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Baby names

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

Original poster

Is this name just asking for trouble or perfectly okay?

119 replies

KnittedC · 07/02/2013 19:48

I'm currently 38 weeks pregnant with my first (don't know if we're having a boy or a girl) but I'm not sure whether one of the names we are thinking of is too out there or not. The day we found out we were pregnant I suggested this name for a boy and DP was adamant there was no way; but since then it has sort of stuck and now he is even more keen on it than I am! The name we are thinking of is Grover.

Because we've discussed it back and forth for so many months I'm not sure if I have clarity anymore over whether it's horrible or not, but we both really love it and it just feels right. It also goes well with the surname. What does everyone think - would it be unreasonable to call our son Grover?

Of course, it's possible that after all this we have a girl and this is moot Smile

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Floweryhat · 07/02/2013 20:36

Elmo would be (infiitessimally) better. Grover makes me think of Rover, groover or Michael gove. To me it just isn't a real name.

loler · 07/02/2013 20:36

Cool nickname

DontEvenThinkAboutIt · 07/02/2013 20:33

Umm, that is quite an interesting name.

I just asked my DD what she thought and she said:

"you mean like in Seaseme Street"

CaseyShraeger · 07/02/2013 20:32

I do think "muppet" but if I suppress that reaction then I like it well enough. I don't think I could get past the muppetiness of it for my child, but if you can then it wouldn't be terrible.

What about Abby Cadabby for a girl ?

HenriettaChicken · 07/02/2013 20:28

I think it's quite cool. Never watched SS, though. I thought 'Washington'

Original poster
KnittedC · 07/02/2013 20:28

Peevish no, not Americans, we live in the UK.

OP posts:
stradbally · 07/02/2013 20:28

IMO you answered your own question when you said "I don't think it's too dreadful". Surely when any name in the world is open to you, you'd want to choose something special and beautiful. There must be other names you're both drawn to which aren't ugly - and I think deep down you know Grover just is, otherwise you wouldn't feel the need to ask others if it's ok.

amillionyears · 07/02/2013 20:28

If he is cool he will be fine.
If he is not....maybe not so

PickledInAPearTree · 07/02/2013 20:28

It's a shocker !

GirlOutNumbered · 07/02/2013 20:27

No. I changed my mind.

It's a muppets name.

OutragedFromLeeds · 07/02/2013 20:27

I've been through this OP, considered both Grover and Elmo and I do still quite like both of them, but they're not useable, they're muppets. Thankfully the crazy fog lifted in time and neither have been used.

DON'T DO IT!

Viviennemary · 07/02/2013 20:26

It's really absolutely awful. One of the worst I've heard on here. Please don't. The teasing at school will be horrendous.

GirlOutNumbered · 07/02/2013 20:26

I laughed when I first heard it as its a Muppet, but actually the more you say it, I don't think it sounds too bad.

I think its quite cool

Peevish · 07/02/2013 20:26

I quite like it. I was probably in my teens, though, before I realised it's an actual American name, and not invented for the Sesame Street character. I would think it was appealingly quirky.

Are you Americans, incidentally?

scottishmummy · 07/02/2013 20:25

ghastly try to hard media types name.smacks of try too hard to be trendy

ArbitraryUsername · 07/02/2013 20:21

Honestly, grover is absolutely no worse than the kind of names that everyone gets all enthusiastic over on here! I doubt 24 year old grover is going to have a harder time having job applications taken seriously than Rufus, Artemis and Ptolomy who all applied too.

pictish · 07/02/2013 20:20

I think it's fine.

selsigfach · 07/02/2013 20:19

Makes me think of growler!
It's horrible, sorry.

NotInGuatemalaNowDrRopata · 07/02/2013 20:16

Please don't do it. I can see what's happened, the name's grown on you and you've forgotten why it's such a big "NO!"

You'll meet people and they'll say "And what's this little fellow's name?" and you'll say "Grover" and they'll say, "Pardon?" and you'll repeat yourself and they will either be silent or quickly think of something nice to say. Then they'll go home and say "Can you BELIEVE anyone would do that to their child? That poor, poor kid." Children will go home from school talking about Grover. Their parents won't believe there really is a child called Grover in the class.

When Grover finishes university and tries to get accepted onto a grad programme somewhere, his application will be ignored for his dream job because the recruiter will think its a practice one that someone submitted before doing their real application. If by some miracle he gets an interview, the company will be discussing candidates and one of the old school senior people will say "Grover? Seriously? I'm not having someone called Grover working for me. I am not introducing him to clients."

I'm sorry to be so mean, but you have to see why it's not fair. Can you give him a different name and call him Grover as your pet name for him?

DonderandBlitzen · 07/02/2013 20:14

Groper is nice though.

Snazzynewyear · 07/02/2013 20:13

Not keen, sorry.

MrsMaryCooper · 07/02/2013 20:12

At best he will be called groover at school at worst groper - or possibly grocer.

Don't go there.

Call him Dave.

nemno · 07/02/2013 20:06

I don't like it. It seems like ugly words start with 'gro' , too close to growl, grovel, grot, gross, groper etc.

BoyMeetsWorld · 07/02/2013 20:06

I prefer Elmore

meditrina · 07/02/2013 20:05

It's a name I associate strongly with USA, and I'm not sure it sounds right in UK.

My strongest association is to the satyr in the Percy Jackson books.