To want people to calm my baby by his actual name?

[SimGuruRu]

Name change as outing. To avoid the inevitable “what’s his name” replies ... he’s called Brian, hence outing.
He’s 6 weeks old and friends and family seem unable to call him by his actual name. They make up stupid names for him “baby Bobo” for example, I’ve had people literally snigger when I say his name. MIL has outright told us it’s an awful name for a baby and she can’t say it without laughing.
I’ve told DH I’m getting to the point where I feel if people can’t call him by his name maybe they shouldn’t be seeing him?! He thinks this is an overreaction and that I’m being too dramatic. They are going to make him grow up hating his own name.
AIBU?

@guanciale

enlighten me but what's the bad connotation with brian?

Life of Brian. Monty Python film

I don't see how Brian is that different to popular names like Arthur and Albert. Just because it isn't overused and twee fashionable doesn't mean there is anything wrong with it, and it's the name you chose for your baby. Giving a child a cutesy name is all well while they're a small child, but it's not going to do them any favours as adults.
Anyone expressing this opinion on the name has completely missed the point of the post. It doesn't matter whether anyone thinks it's unfashionable (wtf anyway, it's a name!) the OP chose it for a reason and that's not the question. Personally I think a lot of 'fashionable' names are truly awful.

Cutesy nicknames are pretty common for babies/toddlers and can be utterly shit so I get frustration at them being used exclusively.

@cheesecrackerz

I can't believe people on here are being so rude about your babys name

YANBU, Brian is his name and people on here and IRL shouldn't be so bloody rude.

I agree though that baby booboo etc is probably just baby talk rather than avoiding his name, unless they've specifically said something horrible.

Seems to me that many people on here are as rude as your MIL!

@guanciale

enlighten me but what's the bad connotation with brian?

Brian Cant (change a letter)

My dad's name is Brian but he's 61. I do think calling a baby Brian is weird now, it's like calling a kid Keith or Barry.

My cousin has a baby and a toddler called John and Peter and I find that funny because I just picture them as middle aged men.

I know plenty of people use "old man" names nowadays but there's just something very different about Brian versus George or Alfie. I'm not a fan but it's your prerogative.

I’ve always liked the name Brian. It actually sounds quite beautiful. People just think it’s dated, but you’re probably just ahead of your time!

I don’t think I’ve ever read a thread on mumsnet where people have been so unkind and rude.

OP, your baby will grow into the name Brian. It’s a distinguished and established name.

I don't get what the big deal is with the name Brian. It's a perfectly normal sounding name, people always act like anything that's out of fashion at the time is inherently hilarious, which is stupid. Brian isn't any sillier than "Ryan", for example- people need to realise how swayed they are by fashion.

That said, it's totally normal to give babies cute nicknames. It's the laughter at his name that would grate on me.

Well, people are being rude. But you've given your child what is currently a deeply unfashionable name which he is not likely to thank you for.

Cutesy baby nicknames are normal. Mine both have normal, not unusual names and are both nicknamed here and there by family, including me!

I'd just rise above it and ignore it personally. You can't give your child what is in this day and age an unusual choice then expect people not to notice!

I'm afraid that you can't control what nicknames people use for your baby. You'll come across and controlling and a bit bonkers if you try.

know plenty of people use "old man" names nowadays but there's just something very different about Brian versus George or Alfie

That's because it's a young 'old mans name' - I was born mid 50s and Brian was quite common but George and Alfie were mostly a decade or three before that.
OP is ahead of her time

I really don't get the very nasty comments mocking your babies name. I think it's a lovely name. I'd be inclined to call out each of your relatives who mocks his name calmly, politely but making clear you don't want any more of that behaviour.

He’s going to be in the vanguard of the next wave of names to cycle back in. When all the cool kids are called Trevor, Keith and Barry etc, Brian’s going to sound modern next to fusty old Oliver, Noah and Samuel.

That's true, actually, though Baby Brian will probably be at least in his twenties, if not his thirties or more, by the time he gets to be in the vanguard of the cool baby names.

(I for one am absolutely looking forward to the wave of babies called Malcolm, Nigel and Bernard, and if Mn is still around then, I am going to come on here and lurk as people earnestly debate lists of possibles that include Gary, Darren, Donna, Lisa and Sharon. Which will no doubt seem fresh and interesting to the people naming their babies then. )

Well OP you've made it into the Mirror who are running this as a story. 😏 Slow news day clearly - oh wait, didn't we just have an election!

