To resent my parents choice of name for me?

[Blaengwnfi]

This is a rant - apologies.

I’ve always hated my name.

No one can pronounce it. Not even my father or siblings. It was always read out incorrectly at school and the other kids would laugh at me. It gives me major anxiety having to introduce myself.

I use my middle name professionally but it doesn’t feel like “my” name. I feel so angry with my parents sometimes for burdening me with this name.

Parents - please think before giving your kid a weird or “unique” name! It could really mess them up…

My daughter hates he name, her dad picked it so I call her chip instead lol. Her nickname by me is either little chippy or chip
You can just go by a nickname instead when introducing yourself, people will call you it and others will follow.

I know a Myfanwy who goes by Miffy.
She's in her 20s though, not sure how suitable it will feel when she's older.

@HyacinthKylie Really similar story here! Always went by my middle name (mom’s choice) at home, and only found out about my legal first name when I started school! I arrived late for my first day, and thought everyone must have gotten a new name so didn’t correct my teachers. Spent the rest of my childhood with one name at home and another at school. At this point neither name feels like ‘me’, totally understand OP comment about not really having a name as an identity.

Apologies to all children, whose names I have mangled over the years (Oisin, Roisin, Gallacher). I still pick the wrong Aaron every damned time. Have never said A-A Ron though.
Which brings me to my favourite Key and Peele sketch: substitute teacher doing the register. Enjoy!
m.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd7FixvoKBw

I have a Welsh name but no middle name. It is quite short but has an accent. I hate it when it is not spelt with the accent as it is my only name. My sister has a longer name and is called various versions depending on who she is with ie family or friends. Some of my friends elongate my name!

How on earth do you have this much negative energy for what other people choose to call their children? That seems mad to me!

People often can't pronounce my name
It isn't common anymore bit was years ago. I have been teaching for 20+ years and have taught one girl with my name. We are in Wales.

Free deedpoll. Pick whatever you want, something similar or new and go forth and be happy.
your parents are absolute dicks to pick something your dad can’t pronounce, it takes 3secs to learn how to say a name and he is doing it deliberately for control.

I have one of ‘those’ Welsh names so I feel your pain. Can you change it to the phonetic spelling to help ease the faffing around? Or change it to something similar - e.g. Angharad to Ingrid, or Sian to Shan? Totally agree with your point though. My kids have relatively boring generic names. Everyone can spell them, they’re ‘classic’ names that won’t sound out of place if they have professional careers (think Emma and George type names), and my kids have never thought twice about them. I’m sure they’ll call their own kids Balonz and Ermintrude though 😁

Is it Llinos?
We were going to call DD this...but my Dad pronounced it 'claennos' then made a joke about it sounding like toilet cleaner

We didnt use this name in the end.

Dh has a highly unusual name. He was determined that our children would not.

Ooooooh is it Buddug?

☹️

I have an unusual name (with an even weirder surname - school was not fun) so gave my child an untoasted bread name. Weirdly, I had wanted something inbetween but my mum convinced me it wasn't fair to give them an 'odd' name. Didn't fucking occur to me what a hypocrite she was til i emerged from baby funk too late to change it.

Completely get the resentment YANBU

‘Negative energy’. 😂

I have a certain type of name that I don’t like and have said so on a thread where we’re discussing names we don’t like. How utterly mad!

Can you find a nickname which is sort of linked to your welsh name but easy to say in English, even if it isn’t really a derivative?

Eg:
Buddug - Biddy, Beth
Heulwen - Helen, Ellen,
Angharad - Angie, Harriet
Gwenllian - Gwen, Leanne
Blodeuwedd - Di, Ira,

Even if your name is very very Welsh there must be some sort of nickname you can derive from it? I appreciate it’s frustrating to have to do that and that it might not feel that way at first, but if you used it in every setting then surely over time it would start to feel like that, especially if you know it has a link to your original name?

My parents had three girls. My sisters have really nice names. I was given a really plain name which I dislike. My father always called me by another name - a boys name similar to my own. When I asked him why they chose the name he said because it is a strong name.
Friends have said the name does not suit me. Family have said they were surprised at the name and suggested others but it was my mother who wanted this name and would not change her mind.
After dad died I changed my name by deed poll and it was one of the best things I have ever done. Wish I had done it years before.

Ceinwyn.
Cyrydwyn
Blodwyn
Gwyneth
Bronwyn
Llinos
are all people I’ve met who didn’t like their names

m.youtube.com/watch?v=WLAq3JVJ6Ho
Never gets old.

My dad wanted to give me his mothers name. I am grateful that my mother hated her mil and said no, nope, not happening as it’s a god awful and old fashioned name and is hideous when shortened and with my maiden name which was horrific too it was too much. I have a lovely slightly unusual name (no one else in my year had it and only one other girl in school I knew about had it).

@Blaengwnfi I sympathise with you but you haven't exactly made life any easier for us by choosing a user name that is difficult to pronounce! 😁 I'm reading it as 'Blayngunfi'. Am I close?

😂😂😂

@PainterInPeril Haha. It’s pronounced bline-gwin-fee

Llinos?
Siwan?

Sorry. Have you thought about what name would feel like yours?

I’m bemoaning my poor grasp of Welsh pronunciation on this thread.

I hate my name. It has strong class connotations in the UK (I’m not from here), and over time I’ve noticed a difference in how people treat me, between those who meet me before my name and vice versa. No connection to it. No advice but sympathy.