I think this name is far too old-fashioned, should I tell my friend?

one of my faves - i know a 15 year old

Surely it depends on whether she asks for your opinion?
Is she does, I'd go with enthusing over the names Hannah and Lauren without being rude about Eileen and if you are pressed just say that every baby becomes their name in their own way and that you'll grow to love it!

I think some people posting have been a bit mean to you with their comments. I usually go with the honesty policy with close friends however anything baby/child related is touchy and I wouldn't dream of being negative over a chosen baby name...

Eileen Gray was a famous designer.
My daughter's middle name is Eileen. I also used it for the Irish connection. So I like it

how very rude of you to worry about a name your friend has fallen in love with. as a "friend" you are supposed to support them no matter what choice they make.

shame on you

nicola

I'm wondering whether this is a wind-up thread.... Why on earth would anyone want to change a good friend's choice of name, especially a perfectly acceptable name like Eileen?

How sad (and dull) if you did manage to persuade your friend to change her mind and give up the name she loves... only to choose a name that 'conforms' to your views, not hers!

Personally, I wouldn't choose Eilen for my dd, but I find it a million times more interesting and elegant than Lauren and Hannah, for example. But my opinion doesn't matter, its your friend's dd, so let her choose a name SHE loves!

a friend of dps laughed at our choice of middle name for dd and told us it sounded like a granny name while i was in labour... he survived and we still used it (her middle name is Abigail btw)

it's none of your business at all... and for what it's worth i'm another that actualy likes Eileen, despite knowing a very annoying one in real life

Agree - lets mind our business and worry about more important things!!!

Old-fashioned yes, but just LOVELY! I knew an Eileen (born 1979) and she was just the most fabulous woman! On saying that, a friend of mine has just called her baby a name I don't like but she loves - it's really no one else's business as long as the parents are happy. You just smile and say how simply gorgeous the child is - as least you'll probably mean that bit.

I have a similar query over Hope and Pearl? Any opinions?

I also want to use my nan's name - Margaret - but have decided it's too old fashioned. Any suggestions?

Lauren and Hannah are the names that girls in their 20's were given in the eighties and the world being as it is they will be sounding very old fashioned quite soon. There are lots of nice older names coming through again now and I'm sure Eileen will make friends with Wilf, Elsie and Ruby and will be as pleased her mum didn't call her Hannah as I am pleased my mum didn't go with the "Heather" or "Julie" her friends tried to foist on her all those years ago.

Nice name, slightly old fashioned, but none the worse for that.

The "Come On Eileen" association isn't great, but hey, it'll soon be forgotten.

I think you should mind your own buisness.

My most favourite anutie is called Eileen and she is tops so I love it. If you want to keep your friend as a friend, don't say a word.

Why do people think it's ok to comment on other peoples' choice of baby names????

I get so fucked off with people thinking it's ok to say some random (usually negative) comment about someone elses name choice - to there face!

If you were a good friend you wouldn't say anything!

I love the name Hannah, so I would get around the problem by just enthusing over that, and not comment on Eileen.

Almost 20 years ago my Aunt named my cousin Grace and she got a lot of these faces and told it was an old ladies name.

5 years ago I named my dd something very similar to Eileen and I got the same and was told it was a cruel thing to do to a baby that it was a middle aged woman's name, apparently there were 15 babies born last year with the same name as her.

Fashions change and it will come back, probably when shes having babies herself.

We all (luckily) have different tastes, so why are you so worried about your friend giving her baby a name she loves? It's her baby and her choice imo!

I wouldn't choose Eileen personally, but much prefer it it to Hannah and Lauren (which I find incredibly dull and boring), but my opinion shouldn't matter - it's your friend's choice. She has to love the name she gives her daughter!

It's just not fashionable, unlike Elsie, Elise, Aysling, Eloise, Edie, Evie, Ellie, Ella - in fact all the e and e-sounding names mentioned umpteen times on here. Eileen and Elaine, which frankly sound as nice as most of em (personally I prefer Elaine but it's not my baby!) just aren't 'du jour'. But they probably will be soon.

There are two each of Hannah and Lauren in my DD's class....I suppose if you really want to be one of the crowd then go for em.

As your friend has asked your opinion I think you can say that as it is a name that you associate with old ladies you think it is old fashioned (although that in general is the fashion at the moment), and I don't think it is unreasonable to remind her about "Come on Eileen".

What you really shouldn't do is say that you don't like it, especially as she is almost due and likely to be very sensitive, and this probably is "the" name to her. Once the baby is named you then should not say anything in any way negative.

I can't see anything particularly wrong with Eileen (or particularly right about Hannah or Lauren). As for Jimmy, it is a diminutive of James, so perfectly appropriate for a baby/little boy.

my middle name is Eileen, its my nan's first name. I admit that I don't like it, its old fashioned and I hate telling people my middle name. But you can't say to someone that you don't like their choice of name.
My mum hated my Ds1's name when he was born, but she says now it suits him.

I think I prefer Eileen to Hannah and Lauren actually. The latter have become the standard, which I have a distinct aversion to.

onthepeir is the OP on mine.

when my friend was pregnant she told us her boy and girl names she wanted to call her we boy jimmy i told her it was an old name and that i couldnt imagine saying jimmy in a cute baby voice i just kept thinking of an old man everytime i said it. luckly she found it it was a girl she was having but she did say she likes older names and that if she ever has a we boy it will be called jimmy although i dont think her partner really liked the name either so it wasnt just me

Ladies - is this thread all muddled up for anyone else or is it just me?

Onthepier is now the OP!

jeez and peas. on what planet is it any of anyone else's business what people think of someone's name choice? you think its old fashioned op? i reckon you should wind your neck in.

It's growing on me, now. Individual.