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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to ask owyou would never name a child and why

602 replies

Flyingfish2019 · 07/01/2019 17:36

I would never name a child Mia = missing in action. Or Cameron, what if she marries a guy named Cameron and then she is called Cameron Cameron?
Or Claudia because it means “one who is lame“ in Latin.

OP posts:
WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 08/01/2019 00:28

Jordan, Jayden, Hayden, Kayden and Chantelle. Not me at all.

Chantelle always reminds me of Milton Jones’ great one-liner about when he met a girl and asked what her name was – and he thought she was just playing hard to get!

Oh... and i dislike any place names such as India. That’s ankäme for a place not a person to my mind.

Anybody else remember Katie Hopkins laying into "chavs" who give their children place-names – whilst apparently forgetting that she had a daughter called India?!

I taught a Susanna Stevens (similar not actual name) with a lisp

Reminded me of this, for some reason!

Adolf

And yet Eva, by stark contrast, is extremely popular....

Francesca is a nice name, but you might find Sascha to be problematic for a boy. Others may know better!!

I agree. Sascha is a popular male name in continental Europe, but I always think of it as a girl’s name. Same with names like Ezra, Dara and Enda – anything ending with an ‘a’ just sounds very feminine to me. I’d probably feel differently if I were Irish, though. Although whenever Enda Kennedy is in the news, I always read it as Edna and instantly think of the evil television Grin

On a related note, does anyone else have names that they love but would never give a child because they’re just too OTT or hard to pull off?

I absolutely, genuinely love the name Kermit for a boy! It’s a common Turkish (I think?) name and not unusual in the USA, but you really just couldn't, could you….

I met a baby called Barry last week !!
It’s a name. It’s just another name - that's all it is.
So why did reading that sentence very nearly make me spit my drink to the other side of the room?! Grin Grin Grin

Oscar is the classic “we aspire to be upper middle class”
And yet it just instantly makes those of us of a certain generation think of a filthy trash-can dwelling monster who speaks like Joe Cocker sang.

Not sure if it's been said but Sienna. Used to really like the name until I saw it written down and realised it's an anagram of insane and now that's all I can see!

Plus, the ‘i’ often gets swallowed when it’s said out loud, and it just makes me think of those natural pods that you have to take if you’re unable to do a poo.

I really don’t understand the logic of picking a name that is another word backwards, it’s like something children do

Normally, I’d completely agree, but we fell in love with name Y’tuaeb for our daughter – it’s ‘Beauty’ spelt backwards, because that’s exactly what she is to us – our gawjus little Beauty Blush

It’s pronounced ‘YouTube’ Grin

Balonz - or Data, for that matter.

Beat me to it!

I know it’s just a cultural thing, but we live in the English Midlands, so it would sound so utterly ridiculous and out of place. Obviously, if we lived in Surrey….

hgrtyou · 08/01/2019 01:05

NAVEAH

ItsQuietTime · 08/01/2019 01:47

I'd never give my child a weird name, nothing hard to pronounce or spell.

Nothing that sounds like a family pet's name.

And definitely Not Emily, every Emily I've known was a bitch.

Nothing that is associated with a particular country that I and my family are not of its origin.

Racecardriver · 08/01/2019 02:12

I don’t make any of those associations.

thecatsarecrazy · 08/01/2019 06:49

I called my son Tristan. Love his name but there was a post on here once asking why anyone would give a baby that name.. because I like it. Apparently my eldest sons name is chavvy if i go by what they say on here too.

thecatsarecrazy · 08/01/2019 06:51

I would never name a baby anything that's already been used in the family. Didn't stop my bil though. I found it a very odd thing to do.

redyawn · 08/01/2019 06:52

Fanny. It's a popular name in South America.

IAmAlwaysLikeThis · 08/01/2019 06:57

red yes, I think just for Spanish speakers in general. I worked with a woman called Estefania and she said ‘just call me Famny.’ So I did. Constantly.

IAmAlwaysLikeThis · 08/01/2019 06:57

*Fanny, obvs.

SheAlreadyDoneHadHerses · 08/01/2019 06:58

Really not keen on the overused names listed by so many PPs already (Olivia, Oliver etc etc etc) . Ditto the Americanised names like (sorry, but) Mackenzie.

I like the name Tegan for a girl but it doesn't "go" with my daughter's name so I don't think I'd use it if we had another girl. No idea what name we'll use if we have a boy, my husband and I literally can't agree on a single one! We must both be very fussy!

Names I like but couldn't get away with:

Sonny (would be in for a lifetime of being called son by other men which can sound disrespectful)
Elvis (love the sound of the name, but ruined by Presley)

Relieved to see neither my name nor my daughter's so far! Although her name is top 100, but near the bottom so definitely not commom. I'm 34 and have never met another person with my name. It's very unusual but not at all "out there", just from a different country. I love it because the only famous one is a fantastic activist.

