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Baby names

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

Original poster

Can I call my son William or will be teased

96 replies

Burnsmama · 07/11/2023 07:23

I’m trying to figure out whether I’m overthinking about using the name William for my son with the last name Burns. We both love the name and it has some nice family connections but we’re worried about Willy Burns jokes. Is this actually likely to happen or am I overthinking it?

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Needmorelego · 07/11/2023 11:02

Boys seem to go through a stage of calling each other by a variation of their surname so tbh by the time he is old enough for anyone to make that (unlikely) name joke he will be known to his mates as "Burnsy" anyway.

SamBeckett · 07/11/2023 10:58

There are a lot of Williams in my family from great grandparents to 5yr old cousin I have never heard and of them called Willy, most were / are Bill or Will with a few Billy's.
I would go for it , imo it's much better than a lot of other names I have seen on mn and irl

WhatATimeToBeAlive · 07/11/2023 10:46

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 07/11/2023 08:04

If only my Dutch colleague’s parents, Mr and Mrs Winkel, had stopped to think before they christened him Bent, he too could have avoided the sniggering.
(not even joking)

Oh my God 😂😂😂Set me off on a coughing fit!

VerrryNice · 07/11/2023 10:45

I don’t think I even get the ‘joke.’ I can’t see the problem at all. Most Williams are Will these days anyway.

Mumeries · 07/11/2023 10:45

Call him something else

BoredGeordie · 07/11/2023 10:43

If it helps, I am related to someone called William Burns and have never once in my entire life made that connection or heard anyone else saying it either.

kwetu · 07/11/2023 10:28

Catandsquirrel · 07/11/2023 08:04

I wouldn't, sorry. It's too obvious of a joke. Alexander, Thomas, plenty of lovely classic names. Maybe give Richard a miss too...

😂 thank you for the giggle

Original poster
Burnsmama · 07/11/2023 10:23

Thank you, this is a really helpful way to think about it!

OP posts:
TheOwlChronicles · 07/11/2023 09:51

Reminds me of my old school friend, Richard Head. Also went to school with a Lorna Hedges (we called her Lawn & Hedges)

I wouldn't go for Willy Burns, no. Don't be daft. It's not even a reach for people to get there

ColleenDonaghy · 07/11/2023 09:34

Burnsmama · 07/11/2023 07:56

Definitely real, and a quick read of the thread will reveal this is as divided an issue as I expected, and not a clear cut case.

I think a good rule in general is to avoid any names that are so divided, especially because of something like that that could cause teasing. The thread implies that "Willy Burns" will occur to about half the people who hear his name for the first time. It's not you that will have to deal with it, and you can't know how resilient he'll be to things like that.

Charliemcg · 07/11/2023 09:18

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

TriceratopsRocks · 07/11/2023 09:17

I really can't see the issue? I must be a bit slow! Looks like it's the combination of the derivative Willy with your surname that's the issue, but I can't see a problem - particularly if Willy is unlikely to be used anyway. It's not a name I really hear anymore for William - it all seems to be Will and Billy where I am, and both sound absolutely fine to me with your surname.

In any case name teasing doesn't seem to be anything like as much of a thing now as it used to be, given that there are such a wider variety of names around now. Also, if a bully sets his/her sights on someone they will look for any excuse that works and it doesn't matter what that is. If it's not a name it will be something else. Honestly, if William means something to you, then use it.

Manadou · 07/11/2023 09:13

I suppose name-anxiety is sort of understandable around, or just before baby time, but you do see some precious stuff on Mumsnet.

BitofaStramash · 07/11/2023 09:09

Nothing wrong with William or Will. I know a few.

But not with the surname Burns

Manadou · 07/11/2023 09:08

I told my nephew William Arthur Francis Surname an old rhyme when he was 7 and he thought it was dead funny:

My son Billy had a ten-foot willy;
He showed it to the girl next door.
She thought it was a snake,
So she hit it with a rake,
And now it's only five foot four.

He is a well-balanced happy 24-year-old who goes by Will these days.

WeeWeegieWummin · 07/11/2023 09:03

If your surname was Dick then yes but Burns is fine

User0000009 · 07/11/2023 08:58

My son is William. Always been called Will by his mates. Lovely name x

SABM10 · 07/11/2023 08:54

I've known many Williams and none of them are nicknamed Willy.

I can only think of one time I've heard Willy used and that was by prince Harry in that godawful documentary.

Itsnotchristmasyet · 07/11/2023 08:49

It's not fair when there are literally thousands of other names to call him.

As @wherethewildtbingsgo said, there are so many other names to call him and I just wouldn’t take the risk.

There have been several threads on here about people hating their names and it can literally affect peoples entire lives.

Itsnotchristmasyet · 07/11/2023 08:46

Nothing wrong with the name William or the surname Burns.

But they should not be put together.

Hotchocolatemousse · 07/11/2023 08:29

How about Liam instead of William?

cheezncrackers · 07/11/2023 08:20

I know masses of Williams (very popular name around here!) and literally none of them have been called Willy or teased for their name. I love it (it was my lovely Grandad's name), but decided not to use it as a first name because of its popularity - so we used it as a middle name instead.

Ginisatonic · 07/11/2023 08:19

I knew a William Burns when we were teenagers. Never occurred to me that his name was a problem. And that was in Scotland where Willie or Wullie is a normal short name for William. His nickname was Wilbur.

wherethewildtbingsgo · 07/11/2023 08:15

Burnsmama · 07/11/2023 08:09

This is the thing right, in our (English speaking, not Britain) country, Willy isn’t even really ever used either as a nickname for William or an anatomical joke, which is why I haven’t been sure whether I’m just overthinking so I wanted to ask some minds from anywhere.

Even if that's true if he goes to school with soMeone with an English background or ever wants to move to the UK or America people will make the joke (in their heads if not out loud). Genuinely don't do it. It's not fair when there are literally thousands of other names to call him.

It's very clear cut sorry. You're not overthinking. You're just doing what every other person will do.

Spareincoming · 07/11/2023 08:15

I’ve taught 2 Williams with surnames that could have made for teasing/bullying if anyone called them Willy. It didn’t happen. I don’t think people commonly use Willy as a shortening of William anymore.