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Baby names

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

Name worries

30 replies

Boo122 · 12/11/2022 11:59

My baby girl is a few months old and I’m having a wobble about her name (it’s Hallie). Although we had quite a few names on the shortlist throughout my pregnancy, I never felt I got to the “love” stage with any of them. Hallie was DH’s favourite name by far, so we chose that. I didn’t feel 100% sure but I also didn’t have another name that I felt really strongly about either.

I think part of the problem is the reaction from people. I’ve found that people our age/younger tend to have a really positive reaction, saying how nice it is etc. However, with older people, although they don’t say anything outright negative, we get a lot of blank looks and comments about it being “unusual”, “what made you choose that”, “is that foreign”. It’s making me anxious to say her name to people and worried me that we’ve given her a ‘weird’ name that people will question all her life.

She’s obviously registered now and although I know you can change names for the first year, I don’t want to do that and I don’t even know what other name I would choose! I’m not really sure what I’m hoping to get with this thread, just felt I needed to say how I’m feeling somewhere as I don’t want to mention it to people in real life.

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Boo122 · 14/11/2022 18:27

Thank you very much for all your comments - it’s made me feel more positive about it

OP posts:
QuicheQuoche · 13/11/2022 09:44

I love it, it’s modern and fresh sounding.

I hate farmyard animal names and loads on here love them so each to their own.

Lcb123 · 13/11/2022 09:43

I think it’s quite a well known name, from the film The Parent Trap, and that’s an older film!

bodill · 13/11/2022 09:39

I find it pretty. It can be hard for older people to understand the appeal of "modern" names - this was the generation when almost everyone had popular names, and unusual names were considered odd/foreign/conducive to bullying. The naming culture today is completely different - many parents avoid popular names now. But I don't think what older people think of the name really matters, because your child will mainly be spending time with her peers.

Gillyx · 13/11/2022 09:22

Hallie is lovely and reminds me of The Parent Trap and Halle Berry, two good namesakes.

user1492757084 · 13/11/2022 08:16

Hallie is nice. People are just getting info on it because they don't know it well. They are not expressing negativity. Everyone's favourite name is very specific so chances are no one chooses the same very favourite name, afterall there are thousands of names.

tinyorchid · 12/11/2022 19:53

Love it. If you were having doubts that would be different but you've said you don't want to change it. Go with that and stand firm.

Some people will love your baby's name, some won't - the only question to ask is what do YOU want. Then do that.

Good luck with you gorgeous baby. Btw we changed our baby's name twice so I can understand the doubt and wonder!

TenPointsFromHufflepuff · 12/11/2022 19:45

I think the older generation not approving it is actually a vote in its favour.
I mean, do you really trust the taste of people who thought Ian, Paul, Tracey and the like were nice names? (Sorry to any Ian's Tracey's or Paul's reading!)
I like Hallie. It's modern, it fits in with the current cohort, it can suit a baby, teen or adult. It's not too try hard. It is made up of nice 'sounds'.
If it helps, I felt unsure about my son's name for the first six months or so, probably due to older gen wrinkling their noses, now I love it and feel it was a lovely choice. I think for some people these things take time. You are so overwhelmed after giving birth you need time to resettle.

Fernticket · 12/11/2022 19:43

As someone in the 'older' generation I think it is a lovely name.

Luredbyapomegranate · 12/11/2022 19:40

It’s a new name. The same people probably wouldn’t like Harlowe for example. It’s very popular though, certainly not unusual.

I like it as a nn for Harriet (which it was originally) but not especially as a full name. So if it’s bothering you, change the birth cert to Harriet, and carry on calling her Hallie as a nn.

KylieCharlene · 12/11/2022 19:04

I like it.
I

Ell95 · 12/11/2022 19:01

I don't know about you, but I stopped caring about other people's opinions when I realised that their opinions do not pay any of my bills. People will always have an opinion. Negative/positive who cares!

Jarofhoney · 12/11/2022 18:44

I like it OP! Hallie is one of the very few names that I would be happy with myself. I wouldn't mind being a Hallie at all! I think you've made a good choice.

I think you just can't win with people. If you had gone for something traditional, some people would've been underwhelmed and bored by it. People are just difficult to please, so it's best not to try!

Congrats on baby Hallie 💖

RuthW · 12/11/2022 18:27

26 years ago I announced my dds name snd got funny looks and comments that it was old fashioned. Unfortunately it is no number 7 but in the charts.

Hallie is a very modern name. If you like it, then fine

WingingIt101 · 12/11/2022 18:00

Love it op! I think it's beautiful and shouldn't be that unusual for the older generations because of hallies comet.

My daughter has a very unusual name. Frequently met with "sorry what?" By strangers. I don't care. We like it and she suits it!

TheZenOne22 · 12/11/2022 17:56

I love the name and instantly think of Halle Berry who has been around for ages.

There will always be someone who doesn’t like a name - that’s on them. All you need to do is come on Mumsnet and see everyone has different preferences. As long as you’re happy with it - that’s what matters.

Shiningstarr · 12/11/2022 17:52

Agree that it's a gorgeous name and that nobody would raise an eyebrow. In my Son's school, here are some of the names that have raised a couple of eyebrows:

Red
Lyric
Kitty
Storm
Shyloh

To name a few x

Whataretheodds · 12/11/2022 17:50

I like it, and I'm generally on the trad side of naming preferences.

Shiningstarr · 12/11/2022 17:48

Boo122 · 12/11/2022 17:18

Thanks for your comments. I think I’m just having a down/anxious day which is making me overthink and worry about it more than normal.

Yes it’s Hal-lee, as in Halle Berry, not Hayley. The Hayley mispronunciation was one of my worries when we chose the name but we haven’t actually had that in real life x

How can anyone get 'Hayley' from 'Hallie'? Two completely different sounds.

bloominglovelyorange · 12/11/2022 17:42

Love it. No one at a school would raise an eyebrow these days to this name but older generation maybe. I'd move on and try and not focus on it

bellalou1234 · 12/11/2022 17:24

I love it

Boo122 · 12/11/2022 17:18

Thanks for your comments. I think I’m just having a down/anxious day which is making me overthink and worry about it more than normal.

Yes it’s Hal-lee, as in Halle Berry, not Hayley. The Hayley mispronunciation was one of my worries when we chose the name but we haven’t actually had that in real life x

OP posts:
Gummibär · 12/11/2022 15:40

Surely Hallie is pronounced Hall-ie. It's different to Hayley.

MollieMarie · 12/11/2022 13:48

Hallie is a lovely name, OP

jackstini · 12/11/2022 13:35

It's a beautiful name and not weird - some older people may not be as familiar with it but anyone under 60 I would have thought was fine

Presuming pronounced Hally, like Halle Berry?

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