Have you had any really negative reactions to name choices?

123Jump I read your post and my first thought was "Sure you couldn't call a child that!". I can't even view Bosco as a name/nice name, it's just....Bosco, Bosco Bosco! :D

We named our fourth Rocco.

When I told my mum she said it was dogs name.
When I told fil he said "is that what you're calling him then?"

If you're Irish you'll get this.
I really wanted to call one of my DSs Bosco.
I love the name, and I know some older guys called that, as it was just a normal irish name before You Know Who came along.
To say i was laughed out of town is putting it mildly!
Except by my mum, who knows a guy called that and she likes him,.

I cannot find anything to dislike about Leo - it's a really nice name!

Fortunately we've never had any negative reactions to our DS's name, but my mum asked what we would have called him if he'd been a girl, and when I said he would have been Ramona, she screwed up her face and said she couldn't pronounce it (WTF?) and made a really big deal of it.

I still feel bad because, years ago when I had no concept of ever being a parent, SIL told me a possible choice for her DD and I told her it was awful. The name they eventually chose was far nicer though. I hope I didn't offend too much.

We aren't telling ours till it is here. My Dad is Mr Opinion and whatever name I say he will screw up face and bark the name as in "Lucy? Lucy??? No!". He will still do it when presented with baby but I will shut him down if he does that.

I think it's a great name too.

We had a bit of negativity too and I stopped telling people in the end.

I think I would have preferred people to be honest and tell me a justifiable reason as to why they didn't like the name we chose for dd instead of offering hideous alternatives that were nowhere near along the same lines and didn't fit my brief at all.

I didn't mind as long as they were helpful. But I remember telling Mil I wanted something a bit continental, not popular at the moment and with a beautiful meaning, possibly flowery, she came out with Jane and Ashley!

Now dd is here we have only had nice comments, the ones who don't comment are just ambivalent and that's fine.

Everyone hated our baby name.

"That's probably the worst name I've ever heard"

"Please don't call your child that"

"Over my dead body" (Mil)

"You're giving her a stripper name"

And actual laughter.

We still used it

Upon naming my brother, my mother was told by my grandfather that his name was "a dog's name". Naice. She stuck to her guns though.

I personally think that Rover is a U.U. (unique and unusual) name, (all the rage at the moment dontchaknow), so don't know what all the fuss was about

My son has a family name on my mum's side which has always been used as a middle name. Her reaction? "What a funny old fashioned choice" My daughter didn't fair much better. Mum turned her nose up even it was pointed our the name ( a proper name btw) was a joining of her name and her sisters. Knickers to nay sayers even if they are family!

Yes, DD's name is a complete "marmite" name. People have gone "oh. That's...unusual."

The best one was 3 days after I had her we ventured out for a walk, the neighbours came out to see her in her pram.

One said "Whoever thought that one up?"

I replied: "Me. I thought it up. Lovely isn't it?"

How effing rude are some people? By the way, Leo Alexander is gorgeous!

I called my dad from the maternity ward and told him Ds name. He said "oh well, you can always change your mind". He completely denies saying it now though 17 months later.

Leo and Alexander were both on our list for DS

We didn't tell anyone our final choice of name until he arrived. When we told Mil she said 'oh dear. How about calling him X instead?' When DM arrived to meet him, I said, 'don't tell me if you don't like his name'... She said 'I don't like that name!'

Fwiw it's a top 100 name, no more outrageous than Leo or Alexander.

However, two and a half years down the line, DM recently told me that she is getting used to his name now, so there is hope! DM and MIL are both wonderful grandparents too, I wasn't expecting such negative reactions

DS has the same name as a car. My DB asked if we were joking when we told him the name and my Dad suggested we call him by another car name as he didn't like the one we had chosen.

Now they love the name and say it suits him.

Stupid in my mind your kids are now called Dougal and Ermintrude!

Is Leo here yet?!

A common theme here from parents and in laws!

When I told mum DS3's name, she just said 'oh well we didn't like DT1's name either but we got used to it'. Cheers Mum

When we picked ds1 name, it was a case of...

"Ffs why did you pick that name! Don't like it"

We picked a name we both liked and stuck to it ....

It's the same name as the man who built the andthe animals went two by two

Oh, and we've never had any negative reactions to his name. If people don't like it, they're too polite to show it - which is as it should be!

Leo (also with a middle name beginning with A, not Alexander though!) is our five month old DS' name so I'm biased - it's a great name. Ignore ignore :)

I am surprised that got any response at all. It is very ordinary.

My mil has recently announced to my dh that she really doesn't like our dd's middle name & why on earth did we choose it. DD is 4.5 & mil had kept quiet up til now, why did she feel the need to share that view, it really annoyed me! I'm normally a very mild mannered person/ don't let her (silly) comments get to me, but it gave me the rage!

Never in real life but on MN apparently my DS has a dog's name and my dd had a cow's name!

In rl everyone is polite, in fact, with ds1 I came up with a name combination that sounded great. When I realised its from a joke everyone told me they assumed I knew! I didn't use it btw.

yes! to all four of our dc's names. We've had all sorts of comments - 'you've made it up', 'where the hell did you find that from', 'its chavvy', 'its a dogs name', 'its not a real name', 'how can I tell my friends that's their name!', 'my friends think I cant spell when I tell them your dc names'... all accompanied with expressions. Mostly my mother btw. Oh how we laughed

Be the bigger, better person and don't give a toss what others think. They'll get over their little trip and you, in the long run, won't resent them at all for trying to dissuade you from naming your baby what YOU wish to.
Leo Alexander is gorgeous! Strong and noble.
And your sister will get over herself in time. Once everyone meets your precious baby, all that 'name angst' will go out the window. This has happened to me with all three births... it just all goes away and years from now, no one will remember disagreeing over Leo Alexander's name. He'll be Leo, the boy you all adore!

I didn't tell anyone DS. name until he arrived. It's a top ten name that I've always loved. My family were a bit off, asking me what made me pick it. They'd suggested names to me when I was pregnant and were obviously miffed that I didn't use any of them. I was bit upset by their quiet disappointment but am over it now - sod them.