To think it's rude to comment on someone's choice of name like this?

[ThatWasMean]

I don't know if it's just pregnancy hormones that are making me feel this way so I may well be being unresonable and probably quite silly but I thought I'd ask anyway.

I'm expecting a baby girl and me and DH have already picked the name out for her. It's not a common name and in fact has never been a popular name in the UK, however it was fairly popular in the US at one point. Even though it's unusual I wouldn't say it was unheard of and it's certainly not weird or out there by any stretch of the imagination.

However there have been a couple of occasions where we've told people what we're going to name her and they've just outright said "that's a horrible name!" .

I get that it's their opinion and everybody has names they don't like. There are lots of names I don't like however I realise that other people do like them and I would never dream of telling someone that I think it's an awful name if that's what they were going to name their baby. I would just smile politely and nod.

I should add we haven't had all negative comments, there have been lots of lovely reactions too but I was just surprised that people felt the need to tell us they think it's horrible after we tell them that's what we're naming her.

Would you tell someone if you thought their chosen name was horrible?

Ha! You live and you learn - we made the same mistake with our PFB (his name is Tom btw - wtf is offensive about that?!) and then kept our subsequent name choices quiet until the baby in question had arrived and we could introduce them with 'Come and meet Quasimodo'

IMO, even children I did think when told they had an odd/unusual/'ugly' name, just kind of grow in to their name and 'own' it.

Dana will be a very cool girl.

I love it!!! Huge x file fan here though.

Definitely keep the name. please let her have auburn hair too

Scully was an intelligent and strong character so the x file association is a good one!

really, Kundry? Dana Scully (surely the most famous Dana going) was a Dayna.

It's an excellent name, esp. with the Scully link, Scully rocks.

Dana is lovely!

People are numpties.

[the world according to Corn]

If you are going to object / get upset by people saying "Dar-na" then you probably need to think of another name, as in the UK, the Irish singer shown above is who most people will identify with when they see it written down.

To answer your original post, I have to agree with Skylark on P1 though - if it's put out there before the baby is born, then I'd assume people are garnering opinion. Once it's a done deed, then it's fix a smile and say nothing time. (Not that I'd put Dana into that category btw - I meant, if it had been an awful choice)

there was a thread with this name recently. i love it and it was on my list. def not 'out there' at all. what odd friends you have!

It's a Lovely name. I like tabitha too and there are 2 at our school.

I like skylar too after watching breaking bad but I ain't having any more babies just to use it that's for sure.

That's a lovely name.

I thought neveah too sorry!

It's a lovely name op! I think it's your friends who are the strange ones. Or maybe they secretly wanted the name

Yay it was me I guessed it!! :) I LOVE the name Dana, it's beautiful, strong and never been over-used. And Dana Scully was awesome but most people won't instantly think of her. Good choice! What did the rude people who you told not like about it?

Btw op she will be Danny to her mates.
Teenagers mutilate the most beautiful names.

Ah, Dana is nice, pronounced either way. I have known of a few Americans called that.
Its a boy's name too! (but I think that it sounds more girlish)

oh of course Roseanne's daughter was Darlene

Sorry OP I didn't make the Scully connection because the spelling automatically makes me pronounce Dah-na as per the Irish singer and Dana International.

I knew a Dana growing up who had amazing bright red curls and a beautiful singing voice- I was a few years younger and totally idolised her, so all good connotations to the name here

Dana is lovely. Might not be to everyone's taste but I don't understand how anyone can say it's horrible it's hardly balonza

Gorgeous op - go for it.

Nothing wrong with Dana, I can't see the issue.

Can't believe people pronounce it "Darna" though...

There was a Dana at my school and no-one thought it was horrible or took the piss and why should they? It's a perfectly normal name!

It was pronounced Dah-na though so I would imagine you'll be correcting people a lot. When I read your post I read it as Dah-na and I'm an X-Files viewer who remembers Day-na. But when I see it I can't help think Dah-na.

It makes me think of the Irish singer, and... sorry but also Dana International - the transvestite/transexual (can't remember which) who won Eurovision a few years back.

Both pronounced Dahna not Dayna.

You, and she, will have to correct people's pronunciation. But it's a nice name.

I admit to been a huge X Files fan in my teens however that's not why I like the name. I actually liked it before I became an avid X Files fan.

I was also expecting a lot of harsh comments when I caved so I was surprised that I've gotten such positive feedback (unless of course you're all just pretending to like it and pretending that there's nothing wrong with it whilst sniggering at me behind your computer screen )

I honestly have no idea why these people objected so harshly. One of them is actually a close friend who has to have an opinion on everything and will voice it no matter who she upsets and she is still asking me if I'm still using "that horrible name" and whether I've chose something better yet . She has also told me she'll be teased but I still can't imagine why.

Have to admit, was expecting something horrific. I really like it.

Bloody hell op keep the name and change your mate.

What a nasty bitch!

I never watched the X-files, so the only Dana that sprang to mind was the one in Homeland.

I think it's a lovely name. Although my taste is maybe a bit out there- when I told my mum the name we had picked for DD, she said "oh. That sounds a bit...foreign." But even if Dana wasn't to somebody's taste, I really don't understand how 3 people have found it so offensive. Very odd. Anyway, congratulations!

I love Dana!
Pronounced both ways,day-na and dar-na!

Dana is a lovely name! I don't get why anyone would say otherwise tbh

I have thought over the whole pronunciation issue and I realise some people will pronounce it other ways. But speaking as someone who has a name that is often both pronounced incorrectly and spelled incorrectly it's not a huge deal to correct people. IME it takes me a couple of seconds to correct people when they pronounce my name wrong and likewise if someone's writing it down I will also spell it for them and that takes a couple of seconds too.

Also I imagine that she'll be the one introducing herself most of the time rather than having her name read out iyswim.

I will admit though that we actually did consider spelling it Dayna for a while to clear up the pronouncation problem but tbh I don't like it spelt that way. It just looks trashy and odd looking when it has a y in the middle IMO (which doesn't make sense as that's the way we pronounce it). So we quickly dismissed that idea.