Oysterbabe · 08/01/2019 07:00

DH and I almost called our son Rudy. I said no in the end, even though I still really like it, because when a close relative died during my pregnancy we decided the middle name would be Paul. I definitely would have shortened Rudy to Ru so he would have been RuPaul and I don't think you can do that to a kid. To this day DH still maintains that it would have been fine and that hardly anyone knows who RuPaul is.

ForAMinuteThere · 08/01/2019 07:16

Jaxon, Alfie, Jenson, Cayden, Tommy, Cody, names of that ilk -and anything named after a footballer. Gives off a certain impression.

Surnames as first names aren't for me. Some are alright though.

Girls - anything hyphenated and has May/Rose/Grace on it. Nice names on their own but Lily-Mai etc is awful. Lacie, Sienna.

ForAMinuteThere · 08/01/2019 07:17

Oyster I love that name but was put off when someone I know said he had been mercilessly bullied over it his entire life.

UbbesPonytail · 08/01/2019 07:22

I’m always fascinated by this. I’m from Suffolk, DH from Essex and the names I consider ‘chavvy’ (I wish there was another word to use!) are very different to what he does.

In terms of names I wouldn’t use for a child:

Alan
Kevin
Keith
Paul
Daniel
Jessica
Nicola
Jennifer
Patricia

I don’t have any particular judgement against them, they’re just not my kind of names. I love a lot of Scandic names but I’m sure they’ll be vetoed if number two ever comes along. DD has a very gentle name. There were only 9 registered her year of birth but it wasn’t on our list until a couple of days before she was born but was completely her name when we saw her!

consideringtakingthetreedown · 08/01/2019 08:06

George. My mother wouldn't stop nagging me when I was pregnant about wanting me to choose "George" if I had a boy. Luckily, I had a girl. I don't actually have any issues with the name itself but (i) it was the name of a family member who was a bit of a grumpy bastard and quite unpleasant to his wife * and (ii) it was also the name of one of my childhood pets.

  • My mum disliked him so her obsession with the name wasn't anything to do with honouring his memory - she just thought it was a cute name and got obsessive about pushing it on me!
glitterfarts · 08/01/2019 09:41

Both my DD's names are on this list. :D
Worst name ever: Neveah. It's seriously hideous.

I'd never use:

Chloe, Zoe, Harriet, Jaxon, Braxton - horrid names
Any old man or old lady name eg Edith, Albert etc
Any name that could be shortened to Maddy.
Any name with an x in it.
Any royal name.
Any name after alcohol or cars.
Any fussy name of more than 3 syllables eg Francesca, Patricia.

Conversely I love unisex names, place names, surnames as first name (except MacKenzie). Each to their own.

MotherofDinosaurs · 08/01/2019 10:16

This thread is a gift. Not using the name Poppy because you might accidentally misspell it as Poopy in a Christmas card is one of the most fucking hilarious reasonings I've ever seen on Aibu and that's saying something

OutPinked · 08/01/2019 10:23

Honestly I don’t like any name that begins with a D. I know that sounds extremely broad but I’m yet to hear a ‘D’ name I like. I loathe the name Daniel because every single Daniel (usually Dan or Danny) I’ve ever met have been twats of the highest order. I find D names either chavvy or just a bit dreary like David.

I also wouldn’t use a top ten name.

Andromeida59 · 08/01/2019 10:32

Can't stand Aurora. Have no idea why it's so popular.

Twisique · 08/01/2019 10:34

Oliver - reminds me of Oliver Twist and Oliver Cromwell.

Londonlassy · 08/01/2019 10:37

Double barrelled names eg Louise-Sarah. I have a double barrelled name and I absolutely hate it. My mum insisted everyone of my friends and teachers use my full double name. As soon as I went to Un I introduced myself with a nickname and no one would dare use my original name now

Sakura7 · 08/01/2019 10:40

Also not a fan of surnames as first names, and a lot of the very old names that are popular now really don't appeal to me (Ivy, Arthur, etc)

Omzlas · 08/01/2019 10:58

Teddy
Bobby
Sammy
Randy
(American sounding names in general)
Alfie (boils my piss)
Isaac
Archie
Jack
Lennie
Cameron
Jaxon / Jackson
Bonnie
Anything that sounds like a dog's name

Omzlas · 08/01/2019 11:00

Oh. Yeh

Nevaeh. Heaven spelled backwards. Seriously?

Anything-Mae.

Zoflorabore · 08/01/2019 11:04

My ds is almost 16 and called Oliver and his nickname has always been "twist" Grin

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