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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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...

244 replies

Jacksmania · 23/09/2012 00:37

... 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: AngryAngryAngry 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.

OP posts:
ClaudiaSchiffer · 23/09/2012 01:09

Yes Yes, come ON Jacksmania.

THEMardy · 23/09/2012 01:09

Lettice goes back further than Victorian times. Iirc one of Elizabeth I's ladies in waiting was Lettice Knollys.

ClaudiaSchiffer · 23/09/2012 01:09

No one else is up now anyway.

ThreadWatcher · 23/09/2012 01:09

I love ridiculous name threads :o

Jacksmania · 23/09/2012 01:10

And it was all going so well...

OP posts:
Triffiddealer · 23/09/2012 01:10

I like the name Kale. I always imagine a Kale to be strong and handsome, with dark, sweeping hair. So the knobber was being VU and needed to be told to pipe down..

Calling your daughter Gary and getting upset about people thinking she's a man is VU though.

Jacksmania · 23/09/2012 01:10

ThreadWatcher, me too :o

OP posts:
TheOneAndOnlyMaryZed · 23/09/2012 01:10

Oh come on Hmm. I have to go to bed.

ClaudiaSchiffer · 23/09/2012 01:10

Ooh really THEMardy, how interesting.

I think dd's probably grateful I came to my senses though.

Jacksmania · 23/09/2012 01:11

Triffid, the Kale in question is actually dark and handsome with longish sweeping hair! V v good-looking young man. :)

OP posts:
Jacksmania · 23/09/2012 01:11

Ok, Mary, just because I love you.

It's Elliot.

OP posts:
ClaudiaSchiffer · 23/09/2012 01:11

I LOVE the name Gary for a girl, and then getting uppity about people getting it wrong. Ver funny.

TheOneAndOnlyMaryZed · 23/09/2012 01:12

We used to have a neighbour called Beetroot.

It might have been Beatrice, but I was a child so didn't really know the difference

nailak · 23/09/2012 01:12

did she name her after the scrubs girl?????

THEMardy · 23/09/2012 01:12

Actually just googled to double check my facts. Not a lady in waiting, but was married to liz's lover favourite, Robert Dudley.

Jacksmania · 23/09/2012 01:12

Who's the scrubs girl? Confused

OP posts:
TheOneAndOnlyMaryZed · 23/09/2012 01:13

Oh, Elliot Hmm. Too much tv. Isn't there some doctor programme with a female Elliot.

I don't like it, male or female

ClaudiaSchiffer · 23/09/2012 01:13

BEETROOT

ROLF

nailak · 23/09/2012 01:13

there is this tv programme about wacky doctors, the girl is called elliot i am sure!!

TheOneAndOnlyMaryZed · 23/09/2012 01:13

Oh, yes, scrubbs (x-posted) that's the programme.

nailak · 23/09/2012 01:14

www.tv.com/shows/scrubs/cast/ click show all cast and you will see her

ClaudiaSchiffer · 23/09/2012 01:15

Here she is.

She was funny and pretty and I quite loved her for a while there back in the early part of this century.

ThreadWatcher · 23/09/2012 01:15

Elliot Shock

Jacksmania · 23/09/2012 01:17

Huh. She may have gotten the inspiration from that show. It's been running for a few years, hasn't it? [clueless] The girl in question is 3? 4 at the most? Probably not 4 yet, I think. Could be.

OP posts:
aMashedUpPhraseWithGravy · 23/09/2012 01:17

Oh, I know a baby girl named Elliot. I think it's one of those names that is slowly crossing the bridge - like Ashley, robin, Courtney etc all used to be boy names and now are usually girl names.

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