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AIBU?

We named our baby a marmite name

244 replies

PineappleBrazilNutsandMaccasFries · 22/01/2023 22:13

And I bloody love the horrified reactions more than the delighted ones:

What???
Oh my god that's a mouthful isn't it?
Is that a name? Oh, I'd call him 'xxx'

It's not even that out there, I think people are just rude, but it cracks me up

OP posts:
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Am I being unreasonable?

433 votes. Final results.

POLL
You are being unreasonable
82%
You are NOT being unreasonable
18%
StillWantingADog · 23/01/2023 10:26

nobody is being a twat it's just not clear what you wanted out of the thread. Most threads have a question that they need answered.
It would be perfectly reasonable to tell us what you named your child and asked for opinions. But I don't know what you want us to say?

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ComeTheSpringLobelia · 23/01/2023 10:13

GoAgainstNicki · 22/01/2023 23:16

Just found a thread from 2013 where an OP asked this exact same question. A name that you either love or hate. That should have been obvious but it clearly went over my head haha.

<don’t mind me I’m just answering my own question>

😄

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rogueone · 23/01/2023 10:09

Bruce
Felix
Fergus

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ThePear · 23/01/2023 09:58

Imagine bragging about giving your kid a name so bad that people are ‘horrified’ and then stamping your foot and calling people ‘twats’ for not giving you a round of applause on a pointless thread 😄

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SouperWoman · 23/01/2023 09:56

Beelzebub?

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Notgoodatchoosingnames · 23/01/2023 09:51

@TheOriginalEmu I absolutely love all of those names! I struggled to get my Welsh but not welsh speaking other half to let me choose a Welsh name but i got there in the end!!

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VitaminX · 23/01/2023 09:40

Calphurnia88 · 23/01/2023 09:22

Good point.

Although if it is true, the name must be really bad since it's considered the height of social awkwardness to say anything other than 'what a lovely name!' after a baby is born in Britain.

Haha yes. One person with a horrified reaction and you could write it off as unusual rudeness and lack of social skills.

Multiple different people so shocked they were unable to just make a bland positive comment to your face - yeah I think it's Rumpelstiltskin.

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Purplecatshopaholic · 23/01/2023 09:38

Zorrita · 23/01/2023 09:22

Two of the most annoying threads on MN

"My kids name is controvertial but I couldn't possibly tell everyone their precious name"

"My husbands does his Hobby (outing)"

Grin

True story. Why start a thread like this, knowing the first thing people will do is ask the name? If you are not willing to share it just don’t bother.

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CecilyP · 23/01/2023 09:37

But if it’s marmite, doesn’t that mean people love it or hate it? Seems rather arrogant to assume that that’s what other people think. I’m sure more people would just think, that’s okay but wouldn’t be my choice.

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ArmWrestlingWithChasNDave · 23/01/2023 09:37

You think it's funny that you've lumbered a human being with a stupid name?

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LaLuz7 · 23/01/2023 09:27

It's not even that out there, I think people are just rude, but it cracks me up

will it also crack you up when your kid grows up a bit and starts to voice the same opinion, hating their name...?

It's all fine and dandy to not care if about the general public opinion, but what about how your own child feels?

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WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 23/01/2023 09:25

Although if it is true, the name must be really bad since it's considered the height of social awkwardness to say anything other than 'what a lovely name!' after a baby is born in Britain.

Unless you're Ben from Outnumbered.
"Great to meet you, I'm Brick."
"Is that a name?!"

Grin

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WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 23/01/2023 09:23

So how about Marmaduke for a boy? It has has the spread connotation (marmalade) with an element of royalty thrown in.

I like 'Tiptree' - especially if he doesn't end up growing very tall. Good solid British name there for if he decides to become a 1930s music hall star (which a surprisingly large number of babies born in the 2020s do these days). 'Uncle Tiptree Postlethwaite and his Big Moonlight Swing Band'.

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Calphurnia88 · 23/01/2023 09:22

Thesenderofthiscard · 23/01/2023 09:16

@PineappleBrazilNutsandMaccasFries Really surprised to hear anyone gives a toss or would go out of their way to condemn a name that a child already has.

Is this a then everyone clapped moment??

Good point.

Although if it is true, the name must be really bad since it's considered the height of social awkwardness to say anything other than 'what a lovely name!' after a baby is born in Britain.

