Page 10 | Our name choices don’t seem very liked

Fritesky · 2025-10-18T17:45:27+00:00

DH and I have just had our twin baby girls, they are 3 weeks old and we have named them Gigi and Lola. We love their names and put a lot of time into picking them. We are a Anglo-Franco-Italian family so tried really hard to pick names that everyone would be a fan of. Since then we’ve told family, friends etc. our babies names and got lots of “oh are the nicknames” and “oh that’s interesting”, which I guess just makes me feel really crappy. We haven’t registered the girls yet so we could change the names, but I’m not sure if I want to. Their full names are Gigi Apolline and Lola Gabrielle. What are your thoughts?

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Shinybrightdarling · 19/10/2025 10:38

Fritesky · 19/10/2025 10:27

I think what we might do is change Lola to Lila, we weren’t supper set on Lola anyway, and hopefully without the Lolita reference the association won’t be as strong to Gigi either.
Though I’m sure I’m about to be told it’s too associated with models now (Gigi Hadid and Lila Moss).

Gigi and Lila is the perfect solution!

RaininSummer · 19/10/2025 10:32

Lovely names.

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Fritesky · 19/10/2025 10:27

I think what we might do is change Lola to Lila, we weren’t supper set on Lola anyway, and hopefully without the Lolita reference the association won’t be as strong to Gigi either.
Though I’m sure I’m about to be told it’s too associated with models now (Gigi Hadid and Lila Moss).

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pictoosh · 19/10/2025 10:27

Again, 'prostitute names' and 'stripper names' are being brought out by those who want to insult you into agreeing with them. Ignore that shit. It's basic, misogynistic and simply there to rattle you for daring to stick to your guns.

No one would say something like that to you in real life...they wouldn't dare.
It seems rude because it is. Dismiss.

Tumbleweed101 · 19/10/2025 10:24

The names are fine. Babies grow into their names and in the end people don’t notice them because the person belongs to it.

We’ve had children start with us with very unusual names which we’ve thought seem odd on paper. The child leaves three years later and you’d never imagine them called anything else.

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 19/10/2025 10:24

BreadstickBurglar · 18/10/2025 18:52

Ok being brutally honest I wonder if Gigi and Lola have a bit of a… well an air about them. My immediate connotations are Gigi the film about a child (future) prostitute, and Lolita the book about an abused teenager. The combination of the two kind of strengthens the association. It’s a real shame because I love the names and individually I wouldn’t be thinking of those characters.

That was exactly my first thought too.

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Fritesky · 19/10/2025 10:23

theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 19/10/2025 10:19

Thing is OP, you've said that you've had bad reactions in real life, and you are getting mainly bad reactions on here, so you do have to conclude from that that you won't be doing your daughters a favour by sticking with these as full names.

Cute names like Poppy etc are definitely in, and not everyone likes them, but with your choices you have the added strippery element, especially with Gigi, which is why you are getting quite strong reactions.

You can do what you want, obviously, but there's no point arguing with everyone when you know you are in a minority.

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Frankly compared to on here real life is feeling very tame now.
The real life comments made no association to being inappropriate for adults, “prostitute names” or anything along those lines.
My MIL said it reminded her of Gigi Hadid and asked for a more “Italian” name. My sister said she hadn’t heard of a baby Gigi and would need a minute to get used to it. But no one being down right cruel!

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theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 19/10/2025 10:19

Fritesky · 19/10/2025 10:12

Also I’m fully aware we are naming two future adults but as I’ve already said, name trends have changed I really don’t think Gigi or Lola will sound that out of place in any environment in 30 years as when matched with the Evie’s, Poppy’s, Millie’s, Nellie’s, Elsie’s, Ella’s of today they will all share similar sounds.

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Thing is OP, you've said that you've had bad reactions in real life, and you are getting mainly bad reactions on here, so you do have to conclude from that that you won't be doing your daughters a favour by sticking with these as full names.

Cute names like Poppy etc are definitely in, and not everyone likes them, but with your choices you have the added strippery element, especially with Gigi, which is why you are getting quite strong reactions.

You can do what you want, obviously, but there's no point arguing with everyone when you know you are in a minority.

Original poster

Fritesky · 19/10/2025 10:12

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 19/10/2025 10:07

Would you not consider giving them longer names and using Gigi and Lola as nicknames?

There are lots of lovely longer names that could easily be shortened to Gigi and Lola but would give your daughters more options for the future.

You are naming two future adults, not just two adorable little babies.

Also I’m fully aware we are naming two future adults but as I’ve already said, name trends have changed I really don’t think Gigi or Lola will sound that out of place in any environment in 30 years as when matched with the Evie’s, Poppy’s, Millie’s, Nellie’s, Elsie’s, Ella’s of today they will all share similar sounds.

