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?

My mother did this with my brothers youngest child- she was referred to as “the wee one” for about a year! Now loves her name. There’s nothing wrong with the name Brian, it’s lovely to choose a name that means something to you.

It's a good name. People are ignorant for ignoring his real name

Another one who just doesn't understand what is wrong with the name Brian. It's a perfectly acceptable name where I live. Maybe not trendy at the moment, but quite normal.

I've just seen this story reported in the Irish Mirror newspaper now!

@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.

This

I’ve sometimes thought ’wtf’ ( white blonde girl named Raven, boy named Haze) but I’ve never actually said it.
Brian is a bit retro but nothing wrong with it.

There is a Brian and an Alan in the year above DS at school

what's wrong with Brian

I know that this wasn’t what you came here to ask, but it’s a hard no from me on Brian.

Late to this thread but I think it's lovely you named your baby after your grandad, and no it doesn't have to be a middle name just because it's not popular. Stuff what people think and at least he will probably be the only kid in his class with that name.

Its definitely not to my taste but neither are most of the old man names people use these days - Stanley, Archie, Alfie, Hector. People can think what they like but it is rude to tell you they dislike it to your face. Although if you're making a big fuss about everyone calling him Brian and no nicknames are allowed you are creating the drama imo.

@SteveArnottsCodeine

I know that this wasn’t what you came here to ask, but it’s a hard no from me on Brian.

therefore no one gives a toss

Why is such a plain and sensible name a cause of such consternation for all the basic MNers? They call their offspring Wilfred and Florence, or Harry and Sophie, and then have the cheek to tell Brian's mum that she needs to have a re-think.

Why are English people like this?

Brian is a great name. Strong. Recognisable and easy to spell and pronounce; but not trendy so there won’t be ten of them in his class. Basically a name that meets the criteria of half the bloody name threads here.

I picked a name that ends up on all the unusual name threads and people either think is very cool (but they wouldn’t use it) or they outright hate.

It’s fine. When I introduce people to him in real life it’s just his name. I occasionally get asked if it’s a family name ‘as you don’t met many little X’s’. You’ll probably get the same away from the internet and family members.

I’ve said this before on here when I named my son Oliver, 35 years ago, people were amazed, so surprised. They called him all sorts of nicknames. It’s just fashion.

Brian is an excellent name, Sim. Your mother in law is just showing her ignorance by mocking it. In a few years he will be a 'Brian', strong and principled.

Meaning: Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world. It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word meaning "high" or "noble".

@LizzieAnt

I've just seen this story reported in the Irish Mirror newspaper now!

OMG that's just taken me back!

I'd temporarily forgotten about that Brian. I went out with one for a while. It sounds entirely different in an Irish accent & (obviously) he was an adult.

Sadly, I lived in England & him in Ireland, but he worked here & visited family here a lot but couldn't move (understandably) as he had two daughters & I had commitments here.

It’s rude, but you must have known people would find it odd to call a baby Brian?

I named my son after my grandad too, but it’s his middle name to avoid bullying and also my son hating his name.

Did you consider how your son may feel about being named Brian?

@CounsellorTroi

I think Brian is rather cool. Brian O’Driscoll anyone? Prof Brian Cox?

This. lush!

I like Brian as a name and know q few personally. This is the oddest thread ever. Never occurred to me that there would be such a strong reaction to a perfectly normal name.

Stick with it and tell them to bog off. I would pull them up on the nicknames too if you feel it's a deliberate attempt to avoid using Brian and to actively try to rechristen him. Talk about passive aggressive and rude.

It’s rude, but you must have known people would find it odd to call a baby Brian?

Obviously you haven't read the full thread as there are many people pointing out that there is nothing wrong with Brian as a name. It's not the OP's choice of name which is odd ...........

I think its a name where those with my cultural reference think its obvious you wouldn't call a baby that. Same as you are highly unlikely to call a baby Dick or Fanny now. There's obviously a chunk of people i their 20s for whom don't share the cultural reference so it isn't "obvious."

I am as unlikely to call a baby Brian as I am Dick. But I imagine those in 20 years time may have Dick and Fanny and not know why we'd find it funny.

Never occurred to me that there would be such a strong reaction to a perfectly normal name.

Same here. It’s just a name that’s gone out of fashion and hasn’t come back yet. There’s nothing inherently funny or bad about it; I know loads of men called Brian. It’s a bit like Nigel or Alan or Ian - very popular in their day, but you don’t often meet a small one. But it’s a perfectly “normal” name.

You could say the same of Dick... I know a (now elderly) one who is lovely. Nothing wrong with the name but huge cultural association. You could post here and say ,"nothing wrong with the name, completely normal name." As it was. But it currently has associations.

As has been said repeatedly on this thread Brian has a huge cultural association for many of us, but admitedly probably 40+! Saying you dont have the cultural associaton doesn't make it not the case. It will make it less relevant as the baby grows older though.

I think people are being incredibly rude OP it’s an unusual name nowadays but so are lots of names which have become popular again.

People soon get used to a name too so this will be short lived by your friends and family and they just get used to a name. The rest of the strangers on MN who cares - they are just being rude and inconsiderate of your feelings as you have already named your child, do not spend a minute worrying about what they think.

None of my babies seemed to be called by their names til they were old enough to get into mischief so that part is fairly normal. It is rude for people to comment negatively on a name though.

At the nursery we’ve had a whole array of names - some of which we’ve not liked or found odd ourselves for whatever reason but soon you can’t imagine them called anything else. They’ll get used to the name as he gets older, I prefer an adult name they grow into than a registered cutsie name which will seem odd when they are adults.