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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you've ever had a bad reaction on announcing your new baby's name?

432 replies

YouDoTheMath · 21/08/2011 20:31

Also posted in Baby Names, but I guess a lot if the ladies there don't have DCs yet.

So - did anyone ever have the gumption to tell you outright that they think the name you chose for your child is awful?

OP posts:
worraliberty · 21/08/2011 23:49

I love Jesse but only for a girl

I used to go to school with a boy called Jordan, so when I first heard of Katie Price it took me ages to accept a woman using that name Lol.

LikeACandleButNotQuite · 21/08/2011 23:55

LOVE Jesse. Mother not keen on it...which makes me even more keen on it. Also love Tristan, again this got a lukewarm reception from her.

Am thinking of names at the min, and if I suggest something and someone says "I dont like...." I just reply with "well, you dont have to like it"

scrivette · 22/08/2011 00:21

DS is Jenson, when I told my Dad & brother they both thought I was joking!

alwaysme · 22/08/2011 00:22

Thirty years ago, I wanted to call my son Isaac. OMG with the "you can't call him that!!"

I gave in and called him Nathaniel but gave him the second name Isaac :o

He recently told me that he wished Isaac had been his first name. Mums are always right, wish I hadn't given in.

MadStaringEyes · 22/08/2011 00:31

MIL calls ds1 told us she didn't like ds1's name and would instead call him something she does like. So he ignores her :o

MIL said of ds2's name, 'Oh, that's a bit posh for you!'

Friend said of ds2, 'It's quite out there though, isn't it?' Erm, no, being not named after a tank engine, does not make it out there.

jellybeans · 22/08/2011 00:53

Yes my MIL did with DD1. Some of my family did with DS3.Middle ones had no comments!

jellybeans · 22/08/2011 00:53

Oh and MIL called DD1 'baby' for the first year as she didn't like name!

ravenAK · 22/08/2011 00:54

Dh happens to have my all time favourite boy's name. He's always liked his name.

So we gave ds a rather similar name - it has the same background, & can have the same diminutive - not Alfred & Albert, or Rodney & Roderick, but that sort of thing.

I lost count of the number of people who said 'Oh but it'll be so confusing having two Als'.

'No it won't. Ds can be Bert'

'But you'll get letters addressed to Mr A Raven & won't know who they're for!'

honestly. The things people find to worry about...

flyingspaghettimonster · 22/08/2011 01:43

I didn't get to name either of my first two kids because my choices got yucked so badly by family. Admittedly I do prefer unusual names, and my daughter does suit Rose better than Lorellei, but my son would have made a great Indianna.

I didn't tell people my 3rd child's name till it was definite and screw their reactions - and many people like it now. He is Felix, it suits him brilliantly and nobody really mentions the cat food as we are States-side. He loves the cartoon too... kids can make any name their own, and I think everyone should love their child's name; I constantly regret allowing others to choose the other two kids' names.

TillyIpswitch · 22/08/2011 02:41

No, we haven't had any bad comments, at least not to our face!

Before I was even pregnant I told a friend (of Irish stock) what our planned name for DS was (is!) and she screwed up her face and said it was awfully English. He's named after DH (who's Irish)'s uncle.

When he arrived and was duly called said name, she was like, 'oh, how lovely!' Grin

To be fair, the name is quite out of vogue and you just do not hear of boys being called it these days, but DS has been known by a diminutive version since the day he was born, so that his actual name doesn't feel like his at all. I definitely prefer the diminutive and am aware of the current connotations around his full name (middle-aged, dull, etc) but at least he will have options later in life.

Plus, my name had all those connotations and more when I was a child and now you can't move for little girls with the name or one of its variations, so perhaps by the time he reaches his 20s or 30s it'll be back in.

As for DD, no, her name is always commented positively on. it is definitely a timeless classic. Wink The only thing people do seem to have strong opinions on is its pronunciation...!

Honestly, as with everything else in life - you can't please everyone, so you might as well please yourself.

cumbria81 · 22/08/2011 07:10

To be fair, those of you that try so hard to find "different" names also have to put up with the reaction that will accompany them. It comes with the territory.

Not going to name examples, but personally I would hate to be called some of the more strange names mentioned on this thread and to have to introduce myself as that every time.

Sorry.

CheerfulYank · 22/08/2011 07:57

Some of these names aren't uncommon at all here! :) Isaac, Jesse, and Noah in particular as they're Biblical.

