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?

fabulous you're coming across quite aggressive. Can you not?

And yes, I do think that kids making comments can come from parents. They have to learn that judgemental behaviour from somewhere. As proven by this thread...

Children will make comments as they see life, comments are NOT always from their parents. Your OP was arsey. What do you expect? Children judge and form their own opinions in the playground. You're annoyed at your DM for not liking a middle name? It must be a seriously laughable middle name if she is still referring to it 4 years later! However, you still haven't said what it is. You posted in AIBU and you can't deal with opinions given OP.

I was on an interview panel and the (this is ironic) diversity officer was mocking two candidates before we began for their misspelled names. I pointed out that one name was an Eastern European variant of a name (I happened to know), and I assumed the other was the same, which yes, it did turn out to be.
Quite often people mention weird names and they're just not British!

It is rude to comment negatively on a name, especially given how trends change. DS1 (28) has a name that was very unusual when we gave him it, got lots of positive remarks but is today very very chavvy and common popular.

DS2's name was similarly unusual, and is more widely used today, not to the same extent as DS1's, but still pretty well every school will have one or two I imagine. One teacher he was introduced to laughed out loud and said "oh dear, that's a very big name for a little boy, we'll have to do something about that won't we?" . She clearly didn't realise that he wouldn't be a little boy forever.

My nephew has the worst, most ridiculous name ever. It's impossible to say it without people laughing, but his parents (one of them a teacher) don't care. They like it, and that's that.

(Not that they deserved judging even if the candidates just had a weird bloody name!)

wanderingwillow yes I would have the "bare faced cheek" to say to a parent their choice of name was setting their child up for a lifetime of bullying. Does THAT answer your question?

I love, love the name Breeze. But of course others will hate it. It's all subjective and people should just go with what they like.

My DD was called India Willow. DH didn't like either name when I first suggested but like he did with the DSs,came around to it after awhile. I love her name.

"Hi, I'm North West, with a million dollar trust fund" don't think she'll get any sniggers actually

I don't understand why anyone would care what someone thought of their children's names. I know that my daughter's name is beautiful and I could not care less what anyone else thinks.

We had a hippy couple who were parents at the school where I taught. The mother's name was apparently Squirrel. They had a baby and called it Starshone. I ventured to ask how they arrived at such an unusual name and the father told me the moment the boy was born he took it to the window of the maternity ward and intended to call the child after the first thing he saw, and it was a star shining. I privately thought it was a good thing they didn't spot a dog having a poo on the pavement outside or the poor child would be known as Dogshit.

Celebrities children are immune to the day to day sufferings the average person has, much like their parents. Having a dodgy name isn't really going to be an issue for them!

North West isn't actually the worst name I've ever heard a celebrity call their child. I believe the actress Shannyn Sossaman (A Knights Tale) named one of her son's Audio Science, for example.

Yeah I'm not feeding you any more fabulous, you're just trying to get a raise. What a strange person you are. Good luck with your life if that's the tone you take with people (and not just behind the keyboard) you're going to need it.

It's just the rudeness that gets me carabos, and you're right, trends do change. Remember when David and Victoria Beckham called their DS1 Brooklyn? Not so uncommon or 'odd' now.

op, my previous comment about being intrigued by what your sons middle name is, I wasn't expecting you to post it. It was more I couldn't really think of a name that could be bothering your DM four years on.

I have an unusual name. Its also more used as a boys name. I always got, say that again? Isnt that a boys name? Or spell that? Never annoyed me in the slightest. I would have detested to have had a run of the mill name. I was never bullied either but I'm sort of the type to not really give a hoot about what other people think

alis my mum is quite judgemental and traditional, she also speculated to various family members that my cousin's husband might not be the father of her DS because they had only has DD's up until that point. MN would have a field day with her!

It's all very bizarre.I mean firstly every name was once a 'new' name; the name pool is continually evolving as new names are added and someold ones fall into disuse.
Pocahontas is a historical character so I don't understand why it is less acceptable than say Horatio.I have a friend whose daughter is called Colette but has the nick name coco.i don't understand why Chardonnay (a location in France) is chav but Florence is fine.It makes no sense!
I do think you judge someone by their name at your peril!
The only parents I have ever judged are those of an old lady I know named Eileen North.

She sounds a treat, op!

I knew someone called Ivor Payne.

Oh she is!

Yeah I'm not feeding you any more fabulous, you're just trying to get a raise. What a strange person you are. Good luck with your life if that's the tone you take with people (and not just behind the keyboard) you're going to need it.

You never answered any questions I asked OP. I say what I think in RL NOT just over a keyboard (like you). However, you don't appear to like being questioned on what you post. That's perfectly fine with me though, you hide behind your keyboard and don't justify your comments.

Nothing wrong with Coco

I knew an Honor Head.

What's wrong with Tallulah?

As this thread clearly shows one man's meat is another man's poison.

Names like Tallulah do not conjure up positive images in my mind (strippers/exotic dancers) & it's judgemental for sure but people with frivolous names are harder to take seriously. If my son introduced his new girlfriend as Tinkerbell, Princess or Tallulah I'd be a bit Parents need to think about a name for life not just for a baby. Tallulah applies for a job as a teacher and you think how does she match that name? Princess wants to work as a social worker and you wonder if she's cut out for it? I think it's nice to have less common names but a name is for life and spending half of it spelling Mathyew rather than Matthew just to be unusual just makes it a pain for everyone.

When I was a child my name was very unusual. Then it became popular, which was almost worse. People still can't spell it, though. DH has a boring name. He hates it.

All our DC have unusual names. Only one objects, but not because she hates the name - more because all her friends make endless nicknames out of. However, it has a very bland short form which she says she'll use when she changes schools. The one with the oddest name has a very bland middle name as an alternative, but is never likely to use it: far too keen on the odd name.

We got LOTS of comments, raised eyebrows, the lot. I don't care. Yes, they are unusual names, yes, they stand out, yes, other people have to learn how to spell and pronounce them so yes, other people are entitled to say, 'That's odd unusual...' or 'Gosh - where did you find THAT?'' They're even allowed to say, 'Urgh.'

They're not names which are rude or stupid, though. I draw the lines at though.

I must have posted before about the child a friend taught, who gloried in the name of Wayne King.

I draw the line at those