everyone does the cats bum face when I say Barbara...

[ikeepchachachanging]

Name changed for this as will definitely out myself. Announced baby's name as Barbara to honour relative but have got lots of . One person says dd will get bullied.

AIBU to call her this? I think it sounds lovely!

Op anyone pulling the cat bum face just lacks imagination how rude to do that, maybe you should call your child Amelia or something top 10 to seek their approval.

Barbara is a legitimate name and the fact it is not over used is a bonus in my mind. As for the bullying comments, children have no preconceived opinions regarding this name and in schools today you hear all sorts of names. Children are far more accepting than they are given credit for on here.

I personally hate this idea of following trends or being cool regarding names, you should pick a name if you like the sound of it and how it looks written down. The person called it will do the rest as far as connotations are concerned

Fwiw I really like the name and a little girl called Barbara sounds adorable

As soon as you say 'Babs' I think of Chicken Run

Ok, name trends come around in cycles, but as people tend to name their children after their own grandparents (which contribute to naming trends) I think you're about 30 years ahead of the curve here.

All those who think it's rude or awful to express an opinion about a name - you have a point that it's impolite. I would never outright express that... except on a forum where opinions have specifically been asked by the OP.

I know for myself that both my DCs names have been boggled at by people. By DD uses a 'weird' shortened version of a very 'dull' name. Think Peggy for Margaret. DS has a name that seems Marmite to most. But I really checked over whether their names would be so ugly/weird/hard to live up to first with people. I asked their honest thoughts and associations. I rejected names that reminded people of serial killers or the like. It sounds like the OP kept the name to herself and is getting these opinions now. The people who are cats bumming her are idiots as the name has already been decided, so their opinions won't change anything and will just hurt the OP.

Barbara IMO has bad associations for me of being obstructive GP receptionists, or working for jobsworth admin staff at uni. I wish I knew a lovely Brazillian Barbara, or had a beloved auntie Babs, but no. Perhaps it will eventually become one of those names you didn't think you'd like but come to like - like Joan or Peggy (both of which I like now but hated a decade ago.)
I'm already starting to like Babs as a shortening. I don't see how you can get Bobbie though - isn't that short for Roberta?

All those who think it's rude or awful to express an opinion about a name - you have a point that it's impolite. I would never outright express that... except on a forum where opinions have specifically been asked by the OP.

I didn't say it was rude to express an opinion. It is perfectly ok, on a forum where opinions have been asked, to say you aren't keen on a name, or it isn't to your taste. The OP has been told:

• people would assume it's a joke
• that her daughter will be horribly teased and even bullied, that she won't get jobs
• that people would themselves pull a cat's bum face
• it is harsh and whiney and "middle-aged overweight school secretary"

That isn't just giving opinions. That is piling in and being downright mean.

There are a fair few names which I find inexplicably popular. Funnily enough, although I may say on here that I don't like it, I'd never be as horrid as people on this thread seem to find acceptable. Maybe it's because it's AIBU.

Lemony of course it not rude to express an opinion on a name when asked but there is a HUGE difference between saying you don't like a name and being nasty or offensive about it.

Fair points Penguins and Trolls.

However, I've had my elderly grandma horrified at my DSs name saying "That's a [insert offensive word here] name". I had enough confidence that she was expressing her own opinion and that she'd grow to love it as she knew my DS.
Actually - she still hates it, but seems to be in a minority.
I've seen my DSs name often on here, with negative opinions, and it really doesn't bother me. I am the purveyor of all things of exquisite taste

I hope the OP might understand more why Barbara might not be to others tastes, but hope she still uses it.

I don't actually like the name Barbara much, as names go, but that's just my feelings. There's nothing inherently wrong with the name at all, and I kind of like the boldness of your choice! Every little girl I hear of at the mo seems to be called Isla, Amelia, Millie, Tillie, Annabel, Isabella.... nothing wrong with any of those names, but Barbara is actually kind of refreshing.

You should have seen the cat's bum faces I got when I mentioned I was thinking of calling my daughter Mary.

LOL at the people saying "It might affect her employment prospects!!"

Look, I think that could (unfortunately) be the case if she were to call her daughter Chandelier or Diamonte or something. But Barbara is an established name and while it is not to everyone's taste, it doesn't sound tacky or "uneducated."

the meaning of the name which was barbarian, she couldn't understand why her parents wanted to name a baby that.
Shit! I missed a trick there, it would have been ideal for DD1!

Seriously, OP, call your baby what you want. Barbara is a perfectly nice name.

I think in five years there will be loads of Barbaras and you are just slightly ahead of the crowd. You like it. Your daughter. Ignore the opinionated buggers!

