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?

Jack...Duckworth. Benny...Hill. Oliver...Cromwell. Louis...Walsh. this is the system my mother in law uses.
Any baby, any name. Tiresome.

As many people have referenced, in the Life of Brian, the joke was that someone called Brian was as far away from being the son of god as is possible
Brian the Dinosaur wouldn’t shut up about being from Rotherham, a not-very-nice northern town, in the Breakfast Club, Brian was the nerd who only wanted to study maths and physics, in Phoenix nights, Brian is the grey jumper wearing fool, who has never heard of garlic bread

Not being funny but the only reference amongst those that would still spring to anyone's mind in modern society, is The Life of Brian. I think a lot of people on here saying "this thread should tell you the ridicule he's going to face" might need a bit of a reality check about their own evolving place in society. As this baby grows up, the only people that are going to think this way about his name will be in their 40s/50s, and they're only going to get older. As sad as it is to accept, the main people he needs to have on his side when it comes to his name, are other young people. The people employing him will likely by in their 20s now, and it's not a funny name to that generation.The idea that he's going to spend his life fending off cackling pensioners is just not that realistic. He's not going to be mocked at school and by employers like people think he will, those people will be far too young to care.

Completely agree with SpareChange that's an excellent reply to all the questions asking Why is Brian a joke name.

The name has been hijacked as a comedy stereotype over the last few decades. It's quite unusual for a name to be so widely used as a comedy vehicle but that's what has unfortunately happened with Brian. Just yesterday a poster started a thread asking for name suggestions for her new kitten. After a few ideas, someone suggested "Brian?" It raised a laugh.

Op asked why some people found it funny or didn't like it and asked how the name was any different to George for example. That is the reason why.

We may as well not have a Baby names board if it's deemed unspeakably rude to voice your opinion on a name. There will always be posters reading who have used the name. My children's names have been criticised on here. In fact it's quite funny to Google your own Christian name on mumsnet name threads and read the replies.

We may as well not have a Baby names board if it's deemed unspeakably rude to voice your opinion on a name.

This is an actual baby, not a hypothetical name choice.

Yes that's a fair point sofa I'm sure his name will be accepted by his peers. Op's alleged issue was how this name is perceived now. Apparently her friends have "literally sniggered when I tell them his name".

I actually find that quite hard to believe.

My point was that there are always actual people walking around with the name being dissected on a public forum.

And funnily enough I do know a baby Prudence

Perhaps Prudence was a bad example. I was making the point not all once-fashionable names undergo a revival. Many names disappear into obscurity.

Take the Anglo Saxon period for example, many of these names are still well used today: Alfred, Henry, Drew, Wilfred, Arthur, Douglas, Edgar, Oliver, Thomas etc. Their popularity ebbs and flows.

Other names from that period have never (or rarely) been heard of again apart from historical novels/movies: when did you last hear of an Acca, Mildrith, Athelflaed, Beomia, Eadig, Leofstan, Bestandan etc? In real life?

No harm in naming the child Brian provided the parents accept the connotations people may associate with it and the fact it hasn’t (and may never) fall into regular use again. Posters insisting it will be revived ‘like all the old names’ are guessing at something that may never happen.

We may as well not have a Baby names board if it's deemed unspeakably rude to voice your opinion on a name.

But this isn’t the Baby Names board, and the OP didn’t ask for opinions. A fucking pigeon could have worked this out by now.

Op was surprised that her friends and family found the name a bit funny. She asked how was it different from George or Harry? Posters have explained why. A fucking pigeon could have worked that out.

Op was surprised that her friends and family found the name a bit funny. She asked how was it different from George or Harry? Posters have explained why

^^
This! Posters have answered OP’s questions. I’m not sure how anyone could have explained in a positive way.

Maybe a lot of these references won’t mean as much to future generations but you have to be completely culturally deaf or living under a rock

It’s not that they don’t mean “much”, these references mean nothing to me. I don’t live under a rock. I’m just in my early 20s and don’t care about your culture. It’s completely normal for young people to not engage in the culture of old people. Just like no one born in 2021 will care about my generation’s culture - they won’t live through it so it won’t mean anything. It’s life - your pov just isn’t relevant in the way you think it is.

As sad as it is to accept, the main people he needs to have on his side when it comes to his name, are other young people. The people employing him will likely by in their 20s now, and it's not a funny name to that generation.

I agree. When he enters the workforce, it will be my generation employing him as presumably those in their 30s/40s now will either be too senior to hire for entry level positions or may even be retired. Brian is not an issue for younger generations and won’t impact his prospects.

@StillCoughingandLaughing

We may as well not have a Baby names board if it's deemed unspeakably rude to voice your opinion on a name.

But this isn’t the Baby Names board, and the OP didn’t ask for opinions. A fucking pigeon could have worked this out by now.

But the OP, presumably consciously, opted not to put it in the Baby Names forum but in the notorious bearpit of AIBU. Only a pigeon wouldn’t have figured out that this was a risky strategy if what she actually wanted was a chorus of ‘Brian is LOVELY!’and ‘Haterz gonna hate!’

