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 love the name

it is a perfectly normal name not the most popular but absolutely fine
weird is when you are Rebecca and your partner is Bobbie and you decde to use the first to letters of your names to make unique name of Rebo

If you like it stick to it. I wouldn’t tell people a name till baby was born given how many people comment negatively. I have a friend who has given all her children very unusual names but they mean something to her and her husband and they are nice names.

Such a pretty name & I’m sure she’ll really suit it too. Congratulations on your baby

I was expecting a really weird name, like Maybe or Madagascar! Esme is not weird! A little unusual but popular enough a few years ago.

Esmé is a perfectly normal name and quite popular in recent years! Believe me I've seen far weirder on this website...

Say to her you had your turn naming your babies. Don’t tell her anything In the future.

Esme is a very pretty name.
I'd normally say to people don't share names before the baby is born as people are less likely to be rude once the baby's there. But a friend's daughter has just called her baby Rhian and they have had a surprising number of unpleasant comments about it. I mean you don't have to like a name, there are loads I don't like, but would never say so to anyone.

Jesus how rude!

Even if it was a bit weird, her delivery isn't great.

Esmé is a beautiful name. Don't pay any attention to her and I wouldn't bother responding!

@Frazzled2207 I’d ditch the accent because it has a perfectly standard English version without. Little Esmé will spend her life saying “that’s E acute, an accent on the second e, yes, a little line over the e, which is lower on the left and goes up to the right.” Over and over again.
And besides, given it is a past participle, surely the feminine Esmée would be more elegant, if we’re going French.
Does the OP have any French heritage?

It's a lovely name but was your nan somehow thinking the baby names would include her name?

@Frazzled2207

It’s a nice name. Very “now” though and would have been unheard of in her day

I recall my mother recoiling when I said I was considering Jack, Theo, Ethan for our ds1. She thought they were totally inappropriate. She suggested Gary, Ian, David!

Ignore her.

It's a nice name. Very "now" though and would have been unheard of in her day

Although not common, and originally a man's name several hundred years ago, in it's feminine form it's been around for well over a century, so hardly new and wacky.

How rude of her!

This was why we didn’t tell anyone our names until the baby was born and the name had been decided.

It’s a lovely name, don’t let her put you off!

*Didn't mean to use the quote twice.

Not weird at all!
My Aunt was sure we were going to somehow damage DS2 by calling him Nathan rather than the 'proper' Nathaniel. At one point she even said "call him Nathan all the time if you like but at least have the real name on the birth certificate!"

After we registered our baby, I received an anonymous text which told me the name we’d chosen was horrible and would haunt our daughter. I was quickly able to discover the message had come from my delightful aunt. I phoned her and told her what I thought of people who send unsolicited, anonymous poison to new mothers. I guess she didn’t like what I had to say, because she ended up calling me a “fucking bitch” and hanging up. 😂

Esme is a lovely name. The only weird thing in your story is your grandmother’s inability to mind her manners. Congratulations on your baby.

@Orphlids
Wow, that is terrible from your aunt!

@OnlyheretovoteonAIBU

I don’t know why we are expected to indulge older people being rude and offensive just because of their age. It’s never ok.

I think it depends on what they say and how.

I have a 92 year old auntie. She is absolutely wonderful. I'd rather sit and talk to her than anyone else I know. She's a fantastic listener and quite astonishing for her age in many ways.

But yep, sometimes (and it's usually at family gatherings when I think she's slightly stressed by the noise and numbers) she'll come out with something that's really tactless or snappy. She wouldn't have done that ten years ago, but some of her social skills have somehow slipped. I'm very anti ageism, but it's a recognised fact that this is something that can happen with advanced age. There's no point pretending otherwise.

So we will calmly defend ourselves or ignore it, depending on what she's said. But I certainly don't see it in the same way that I would if a 40 year old friend said the same thing.

Reply with that old Mumsnet classic 'did you mean to be so rude?'
Although given what you've subsequently told us she clearly did!
I don't get why people think that being a bit older brings with it the right to be unpleasant and obnoxious. It really doesn't if all the faculties remain intact.
Just make sure if you're having visitors or visiting after the baby is born that she is way down your priority list!

Its a beautiful name. If I'd had a second DD i would have gone with that name

Esme not wierd. Your gran is out of touch. And rude.

I thought you were going to say something actually wierd like James for a girl is now a thing. Or one of the many made up non names you see on here. Esme is quite nice.

Esme was my Grandmother's name

This really does illustrate why you shouldn't tell anyone baby names before they arrive!

Lovely name! Sounds very pretty and looks good written down!

So rude of her!
Esme is such a nice name.
Ignore what she thinks.

My MIL was like this when we announced the name of my youngest. She text back saying "it's nice that you've had time to think of a name". Might as well have said "shit name. Don't like it". She now tells everyone that our eldest helped pick her sisters name because she blatantly doesn't like it!

Esme is lovely, and normal.

I was expecting something really way out.

Sometimes people who aren't around children much don't realise how many more names are used these days or what names are currently popular.

This. You should have seen my mother's reactions when I floated Iris as a possibility. Of course, when she was having her own kids, it would have been seen as really old fashioned.