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theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 19/10/2025 10:10

They are very nicknamey names I guess, a bit twee, and a wee bit what people tend to call stripper names - ie they are sexy-cute on a teen or adult.

Given all that, use them if you like them but I would give them full names - Gigi is often short for Georgina in the UK but something like Gianna would work fine. Lola is traditionally short for Delores, but if you don't like that I know a Lola who is Eloise (actually she did switch to Eloise as a teen too).

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Fritesky · 19/10/2025 10:10

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 19/10/2025 10:07

Would you not consider giving them longer names and using Gigi and Lola as nicknames?

There are lots of lovely longer names that could easily be shortened to Gigi and Lola but would give your daughters more options for the future.

You are naming two future adults, not just two adorable little babies.

None that we like no, we really don’t like longer names, both have short names ourselves and don’t really see the point in giving our babies names we don’t actually like for the sake of “options”, my sister has a perfectly normal name and hates it so goes by her middle name, you run the risk of your child not liking their name regardless of what you name them. We could call them Charlotte and Giulia but they could just as easily not like those names and any of the diminutives and want to go by Apolline and Gabrielle anyway.

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MissScarletInTheBallroom · 19/10/2025 10:07

Would you not consider giving them longer names and using Gigi and Lola as nicknames?

There are lots of lovely longer names that could easily be shortened to Gigi and Lola but would give your daughters more options for the future.

You are naming two future adults, not just two adorable little babies.

Needmorelego · 19/10/2025 09:59

Fritesky · 19/10/2025 09:55

We are saying it with a soft G more like Zhi Zhi like the start of gilet.

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Oh ok.
It sounds ok as a name and you like it so that's the important thing, but it still (to me) sounds like a shortening of a name.
I have a feeling she'd get asked "What's that short for" or "What's your legal full name" a lot in life.
I still don't understand the comments around Lola on here.
Lola is a lovely name and as popular and ordinary as Evie, Ellie, Ava, Ella etc.

pictoosh · 19/10/2025 09:57

Like the g in Faberge - is the quickest example I can think of.

pictoosh · 19/10/2025 09:56

With a soft 'g'.

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Fritesky · 19/10/2025 09:55

Needmorelego · 19/10/2025 09:53

Oh.... that's how I'd say it.
How is it pronounced then?

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We are saying it with a soft G more like Zhi Zhi like the start of gilet.

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Needmorelego · 19/10/2025 09:53

pictoosh · 19/10/2025 09:52

It's not pronounced jee-jee like the horses.

Oh.... that's how I'd say it.
How is it pronounced then?

pictoosh · 19/10/2025 09:52

It's not pronounced jee-jee like the horses.

Needmorelego · 19/10/2025 09:49

Doidontimmm · 19/10/2025 07:16

In Scotland Gigi is horses ie you are going to the Gigi’s for horse racing.

England too 🐴

BunnyLake · 19/10/2025 09:42

Fritesky · 19/10/2025 09:24

I’m just genuinely curious how many mumsnetters make their life decisions based on someone’s name! Are they really checking the GP website before registering to make sure every doctor they might see has a “name that works for a doctor” I think not!

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The thing is when you go on MN about baby names it always ends up like this, without exception. The names are nice (I’d still prefer them to be abbreviations of a longer name, but that’s me not you.

For the record I have never known the first name of any doctor I’ve ever had, bar one (my c-section consultant).

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Fritesky · 19/10/2025 09:39

And to add in the case of literature/pop-culture many many names are or can be associated with complex characters in literature.

Nancy from Oliver’s Twist
Fantine in Les Mis
Sonya from Crime and Punishment
Sabina from Spy in the house of love

Or for a more direct lolita equivalent, “the girl” from Marguerite Duras’ the lover which is auto-fiction therefore Marguerite.

Then add just the genuinely tragic figures, Ophelia, Anna Karenina, I could continue but the point is in literature and pop culture many many names are associated with tragic or complex stories, if we avoided all of those names we’d have hardly any left to use.

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OSTMusTisNT · 19/10/2025 09:33

Not names I would pick as I think they sound more like cat/dog names but your kids, you choose the names and everyone can should keep their beak out.

Tryingmybest100 · 19/10/2025 09:29

That was my first thought too @BreadstickBurglar. They dont have positive connotations for me I'm afraid.

pictoosh · 19/10/2025 09:26

Fritesky · 19/10/2025 09:24

I’m just genuinely curious how many mumsnetters make their life decisions based on someone’s name! Are they really checking the GP website before registering to make sure every doctor they might see has a “name that works for a doctor” I think not!

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Only silly judgemental people think that way. Ignore them.

BitOutOfPractice · 19/10/2025 09:26

I love those names. Especially Gigi which I think is unutterably glamorous!