Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Made the mistake of telling people my favourite girl's name. Opinions please.

88 replies

Ridiculousness · 02/06/2018 08:03

I'm expecting a baby girl in October, and there is one clear name I like - Tessa. However, when I tell friends and family I don't seem to be getting a positive response. What are your thoughts?

I already have one child called Jack and our surname is fussy and double-barrelled, so something shorter suits it. If you have any suggestions as well as responses to the name Tessa that could be helpful.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
toomanybirds · 02/06/2018 19:22

I love it. And Tess. Makes me think of Thomas Hardy and healthy, ruddy-cheeked country lasses.

LoveInTokyo · 02/06/2018 18:42

Tessa is a nice name.

Don’t tell people you know your potential baby names. That’s what Mumsnet is for!

DramaAlpaca · 02/06/2018 16:22

It's a nice name. I prefer Tess, but Tessa is fine. Don't let anyone put you off it.

Sugarpiehoneyeye · 02/06/2018 16:18

I love the name Tessa (Tess), don't let anyone put you off.😄
How about Tessa Wren ?

Original poster
Ridiculousness · 02/06/2018 16:09

calilark you'll have to tell me if you go for the name Jack! What a coincidence.

Thank you for all of your comments. You've certainly helped me brush off some of the negative faces I received whilst mentioning the name.

From now on, I won't mention it to anyone. And wtffgs I like your idea of pretending to go off it for a while, only to 'change our minds' once she comes along.

OP posts:
Flamingosnbears · 02/06/2018 15:15

Stick with it if you love it, that's the problem when you tell people your choice of name they feel the can have their say... This is your baby to name nobody else's (except your partners)...

userabcname · 02/06/2018 15:08

It's a lovely name. I also learnt the hard way that telling people the name beforehand can lead to unsolicited opinions on the topic! My family didn't explicitly state they didn't like the name we chose, but every single time I saw them before giving birth they'd start listing all the names they liked in a "have you considered x, y and z" kind of way. It was most tiresome! I stuck to my guns through and so should you!

MikeUniformMike · 02/06/2018 15:03

Prefer Tess. It's great.

happytobemrsg · 02/06/2018 15:00

I think it's a lovely name. A bit different but not too out there. FWIW my dad didn't like the name I chose for DS but loved it once he was born, much better than the name he kept pushing on us - go figure Hmm

KnitFastDieWarm · 02/06/2018 14:56

I knew a lovely tessa at university so it’s got very positive associations for me - it’s a pretty name

seven201 · 02/06/2018 11:34

My daughter's middle name is Tessa

Belindabauer · 02/06/2018 11:28

It's your choice.
You will always get someone who comments negatively about such things.
Just ignore them.
Some people have no tact.

lottiegarbanzo · 02/06/2018 11:28

Oh I love Tessa and it suits the family name and sibling style very well.

They'd never criticise a real name once the baby is here.

I think similar names are Esther and Kate.

Cosmoa · 02/06/2018 11:28

I didn't get good reactions for my daughters name so I changed my mind. But nothing sat right with us and then just before she was born we went back to the original name.

Then suddenly everyone loved it and said how much it suits her and they can't imagine her being called anything else!

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 02/06/2018 11:22

Gorgeous. However why do you need other people's approval. Surely if you liked it that much you wouldn't give a fiddler's fart what other people thought.

RedDwarves · 02/06/2018 11:07

I'm not a fan, but it's a perfectly respectable name.

calilark · 02/06/2018 10:36

I have a Tessa, who is Tess on a daily basis. She is 6, and I've not met another one. It is normal but uncommon, which is just want I wanted, and it is a lovely name. Funnily enough, I am pregnant and Jack is top of our list for a boy!

bargainbin · 02/06/2018 10:33

There's a child on my road called Tessa and the other kids call her 'testicle'

daisypond · 02/06/2018 10:18

Tessa is very nice. I personally would go for a formal Theresa on the BC, though I'm not so keen on that, so that would be the thing that would put me off Tessa.

TheMythicalChicken · 02/06/2018 09:47

I absolutely love the name Tessa. And Jack & Tessa go so well together. OP, please stick with it. It's a beautiful name.

CocoLoco87 · 02/06/2018 09:46

I love it. I told my mum our middle names for DS2 and she was rude about them. We ended up not using them and I regret it! She had her chance to choose names when she named me.

VioletCharlotte · 02/06/2018 09:26

It's not a name I'd pick, but who cares what other people think?! Unless there's a genuine reason why people say don't pick a name (totally outlandish, child would be teased, etc) it's completely up to you.

When I was pregnant with DS1, my Mum made negative comments about all the names I suggested. So when I decided upon a name I kept it to myself until he was born.

mammmamia · 02/06/2018 09:25

Don’t call her Theresa! Tessa is nice. Odd to name a child the same as a current PM...

daffodildelight · 02/06/2018 09:24

It's a lovely name but when I was a child there was a story called Ten Tonne Tessa. Could your family be from a generation that remembers this and thinks of it when they hear the name?

Shutupanddance1 · 02/06/2018 09:23

I know a little Tessa - gorgeous name!

Swipe left for the next trending thread