Your baby's name is 'so weird' ...?

[brandnewcoffee]

Due with our baby girl in just a few weeks. It took us a long time to pick a name that will flow nicely with the middle name as well as the surname and a name we both love equally. My nan texted me this morning and ask if we've picked a name yet so I told her that we have and told her the name we chose is Esmé. Her response was simply 'such a weird name'. Nothing more, nothing less. I'm gobsmacked and don't know what to say back. I know it doesn't matter what others think about the name we chose for our baby girl but it really got me doubting myself and now I'm sat here worrying whether we picked the right name. AIBU?

I remember people I know saying they thought my friend's baby name 'Freya' was incredibly weird and they had never heard it before People are all different I guess.

Totally agree not to share the name beforehand until they are born and named. I remember with one of my DC I texted my sister that DC had been born and we were still choosing between name 1 and name 2 (both of which we loved). She took that as an invitation to share her opinions Never again. Announce it as a done deal!

I’ve got an Esme who’s Ez-mee but your pronunciation is completely valid too. I mean, it’s one of those old lady names that made a comeback so I’m surprised a Nan figure would be so shocked about it tbh.

When we had our daughter almost 28 years ago my grandad, when he was told her name, said "well folks get funny ideas when they move down south"
Still makes me laugh today, it was just a name he wasn't familiar with

I picked an old man's name for my son long before they were 'cool' everyone had an opinion with most saying we couldn't possibly do that to him and what were we thinking. We still did and everyone got over it and didn't even mention it when he was born. He very much suits his name and is still the only child with this name in both his primary and secondary school (it's not an out there name pretty normal).

Please reply ‘so is Betty’ (or insert whatever ever name is...)

Not my cup of tea but not at all weird.

My GM declared my nephews name as 'weird' when he was born, his name is Joe. I could only think it's because Joe is his full name rather than a longer name shortened!

I bet she's never heard of the name and thinks it's pronounced E-smee or something.
Not that it gives her the right to call any baby name choice weird but I'm sure once she hears how it's pronounced, she'll think it's lovely.

I have a golden rule not to tell anyone before the baby is born. Before they are born people think they can change your mind.

My mum kept ringing me up every single day asking about my second child’s name so I just told her a wrong name that went with dc1s name to get her off my back... think: “Rosie and Jim” “Bill and Ben” etc

Esme is a lovely name.

Omg l thought you were going to say a random name that nobody had ever heard of (which would still be fine obvs!).
Esme is a lovely name!

I thought this was going to be about Thanksgiving.

Esme is lovely. Your nan is weird.

She’s probably out of touch with naming fashions and won’t know that it’s a popular name. I’d probably not have the accent on, though. That’s the male form.

It's the preserve of the forthcoming great grandparent. When dd was born DH'd grandad said "well you chose it but I don't like it, it's a maid's name". It was my grandmother's name!

Bloody rude! It’s a lovely name

I think its a lovely name, don't worry about your nan, as people get older they think its a rite of passage to pass comment good or otherwise on most things! Love to know what your Nan's name is.

It's not in any way a weird name.

Esme is fine I know a couple. I think its one of those rare ish but mainstream names

Ahh I know how you feel! We called our daughter Elodie (where we live this is not a commonly used name) and had similar feedback on the name from multiple family members, one of which responded to a text announcing her birth with "haha no really, what's her name??" (I was still in the hospital and the midwife was horrified when DH read the text to me out loud) and a random old lady in a waiting room who actually looked appauled when I said her name told me "oh well I'm sure her friends will find a nickname for that..". well I dont care what they think, I'm her mum and I think she really suits her name, both me and DH absolutely adore it! I get a lot of lovely feedback about it now

I find Esme unusual.
Not bad, just unusual.
You need to ask your Nan what she meant, what does "weird" mean to her.

Unless a massive drip feed is coming and your last name is something like Pesme then it’s a perfectly lovely name.

So rude!

Esme is a beautiful name.

Esmé is a lovely name, though for a girl I would choose the traditional feminine version Esmée.
The problem you and she will always have, as demonstrated by plenty of posts on here, is that it will be incorrectly spelled as Esme, no accent on the 'e'.

Esme is a beautiful name and certainly not weird at all. Especially compared with half the names we come across on MN!!!
It's a real classic. Perhaps seeing it spelt rather than pronounced has made your nan say those comments)

Did you text back asking why?

I'm hoping there was a missing second part to her text!

How weird, that was my aunty's name.
How weird, I met an Esme today.
How weird, I was just thinking about that name.

Esme is perfectly normal and traditional, not weird at all.