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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Naming babies names that are definitely not what they say

156 replies

Lelophants · 20/02/2021 17:14

For some reason I can't understand this! Dh disagrees. Am I mad?

Naming a baby after a month, despite being born in a different month? (Referring to the new royal August). What does the name mean then?

I've also known an Autumn born in June and a Summer born just before Christmas in snowy Canada (very out of season!!) I feel like names have meanings and associations in some way, whether you like it or not. And it feels like a mistake? Like they didn't realise? It just feels wrong!

I understand with names with less known meanings e.g. rowan meanings red, because a lot of people won't know that.

But August? We all know it's month number 8 🤦🏻‍♀️ I. Just. Cant.

OP posts:
Bainne · 20/02/2021 17:36

@CuntyMcBollocks

Who cares??? It's a name, nothing more. My name supposedly means 'desirable' but it really isn't relevant or apt whatsoever.
I'm sure you're most desirable, @CuntyMcBollocks. (Not a sentence I ever thought I would say... Grin)

I'm more bothered in a mild way by names whose meaning is well known and refers to a physical trait being given to babies who definitely don't have that trait. I know a teenage Fionn (which means fair-haired, blonde) who is very dark-skinned and black-haired, and has been from birth, and as his mother is a native Irish speaker, it's not that she didn't know the meaning of the name.

The only Summer I know was born in November, and I do know a summer-born Noel, but he's called after his granddad (and hates it, and is universally known as Frog for reasons unknown...)

Original poster
Lelophants · 20/02/2021 17:38

Goodness well I hope those who've had a terrible day feel better for having told me off! It's a chat room, to discuss ideas! 🤷‍♀️

Interesting point about May. I agree it now has a meaning that feels more general and I dont find it too odd calling a non May baby May, although I would personally only use that name for that month.

I love a lot of these names btw, I just like them when I feel like they make the most sense Wink

OP posts:
Symbion · 20/02/2021 17:43

Sorry, YABU. Christopher means bearer of Christ. How would that work exactly? Would they all have to form an orderly queue and take turns? Grin

You've picked an unfortunate example, I've literally never connected names like Augustus to the month and I think Noel and Holly are good names for people who don't have Christmas birthdays. But I do notice Eg very blonde children called Ebony or very dark ones called Bianca.

BobbidyBob · 20/02/2021 17:43

@Lelophants

It's like they just liked the sound of it, you know?
Are you just trolling? Yes, this might be exactly the reason. It’s the reason most people pick a name. Not many people go by meaning, most go with how they feel about a name and how it sounds to them. Obviously Hmm
honeylulu · 20/02/2021 17:45

My daughter was born on 1st May and has May as a middle name which seemed perfect.
I confess I was a bit meh to realise how common it is as a middle name and even worse how many parents give it as a middle name to girls who aren't even born in May! Don't they realise they aren't entitled to it??? How very dare they !!!

(Lighthearted obviously!)

I do think it's extra nice to have the actual connection with your birth month but that's about it. My friend has a brother called Augustus and he was born in August. I think that's really cool. Then she told me who was named after their Dad who was born ... in October.

MaybeMaybeNotJ · 20/02/2021 17:45

The papers say he was named because Prince Albert’s middle name was Augustus.

BlackLambAndGreyFalcoln · 20/02/2021 17:45

I don't know how Eugene and Jack are pronouncing it, but her ancestor after which he is named would have pronounced his name in the original German pronuncition: OW-gust rather than AWE-gust.

BlackLambAndGreyFalcoln · 20/02/2021 17:46

*pronunciation!

Ponoka7 · 20/02/2021 17:46

From a news article,
"the Princess revealed that her son had been named after his great-great-great-great-great-grandfather Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s consort, whose middle name was Augustus.
The choice of Philip was made as a touching tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh".

MaybeMaybeNotJ · 20/02/2021 17:47

My middle name is May (before it became popular) as I was named after a family friend.

Peachi82 · 20/02/2021 17:47

I didn't even think about the month August when they announced the name to be honest. It's not a name I would choose for a child (as in German it is very clown related to me...), but it's perfectly OK.

In German, there is a slight difference in pronunciation between the month August (slight emphasis on gu) and the name August (slight emphasis on Au).
Is the pronunciation for month and name the same in English?

Etinox · 20/02/2021 17:48

My bug bear is Benjamin/ Ben for firstborns. It’s just wrong!

honeylulu · 20/02/2021 17:48

Rather off point but when my son was little he really wanted a black cat which he was going to call Snowy. If we had got a cat I would have let him just because it's funny.

Mountainpika · 20/02/2021 17:53

I wonder how I would have felt if my parents had called me February? (Birthday next week.)

AnnLouiseB · 20/02/2021 17:55

August is a family name for the royals, and also has the meaning of ‘respected and impressive’, so it doesn’t only mean the 8th month.

Mrsfrumble · 20/02/2021 17:57

@Etinox ha! Our firstborn is Benjamin, and our neighbour gave a telling off for that (maybe you are him? In which case, sorry again for our faux pas, Bill-from-downstairs Grin)
To be fair, we didn’t know if we’d be having any more at the time, so he could have been our lastborn too!

DumplingsAndStew · 20/02/2021 17:57

Like they didn't realise?

They are obviously just not as clever as you.

Etinox · 20/02/2021 18:11

[quote Mrsfrumble]@Etinox ha! Our firstborn is Benjamin, and our neighbour gave a telling off for that (maybe you are him? In which case, sorry again for our faux pas, Bill-from-downstairs Grin)
To be fair, we didn’t know if we’d be having any more at the time, so he could have been our lastborn too![/quote]
I’d never say it irl and feel a bit of an arse here. I’ve just googled it and it’s more of a French thing and the biblical Benjamin means son of my right hand, so I rescind my judginess Wink

SusannahSophia · 20/02/2021 18:13

The month is pronounced awe gust and the adjective is awe gust

Cocomarine · 20/02/2021 18:13

I think it would have been worth googling a baby names site to understand the origin of the name before starting the thread 😉 but no harm done!

SplendidSuns1000 · 20/02/2021 18:15

The reason you seem to have offended people is because you've made a fuss that makes it seem a child's name has detrimentally impacted your life because it isn't a name you understood. Your lack of research into said name along with your overreaction is very telling.

PercyPiginaWig · 20/02/2021 18:19

@Etinox

My bug bear is Benjamin/ Ben for firstborns. It’s just wrong!
It can't be as bad as "Lily-Sue" when the name Susan actually means Lily.

June Brown was born in February, no issue with that.

DeathByMascara · 20/02/2021 18:22

I had this exact conversation with my mum today 😂 I can't say I get too wound up about it, but it does make me raise an eyebrow in passing

WhatATimeToBeAlive · 20/02/2021 18:22

Do you also worry when a baby is called Grace, and they're not? Or Eve when they're born in the morning?

supersonicginandtonic · 20/02/2021 18:23

My baby is due in April, we're having a girl but had she been a boy she would have been called Noel. Not because of anything to do with Christmas. Because we are both big music fans.