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Original poster

Ridiculous name for baby

824 replies

PegorySpeck · 23/09/2021 16:24

My step son and gf have recently called their newborn a really awful pretentious name. I know it’s their choice but neither me nor my husband can bring ourselves to say it in a sentence. Every time we talk about him we say ‘the baby’ or the ‘little one’. We have been very diplomatic and said things like ‘ oh that’s unusual’ but they have started to notice we don’t use his name in conversation and it’s becoming tense.

Any advice on how to move forward?

OP posts:
BreadInCaptivity · 24/09/2021 23:52

@JustLyra

Giving children stupid names really gets my goat.

The one silver lining is that names can be changed.

People are always a little snooty at first if it ever comes up that I changed my name at 14. Usually witter on about upsetting parents and how upset they’d be if their child changed their name.

Once you tell them your name was Starlight they get it. Especially as my siblings had very normal 70s names.

Good for you.

Imagine in this case a child had wandered away and you're frantically calling "Stormy-Water" or "Starlight".

People would think you're having a breakdown not looking for a child.

It's really cruel and self indulgent to do this.

There was a post not long ago where a mother was upset her DD wanted to change her name.

Turns out she'd given her a boys name because she liked it and in time the child chose for herself a very female name.

HeadPain · 24/09/2021 23:53

@PegorySpeck

The reason is more about them though. Stormy represents their life before they met, water is the continuity (infinity) of their love for each other and cloud was the ‘silver lining’ when realised they were expecting.

It is totally their choice, of course. I personally think it is a bit naf. I’m just glad they haven’t directly asked us what we think because I’m a terrible liar and would feel so false saying oh that’s lovely which is why we opted for oh that’s unusual. I mean what can you say?

They couldve just called him Silver.

Kylie Jenner has a daughter called Stormi, which I found weird at first but now it seems normal.

Strawbsaturno · 25/09/2021 00:36

Eeek that is Bad. I even prefer Balonz.
100% he will change his name to John or Mark as soon as he can.

Snugglybuggly · 25/09/2021 00:52

What is it

GrandTheftWalrus · 25/09/2021 02:38

@Snugglybuggly

What is it
Read the thread!!!
Bounce55 · 25/09/2021 02:55

Well ......one of the papers have picked it up.....it"s now online for everyone to read......

nordicnorth · 25/09/2021 07:40

@Cherrysoup

Not the same, but a family member has called her baby something which has upset me: I can’t imagine writing the name on cards for the next 18 years. I’m going to have to write ‘To the .....family’, aren’t I? 😥
No. You're going to have to get over yourself and act like a grown up.
WoozySnoozy · 25/09/2021 07:49

@Bounce55

Well ......one of the papers have picked it up.....it"s now online for everyone to read......
Oh god the poor mum
Allmyarseandpeggymartin · 25/09/2021 07:58

It was nailed on that was going to happen

CityMumma78 · 25/09/2021 08:27

Poor child, a name like that is just cruel! I think giving stupid names to children will just encourage bullying and even cause limitations in the future with employers and laughter amongst future colleagues.

Willowrose63 · 25/09/2021 09:22

You are being very unreasonable!! Like others have said its not about you. in time that will just be babys name and you won't think twice about it. However if you continue to be weird about it it could hurt your relationship with babys parents.

Ellmau · 25/09/2021 12:29

Actually, I could imagine the odd baby Stormzy nowadays, so maybe Stormy won't seem too out of place once he's at primary school?

Justilou1 · 25/09/2021 14:05

I used to work with one of the most incredibly intimidating and intelligent women whose name was Dusti. (Yep. With an I.) One night she and I had a bit of wine and she confessed how much she loathed her name (convinced it hindered her job prospects, etc) and that she thought her parents would have been better off with a bunny.

JustLyra · 25/09/2021 14:24

@BreadInCaptivity

It's really cruel and self indulgent to do this.

I couldn't agree more. I mean, in some ways, at least my mother had an excuse in that her and my father were both alcoholic drug addicts so their decision making was shit, but it's so self indulgent to not give a shit about the consequences of the name they saddle a child with.

There was a post not long ago where a mother was upset her DD wanted to change her name.

Turns out she'd given her a boys name because she liked it and in time the child chose for herself a very female name.

I hope that poster listened to those of us who'd changed our names on that thread. I have absolutely no contact with the few people who refused to accept my name change, and those who continually "forgot".

CloseYourEyesAndSee · 25/09/2021 14:29

Oh god I feel you, that's awful
I would struggle too

Taoneusa · 25/09/2021 14:50

Consolation is that loads of kids now have “names” that we don’t recognise as names. He’ll probably be at school surrounded by Pinhole, Salad, and Packet, with Sqoom and Dash at the next table. There will, of course, be a sprinkling of Oliver’s and Alex’s but they will be the retro types with aged parents.

AnnieSnap · 25/09/2021 17:00

I hope OP that (since the press have now picked this up), your public posting and the (understandable) public ridicule you have brought about, doesn’t cause a family rift. You could have cause yourself and your husband to be on receiving end of the increasingly common ‘no contact’ from a adult child. It happens to parents for much less than this!

RAFHercules · 25/09/2021 17:06

I had a collie called Storm.
Stormy-water though Grin
Maybe he will grow up to be a fine RNLI man.

HeadPain · 25/09/2021 17:27

It's in the mirror now too.
www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/i-hate-pretentious-name-step-25069475

BiteyCatII · 25/09/2021 19:46

I said paged back this just the sort of thing that the Mail would pick up and that this would be very outing . Seems I was wrong as the Sun and Mirror got their instead.🙈

dray9925 · 25/09/2021 20:25

They will insist on stormy water now but it will eventually get shortened.
My sons name has a very popular nickname that I was adamant wouldn't be used as i want to call him his full name. That lasts about a month and now everyone uses the nickname all the time and so do I it is what it is

SaddenedByItAll · 25/09/2021 20:28

@dray9925

They will insist on stormy water now but it will eventually get shortened. My sons name has a very popular nickname that I was adamant wouldn't be used as i want to call him his full name. That lasts about a month and now everyone uses the nickname all the time and so do I it is what it is
I'm guessing Oliver/Oli?
SaddenedByItAll · 25/09/2021 20:31

@BiteyCatII

I said paged back this just the sort of thing that the Mail would pick up and that this would be very outing . Seems I was wrong as the Sun and Mirror got their instead.🙈
Oh my poor OP I guess the relationship is in for some Stormy-Waters now
GemmaRuby · 25/09/2021 21:27

Well if the parents see the news and there is a family fall out, perhaps they will change the poor baby’s name - every cloud has a silver lining.

(Parents of Stormy-Water Cloud please take note - that is the correct use of the phrase every cloud has a silver lining).