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?

[romdowa]

Anyone being rude about my baby name would be told where to go fairly lively. I quite like the name brian and I know several of all ages from 40 to 18. I've seen people gush about far worse names on here that I wouldn't burden a dog with let alone a child.

[Homehelpneeded]

@Doghead

Actually can't believe you called your baby Brian.

Sorry 😂😂

Oh do bore off.
What on earth is wrong with some of the responses here?!

[3peassuit]

I like Brian. It must soon be Brian’s turn to become popular, you are just ahead of the curve.

[XiCi]

What absolute bullshit that people will be sniggering about his name because of a 40 year old film. Some absolute twattish replies to the OP. That's the name she's chosen. Shes not going to change it because some random idiot on mumsnet says so. It's just a normal name that will probably be popular again soon, like Archie, Alfred Stanley etc
OP people always use language like that with babies all the time, probably nothing to do with the name, it's just the way they speak to babies. People even speak like that to my puppy

[Wandawomble]

Annoying as it is I’d try not to get affected by it too much. I think people are forgetting the attractive scienceness of Brian Cox, the amazing guitar of Brian May and the Kingly roar of Brian Blessed. Nothing wrong with the name and yes he could always be Bry if he wanted.

It’s normal though to call babies by baby words when they cry etc - heck I still call my daughter Boo Boo and she is taller than me!

I’d not worry too much.

[MindtheBelleek]

@TulipsTwoLips

Wow, possibly some of the most judgemental replies I've ever seen.

People who can't use your child's name because they view it as old-fashioned, but not old-fashioned enough yet to be in vogue, are incredibly narrow minded.

I said nothing of the kind about my personal opinion of Brian, as the OP didn’t ask for it. I’m merely pointing out why there have been so many negative responses to it on the thread. There’s nothing inherently ‘wrong’ with the name — it’s a collection of sounds like any other name — but its huge popularity at a particular point in the past means it’s indelibly, for now, associated with a particular generation of men who are still alive.

That will change, obviously, over time, but it’s the reason for the responses to the name. And no, the people in the OP’s real life should not be rude.

[BabyofMine]

I feel like I’m living in an alternate universe.
Brian is just a name. God you’d think you’d called it Montague or Forsyth or something. Brian just sounds like a totally normal name to me! I honestly wouldn’t have thought twice about it. Is it a class think or a region thing maybe??

I personally would pull them up on it and if anyone laughed when I said the name I’d leave/ask them to leave. Beyond rude no matter what the name is.

[EileenGC]

it’s the reason for the responses to the name

No, the reason is rudeness. Why should there even be a reason for people to show their dislike so strongly? I still don’t understand why anyone would care.

[ThornAmongstRoses]

I sympathise OP.

I’ve got a son and when he was born people were quite sceptical of his name because I think they felt it was it too ‘grown up’ for a baby. I wasn’t overly keen myself but my husband loved it so we went with it.

I didn’t particularly think like that but it wasn’t a common name at the time, in fact I still don’t know any other children with his name, and so it just took some people to get used to it.

I wouldn’t say he ‘grew’ into his name until he was about 4-5 years old, and now that he’s 7 it really suits him, I absolutely love it and I really love it that I don’t know any other children with his name.

I pop over to the baby name board every now and then (just for curiosity reasons) and I have noticed my sons name has been suggested a few times over the last 12 months but I don’t ever really see people jumping all over it in either a negative or positive manner. But it definitely seems to be on the radar so maybe in a few years my son’s name will be a popular one again.

But for now, I’m going to continue living the fact there are aren’t 15 boys in his school year with his name.

The popularity of names really do go round in cycles and so although Brian is currently a well received that doesn’t mean he’s (and you) are always going to receive negative reactions to it.

The name obviously means a lot to you and I personally don’t see anything wrong with it

[1starwars2]

One of my sons has Brian as a middle name. Our nct teacher laughed when we said his name, but otherwise no negative comments. He's a teenager and has never said he doesn't like it.

[UserAtRandom]

I don't think there is an issue with people calling him by cutesy nicknames (I was genuinely worried when my DD got to 3 that she wouldn't know her actual name as she was so rarely ever called it) as opposed to giving him another actual name (say they've decided to call him "Steve". If they are laughing at his actual name, that's really not on.
If they absolutely loathe his name to the point they can't use it, will they go with "Bry" as an acceptable shortening?

[drpet49]

* It is completely normal for people to use cutesy nicknames for babies.*

^This. It won’t last forever so why get so precious about it all?

[Sportsnight]

Brian is a perfectly normal name. It’s only a step away from Ryan and no one mocks that. It’s weird your family are being so rude about a family name. I wouldn’t cut contact, but I would have a serious chat, or write a note if you think it won’t come out right. It’s very mean - to you, not baby Brian. He won’t know, and they’ll likely get used to it after a while and not be able to imagine him as anything else.

[Wife2b]

God how bloody rude are some people on here. It’s Brian ffs not Adolf. It’s a perfectly normal name, it might not suit a baby but come to the teenage years and the rest of his adult life it’s a perfectly respectable name. Some people find anything to complain about.

[RedMarauder]

OP If you heard what my baby was sometimes called particularly when she cried you would be horrified.

Babies are called cutsy names by people. It's only when they can talk they tell you clearly that their name is "X".

[MoiraNotRuby]

Persevere. I know a lovely child named Brian. Meanwhile there are trillions of Ryans and nobody comments like they do for Brian.

[ThornAmongstRoses]

Please do excuse all the typos above - I hope my message is clear enough despite the few wrong words

[ThatIsMyPotato]

Maybe if you start calling him by a nickname like Bri it might take off and then they might call him that?

[Bagamoyo1]

The fact is, some names are unusual, for a variety of reasons. And unusual names lead people to react more than they do to “usual” ones. Rightly or wrongly, that’s how it is.
If someone had a baby boy now and called him Jake, no one would bat an eyelid. If they called him Boris then people would probably be surprised. You can’t legislate against opinion!
Of course it’s rude for people to pass negative comment on someone’s choice of name, but close family are surely allowed an opinion.
And if you choose something “out there”, then like it or not, people will notice and have views on it. That’s human nature.

OP everyone calls babies by cute names, and you are being unreasonable to consider banning them seeing your baby. He’s their family too, and he has a right to have a relationship with anyone who is kind to him, whatever cute nickname they give him.

[Glitterblue]

I can't believe how rude some people are being! It's the kind of name that will grow with him and won't sound silly on an adult/old person like so many of the names that are around at the moment!

[Allwokedup]

You are right op! You’re baby, it’s a name. It’s not cruel or outrageous. They need to wind their necks in.

[ThatIsMyPotato]

I think it's like Kevin, it will have it's time again. B

[Allwokedup]

Sorry that should be he’s your baby* not you’re baby 😂

[Whatelsecouldibecalled]

If they comment on his name then yes it’s rude but I thought it was fairly normal to call family members a nick name. My own boy has all sorts of names squish boo stinker spud poppet speedster etc. None of them relate to his actual name. Just as my niece does too

[Boxtroll]

I think the little nicknames aren't an issue. A lot of people can't help calling babies and even pets by cutesy names!

If someone doesn't like the name then they need to keep it to themselves! There are many names I don't like, yet I don't comment on it to the person.