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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:
nokissymum · 22/08/2011 09:46

cheerful love your name by the way Grin i see your point, i think what i find silly annoying is that "junior" is the calling name, i think that is just as important as the formal name, no point having a grand name like william bart.... If everyone is going to call you "junior" is there ? Really.

Its kind of like saying "we just cant be bothered to think of a name"! mops her forehead from the stress of it all

Lainey1981 · 22/08/2011 09:49

Thanks cheerful

CheerfulYank · 22/08/2011 09:50

True...of course I am the one who wants to name her next DS Frederick Alexander and call him Rex, so what do I know? :o

CharlotteBronteSaurus · 22/08/2011 09:58

i thought dd2's name was fairly classic (features both in 19th century literature, and the bible) and inoffensive

when i tell people people her name, the most common reaction is a tumbleweed-filled gap in the conversation where "how lovely!" is supposed to go.

although at least now i know that the same people weren't just being polite when they said they liked dd1's name.

WhoseGotMyEyebrows · 22/08/2011 10:00

CharlotteBronteSaurus What is it?

WaftyCrank · 22/08/2011 10:03

My Gabriel hasn't had Gay yet but at 5mo he doesn't socialise much :o

We call him Gabe or baby Gabey at the minute and if it starts getting shortened to Gay at school we'll probably start it too to take the mocking away from it. I had a few people say about the Gay thing when he was born but I love his name anyway.

My DD is Lola because it's the only name my XH would agree on and I really do regret it.

WhoseGotMyEyebrows · 22/08/2011 10:09

Why do you regret Lola? That's lovely!

lookingforwork · 22/08/2011 10:25

I also have had Confused reactions from my family for my DDs. Though as we have an unusual surname we found it difficult to find names we either liked or flowed well. Both have 1 french name and 1 russian name. though DD2's name is more popular as there are lots of eastern europeans where I live. DD1 always has to pronounce/spell her name but she likes being the only one with the name.Smile

WaftyCrank · 22/08/2011 10:30

I'm not sure Whose. I loved it at first but now, after having people turn their noses up and being told it's chavvy, a stripper's name etc, I just think I could've chosen better.

My Gran said the other day, 'It's a shame you didn't pick a pretty name for her.' I'd just hate for her to grow up hating her name. She does love that I can buy Charlie and Lola clothes for her and they have her name on though :)

worraliberty · 22/08/2011 10:32

I was going to call my DS after my Grandad

But I thought "Grandad" was a bit of a stupid name for a child

Even though he was short, bald and dribbled a lot....just like him Grin

bumpsoon · 22/08/2011 10:48

My best friend called her two children very unusual names ,so unusual that i have never to this day heard of any other children with the same names . I cant mention them on here as it wouldnt be fair . I did do a little catsbum face when the first child was born , but i was fully expecting it with the second child ,so was able to say and look positive .

Helenagrace · 22/08/2011 11:15

When I mooted Benedict as a possible name one reaction I got was "euuugh papist name!" Hmm . It was also derided as "stuck up" and "posh".

I knew someone who regretted choosing Araminta for her dd. Sure enough her nickname is polo. I mean who'd have thought?Confused

Celeste / Celestine is a family name which has had mixed reactions. I think it's a marmite name. I didn't choose it as our surname has enough "s" sound in it to sound ridiculous even without a lisp.

WhoseGotMyEyebrows · 22/08/2011 11:28

Aah Wafty! It's not a stippers name and it is pretty! Take no notice. Just people being old fashioned. Really it is lovely and I would consider it myself if I had another.

lookingforwork · 22/08/2011 11:37

I love Lola but already have too many L's in my surname. It was one of my chosen names for DD2 but DH pointed out with surname sounds odd.

TruthSweet · 22/08/2011 12:14

TSC - Thanks, I like them too. I am interested in what your son's name is if your weapons grade MIL didn't like it. Care to share?

Lambzig · 22/08/2011 12:28

When I told my DF my dd's name when she was born he said "Good god woman, you cant call her that, its a strippers name" (imagine slightly toned down Brian Blessed tone of voice)

nocake · 22/08/2011 12:45

Lola is a lovely name but unfortunately I listened to The Kinks when I was a teenager Grin

MamaLazarou · 22/08/2011 12:54

Just posted on the other thread, but the best thing my mum could think of to say about my son's name was that it was 'Better than Barry'.

WaftyCrank · 22/08/2011 18:44

Thank you :) I do love it and I know that's all that matters. Hopefully she won't live up to the Kinks song. At the minute she lives up to the song 'Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets'!

freybean · 22/08/2011 21:35

if i had a ds then he would have been named jenson Smile

when my sis had dn1 my mum went mad and refused to be his nan because of his name, i think she phoned all the family moaning about it

the name? Ethan, she didn't like it because its welsh, her face was a picture when dn2 was named owen Smile

to be fair tho she didn't batter an eyelid at my dd's name

dixiechick1975 · 22/08/2011 23:23

A relative came to see DD after she had been born.

I knew she had recently become a grandma and asked what the baby was called - TJ. Oh what's it short for (I knew baby's sister had a traditional family name so expected Thomas Joseph or something) Short for nothing ....embarassed silence (me and her)

TheSecondComing · 22/08/2011 23:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TruthSweet · 22/08/2011 23:50

I really like Francis, though couldn't call any of my DCs that as it was one of DH's colleagues and I wouldn't want to give the wrong impression Grin

I was expecting something 'amazing' like Icabod or Belvedere Wink

TheSecondComing · 23/08/2011 00:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LoulouCapone · 23/08/2011 08:56

Another Jesse here.

Mil said "you can't call him that". Erm we can, and have actually.

Strange lady in cafe. "Aah, about three weeks is he?"
"Yes, exactly actually"
"What's his name?"
"Jesse"
"Oh, sorry I thought it was a boy"
"He is"
"Well that's terrible, it's like that song, a boy called Sue"
Strange lady walks away muttering to herself.

On here I've been told it's a gypsy name and another poster wouldn't sleep with a Jesse. Hmm

What annoys me is that everyone has an opinion. If I'm introduced to a Molly I don't give the parent my opinion, so why do I always get an opinion? Someone further up has said "girls name to me" or something similar. No-one has asked you though. We're sharing other peoples reactions, not adding to them!

I still love the name though, and wouldn't change it.