AIBU to think that if you give your child a name that more commonly belongs to the opposite sex, or name your child after a vegetable...

[Jacksmania]

... then you shouldn't be all that surprised to get comments from people?

Disclaimer: I absolutely believe that anyone should be allowed to name their child whatever they like, as long as it's not obviously offensive. I mean, "Fuckface" or whatever is obviously out :o

I'm asking this because I've found myself in two separate situations this week where I ended up thinking, "well, come on..." but then wondered what the MN Jury would think.

Will try to be as brief as possible:

1 - acquaintance was registering her DD for ballet lessons. Her DD is named something most commonly male.
Acquaintance to ballet school: "I'd like to register my DD "male name" for ballet class Tuesday nights at x time."
Ballet school: "I'm sorry but boys' ballet classes are Wednesdays at x time".
Acquaintance: "as I said, I'd like to register my daughter "male name" for ballet at x time"
Ballet school: "your daughter "male name"?..."
Acquaintance: (seething) "yes my daughter "male name""
Ballet school: "..."

Acquaintance hangs up and starts ranting about idiocy of school who can't grasp that "male name" might be a girl. I listen but then stupidly say "well, you have to admit, it's not usually ever that I've heard of a girl's name".
Acquaintance: at me.

2 - friend makes reference to her teenage son whose name is in fact that of a leafy green vegetable. Person who can be a bit of a knobber in surrounding group overhears and in a sneering tone says to friend "did you say "x" was your teenager's name??"
Friend says yes. Knobber person says "you are aware that "teenager's name" is in fact a green leafy vegetable??" Friend (obviously irritated) says "yes". Knobber walks off smirking.

Friend is upset with Knobber, as was I because really he didn't need to be quite that knobbish about it... and I've obviously learned my lesson because I didn't say anything this time, but thought to myself, "well, he does have a point".

So - AIBU to think that you should probably expect comments all your child's life if you name them after a leafy green, or give a girl a boy's name or vice versa? I do understand it gets tiresome, but, well...
And want to add that I in no way condone rudeness!!! I think it should be possible to ask or comment without being horrible.

I also know a man named Val

Letticia is of course an old-fashioned name. Hence my MN moniker. It was previously Freshlettice but some idiots people just thought I couldn't spell.

Val fro a mna is quite normal though. Val Doonican .
I knew one short for Valentine.

I knew someone at school who had Valentine for a middle name. I don't think we teased him too much about it (he was the biggest boy in the class as well though...)

thumb I know a [normal name] Ulysses [normal name]

Sorry about crap spelling - DC3 (11 days old) sleeping - thank God - on my lap as I type

Thank goodness they used those names for middle, not first, hey Chocolate!
(awwww to sleeping 11do, that's lovely)

In Scrubs the back story of Elliot being called Elliot is because her parents hated her so they gave her a boys' name.

There are a couple of male Elliots in my family. I think it is quite sweet as a girls' name.

Cameron is another cute girls name that is traditionally boys. I had a friend who called her girl Jordan, and I liked that until Katie Price became famous.

Didn't Evelyn Waugh marry another Evelyn? They called each other He-Evelyn and She-Evelyn apparently. Must have been confusing.

I love Elliott as a boy's name, though I would have to stop myself when instructing him to phone home.

When I were a lass, four of the girls in my class called themselves George, Phil, Les and Chris (Georgina, Philippa, Lesley and Christina respectively); it was quite common to 'androgynise' your name if you were female. No Brassicas though

It was ET, not Elliott that had to phone home

Elliot was the little boy in ET wasn't he?

DS has an unusual name, but as we live in vair naice North Oxford you'd have to give your DCs a name more commonly used on one of the lesser-known moons of Saturn to even get a raised eyebrow.

However, we have had a few wags from elsewhere asking if he has a younger brother called Rural/garage/grime......

I usually just look blank and explain that it's a very old Latin name that means "From the city". If they've been sneering, I pause briefly and add "It also means charming and well-mannered."

I knew there'd be the odd comment now and again, so was prepared. So far it's not been too bad. DS is rather charming and well mannered, too, so the Kale theory may hold some water......

Oooh - Chocolate - I know someone with Ulysses as a middle name too.....

My DH has a typically female name, well in the UK anyway.

So does my BIL ...

minouminou - his first name isn't Tom, is it, by chance???

Urban I'm guessing?

no, JKSLts not her DS, the guy with Ulysses as a middle name (I'm wondering if it's the same person we both know? [hopeful emoticon])

No, the guy with Ulysses as a middle name is 20-21 now, and his first name begins with R.

I once looked up some stuff on uni sex names on a web site just out of interest when a girl friend had chosen a name with alternative male female spellings for her unborn baby. I also have a sister with two unisex names for her children Ashley and Riley. A is the girl and R is the boy. Not easy to guess that one. It is the most modern trendy thing to name girls, boy names or uni sex names (Angel, Cameron, Casey, Haydn, Jadyn, Jaden, Dakota, Phoenix, Harper, Jamie, Faith, Ariel, Quinn, Rowan, Jordan, Taylor (Tayla), Maddison etc) The spelling may change as in Reece/Rys or Maika/Micah. What about a fruit name? "Apple". Or do we need to be movie stars to use names like that?

I've never heard of a boy called Faith. I would have considered that a 100% girls name.