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!

[DialsMavis]

Sorry my post was gibberish:

I haven't met anyone with the same name as me who isn't at least 30 years older than me

& it will come back into fashion though

[DialsMavis]

I feel like a sore thumb too!

[TooSpotty]

I know two Barbaras under 40, one German but living here, and one Scottish. I've never actually given their names any thought before now!

Lilac that is YOUR reaction right now, but in five, ten years time Barbara might well be wildly popular. My DD has a 'granny' name - quite literally my grandmother's actually - and it's generally popular with my contemporaries whereas my in-laws didn't like it at all at first because it was an old lady name. The generations view names very differently. By the time this baby is working age, it will be completely unremarkable.

[OrangeVase]

Your daughter, your choice.
Called my DD a very similar old-fashioned name. Family name, a strong name. She was the only one in her class amongst all the Lilys and Rosies.

Never been teased or bullied - keeps well clear of those sort of girls. Is 18 now and loves her name. Only really shallow people fear not being in with the crowd.

Love the name. Read the poem - in French but with translation - about war but the image of the beautiful young girl with rain on her face is lovely.

www.boppin.com/poets/prevert.htm

[PHANTOMnamechanger]

When I was at school I did work experience in an old folks home where residents were called Phoebe, Lily, Lilian, Eva, Grace, Daisy - NONE of those names were known among my peers and I thought they were terribly old lady names. Look how they are in fashion now! The girls in my year were all Lisa Tracey Karen Debbie and Sharon, with a couple of classics like Louise or Victoria thrown in.

Likewise gents names - I know several Wilfs, 2 Archies, 2 Ronnies, a Reggie, loads of Alfies, and a Bertie, all uder the age of 7. The lads at school were all IAn, Garry, Lee, CArl, Steven. Ricahrd, Philip, MArk, DAvid etc. Not a Jake or Josh or Callum to be seen.

Call your child what you want - kids really don't bat an eyelid thesedays when there are so many names from other cultures, made up names, named after places, objects, cars, wines, and 'unyooshul' spellings of names.

I know 2 younger Barbaras they are both early 40s and lovely.

[QuintShhhhhh]

Barbie, Babs - great nicknames. .....

If your dd turns out to be pretty, and popular.

Otherwise, a tool to mock.

[BMW6]

I am a Barbara! Have never been bullied because of it and like that it is so uncommon.
Family call me Bar, Barbs, Babs and Bubs - only get called Barbara when someone is mad at me..

I always understood that it is Greek for Beautiful Stranger.

If she hates it she can adopt another name for herself, so I say why not?

[Twirlwirlywoo]

I actually quite like it. Although tbh DH suggested it 14 years ago for DD2 and I poo pooed it at the time.

I do actually quite like the name now. I think it will come back into fashion at some point in the future, you are just ahead of the game.

All these old lady barbaras would have been babies and little girls once too.

Be proud of your baby Barbara!

[SiobhanSharpe]

I love that poem. And Bar-bar-a (in a French accent) is super-genial, as our French neighbours say.

[ChoudeBruxelles]

I pull a cats bum face but that my mil name

[SaucyJack]

My Nan's name was Maureen.

I can't ever see that coming back.

[OrangeVase]

PHANTOM - same here re names. Where have all the lovely Stevens and Simons gone? And Gary? And David?
Married to all the Lindas and Sarahs and Claires I suppose

[CalamitouslyWrong]

It's hard to adopt another name for yourself though. I hate my name. It really is not a nice name, but I'm kind of stuck with it.

[OrangeVase]

SiobhanSharpe - I am so glad that you said that. I love it too - and it is completely different when said in a French accent.

[BellsaRinging]

My friend is a Barbara in her 30s. She used to hate it. I think it's a bit old fashioned here now but still like it. I met a few in Italy where it is more common and wasnt considered old fashioned. Anyway it could be the next granny chic name-if you're bothered about things like that.
If you like it then ignore any negative comments. Its clearly a name that means something to you and your family and that's the most important thing.

[MyNightWithMaud]

I like it but, then, I am a big fan of la Streisand.

[Cantdecideondinner]

It's not a name I would have chosen but it's a perfectly normal sensible name and a hell of a lot better than names like Edith or Ethel or Clementine or any other such try hard names

[PHANTOMnamechanger]

I think Heather is another pretty name that should come back.

[MargotLovedTom]

Good God I've just seen my name (real name, not Margot!) described upthread as due to be in the next wave of names found on great grannies + newborns. I'm only 42! And my name is so of its time there were about five of us in my reception class in 1977.

Barbara is a bit middle aged I have to say.

[OrangeVase]

Oh yes, there were two Heathers in my class at school.
Always liked Helen too. The Helens were always cool, tall, beautiful...

[MaryBerrysLostCherry]

I know two. One of the young granny vintage who is lovely. One in her early 30's who is one of the most smart, sussed and savvy people I have ever met. I hugely like and admire her and so love the name. And it suits her down to the ground! Bar Power!

[Primafacie]

There's a little Barbara in DS's class at kindergarten! She is very cute. It never crossed my mind that her name was unusual. Go for it OP!

[MissDuke]

I am sure it suits your lovely dd, and I find it incredibly rude that people would react like that. It is a much nicer name than most modern names imo! Though I won't give any examples for fear of offending

[ollieplimsoles]

I totally agree with phantom we had so, so many Sams at our school, now its not really used! We had lots of Sarah, Natalie, Katie, Liza, Holly (Im 26 btw). Loads of old man names coming back in, we have chosen a really old fashioned name for our DC if we have a boy, our girls name choice is 1950s/60s chic too!

[eyebags63]

"Babs". Ugh no. Too old fashioned, I think YABU.