · 12/08/2012 10:24

I thought this was a joke too. Rose and Fred (which Wilfred would definitely be shortened to) were two of the UK's most notorious serial killers, who murdered children. Their crimes are still fresh and they're not going to be forgotten anytime this century.

Sorry, I too think you can't use any name that could potentially be shortened to Fred as you already have a Rose.

DoItOnce · 12/08/2012 01:46

Wilfred is too close. Sorry. Rose is a beautiful name.

DoItOnce · 12/08/2012 01:45

Wilfred is too close. Sorry. Rose is a beautiful name.

NoComet · 12/08/2012 01:29

Fred's a daft name regardless of West.

Rose is lovely (I have a cousin Rosie), needs a nice classic boys name to go with it. Jonathan, Thomas, Edward, James Benjamin not Fred and not something modern and datable.

PedanticPanda · 12/08/2012 01:21

I thought that before I even opened the thread, avoid Fred. I think Wilfred is too close too.

xmasevebundle · 12/08/2012 01:13

I like the name rose and fred alot.

Im 19(i read from ted bundy to jeff dahmers i love serial killer books and how someone can kill another its just very f*cked up lol)

I dont think most kids will no who Rose and Fred West are.

But Wilfred is nice, either way people will hate or love it. I love old fashioned name on boys its nice to hear it.

Kaluki · 11/08/2012 23:12

Oh no not Fred and definitely not Wilfred.
How about Jim....
Grin

TiggerWearsATriteSmile · 11/08/2012 23:06

Walter? Really. Stop now .

Edward is good with NN Ted.

BustersOfDoom · 11/08/2012 23:02

Just no.

As a parent you think you can influence the nickname or shortened version of your DC's name. But you can't for very long. If you insist he should be called Wilf and the whole of his class call him Fred then you aren't going to be able to change that. I speak from experience. My DS is known to everyone by the shortened version of his name we refused to acknowledge when he was little. He likes it and that's good enough for me but fortunately there are no links to a serial killer with his name.

And to be honest I really don't like Wilfred. It's just far too old fashioned for me.

ColourMeWithChaos · 11/08/2012 23:00

Isn't there a Wilf in the Biff and Chip books? I may just be having a moment there though...