Being horribly judgemental (baby name related)

[namechange201020]

Someone I know has had a beautiful baby boy. The name she has given him is a bit odd.

I know it's not my place to have an opinion but I can't help but think this poor boy will be made fun of as he grows up. I've name changed as I don't know for sure she's not on here and I don't want her to find the rest of my posts if she is. I know of no other children with this name. She's from a similar socioeconomic background as me.
She's called him Cloud. I can't even think of a nickname he could go by.

Bahahahaaa!! That is such an odd name. Totally understand why you posted to discuss with anyone/someone anonymously (!!), as there is no chance you can safely express your bewilderment IRL (even between other friends) as it might get back to new mum of Cloud ☁️

It will just become his name, and there may be teasing ahead for Cloud when he's at school, however it is now who he is and there's no scenario that any reaction other than 'Oh what a lovely unusual name' will be welcome, which of course you already know OP. (Willing to Bet there's a feisty Great Aunt somewhere in their family that speaks her mind to everyone'!!)

People are getting very inventive with what they view as a potential name.
I'm waiting for someone to be named Tea-pot

Names were a major source of piss-taking when I was at school too. But so were a myriad of other things. Plus you never know what names are going to become tease material due to celebs doing horrible things. Lots of Gary's at school when I was little were not so keen on their name when Gary Glitter's actions came to light - except the ones who were more solid in themselves perhaps.

Are they computer game fans? Doesn't sound weird to me but that probably cos I've played a lot of final fantasy

I agree, @73Sunglasslover. When I hear of someone taking nine months to decide on a name, only to come up with — dramatic pause — James or Sophie, I tend to wonder are their lives actually that beige?

Does the baby have a middle name?

@Dontknownow86

I was thinking the same! Cloud Strife.

To be fair, Kylie Jenner's daughter is Stormi. And there's that girl Storm on Jeremy Vine. All pretty similar to Cloud, really.

Cloud is my pets name

There was a girl called Rainey Beau where I worked 🙄

@Dontknownow86

That was my first thought too, Final Fantasy VII

Maybe they’re big fans and want a hero’s name

I know two kids who have names that're spelt wrong. One whose name has a pointless, extra e in the middle of it and another whose parents whacked a random accent on the e in their name but didn't change the pronunciation to match.

At least Cloud is easy to say/spell and it's memorable.

It’s actually not bad. I hate the latest fashion for really old fashioned names. ‘Oh a beautiful baby girl, what’s her name?’ ‘Elsie!’ Wtaf. I do remember a workmate telling me a girl she had gone to school with called her baby ‘Dewberry’ this was when dewberry stuff was a mini rage in 1997.

Well, I agree with you, OP.

It is a frightful name.

As for shortening it - Cloudy.

Yes, I know that makes it longer, but it also makes it into a nickname IYSWIM.

You can't be sure she's not on here and yet you thought it would be a good idea to start this thread?

Why?

I don't think it's that bad, I quite like it actually. I don't think he would be teased as theres nothing funny about it, it doesn't sound rude. Also you can tease someone about literally any name if you want to. Eg, Matt the Rat, Chris smells like piss, etc.

I'm secretly judgemental about uniquely spelled names though, the original spelling is nearly always nicer looking and easier.

@WillLokireturn yes, nobody in real life I can discuss this with without somehow being the one person that thought that was a weird name.

@Dontknownow86 hadn't actually thought of that but maybe?

@HalfManHalfLabrador yes, I would call a big fluffy cat could or something like that.

@TheMustressMhor works when he's little but I can't imagine hiring Cloud for a serious job? Then I know someone else who called their baby Teddy and unless that's shortened to Ted that may well be an issue for him too.

@WorraLiberty I can't be sure anyone I know isn't on here. I haven't been outed so far but there can't be many children named Cloud. There are many many Mumsnet threads that discuss things like this. The person it's about seeing it is always a risk.

There’s definitely not many children called Cloud.

It’s only appeared once in the official England and Wales baby name statistics since 1996 - 3 babies in 2014 were named Cloud.
The Office for National Statistics don’t list names given to fewer than 3 babies in a year, so there may be a few more little Clouds out there, but not many of them!

names.darkgreener.com/#cloud

It wouldn't be my choice, but I've heard worse.

In Asda last week I heard a mum shout at her dd.
Gabriella Mae Rose move your arse,on repeat all round the supermarket until wee Gabriella Mae Rose moved her arse.

I knew a woman so named her kid McCloud.
She was so mad that people were not spelling it right.

I know a baby Cloud and we are from an area where kids have rough upbringings therefore can be pretty mean. I bet we know the same family.

Could be worse. Could be better too

That’s quite bad yes.
My favourite names are proper ones that aren’t common
Zoe
Tess
Miranda
John
Mark

Agree the tedium of turn of the century names (Archie Poppy) and top 10

@MsTSwift John is really common north of the border. Tends to be a family name, I really have people who name kids after themselves. John and his son John, you don’t tend to see the same with girls named after their mother.

When I hear kids being given really ordinary names (i.e. in the top 20 kids names) I fear that they may grow up feeling that they have to conform and be the same as others, which is often a path to poorer well being.

What a load of balls! So the millions of people who have grown up over the years with names like Stepehen, Clare, Paul, Nicola, John, Mary, David etc etc were at risk of suffering because of their bog standard names?

I'd say you're more likely to be affected by people doing double takes and saying, "Sorry, what was that?" every time you say your name. Followed by your having to say: "No, not Claude as in the French name; C - L - O - U - D, the white things in the sky." Repeat many, many times.

It's better than 'Basil'...a neighbour revealed last week that her DS (born early December, name 'kept in the family until we all got to know him') is Basil Leonard Walter. I kept a neutral face (wasn't expecting that at all) and enquires whether these were family names. They're not. So little Basil 🌿 it is then 👍