Aibu to think the name suggestions on mumsnet are awful a lot of the time?

[hcarter8]

One thing I've noticed on Mumsnet is that people never actually suggests the type of baby names that the OP likes/asks for example if someone came here and asked “what’s are good sibling name for?”…. And their first child’s name was what mumsnet would call a a “ trendy and American” name like Paisley, Hunter, Harper, Jaxon Etc. (i don’t really like these names but I’m using them to prove a point) a lot of the people in the comments don’t even suggest similar names, the suggest old classic names like Josephine, Ophelia, Atticus that are clearly not the OPs taste.

Like if the OP has a first child with a trendy name like Harper they won’t won’t their second child to be called an old name like Olivia will they. I do feel like there is genuinely a lot of snobbery that comes into it aswell, like a lot of people on here try to make the parents choose a “classic” name because they themselves don’t like the modern ones even though it would look silly and out of place with their first child's name. Sorry for the rant it’s just been something I’ve noticed here recently.

I have, aye.

I love it when two siblings have totally different vibes for their names.

I worked with a woman called Precious. Her sister was called Stephanie. Similarly, worked with a man called Wisdom whose sister’s name was Lily.

Like, what was the parental thought process for two such different names?

Also, posters pointing out that lots of posters just list loads of names they like, irrespective of what the request has been - YES. It’s one of my major MN bugbears!

I always think Lily appears on every name thread.

Oh and every name is a ‘classic’.

See now that scenario could absolutely have started with a MN thread. "We want our son's nickname to be Tom, but what could his full name be for the birth certificate?". Cue reams of exaggerated suggestions.

Sibsets I know include:
Rachel and Lavinia
Emma and Aurora
Hannah and Bryony
Jasmine and Robyn
Zachary and Rex
Sheri and Christopher
Stefan and Marisa

All of which I would put in different categories, but the same parents seem to have picked them both anyway!

Eight years ago my son's name was considered unusual. My Dad said I should call my son 'Harry' like everyone else. Now my son's name is very popular (in my region anyway) and we know of another set of siblings with the same names in the same order.

I don't get the aristocracy type names like Hortense and Montague. It doesn't lift you up a class level or keep your child in the one they are in if you are well off, but each to their own. It's just a name. Not keen on overly macho boys names either, especially if the kid ends up a bit geeky. They are just not for me. I liked nature based names but they certainly aren't for everyone and some people think they are wishy washy.

Do they spell it Ptom? Hehe....I'll see myself out

My elder siblings have what MN would refer to (quite rightly, tbh) as 'classical names'. Think Alexander,Olivia.

I got given an absolute humdinger of a double barrelled first name, both of which are frequently reffered to on here as prententious, cringy etc.

Hated it as a child, love it now.Works for me as I'm not remotely prententious, far from it. It always gets shortened anyway.

Wasn't there an American named Brick in Outnumbered. The kids thought it was funny. Should have named me that - I look like one thanks to middle age.

I do like the Baby Names section.

I've seen plenty of lovely names, but some very -there and off-the-wall ones. Like someone who wanted to name their child (a baby girl, I think) Michigan Lyricism, and someone else who was considering Pegasus for a boy!

More recently someone else was thinking about Aladdin.

I love that book!

All those names go together to me! Funny how differently we all see things.

There is an American author called Aphrodite Jones, her sister is called Janet 😀

I think part of the issue is that people post unusual names precisely because they want to gauge the reaction to them.

Most people aren't going to ask us the name Lucy ok?

The most recent I saw was the name of a type of cannabis so I wonder if the poster actually took that on board....

So yes, some people can be a bit snobby about names, but I'd also argue some parents can also (often in a quest to be unique) think about names they haven't properly researched alternate meanings for that on occasion just sound bizarre.

There are a few posters who've been saddled with unusual/unique names that often post saying how they hated their names (some have changed them) and to think twice about landing your child with a name that it's likely they might find as wonderful as the parent does....

I agree, I’ve noticed this too. Having said that I have a very American/surname type name for my first and a very traditional English name for my second and love both so you never know if the OP might find something they like in the traditional suggestions.

Oh I do remember the one where the poster asked about the name Chap for a boy.

I think you can guess the responses....

Le_a is absolutely NOT an urban myth. Trust me.

Timothy West the actor was the son of Lockwood West, also an actor and this was his given name. I wonder if he was ever nicknamed Lock.

My DD has a perfectly ordinary name used in one version or another in most European languages, and I once saw a thread on here along the lines of ‘why would anyone choose [DDs name] for their daughter and lots of comments saying how awful it is!

YANBU

I'm shocked I've never met a child called Ambrose in real life.

Objectively, you’re right and I’m wrong as they are sibling sets 😂 maybe I’m out of touch / one of those people who suggests random names because I don’t know what ‘goes’!!

Yes I saw the Aladdin thread too. What you're failing to mention is that the OP was Middle Eastern and Ala-ad-din or Alauddin, is a name from her culture, the spelling Aladdin as a name is from 1001 Nights, and she hadn't even thought of the Disney movie because not everyone cares about children's movies . It was a stupid pile-on with a few people quietly saying "yes I know a man from Saudi Arabia called Aladdin, no one blinks an eye".

YANVU.
Clearly you don’t remember triplets Faith, Hope, and Kevin?

Was she being called by a teacher or receptionist "Ledasha" and the mother went "uh, the dash don't be silent!!"? That's normally how the story goes.

It absolutely is an urban myth and a racist dogwhistle to boot. There is no proof that any baby has ever been registered as Le-a anywhere. I would believe that a teenage Ladasha (which is an actual name) has styled her name that way, but that's all.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/le-a/

There was a phase a while back where Maeve was suggested on every thread.