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Baby names

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Caused family upset by boys name choice - Help pls!!

85 replies

FeedTheBeast · 26/02/2010 15:02

After much consideration we had decided on Jesse as the name if baby is a boy. I had suggested lots to DH & Jesse is the only one he really likes apart from Zac, which sounds like a sneeze when said with our surname Asher.

Asher is a old Hebrew name, one of the tribes of Israel and means to be happy / blessed. Isaac means to laugh which would give the name a lovely meaning but doesn't flow well - Isaac Asher / Zach Asher. (Also it is quite popular in our area)

Jesse is fab, old biblical name, cool snowboarder / surfer type guys spring to mind, and I also associate it with a kind wise old man character. It is a 'proper' name but uncommonly used, however we are in the North and it does have the slightly negative connotation of someone being a 'mummy's boy', which DH thinks is irrelevant & he said he would be happy if Jesse was his name.

The problem lies with my parents - my father is 70, & my mum has told my sister that he keeps having some sort of terrible funny turn / peculiar episode whenever he thinks of it, (he's recovering from a major op. too so feeling guilty of causing him distress) They both dislike it(understatement), & my mum keeps referring to a mummys boy character called Jesse in a soap she watches?? The rest of the family diapprove too but less bothered about them TBH (not keen on the names they picked for their LO's)

So my question is:
1)do we stick with it & everyone will get used to it? (& deal with the guilt if he's picked on later?)

2)Try & think of an alternative (any ideas??)

  1. Bury head in sand & hope the bump is pink so we don't have the problem
OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
FeedTheBeast · 26/02/2010 15:25

think that they think it is too girly and associated with being a wet blanket.

OP posts:
FeedTheBeast · 26/02/2010 15:23

I just can't imagine my baby being called anything else really. You're right they will get used to it. Just felt guilty making my old dad feel so upset...

OP posts:
MmeLindt · 26/02/2010 15:17

XP.

Are your family worried about the teasing or do they just not like the name?

MmeLindt · 26/02/2010 15:16

How Northern are you, FeedTheBeast?

I am from Scotland and would not use the name Jesse.

FeedTheBeast · 26/02/2010 15:15

we are in Leeds so not that far north (like scotland), and I can't really remember the last time i heard the prase ya big jesse.

I decided to tell them the name now as i wanted them to be able to get their heads around it and not spoil the post birth time with any negativity re the name. (they would not be shy about letting me know their true feelings)

I asked my 10yr old nephew about teasing and he said he doesn't know of anyone who gets picked on for their name. I think there are so many different ones now compared to when i we were in school and it was only tom's and ben's etc. Would hate to lumber child with a burden of a name, and also worried it may get shortened to Jess, but would be ok with shortened to J(ay)

aargh....

OP posts:
ProfYaffle · 26/02/2010 15:13

I'm a northerner, I don't think 'Jessy' is a commonly used insult any more is it? More my parents generation really.

CantSleepWontSleep · 26/02/2010 15:11

Jesse is a wonderful name and it's none of your parents' business, and very rude of them to disparage a name that you have chosen.
Your mistake was in telling them the name before the baby was here.

Don't change the name, but don't tell anyone that you have decided for definite, just fob them off with a 'we're not sure yet' until the baby is here.

havoc · 26/02/2010 15:10

Well, what you should have done is not discussed the name with anybody before the birth! But, I'd go for 1), your relatives will get over it.
Having said that, nobody (ok, just my mother)liked the name I had in mind for DD, so I wimped out and picked another name.

5DollarShake · 26/02/2010 15:08

Stick with it and let everyone get used to it!!

I can't believe they think they have such a right to impose their wishes on this.

This is why I will never tell a soul what my name choices/preferences are until the baby is born and named...

MmeLindt · 26/02/2010 15:08

Normally I would say that your parents had their chance to name their child and now it is your turn.

However, you state that you are in the North. I am from Scotland and know that naming a boy Jesse would be akin to inviting other children to ridicule your son. 'yer a right wee jessie' is something that he would hear regularly in Scotland.

Do you want a Hebrew name? I am sure there are lots of other names with fabulous meanings that would go well with your surname.