Charles II's mistress was a Barbara--Barbara Palmer. A gorgeous but temperamental brunette. Definitely not a plump whiny librarian.

You know, the name's starting to grow on me. "Barbara".... It has a nice husky sound to it. And then there is the intriguing hint of "barbarian" which is actually rather exotic, and is connected to the name's meaning of "stranger." It's actually rather dashing.

Bet Barbara will be a popular name in 15 years time, as other have said. 20 years ago, people would have laughed their heads off at the idea of calling a baby Beatrice or Florence.

Lemonyone - I have no idea how you get Bobbie from Barbara. I only know the character in the TV show I mentioned is known as 'Bobbie' by most of the other characters, but was called Barbara by another character last week.

I can only assume the writers didn't want the tough, competent, sexy double-agent to be called Babs or Barbie.

Lemonyone Now I come to think of it, I know 3 Barbaras who always go by Bobbie. One in California where I grew up and 2 in London where I'm living at the moment. All are American though.
Maybe it's not a British thing...

'That isn't just giving opinions. That is piling in and being downright mean.'

I disagree anyone has been mean on this thread. OP specifically asked for honest opinions about her baby's name, and people have given their opinions and their reasoning behind why they don't like the name. The OP has already experienced mass negativity to the name in RL but may not have understood why.

I got the impression OP was thinking of changing her baby's name due to the negative reaction of friends and family. It's not unheard of to change a baby's name, friends of mine did this as they felt they'd made a mistake. Their reasoning was that they still loved the name but didn't want their kid to suffer negative reactions to it for a lifetime.

I got impression people saying negative things on here are thinking about how this name will affect the child, rather than trying to protect OPs feelings. Its all very well to say 'call your child anything you like' but there's a lot of evidence indicating that names DO matter. Your name affects your job prospects, how you view yourself and how others view you. Sad but true.

If I'd picked an unfortunate name for my child I'd rather people were brutally honest about why they don't like the name, rather than spending years knowing most people hated it but not realising why.

For me Barbara is a joke name, but doesn't mean everyone else feels the same!

I'm not overly keen tbh but I don't think DD will be bullied or have her employment prospects ruined by it.
And it's definitely rude to comment on it or pull cat's bum faces. A friend of mine called her DD a name I think is hideous but I would never even hint that I think that.
I started a thread quite recently about names that people can't see coming back into fashion and Barbara did get mentioned quite a few times along with Maureen, Ethel, Gertrude, Gary and Malcolm. I think there are some truly classic names like Sarah, Alice, Lucy, Matthew and Michael that will never seem dated. Then there are names that come in and out of fashion. And then there are names which very much seem from a particular era. I have a name that was very common in the 1970's but I've never met anyone younger than early 30's with my name and I can't see it making a resurgence any time soon.

Haven't read whole thread, so sorry if I'm repeating points made by others. How utterly rude of anyone to pull faces - no manners at all!

I confess that I am mystified at the resurgence among the middle classes of Victorian parlourmaid names, and completely fail to see why things like Edie and Ivy (and, dear god, Ethel) are popular but Barbara causes face-pulling. Pure faddishness. Bet you'll find you are ahead of the curve, and there will soon be a revival of mum-names - Maureen, Brenda, Margaret, etc!

As for bullying - surely not. Aren't there so many mad and random names in use nowadays, that kids can be called anything at all without anyone batting an eyelid?

Call your daughter Barbara if it pleases you. It's a real name, not made up, and passes both the HATSHIT and foreign secretary tests with flying colours.

No one liked names like Ivy and Iris until the cool Primrose Hill types started using them.
It will only take a couple of suchlikes to start calling their children Barbara and Joyce and suddenly those names will be wildly fashionable amongst the 'Cath Kidston changing bag' set, many who are now probably pulling cats bum faces at the name.
People are very sheeplike when it comes to baby names.

I think its nice to give your baby a different name, or a forgotten classic that isn't popular yet. This year, three friends have had baby girls, and all three are 'Lottie'!

And I'm not referring to the OP but I don't totally buy into the 'call your baby whatever you want as long as you like it' thing. It's the child that has to live with the name for the rest of their life, not the adults giving it to them.

I am so so bored with all the Ellas and Ellies and Tillies and Millies and Daisies and Poppies and Rosies and Gracies. Barbara = the perfect antidote.

Barbara sounds like someone who'd be great in a crisis. And her hair would always remain swishy no matter how critical things got.

When my mum gave me my name 26 years ago, it wasn't very popular, I was the only one in my primary school. My name is on your list MrsMcColl just goes to show how names come around in popularity!

It does, Squoosh. I picture someone like Stephanie Flanders. Bet that if she wasn't Stephanie, she'd be Barbara.

Am v sorry ollie. V rude of me!