I want to call my next DC Rex if it's a boy...bet I'll get some odd looks then! :o

My MIL did make an odd face when she heard DS's name, but I think that was because it was one we hadn't discussed before. It's Samuel Robert, so don't know if there's anything particularly odd about it.

My parents were going to call me Brynn Elizabeth (I know it's a boys' name there, but it's only used for girls here) but my great grandmother couldn't remember it. So they named me Megan. After the bloody Thorn Birds, I'm sure. Hmm

SisterCarrie · 22/08/2011 08:31

DP and several of his friends - are guilty of saying, "Really, like the sportswear brand?" (Not Nike, that is a lovely name but there is no way anyone could get away with it now) on being told of the choice of name of friends of theirs. You couldn't meet two less sporty people, so they definitely weren't thinking about future sponsorship opportunities!

Despite getting a right drubbing on FB for it from their friends (amongst other equally out-there choices), they went ahead with it - it's not a bad name, it's just more commonly known as a brand name and not as a first name, more of a surname. In a way, it's a good thing as the other option would have not played well to the DW's speech impediment - it's not the same consonant substitution, but imagine something along the lines of Jonathan Ross calling his kids Rory, Rumer and Rupert...

MIL had an opinion on everything to do with my pregnancy and every single name we were considering (disagreement with every choice, really) and at the dinner table when we finally decided on a name for DS came out with, "But that's soooo boring...". We went ahead anyway and are glad of our boring name as I've never known an unpleasant person with this name.

Whatmeworry · 22/08/2011 08:47

No, but I have had to bite myu tongue to stop myself a few times....

nokissymum · 22/08/2011 09:11

worraliberty isnt "junior" an english word meaning younger ? Absolutely nothing to do with jamaican or african heritage.

just a lazy way of saying "just like his dad!" looks like him! sounds like him! has same name as him! Infact lets not call him his dad's name as its all so obvious, lets just call him "junior" Hmm

tulpe · 22/08/2011 09:17

Yes, PIL told DH that DS1 had an awful name and they would prefer it if we used his middle name instead (PILs usually lovely). Their reasoning stemmed from the fact that they are Dutch and the name we chose is like calling your DC "Wayne" in the Netherlands :o. They were very good about it and MIL confessed that DS1 changed her perspective on the name as he was so gorgeous :)

DS2 has an unusual name and we have received negative comments from friends when he was first born. It doesn't bother me in the slightest and DS2 likes the fact that nobody else has his name in school nor has he ever met another person with his name.

msbuggywinkle · 22/08/2011 09:18

My Mum really dislikes DD1's name. She is Helena.

CheerfulYank · 22/08/2011 09:19

Oh, Helena's lovely! :)

TheSecondComing · 22/08/2011 09:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CheerfulYank · 22/08/2011 09:30

Is Junior his whole name? Hmm I've heard of that but most people called Junior are named what their father is. I know a little boy who's Benjamin Middlename Lastname, Junior. It's the same name as his father and they just call him Junior, but when he gets to school he'll probably be called Ben.

I also know of a few boys called Trey whose real names are William Bartholomew Smith-Pembroke III, or whatever. Trey meaning three in this instance.

I know people called by their initials (i.e. a James Edward Battle called Jeb) and generations of a family having the same name but different nicknames, as in a grandather called Charles, a son called Chad, and a grandson called Charlie.

Lainey1981 · 22/08/2011 09:31

Sometimes get a catsbum mouth when i say ds's full name
We call him him by the shortened version- Finn and will invariavly get "oh that's cute, what is it short for? Finlay? Fintan? Finbar?
I say no " finnegan" have had a few Hmm looks and followed by a rushed fake, "lovely"
But on the whole a positive respons.

Lainey1981 · 22/08/2011 09:31

*response

Knackerelli · 22/08/2011 09:36

I think lots of names on here are lovely; especially Noah ( my DS!) We also considered Gabriel for ages and I think is lovely too. Youdothemath we thought a nickname for it would be Gabe.

CheerfulYank · 22/08/2011 09:41

LOVE Finnegan :)

usingapseudonym · 22/08/2011 09:44

I think quite a few names on netmums are funny. I wouldn't like a nickname for a Proper Name, dogs name, funny spelling of a normal name or something pretentious and/or really obscure from Shakespear/greek character etc.

However... I do hope I don't laugh directly at anyone! I'm not that rude!