Would you use a name you love, knowing there may be rolled eyes?

Willow? As in Buffy the Vampire Slayer's intelligent researcher? Of course you should name her Willow. And set Buffy on them if they do the eye-rolly thing :-)

It's a butter brand; it's a film; weeping willow....think of the associations before you give a seemingly innocuous name. It's a cliché, but children can be cruel.

As a teacher I've come across quite a few Willows and it's not one that has ever struck me as at all pretentious or wacky. I love the name.

Willow isn't that unusual these days and is pretty tame compared to some of the names girls have at my DD's high school. Some of the have definately made me goggle but then I've met the girls and can't imagine them being called anything else now. Wouldn't it be boring if we all used the same names? You'll only name her once so make it one you love xxxxx

My little girl is called Willow 😊 She's just turned 4 months old and I love her name. I've never had anyone look at me weirdly when I've told them her name either, instead I get loads of compliments and the one person who I thought would hate it (my mom) absolutely loves it. It's your choice at the end of the day and what you may like, another may not but vice versa.

The name always reminds me of Britt Ekland in The Wicker Man

Smith? It's not common, it's popular.....!

willow is hardly eyebrow raising, its was the 41th most popular girls name in the country last year, they will get over it, you will learn not to give a fuck

Definitely announce after the birth. I shared a couple of ideas before s1 was born and had such eye-rolling that I started saying "Boy = Fred & if a girl = Ginger" from the Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers films.

Some believed me And my parents thought it funny and brought me 2 teddies when s1 was born who then had to be called Fred & Ginger.
We've still got them and s1 is now 19.

Mitzy I believe I was misnamed in that case!

I'll just observe that around my neck of the woods, which isn't so far from Glastonbury and Frome quite a lot of people call their lurchers and whippets names like Willow (big on rescue dogs here too).

I think it would be a lovely name for a child/teen but I'm not sure a middle-aged mum or aspiring professional could carry it off.

Also, don't even consider it if your surname begins with "C" (far too many things get initialled at school).

Lovely name, go for it. I have a very unusual name and our toddler has a slightly unusual (but not that unusual ) name. In laws (who have no filter) first comment was 'that sounds like a south African drug dealers name'!!!! They've gotten used to it. Everyone has opinions but sod them, do what you think is best.

re DD2's name people just said "oh" and tried very hard not to

But we loved it, she loves it, everyone stopped giving a shit came round and it is a fantastic name.

Willow trees are wide with a short trunk so I don't think a Willow needs to be willowy.

Stuff then.
I know a Willow and she's gorgeous inside and out. Beautiful name

Willow's great. It's not airy fairy, ethereal at all. It's a beautiful tree which gazes at its lover in the water, and puts out catkins. Anything which produces catkins is good in my book!

Had DH not very firmly vetoed it, my son would be called Barnaby, and I wouldn't give a toss about the many, many people I know who would snigger about it. I still love the name and it would really suit him.

One of My DD middle names is Alice and DH relative was all oh, where has that come from? . Is it really that way out there?

Reminds me of Marigold Thackeray, a girl from my uni course. Pretty nature name + solid factory owning surname.

That shows, doesn't it - because Thackeray for me is a distinctly literary name, rather than solid and factory-owning.

Cradle I know an adult called Wilson, he's a lovely guy, universally liked so I have very positive associations. I've never heard anyone comment on his name.

We have a baby Wilson in our family. Nobody likes it apart from the parents but we've never eye rolled or hinted to them at such thoughts. It's their child. If you love it, go for it. There'll always be people who don't like your choice even if you go traditional. We went traditional for our daughter and peoples reaction was always very 'meh', and now I regret not going with something a bit different.

Reminds me of Marigold Thackeray, a girl from my uni course. Pretty nature name + solid factory owning surname. She was great and really suited her name.

Willow is lovely and your surname is your surname, not much to be done about that. If I put it with the three most uncompromising surnames I've come across you get Willow Grime, Willow Pratt, Willow Grubb. May as well pretty them up a bit.

Just use the name you love and expect your family to be polite about it. They may actually love it, and if they don't, they can pretend!

Do people not check the meanings of names before they use them?

Thank you rackham, never heard of it from a Stephen king book but had someone ask if it was after a character from Harry potter, I've never seen it/read the books so had no clue what they were talking about!

Go for it! What a name to have as a girl, these are characteristics I would want my daughter to have!
The willow tree has a deceptive appearance. The trunk is small and seemingly fragile. Branches are long and weepy. Overall, willows appear to be weak and easily breakable. Despite the willow’s delicate aboveground stature, the secret strength to the tree lies in its extensive root system. Underground, willow roots run long, wide, and deep, each one attached in some way to the stem. As violent storms rage, the long, pliable branches of the willow move and stretch with the wind, bending and not breaking.

Absolutely love that JellyBean. Gorgeous name and nn. Love the name Dolores from a Stephen King book. X