AIBU to want to tell my sister to change baby’s name?

[Eleanora8]

My nephew is due this week and my sis really wants to name him Atlas! Me, my parents and her friends all dislike it and my Mum has made her feelings clear and joked she hopes he never gets lost with a name like Atlas...
My sis got upset but I wanted to tell her I hated the name too but felt bad.
Should I speak up (vote yes) or keep quiet (vote no)?

It might be her way of putting you off the scent regarding the real name.

We used to tell folk who asked that DS was going to be "Cecil" (nowt wrong with that name but too posh for our very Scots, middle-class-but-traditionally-a-pit-village area and he would have been teased mercilessly).
His actual name is one of those solid, everyone-has-heard-of-but-not-currently-extremely-popular names.

I quite like it!

Certainly don't hate it.

I think it could easily be got used to.

Doesn't Kirstie Allsopp have a son called Bay Atlas Anderson?

Fab initials there!

I hope that your sister isn't too hurt by all your reactions & still uses the name if she really wants to.

Yabu for wanting her to change the name.

I sure hope he doesn't grow up carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders though. I wouldn't want to live up to that name.

There's a line in the Led Zeppelin song Achilles Last Stand

When the mighty arms of Atlas hold the heavens from the Earth

(misses point, but then thinks "Achilles" doesn't pop up as a name much in the Anglophone world)

At least it's not the relentless oliver, George, henry / Harry, William Oscar and Jack though.

Be ultra enthusiastic about it. "Oh Atlas is just darling and isn't Lassie a wonderful nickname for a little boy? Beautiful!"

What an awful thing to do, especially to a woman during a vulnerable time.
You should be supporting your sister, not being horrible to her.

Atlas is a great name, are you familiar with Greek mythology? Some people find Tom, Dick and Harry boring, it sounds like you’re being boringly pedestrian.

I quite like it. It’s strong and assumes a personality.

You and your Mum sound lovely bringing down your sister so close to the birth of her child

What's so bad about Atlas? It is a name not some yoonique creation. She probably shouldn't have discussed it with you before he arrived, you all sound far too opinionated and should have tried to be more polite about it

He's not your baby.

The correct response to being told the chosen name of any child that is not yours, is to smile and say how lovely.

Anything else is rude.

Your mum is being rude to your sister and if you say anything you are also being rude. Why would you want your relationships with her baby to start with such bad feelings.

It could be worse...Atty is cute. It can be deeply wounding to criticise someone's baby name choice. They've chose the name they think is the most beautiful in the world and you're shitting in it. There are some that I'd say something about but this isn't one. Atlas it is.

It’s... unusual. But you can’t tell her to do or nor do anything.

I know several Atlases, although all of Greek extraction, including a girl Atlas.
With the surprise from your whole family, I assume there is no Greek connection for this new baby?
However, it is fine as a name and no different to non-French linked parents calling their child Celine or Amelie, or non-irish calling them Roisin oor Saoirse. They just like the name.

PS. The girl Atlas I know often seems to be called Lassie!

@garlictwist

Poor kid will have the world on his shoulders

You beat me to it!

I think there’s a middle ground here; as @Banoffeepies says, there’s a child involved who will have to live with that. It’s not a question of “ooh, I don’t like Michael very much, reminds me of Michael Parkinson”. It’s just asking your sister to be sure that she’s thought through the potential impact on the child of giving him a name that has unfortunate connotations in Greek mythology and may well be a cause of embarrassment all his life. Someone on MN once said that naming a child is not an exercise showing the world how quirky and individual you are - and I do agree with that.

I'm getting an interfering old boot vibe from your Mum, and a patronising, rude vibe from you.

Just my two cents.

It's an awfuk name but I wouldnt say anything unless she asks

It could be the next Big Thing in baby names!

I remember about 35 years ago a colleague named her baby Noah, and everyone was "errrr, lovely, that's errrm naice" - it was a really unusual choice then, but popular now.

Similarly, my name (not really duvet ) is common in the US for people my age, but in the UK anyone I meet with the same name is generally at least 5-10 years younger than me.

Just ahead of the curve (maybe!)

Could be worse.Ive heard of children called Sweet-Pea and Rainbow!

You should mind your own business. I think it's a brilliant name.

Don’t say anything unless asked. This is the exact reason why I only announced our baby’s names after birth. In my case I chose a name that isn’t typical for my country of origin but more international one. My grandma asked: but what’s her real name?
Now my girl is a toddler and they adore the name.

I don’t think there’s anything too wrong with Atlas. Yes, he’ll get an occasional joke, but so do plenty other names.

I LOVE this name. I wanted it for my son but DH vetoed it.

I also wanted Cassius or Atticus.

We went with a very normal and safe name in the end. Still wistful about it.

YABVU

If my sister dared to tell me, I’d tell her thankfully it’s not YOUR baby then.

I can’t imagine thinking I can tell someone what not to name their baby because I don’t personally like it especially one that isn’t even bad. What is wrong with Atlas? I rather have a child with a name that is easy to pronounce and different enough that there aren’t likely 3-4 with the same name in their class. I grew up with people who hated their name for that reason and felt they had to use nicknames because of it.

Another reason why you don’t tell people the baby’s name til after they’re born. Doubt you would have said anything then..

I’m shocked anyone thinks Atlas is an awful name. Do people read?!