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.

Patsy is short for Patrick, isn't it?

I know a 3 year old boy whose middle name is Rose. I quite like it.

A mother at Ds1's old preschool had a baby named Briann. I thought it was a typo.

Forgot to mention Briann is a girl.

Was it not pronounced Breeann though, Mad?
I was at school with a girl whose middle name was Neil because it was her mum's maiden name and they were Scottish - so maybe the same applies to your boy Rose there.

The Rose isn't Scottish. Its just a family name, there are 8 generations of Rose's.

Yes Briann is prounced bree-Ann. Nobody gets it right when read though, and all the baby groups have sticky labels with names on, so it is often read.

I once got told off by a mum for thinking her toddler DS was a girl. To be fair he had long hair and an earring. The clothes were pretty unisex so no clues there. [eyeroll]

Ooh forever do you have a Noa?
That was our first choice for Ds had he been a dd. I love it.

DS1 has a female Ronni in his class. I have a friend called Toni, and another one called Stevie, both female.

The Ronni did take some getting used to, as it is my Grandad's name, and tbh is a 'family' male name, and all the Ronnie's that I had known were male.

I thought Kale was a girl's name. The only one I've met (Canadian, now late 30s) was a girl.

A little off topic, but did anyone notice that Collagen from X-Factor's looked a tiny bit like Piella Bakewell?

Piella

I quite like Kale but don't want a K name for DC2.

I am Scottish and have moved all over the country, I have never came across a male with mothers maiden name as a name.

My sister is Jaimee pronounced the same and my mum gets asked to confirm gender all the time when booking into stuff i.e football lessons.

I have an unusual surname and although it annoys me when people ask how you pronounce it or how to spell it (its a commonly used word with an E on the end, and unfortunately its an anagram of URINE :o), I've always told DP when we get married I will probably keep it as his name is boring so I can see why people like going for unusual names.

yanbu. But Kale does sound nigglingly similar to a traditional name, doesn't it!

Prosciutto and parma ham are the same thing.

And whichever poster tries to convince people that cameron used to be a girls name...its not true. If you want to name your kid after a movie star with a boys name thats up to you, but you can't invent a back story for it.

Kale is a stupid name.

Cael, on the other hand, is a very old name from Irish mythology.

I know a wee boy called Vivian and a girl called Evan - both in SE England.

I don't think I could give my DC names meant for the opposite sex - I'm confused enough by my own DD, who has a very very common girl's name, but spelled 'ie' instead of 'y' at the end (DH is forrin, so it's his country's spelling).

I had a midwife called Mary-Arthur, she was named by Irish Priests working in the part of Africa she was born in but she was very proud of it and took delight in explaining her strange name

Oh see I like Cael but not sure it goes with DS' boring name :o

peanut - my older brother is named after my other's maiden name!

• and I've come across that tradition a lot!

Thumb - yes, Mercedes is a common Spanish female name and the car was named after the company owner's daughter.

My dad has a very unusual Welsh family name. The most similar "normal" name is female. When I was a teenager he was in charge of selling tickets for a show so loads of people who had only seen it written would phone up asking for him.

I'd always say"that's my dad - I'll just get him" to give them a chance to adjust.

More problematic was when people asked to speak to my mum (meaning him).

Kale is funny by the way.

I saw the Collagen girl last night on the X-factor.

I've posted this before I think but there is a rumour in the teaching world that somewhere in the depths of Glasgow there is a Versace McClatchey ....

Of course it may be an urban myth but I hope it's true

YANBU to think it.

But YABU to think it's OK for anyone to comment openly.

There's an adorable series of books about a little rabbit called Lettice, I think it's cute!

Salmotrutta- there is a Versace McClatchey. they live in the Drumchapel area. My friend worked with "da youth" in the area and it is a FACT!! no urban myth!

My brothers got my mums maiden name too, he got a bit teased for it at school but nothing horrendous

Dd have a name no trigger can spell even though its 4 letters and spelt as it said

Am I the only one that thinks Kale is actually quite a nice name?