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Baby names

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

Original poster

Just curious - did anyone else do this...?

32 replies

KMUN · 08/04/2008 23:15

Absolutely refuse to get into a discussion about names with anyone apart from DH.

  1. To have a fait accompli
  2. To avoid pressure of 'family names'
  3. To avoid helpful comments like - "ooh, I wouldn't call him/her that..."; "that's a dog/cat/parrot's name" et bloody cetera
  4. In case anything went awry at/before birth - early naming seems to be tempting fate somewhat

After a quick look at some of these threads, wouldn't fancy the open season on decision-making. It's hard enough.

As I said, not having a pop, but just curious...

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WestCountryLass · 09/04/2008 20:41

I only spoke to my best friend about names, everyone else got the 'we have no idea' line even though there were contenders.

yomellamoHelly · 09/04/2008 16:47

With both we'd chosen their first name well before they arrived. Middle names just kind of happened once they were here. Didn't breathe word to anyone on what we'd chosen.

Ineedsomesleep · 09/04/2008 16:30

We did exactly the same, we told anyone who really pushed us like MIL that it would be Adolf or Myra....

Original poster
KMUN · 09/04/2008 15:57

Oh yes, totally forgot about 'name stealing anxiety'. Yet another reason to keep schtum

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justabouttohavelunch · 09/04/2008 13:24

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AHLH · 09/04/2008 13:18

I lovce the idea of not telling anyone potential names! We had to tell parents and work that I was pg much sooner than we'd planned as I ended up in hospital with hyperemisis for 6 weeks very shortly after I'd found out i was pg. So we've had very little "secret" time.

Psychomum5 · 09/04/2008 11:56

oh we told people the names we had, and then shocked them all as we then named ours names that hadn;t even been in any discusion!

didn;t work well with DS2 however as it turned out that a closish friend at that time had chosen the name we then used for her 'due very soon' son, and we apparently 'stole' her choice. she hadn;t even told us her choice as she was secretive too, so IMO it was a moot point, even tho we then got talked about for the apparent theft.

she then used the name anyhow and emigrated, so all worked out in the end as it wasn;t as tho we had confused boys, but I do find some people get very precious over names......I don;t care.....if I love the name then I love the name, it doesn;t bother me if anyone else uses it. (or even if they hate it)

LadyPenelope · 09/04/2008 11:53

Didn't discuss with anyone or solicit ideas or advice from anyone. Didn't want to hear that they didn't like it. It's no-ones business but our own, and after it was done, it couldn't be changed even if they didn't like it!!

MIL doesn't like the name we call DD (shortened version of her full name)and used to tell us all the time.She does like her full name, so calls her that which is fine but drove me crazy that she would complain about it. Both sets of parents were a bit about ds's name - FIL kept asking for days after he was named "so what are you going to call DS?" As though it was still open for discussion. My parents asked "why?" but were fine with our answer "because it's a name we liked."

sleepycat · 09/04/2008 11:36

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MissPaulaYates · 09/04/2008 11:33

we dont tell anyone
get enough stick after it is born!

Doobydoo · 09/04/2008 11:31

Didn't discuss our choice of names with ANYONE.Even though people kept asking.

ninedragons · 09/04/2008 11:28

I bounced a few possibilities off a few friends whom I consider to have excellent taste.

mads1 · 09/04/2008 10:50

DH and I are keeping it a secret to avoid comments and interference!! (mainly from the two granmas!!. Driving my Mum potty!!
Have said that they are welcome to offer advice - which so far has been very funny!! MIL suggested a name that rhymed, intentionally, with dd1. This is something that we feel should only be our decision - not that we'd listen to anyone else!!

MrsTittleMouse · 09/04/2008 10:49

We told everyone that we had a really long short-list (which was true) and then did a PortAndLemon and turned the conversation to names that would be completely inappropriate/clash horribly with DH's surname. Worked a treat.

Original poster
KMUN · 09/04/2008 10:41

Also, was unlikely to be swayed, but people are much less likely to be rude to your face after they are born . Can't stand the fact that people assume you want their opinion or care that their evil grandma/pa was called that.

We banned any Top 20 names from the last 5 years and had a hilarious long car journey where DH and I traded the most ridiculous name combos we could think of, I never mentioned any of my favourites at the time and DH revealed a disturbing penchant for VERY German names . After that cathartic session, we then basically ended up with a list of 5 or so (sensible ones) for each sex, and by the time she (it turned out) was born had one first and middle name for each sex. All kept under wraps for the reasons above, and just in case of something bizarre like the revealing of a serial killer or criminal mastermind with the same name happened.

OP posts:
MrsBadger · 09/04/2008 09:51

1-3

of course we consulted MN though...

Youcannotbeserious · 09/04/2008 09:49

Def. to 1-3

Our baby's name is our decision..........

No. 4 - If I'm honest, I've thought about it, but pretty much settled on a name anyway, but have decided not to make it all that public beforehand (Only me, DH and the DSDs know)

Sidge · 09/04/2008 09:48

Having had a few thoughtless opinions from people about DD2's name, with DD3 we kept it a secret. Actually even I didn't know as I gave DH a list that I liked and told him to pick one; he wouldn't tell me until she was born .

If anyone asked we said we would call her Gertrude. But German MIL loved it and told everyone she was going to be Gertrude (she isn't.)

ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 09/04/2008 09:46

We are refusing to discuss names with anyone else (or even each other lol) I know it's gonna be an argument between us and am putting it off! Just don't need anyone else wading in to make it more complicated.

YouCantTeuchThis · 09/04/2008 09:38

us...we told everyone it was a choice between two ridiculous names that happened to rhyme with our surname. Loads of people bought it...

hatrick · 09/04/2008 09:33

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hatrick · 09/04/2008 09:30

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PortAndLemon · 09/04/2008 09:30

We just turned any discussion of names around to "names we like but would never use" or "names that would sound terrible with DH's last name" -- the latter works particularly well as people get so enthused by trying to outdo your suggestions of Terrible Names that they don't notice that you've evaded the original question. We've never discussed the actual ames with anyone else before the baby is born.

BellaBear · 09/04/2008 09:25

We didn't tell as we wanted to avoid people telling us they didn't like it. I don't care if people don't like it, I just didn't want to know about it.

belgo · 09/04/2008 09:24

I don't discuss names with anyone apart from dh. I also won't discuss them on mumsnet either as I really don't want to hear other people's reactions to them.

Dh and I have very good reasons for choosing the names we've chosen - not just because we like them, but because they are international names easily pronouncable in flemish and english.