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Zorrita · 23/01/2023 09:22

Two of the most annoying threads on MN

"My kids name is controvertial but I couldn't possibly tell everyone their precious name"

"My husbands does his Hobby (outing)"

Grin

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TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 23/01/2023 09:17

In France Marmite is a cooking pot so a couple couldn't really use that as a name so they plumped for Nutella, sadly a court decided...

'The name 'Nutella' given to the child is the trade name of a spread,” the court's official decision read, adding that it is “contrary to the child's interest” to be named Nutella, as it “can only lead to teasing or disparaging thoughts.” The French love Nutella, but apparently not as a baby name.'

So how about Marmaduke for a boy? It has has the spread connotation (marmalade) with an element of royalty thrown in.

For a girl, maybe the hyphenated 'Lemon-Curd'

😁

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Thesenderofthiscard · 23/01/2023 09:16

@PineappleBrazilNutsandMaccasFries Really surprised to hear anyone gives a toss or would go out of their way to condemn a name that a child already has.

Is this a then everyone clapped moment??

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WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 23/01/2023 09:13

I worked with someone many years ago and her son had done really well and got selected to go to a sports academy for a sport he loved. Someone at work asked if he was excited etc. He had been awake crying every night since he found out about it. When his mum asked him what was wrong and why he was so upset he said I am worrying about what will happen if someone asks my name. Then he started crying again saying but the big boys will all laugh and make fun of it because everybody else does. This happened over 40 years ago and its as vivid as ever.

So sad - that's the reality of giving kids ridiculous names. People will say how nasty we are on MN for making fun of absurd name choices (not just slightly unusual ones); but it's far better to present your planned name to MN and then get upset for an evening as your dream name is torn to shreds, before swapping it for a much more sensible choice as a result, than it is to go ahead in blissful ignorance and call your baby something that will ensure them a lifetime of mockery and force them to avoid telling people their own name.

What's worse is that the child will suffer the mockery and not the parent, after the first couple of years of their life. I have no doubt that there are loads of kids out there with utterly stupid names whose parents will blithely say "Oh, she loves having a non-boring name!" whilst their child is not only very much not loving it at all, but is also trying to shield their permanent upset from their parents, out of a desire not to upset them.

I know it's become a MN cliche, but if only more parents would test out a wacky name in advance and introduce themselves as that name to strangers, to see how well it's received - not just mockery, necessarily, but maybe endless confusion as to pronunciation or spelling. What possible single positive could come to a person's life from being called 'Jaiymz' rather than James? Or even being called James, if it's a girl?

As a general rule, if you as a 35yo adult are then hesitant about telling people 'your' name and find yourself holding back, imagine what it's like for a young child without the same life experience, thick skin or confidence.

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LisaLovedUp · 23/01/2023 08:57

I'm going for
Trevor or Brian if it's a boy

and
Doris or Mildred if it's a girl.

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LlynTegid · 23/01/2023 08:57

Whatever the name, I hope it is the conventional spelling. I hope your child does not have a lifetime of having to correct people.

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JanuaryBlues2023 · 23/01/2023 08:55

Good for you OP. However, have you thought about how your DS might feel or maybe affected by your unusual marmite name at any point in the future?

I worked with someone many years ago and her son had done really well and got selected to go to a sports academy for a sport he loved. Someone at work asked if he was excited etc. He had been awake crying every night since he found out about it. When his mum asked him what was wrong and why he was so upset he said I am worrying about what will happen if someone asks my name. Then he started crying again saying but the big boys will all laugh and make fun of it because everybody else does. This happened over 40 years ago and its as vivid as ever.

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WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 23/01/2023 08:53

You love the horrified reactions but will your kids love them all their life? The strange thing is that people who give their kids these names always have really boring names themselves and think it makes them more interesting to give their kids marmite names. It doesn't.

Are you sure it's a Marmite name? It's just that some people will call it a Marmite name, when it's actually a Runny Dog Poo name: some people will hate it but the other people will also hate it.

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runlittlemonster · 23/01/2023 08:46

It’s not fun having a ‘different’ name as a child. They might not be quite as amused at the ‘horrified’ reactions as you are.

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TheAustralian · 23/01/2023 08:46

Lolabear38 · 23/01/2023 06:16

Is it Myra?

Haven’t hear the name Myra in years

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butterpuffed · 23/01/2023 08:45

Why not just be done with it and actually call your baby Marmite [but not if your surname is Sandwich]

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