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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To call my baby

125 replies

NameDilema1 · 19/07/2023 16:44

Horace? It was my dear grandads name and I would love to honour him by naming my DS after him. Nobody has been rude about the name so far but I can tell people aren’t keen. My thinking is it can be nicknamed to Harry?

OP posts:
RuthW · 19/07/2023 16:45

Love it. Go for it.

tweener · 19/07/2023 16:46

People are entitled to not be keen on it, just as you are entitled to use it anyway. Choose it if you want to!

BooksAndHooks · 19/07/2023 16:46

Love it not a name I would have thought of but absolutely no reason not to use it.

PurpleReindeer2 · 19/07/2023 16:46

Could you use Horace as their middle name?

Callyem · 19/07/2023 16:46

Not everyone will like it but who cares?

Seasideanticscanleadtosandybuckets · 19/07/2023 16:47

Nn Ace?

TheChosenTwo · 19/07/2023 16:47

If you want to call him Harry just call him Harry!
It’s a bugbear of mine saddling a baby with a name of someone in the family as it’s nostalgic but the name isn’t loved enough to be used as their actual name.

ManateeFair · 19/07/2023 16:50

You can call your child whatever you like. If you like the name, then go for it.

I think you might have a hard time convincing people that Harry is a natural nickname for Horace, though. I'd say either call him Horace and own it, or give him Horace as a middle name if you don't want people to actually use the name Horace when they're talking to him.

almostoverthehill · 19/07/2023 16:52

It’s cute yes and as PP NN Ace

BMW6 · 19/07/2023 16:54

Won't kids call him Hor for short???

CallMeDiaz · 19/07/2023 16:54

It's obviously dreadful.

If you're so keen to honour someone, take the name yourself and start introducing yourself as Horace. See how it feels...

GoodChat · 19/07/2023 16:55

It's a terrible name. Just give it to him as a middle name if you must.

JanesBlond · 19/07/2023 16:55

Would you like to be called Horace? I wouldn’t. Use it as a middle name IMO.

GoodVibesHere · 19/07/2023 16:56

It's an awful name sorry. Maybe suitable for a horse. It's neither modern nor classic and I imagine a kid in class with that name just sticks out akwardly.

wormshuffled · 19/07/2023 16:56

It's awful.

You are also BU for putting this here. I have specifically hidden the baby names topic so I don't have to see this banal content.

GalileoHumpkins · 19/07/2023 16:57

Harry isn't a nickname for Horace though is it? Horace is, well, it's something...

Jongleterre · 19/07/2023 16:57

It's a no from me.

Besides, depending on his accent his name might be misheard as Boris.

Curseofthenation · 19/07/2023 16:59

I agree that it would be better as a middle name. Surely that is still an honour?

TheKeatingFive · 19/07/2023 17:00

It's your baby. Do what you want.

stbrandonsboat · 19/07/2023 17:01

It's awful and people will laugh at it. Why would you want to saddle your child with an awful name?

Senorfrijoles · 19/07/2023 17:02

I like it! Why not use it?

Pufflebow · 19/07/2023 17:02

I love It
call him ace if you want a nn but don’t nn it just to appease others. My only negative thoughts is that Horace slughorn is the only other Horace a lot of people will know, he was a bit of a coward in Harry Potter, but he mostly redeemed himself in the end

Mercurial123 · 19/07/2023 17:03

If you really must use it, then middle name only. Think of your child, not just what you'd like.

cushioncovers · 19/07/2023 17:03

Awful name. Get a cat and call him that instead. Dreadful name to lumber a child with.

PollyHolly · 19/07/2023 17:04

It's a bit too close to Horrid for me. You can't control nicknames past the age of 6 or so - don't give him a first name you don't plan to use (been there, done it, child has insisted on full given name from age 6. As is her right.)