To ask what the hell is up with people judging children's names?!

[WonderingWillow]

Just that, really. When my DS was born, we gave him a classic first name and a middle name we really loved but was a little more unusual.

My parents came to meet DS, and when they asked his name, my mum sniggered and barely covered her laugh, and said "well, we like the FIRST name, but NOT the middle name!!" And my dad just sat there sneering.
When we saw them just before Christmas, my mum said over a cup of tea "so is his middle name still X? God, did you actually put it on the birth certificate?!" He is 4 now!

Also, I've a friend whose second daughter has a really lovely, but unusual name. It sounds gorgeous, but she had family actually say to her "please don't call your DD that name" when she was PREGNANT.

what the hell? I would never have the bare faced cheek to say that to anyone, and would expect to be given a damn good ignoring for a while!

What gives people the right? Why are people so rude? AIBU to think that if you don't like a baby's name when the parent tells you, you nod and smile and compliment the new parent on their choice anyway and then keep your opinions to yourself?

[Lucyccfc]

My son has an unusual name, but has never been bullied for it. I asked him earlier what he thought of his name and he said he liked it. My FIL thought it was strange, but all our friends (who are into football) think it is a fabulous name. It's a very old English name.

I would never make a negative comment to another parent about their choices, but I have raised my eye-brow in private at some of the choices at my DS's school: Zubin and Star-Kyla for instance.

I must admit I'm not too keen on the current trend of sticking May-Mae or Leigh/Lee after a first name such as Sophie-Mae or Kodie-Leigh. On a par with Mercedes or Chardonnay.

[hazeyjane]

Hoor is an Islamic name, I would imagine the parent's are muslims.

I know a Tallulah - father is a teacher so should know better Wtf is wrong with Tallulah?

No-one seems to have answered the fact that any name can be used to make a cruel, teasy, piss takey nickname.

[WonderingWillow]

I'm not sure it IS the other kids that think of insults all on their own... I think kids go home, tell their parents and then the parents take the piss and their children go in and repeat that.

My dad told me that a short name for Richard is Dick, but it wasn't so common anymore because... I wouldn't have known that as a 6/7 year old myself, so that's why I think that.

[lomega]

WonderingWillow I call my car Calypso...people thought I named it after the Calippo ice lollies despite the fact it's pitch black and not a small/fun looking car at all, lol. Wouldn't call a DD that. :p /offtopic

On the subject of this thread I don't think it's OK to say anything once the baby is born, or even at all for that matter, because hey, it's not your baby. Inwardly raise your eyebrows but fgs just nod and smile and say 'that's nice' Mrs Brown style if you don't like the name!!

DS has an unusual name but it can be shortened to something much shorter. When people are rude about the long version we say 'just call him XX if it bothers you trying to pronounce that'. That way he's got a get-out clause at school too and can go by whichever he feels comfortable with

I knew one poor girl at school called Moon who, sadly, had a very round face and was very pale. I did wonder if her parents knew she would end up looking like that when they named her!

Oh and by the way I would judge a name if someone called their child Adolf, for example, or Beezlebub.

[askyfullofstars]

True hazey. I have a very dull, very english, very 80s name and was bullied for it (that and a multitude of other reasons), if kids want to bully you, they will, regardless of your name.
Having said that, my middle name was supposed to be my first name and vice versa, but my dad registered me and he got it wrong.

[WonderingWillow]

Funny thing is, if I'd have come on here and gone 'my friend is calling her DD Shardonnay, I told her she's making a huge mistake and she was upset, AIBU?' I would have been given an absolute pasting. And rightly so!

That's Aibu I guess

[StuntNun]

My mum went on and on and on about my plans for my son's name when I was pregnant and was I sure about it and she would never get used to it and could she come up with a nickname for him that she could use. His name is James.

[msgrinch]

Stunt

My late grandmother was the same with Alfie (on birth certificate he is Alfred to give him options). She went on and on about it being a hippy name and wouldn't people call him Alice. wtf?
My dp is a James. Good choice.

[drspouse]

We were not teased at 6/7, no. Children can be much more cruel at secondary school, and also are much more sensitive.

[AmysTiara]

I think Lolita is a beautiful name but never would I call my child it. Lucifer to me falls under the same no no.

[Hatespiders]

I think it's only kind to point out if a name sounds a bit daft. As a teacher I came across quite a few bad choices. A first name that rhymes with the surname is a bad idea. I had, in the same class, a Paul Small and a Mark Clark. I also had a Dwayne Pipe and an Ophelia Balls. Not to mention a Mhairi Grubb. All these unfortunate children were laughed at and bullied.

[Hatespiders]

When I was a girl I also knew a lad called Alfred Price. He was of course called 'Alf Price. He helped his dad on their market stall selling fruit and veg. He inherited the family business and created quite an empire for himself and became a millionaire. No-one teased him then.

[AnotherGirlsParadise]

I didn't tell anyone the names of either of my DC when I was pregnant, purely because I knew SOMEBODY would always have SOMETHING to say. For the record, both of my sons have Biblical first names and Hebrew middle names - my DP and I are atheists, but their first names sound lovely and their middle names are a nod to my Jewish upbringing.

Friends and family who don't like our choices deliberately pronounce their names incorrectly all the time, just to make their feelings known. Oy vavoy

[Writerwannabe83]

Dwayne Pipe

Brilliant!!!!

[Writerwannabe83]

ohhelp

My friend has for two DC's, one aged 6 and one aged 2. Both of their names are four letters long and they both have the same first three letters!!

Think Jamo and Jama

Makes the whole 'they have the same initials' issue quite tame

[JockTamsonsBairns]

I had a good friend who found out at her scan that she was expecting boy/girl twins in her first pregnancy. As her pregnancy progressed, she told me that she'd decided on the names Charlie and Lola. As a good friend and mum of three myself, I felt duty bound to point out the existence of another well known duo by the same name. She wouldn't have known otherwise, never having tuned in to kids tv or looked at the kids section in waterstones before.

[Pipbin]

I see what you are saying op.
If a friend introduced her new baby and said 'this is Fifi-Fluffy-Snowflake'. I'd say something like 'gosh, that's unusual for a boy.'
However if a pregnant friend said that they were thinking if calling their child Princess Twinkle-Toes and what did I think then I would pass comment.
To give an unsolicited comment is rude however I shall judge all I like in my own head.

[TheSpottedZebra]

I 'met ' a boy called Lucky-Lee the other day.
I judged that one.

[MyCrazyLife]

I have a Willow :)

[GreatAuntDinah]

Zubin

Yes damn those Iranian names. All immigrants should call their kids good British names.

[Hatespiders]

My African dh has an aunt called Awa. When I met her, I curtsied (as is customary) but inside I was giggling like anything. I couldn't get the Scottish song out of my head, "We're no Awa tae bide Awa". He has another aunt called Ta-Ta (handy when you're about to leave) and one of his sisters called Fatmata, which sounds exactly like Fat Tomato.

[Lucyccfc]

GreatAuntDinah.

Of course, damn those immigrants!

The family are British born and bred (not foreign), with no links to Iran at all. All 17 of their kids have 'unusual' names.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

Surely you mean English, Dinah?!

Welsh and Scottish/Irish Gaelic names are invariably very badly received on MN, if not in real life.