If you're thinking "I love the name, but I don't think I'm brave enough to use iit"

None of that is remotely brave to me.

Hmm I will never ever be convinced that the parents of people with unusual names were 'brave'.

Even Randi Russell's parents.

Randi Russell is a beautiful, classic name OP! But I bet you were one of 10 Randis in your class....

histiny But I don't think introducing yourself as an unusual name takes much bravery if it's always been your name. It's just who you are. Your parents have to be brave in taking the plunge and going for it and trusting you'll like it in the future.

I can see both sides of this argument, of course, but my parents had another much more unusual name in mind for me and they said they couldn't bring themselves to be brave enough to go for it, and I wish they had.

Yes Bertrand is a strong unisex name and Randi is very brave

'Baby Bertrand'

But no, your parents tell people your name for 3-4 years of your life- the rest of the time it's down to you. In the million or so discussions I've had about my name, my parents have barely entered into it. I am the one who deals with it everyday, not them.

DD has an unusual name. She likes it. There are two children in the class who often have to correct supply teachers about their names. One is DD. The other is called Charlie. The child who cried because of being teased about her name is an Alice. And the two who have changed their names were originally Megan and Theo.

But parents who choose unusual names ARE "being brave" because actually people generally aren't rude to the child themselves about their name (unless they're real nasty fuckers), they're rude to the parents, and the parents have to defend their child. Which takes a bit of bravery. eg standing up to all the people who make a face when you tell them the name you're thinking of for your child.

My point is that someone will always struggle with any name to some extent, even so-called safe ones: eg "Is that Anne with an "e"?" "Is it Sarah or Sara?" "John or Jon?"

Just use whatever name you like. Incidentally, do you think Bertrand Russell's parents cared about wrinkled noses when they introduced their new baby Bertrand?

AnUtterIdiot - please use the name you love. The child won't get the same reaction you get, other children won't notice at all and I bloomin well hope adults would not be so rude to a child!

I think betrands point was it's not the namer who has to carry the out-there name it's the namee, so what's it got to do with the parent "being brave"?
Are people deliberately not getting that?

But when people talk about being brave, they are generally talking about using a name which isn't complete in their peer group. Some people would see it as brave to call a child Jayden. Some people would see it as brave to call a child Hugo. Both are perfectly normal names.

But there is a huge difference between picking a name not in the top 50 and picking a name that you know before hand could cause issues but then doing it anyway.

My name is Charlotte. Often mentioned as a nice, classic, can't-go-wrong name on here. A safe choice.

But I still have to spell it out for people constantly. I can't believe how many times I've had post etc addressed to Sharlot or Charlet or similar. I hate it! Also, it doesn't actually mean anything. And it's so common that I was one of about 20 Charlottes at my school. Worst of both worlds. Wish my parents had been braver tbh.

My sister is called Chloë. At the time, it counted as a crazy "brave" choice in a sea of Catherines, Allisons and Rebeccas. People couldn't pronounce it or spell it.

Children nowadays are nowhere near as cruel as adults. I work in a really rough school with some really out there names-kids don't bat an eyelid, they are more concerned about their brand of trainers.
Adults are the judgey ones-maybe we should take a leaf out of the kids book here and teach tolerance and acceptance rather than a Katie Hopkins approach to life. The world would be a very dull place if we all had the same taste.

My first MN post (before I really understood MN!) was about my 'out there' baby name options. I was basically told that if I gave my child any of the names it was tantamount to child abuse. I cried quite a lot! I honestly wish I'd never posted and used my favourite name.

Oh get over yourself. Where would the world be if people weren't brave? All names at some point were either made up or taken from the world around them. As others have said, what's brave to some is ubiquitous to others. My friend thought I was brave for using Jude but her kids are Harry and Jack. How brave a name is perceived to be is all relative to your own choice of name. I would never pick something in the top 50 and I'm not a fan of traditional names but that is my choice and I respect that others feel differently. How awful would it be if there were only a few name options in the world.

That is true chaffinch but you just need to look at threads on here to know we are a long way from that. In the meantime your child has to live with those reactions for the whole of their life.

I was at a baby group once where a child with a 'brave' name was introduced to the group. He was with nursery staff, not parents, so people felt free to openly snigger :( Poor kid.

The only unpleasantness facing someone with an unusual name is the reaction from other people. Now if everyone could accept people's names, however odd they may seem to them, no one would have to be brave.

Well said Bertrand.

Nonsense. The Mumsnet idea of being 'brave' involves daringly going to the cinema on your own, for heaven's sake. Clearly everyone should just call their offspring George and Olivia and go everywhere in pairs for fear of looking conspicuous.