@StillCoughingandLaughing

We may as well not have a Baby names board if it's deemed unspeakably rude to voice your opinion on a name.

But this isn’t the Baby Names board, and the OP didn’t ask for opinions. A fucking pigeon could have worked this out by now.

Exactly this, the op didn't invite opinion on the name.

Also all the points raised by @sparechange refer to the experiences of adults now not the future. Apart from perhaps "the life of Brian" none of those other cultural references even popped in my head despite being in my forties and aware of them all. To a lot of young people at the moment they won't mean a thing.

Brian, Karen, Sharon, Tracy, Kevin, on their own are nice names they shouldn't be synonymous with negative traits or those traits associated with new babies if they're called it.

The OPs family are being rude and cruel to snigger at their baby's name.

@Lalliella

I wish people wouldn’t call their children after someone. They’re a person in their own right, not a replacement for the dead person. Tbh OP I would change your baby’s name. He’s going to get this all his life and it’s not fair on him. Maybe have Brian as a middle name.

I don't think people use family names with the intention that it replaces a lost relative

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?!

I agree with your DH, in that this is a complete over reaction. Having cute nicknames is completely normal imo. I still sometimes call my teenagers by theirs and my dad still calls me by mine and I'm 48! It's done out of affection.

I'm in my early twenties and these comedy references mean nothing to me culture of old people

Brian is still used for comic effect by younger generations. Brian Griffin in Family Guy? The inept writer struggling to find himself. One of the funniest characters on the show.

Brian McBrian the geeky nerd on Last Man Standing? Brian in The Office (Ricky Gervais)?

@SmileyClare

I'm in my early twenties and these comedy references mean nothing to me culture of old people

Brian is still used for comic effect by younger generations. Brian Griffin in Family Guy? The inept writer struggling to find himself. One of the funniest characters on the show.

Brian McBrian the geeky nerd on Last Man Standing? Brian in The Office (Ricky Gervais)?

There was never any implication behind the name Brian in Family Guy, it was just his name, I've never heard of Last Man Standing, and The Office is both outdated and as far as I'm aware his name was David Brent.

Ok don't worry then.

I teach infants.

People often name children after grandparents - so the baby's great grandparent.

I remember my own grandparents being shocked at some of the names making come backs. They couldn't understand why anyone wanted to use names such as Archie, Alfred, Elsie, Mabel, etc as they were so old fashioned to them.

At the moment we have children with names such as Rita, Clementine, Reg, Frank, Fred, Paul, Mabel, Martha, Mary, Elsie, Eric, Edith, Alfie and Alfred, Fred, Harry, etc.

In a few more years when children my DD's age (she's currently 19) start having children we are likely to have more names from the 50s and 60s. When DD's children start naming babies it'll be a return of 70s and 80s names.

I don’t think there is a cultural reference to Brian that is that strong tbh. Characters have names, we don’t discount them all because they’ve been used on a character that is likely only familiar to one generation. Tbh sometimes even hundreds of years of a negative association isn’t enough to consign a unusuable. I’ve met an Ophelia and a Delilah - neither name carries great associations. Cain had a brief popularity despite ‘the mark and curse of Cain’ and murdering his brother....

I’m kind of surprised at the resurgence of Alice. That name was a no-go for a long time (Roy Chubby Brown ‘who the fuck is Alice’) but it’s been used loads in my age group (late thirties/early forties) who were definitely around for that. I’m glad it had though because it’s a beautiful name.

Nothing wrong with Brian. I know children called Harold, Archibald, Perry, Eric and Maximilian. How is Brian any different?

@SmileyClare

I'm in my early twenties and these comedy references mean nothing to me culture of old people

Brian is still used for comic effect by younger generations. Brian Griffin in Family Guy? The inept writer struggling to find himself. One of the funniest characters on the show.

Brian McBrian the geeky nerd on Last Man Standing? Brian in The Office (Ricky Gervais)?

Don't forget when we found out Dumbledores full name, one of his middle names is Brian, said with a ironic flourish, the cinema burst out laughing at that bit.

I don't think cultural reference for Brian is very strong at all. I'm Scottish though so is this maybe an English thing I've missed?

It isn't a popular baby name for sure but in my opinion it's far better than all the Maisons, Kadens, Teddy's, Jaxxons etc

Don't forget when we found out Dumbledores full name, one of his middle names is Brian, said with a ironic flourish, the cinema burst out laughing at that bit.

Because it's just a normal name, compared to Albus, Percival or Wulfric, not because any of those people would have burst out laughing at a character who was just called Brian. They would have laughed if it were any other conventional name, too.

I'm late 20s and what people describe Brian is being - the standard, jokey "boring" everyman name, was very much fulfilled by Bob when I was at school. I can't remember a single joke ever being made about Brian. What that should tell people is that things change. Young people are not laughing at Brian anymore, they've moved on.