@Quincie

know plenty of people use "old man" names nowadays but there's just something very different about Brian versus George or Alfie

That's because it's a young 'old mans name' - I was born mid 50s and Brian was quite common but George and Alfie were mostly a decade or three before that.
OP is ahead of her time

Exactly, the OP is just a few decades ahead of the curve that will undoubtedly see Brian being widely given to babies again.

That's because it's a young 'old mans name' - I was born mid 50s and Brian was quite common but George and Alfie were mostly a decade or three before that.
OP is ahead of her time

Exactly. Using any degree of common sense it's obvious that the names of people in their 50s-60s will soon be in fashion again, in the same way that names like Wilfred that 80 year olds currently have already are now.

@SimGuruRu

Wow must say I’m surprised by some of these responses. Didn’t expect that from fellow parents 😞 What on earth is wrong with Brian? Why is it any different from George? Alfie? Archie?

Oh come on.

It isn't the same.

You like it, fine, your choice. But it's not a classic English name that stands the test of time.

More comparable would be Ian, Peter, Nigel, Keith, Paul, Alan, Boris, Richard, Glen, Colin (!)

Puts you in mind of men in their 50s/60s -ish.

I think names like George, Harry, Alfie, Louis aren't just "old man names" they're considered more classic because they were all kings. They have a traditional old feel. They were never fashionable names and can't be pin pointed to one era.

There was never a king Brian apart from King Brian of Knocknasheega in the Disney film. Illustrating the fact that Brian sounds quite funny in our current times.

Absolutely nothing wrong with the name Brian

Old man names sound fine for a baby , middle age man names do not. You can change the birth certificate under 12 months . Would you consider changing it to a middle name.

Nothing wrong with Brian - I don;t know of any stereotype conotations. I'm sure we could all think of negatives about any name.
In fact I think it is very cute - my DD has what was at the time an unfashionable old lady name (my great aunts name) and we had all sort of rudeness - but I loved the name and it really suits her (she's adult now) And in fact it started becoming more popular a few years after she was named.

I would tell people to stop it with the sniggers or whatever - are they going to carry on being nasty when he gets a bit older ? Are they going to bully a small child by making fun of his name?

A friend of mine hated her grandson's name and said she was going to call him something else, and kept saying what a horrible name it was - and I told her she was being mean about it and she'd have to learnt to love the name, because that is what his name is.

I don't think it matters if anyone here doesn't like the name Brian. (Though I am now thinking of Brians of Britain as played in Cabin Pressure.)

I also don't think it's a problem if family are trying to calm him with things like, "Baby B", "pickle", "chicken", "smelly", or anyone of a hundred other petnames like that, because people do that.

If they refuse to use his name when talking about him or in birthday cards or whatever, then that's an issue. Even if they don't like the name, that's tough - you have chosen it and named him, and they need to get over it. They will get used to it, and they should not be rude about it, especially not to you or him. (If they don't like it, I'm not naive enough to think they won't talk to their friends and say so, even though they shouldn't.)

@MyDcAreMarvel

Old man names sound fine for a baby , middle age man names do not. You can change the birth certificate under 12 months . Would you consider changing it to a middle name.

How rude is that?!

There was never a king Brian apart from King Brian of Knocknasheega in the Disney film. Illustrating the fact that Brian sounds quite funny in our current times.

I beg to differ - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Boru

@SmileyClare

I think names like George, Harry, Alfie, Louis aren't just "old man names" they're considered more classic because they were all kings. They have a traditional old feel. They were never fashionable names and can't be pin pointed to one era.

There was never a king Brian apart from King Brian of Knocknasheega in the Disney film. Illustrating the fact that Brian sounds quite funny in our current times.

What about names like Theodore, Freddie, Oliver, Oscar, Jasper, Albie?

Not classic, royal names, just names that were fashionable slightly longer ago.

It's obvious that fashion goes in waves. A few years ago I'd have never thought the early 00s would be back in fashion, style wise, yet here we are. It'a foolish to view what is fashionable now as good and other things as silly. It always comes back around.