Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wish people were more positive about my baby's name? <kind of serious>

591 replies

Truntscump · 27/01/2017 17:12

DH & I loved the name Luca for a girl throughout my pregnancy. I know it's generally used as a boy's name especially in Italy but her middle name is Rose and I love that it means 'light'.

Anyway, my dear mum very sadly died last summer of Leukaemia and my (usually lovely) Granny (aged 96 and grieving) first said that Luca reminds her of the phrase 'dirty Luca' then a week later she asked if it was too late to change the name beaches it reminds her of Leukaemia.

I was so upset, my baby (3 weeks old) really suits her name and I love that it's a bit different but now I can't stop thinking about the link to Leukaemia :(

OP posts:
BertrandRussell · 27/01/2017 17:40

What a shame.

But I think I would change it-you won't be able to get the negative associations out of your mind now. And you don't want anything about your wonderful dd making you or her great grandmother sad.

And it is a boy's name anyway.

How about one of the star names? Stella, Seren or Astrid?

Lndnmummy · 27/01/2017 17:40

In our part of London I have come across two little girls called Luca. It is gorgeous. Dont change it. Fwiw, I had the same with my son, named my son Gabriel and my MIL hated it and I changed my sons name

Itwasthenandstillis · 27/01/2017 17:41

I thought about the thing that its usyally a boys name, BUT in the Italy (and other places) there boys called nicola which took me about 5 seconds to find completely normal. If it suits her keep it and love it.

Tardigrade001 · 27/01/2017 17:41

Put Lucia on the birth certificate, then call her Luca if you want to. Apart from everything everyone else has said, she may hate having a boy's name when she is older.

HelsBels5000 · 27/01/2017 17:42

If I saw this on paper I would immediately assume boy (as the only Luca I know is a boy) however the same could be said of Robin I guess.
I agree though, more feminine option is Lucia.

SheldonCRules · 27/01/2017 17:43

As a nickname yes but I doubt she will be thrilled to have a boys name when she is older.

mouldycheesefan · 27/01/2017 17:43

Yes Luca the abused child in the song.
I don't think it's the best name you could choose to be honest. It's about name anyway.

toptoe · 27/01/2017 17:44

It doesn't sound like leukaemia to me. I think it's lovely. Yes on the continent it is 'luke' (they pronounce the last vowel) but so what. She'll enjoy it, and may shorten it to lu if she fancies. Lucky Luca. Your Gran is grieving the loss of her dd and the birth of her great gdd has probably stirred up all sorts of feelings. It reminds me of Luna, but more unusual.

ILoveAGoodBrusselSprout · 27/01/2017 17:44

So many names are interchangeable between boys and girls these days - Cameron, Jamie, James, Robin.

Also, what about the song line, such by Suzanne Vega (a girl), "My name is Luca, I live on the second floor"?

Keep the name. It's beautiful

Dahlietta · 27/01/2017 17:46

You mean this song?

"On a 1987 Swedish television special, Vega revealed her inspiration for writing it:

A few years ago, I used to see this group of children playing in front of my building, and there was one of them, whose name was Luka, who seemed a little bit distinctive from the other children. I always remembered his name, and I always remembered his face, and I didn't know much about him, but he just seemed set apart from these other children that I would see playing. And his character is what I based the song Luka on. In the song, the boy Luka is an abused child—in real life I don't think he was. I think he was just different"

GnomeDePlume · 27/01/2017 17:46

It's a lovely name. Your DD is already growing into it. Don't change it because of a few comments from strangers. So far as DGM is concerned, she's grieving and pretty much anything will hurt.

I am so sorry for your and your DGM's loss and wish you joy of you DD.

hoddtastic · 27/01/2017 17:47

i don't like it for a girl, sorry. If you are 100% on it then you wouldn't be asking here.

thatsthewayitgoes · 27/01/2017 17:47

My friend has a daughter called Lucca. It is a beautiful name x

Dagnabit · 27/01/2017 17:47

It's a lovely name for either gender in my opinion. If you and your OH like it then keep it...you can criticise any name if you think hard enough!

FrancisCrawford · 27/01/2017 17:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheNameIsBarbara · 27/01/2017 17:47

Some names are interchangeable yes, but as this thread shows most if not all people know that Luca is a boy's name and would be wondering why you gave your girl a boys name.

For your daughter's sake I would hope you would change it as she will be the one who has to explain why her parents gave her a boys name, for the rest of her life.

IncidentalAnarchist · 27/01/2017 17:48

I know a woman named Luca. She's bright, creative and very awesome

TheFirstMrsDV · 27/01/2017 17:48

I was pregnant a year after my DD died from leukemia and one of the names on our list was Luca. It hasn't crossed my mind that anyone would make that connection until now.

Sorry about your mum.

If you love the name use it.

olympicsrock · 27/01/2017 17:49

I am quite a traditional person and I like it . Yes it is a boys name in Italian but quite pretty too. It doesn't make m think of leukaemia. I say just do what you want OP.

WhoKn0wsWhereTheTimeG0es · 27/01/2017 17:50

I think some of the responses are a bit harsh on the grandmother, who has recently lost her child to a dreadful disease (assuming she is the maternal grandmother). She can't unsay what she said, the association will probably stick now.

No real harm in using what is normally a boy's name for a girl, but may cause confusion from time to time.

sparechange · 27/01/2017 17:51

Also, what about the song line, such by Suzanne Vega (a girl), "My name is Luca, I live on the second floor"?

You mean the song about a child being abused? Confused

Luca is a boys name, so you can expect a lifetime of comments about it being a boys name. If it is bothering you now, it is going to bother you for the next 20+ years so maybe PPs suggestion of spelling it Lucia on the birth certificate is one to think about?

Dizzywhore · 27/01/2017 17:53

A lovely name, for a boy! Sorry but I'd change it. The poor girl will spend her life spelling it, answering questions about it. People thinking she's a male at appointments etc. So many gorgeous girls names to choose from!

altiara · 27/01/2017 17:56

OP - Are you Italian? My work colleague called her DD Luca - it's pronounced Loocha as it's Italian not Luke-ah and it is a girls name in Italy, just one not we've heard of in the UK. If you pronounced it the way Italian's pronounce their words then you get the Cha sound. So nothing like leukaemia. Will assume you're not Italian otherwise you wouldn't be posting this. Blush

piginboots · 27/01/2017 17:56

To be fair to your gran she has just lost her daughter and I think her insensitive/unreasonable comments should be excused to a certain extent.

I think Luca is a cute name for a girl, and if it bothers her when she's older she can always go by Lucy.

I'm sorry for your loss Flowers

EssentialHummus · 27/01/2017 17:57

But if you and your partner are happy that's all that matters

Yes. Personally, I'd go with Lucia, but if she's here and you're keen on the name, don't let granny (or us lot!) put you off.

Swipe left for the next trending thread