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Baby names

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

Original poster

Our name choices don’t seem very liked

462 replies

Fritesky · 18/10/2025 18:45

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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Onelifeonly · 18/10/2025 22:17

If you like them, stick to your guns. Everyone will soon get used to them. Any name becomes normalised when it's firmly linked to a person / child you know.

Some of my family were scathing of a family member's choices for their children - mostly as they were strongly linked to a country neither parent had ever lived in, but was linked to the heritage of one of them. But 20+ years on, their names are just who they are.

RubyMentor · 18/10/2025 22:17

I love the names, congrats on the birth of your daughters

AgnesMcDoo · 18/10/2025 22:13

I think they are good names for a couple of pet hamsters or cats but twin girls not so much.

Salemsplot · 18/10/2025 22:11

Yes, afraid I thought of strippers too

ChocolateCinderToffee · 18/10/2025 22:11

I would lengthen the first names to Giselle and Laure for the birth certificate tbh.

UnderstoodBetsy · 18/10/2025 22:10

I don't care for either name. My immediate associations with Lola are the songs referenced above. Gigi sounds like a diminutive to me, not a full name.

But who cares what I think? If you love the names, that's all that matters. Sometimes people come up with truly appalling names that they should think twice about. But that isn't the case here.

AppleDumplingWithCustard · 18/10/2025 22:09

I rescued a cat called Lola. I immediately changed it as Lola always brought to mind a stripper.

Adelle79360 · 18/10/2025 22:09

I have a Russian friend who knows a LOT of Lola’s - I think it’s quite a hard sounding name, it’s not pretty at all. Gigi is a bit cutesy. It’s not what I’d choose for a first name but it’s ok as a nickname.

I think it’s rude of your friends and family to say they don’t like the names. I know I’ve said above I don’t, but it’s a forum and you did ask! At the end of the day it’s your choice, if you like them then keep them. You’ve chosen beautiful middle names, but perhaps that highlights why the first names aren’t great?

SL2924 · 18/10/2025 22:06

I think they’re lovely. Don’t try to please other people- you can’t please everyone. As long as you and your DH love them and are happy with them.

Theextraordinaryisintheordinary · 18/10/2025 22:00

I LOVE Gabrielle & Gigi

fruitbrewhaha · 18/10/2025 21:59

Copacabaaaaaahhhna duh de duh her name was……..

AzurePanda · 18/10/2025 21:58

Don’t like to be mean about names but have to agree about the ladies of the night vibes. Not sure either sound great for say a surgeon or a lawyer. Gigi is a cute nickname.

Orangeoranges42 · 18/10/2025 21:56

I like them.

also thank you for saying the actual names
are! There’s so many of these posts that ask for our opinions and then don’t tell us the bloody names!

Olaeverybody · 18/10/2025 21:49

Fritesky · 18/10/2025 18:45

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?

If they are the names you want, I should go for it! They are your children. Personally, I think Gigi and Lola are both lovely first names.

LivingTheDreamish · 18/10/2025 21:45

Individually very sweet names, but yes its the combination that is the issue OP. On the other hand, I LOVE your middle names, could you not reverse the order?

Spookyspaghetti · 18/10/2025 21:44

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.

Lola and Lolita are completely different names. Although in the U.K. it is likely to remind people of the Kinks song (she looked like a woman but talked like a man, L L L L Lola)

I think regardless both names and middle names are lovely and only you and DH know if they are a ‘Gigi’ and a ‘Lola’ as the names suiting them are far more important that other people’s opinions or associations.

(With the exception of the op from the other week who was considering Mira…)

honeylulu · 18/10/2025 21:41

They are nice diminutives but personally I dislike diminutives given as "proper names". It seems a bit lazy. What are the long versions?

The middle names are beautiful! I know an Apollonia who is called Liana for short, just a hint.

GlitzAndGigglesx · 18/10/2025 21:41

Gigi does sound like a nickname to me, however still a nice name. I've always liked the name Lola

autumnevenings25 · 18/10/2025 21:39

I have twins so congratulations!

i think in isolation they are nice names…..it’s just them being twins the names do come across a little ….stripperish. I think the middle names are much classier but honestly if you like them then ignore what others think - I’ve heard children called much much worse

Moreteaandchocolate · 18/10/2025 21:36

Lola is lovely and definitely well known as a name in its own right. Personally I’m not keen on Gigi as a full name - could it be a nn for something like Gia / Gianna / Georgia to give her options later on?

OhNineFiftyFour · 18/10/2025 21:34

They sound like stripper names. Their middle names are gorgeous though.

Sassylovesbooks · 18/10/2025 21:34

I'm not keen on either name. However, if you like the names, then what others think of them is irrelevant.

GrooveArmada · 18/10/2025 21:27

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 18/10/2025 20:31

A French Apolline would never be shortened to Polly, because it sounds like the word "polite".

Show quote history

She's in the UK, it can be shortened in an anglicised way too without it being a mortal sin.

AutumnCosy2025 · 18/10/2025 21:27

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's what I thought too,

id swap their middle names, use them as their first name and use Gigi & Lola as nic names.

but they're your children, not anyone else's! Do what you want!!

iamfairlysureiam · 18/10/2025 21:22

Gigi is just awful. I’m not understanding the love on here at all. gee gee like a horse? Or hard G Gih Gih? Horrible either way. I don’t like Lola much but it’s at least in that sort of Lily, Lexi, Lucy bracket.