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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To intensely dislike the “y/ie” suffix name craze?

343 replies

feelingnotbelieving · 28/10/2023 11:31

Alfie Archie Albie Blakie Bertie Denny Ellie Evie Edie Georgie Lenny Ralphie Ronnie Reggie Vinny.

Today I came across a Jeffie. Why?!

If want to give you kid an old fashioned name, then name it Alfred, Eleanor, Leonard or Vincent. Or Jeffrey.

Added to the naff-ness of it is the fact that when that child starts school, he’s going to be one in at least half a dozen others with the same name.

I just find it it very unoriginal and effortless to give your child a “trendy” name that 50% of parents seem to also be naming their child. I’m assuming they think it’s quirky or cute but I can’t be the only person who thinks it’s naff and tasteless.

I get sometimes it’s to honour a relative. My grandad was called Bernard, but if I wanted to name my son after him I wouldn’t name him Bernie. I’d call him Bernard. As that was my grandads name.

OP posts:
Remaker · 30/10/2023 06:54

Not sure it’s a craze, my Grandma and several of her 13 siblings had ie/y endings and they were born 100 years ago!

What a thing to get yourself worked up about - and yes you’re BVU.

Creepyrosemary · 30/10/2023 06:58

feelingnotbelieving · 28/10/2023 12:02

I’ll add, because I forgot to in my OP, that if a parent calls their child Alfred and Alfred is on the birth certificate etc and then as he grows up gets shortened to Alfie that’s ok. Because his name is actually Alfred. If his relatives or mates shorten it to Alfie then that’s fine. Although still two syllables so not really shortening it… Just call him Alfred or Alf if you want to shorten it.

Is this a thing that people talk about? I have no idea what other people have on their or their childrens birth certificates except for my brothers children. I never had a conversation about it. People just tell me their daughter is called Rosie and I then say "hello Rosie".

Shanda5 · 30/10/2023 07:07

There are loads of names I can't stand. So I didn't use any of them. Problem solved.

Hmrk · 30/10/2023 09:27

You’d be very frustrated in places like Italy then where majority of boys names end in O/ IO and girls A/IA
boys names: Alessandro, Lorenzo,Matteo, Leonardo,Francesco, Antonio,Marco,Enzo, Giorgio, Valerio
girls: Francesca, Bianca, Alessia, Giulia, Sofia, Elena, Maria, Rosa, Giovanna, Alessandra, Maria….I could go on but I won’t 😂

Beastieboys · 30/10/2023 09:32

I'm 63yrs old called Mandy and that's what I was registered as, I was baptized as ( after a set to with the vicar!! ) and what I'm known as . People have in the past stood and argued with me that it can't possibly be my "proper" name and I've replied of course it can don't be ridiculous ! My mother and father's explained that if I had been called Amanda my name would have been shortened by people anyway whether I wanted it or not

GlomOfNit · 30/10/2023 09:47

feelingnotbelieving · 28/10/2023 12:07

@Itwasamemo3 yes but they were most likely christened/named on their birth certificate as the full names. Kenneth Charlotte Archibald etc. To be the alfies and Archie’s of the country should be oldies. As they are old names. There were no Alfie’s or Archie’s or albies or Reggie’s when I was at school.

OP you are either massively uninformed or bonkers! Grin

Reggie Kray, at all?? What's it all about, Alfie? Gracie Fields? All dead/filmed before you were born, I'd imagine. Get a grip, and a sense of historical context.

bellocchild · 30/10/2023 13:44

If you choose something outré or cute, at least provide them with a very plain middle name. They can choose when they grow up, or become high court judges.

RavenofEngland · 30/10/2023 13:48

feelingnotbelieving · 28/10/2023 12:21

But if you aren’t French why take the French name? Mary is a nice name, I didn’t know molly was derived from it. However they sound the same do they? It’s not the same as adding ie onto Alf.

Show quote history

Why should someone be French to use a French name? My daughter is named Marie (pronounced Mah-ree) which is clearly the French version of Mary, the same way that Maria is the Italian/Spanish version. My family is not French. I chose that name because I liked it (and partly because my ex H wanted a Disney name, and I didn’t want her named after any of the princesses). She is certainly sassy, just like her kitten namesake in Aristocats. So the name fits her perfectly. And in a way, she is named after my mum whose middle name is Mary.

SinnerBoy · 30/10/2023 13:51

I sometimes work with a Wendy (I am a contractor) and years ago, I called her Gwendolyn. She glared at me and demanded to know who'd told me her full name!

Original poster
feelingnotbelieving · 30/10/2023 15:02

@GlomOfNit yes but their names were Ronald and Reginald, shortened to Ronnie and Reggie. They weren’t born Reggie and Ronnie were they, like most other Reggie and Ronnies are. Why are you not getting it?

OP posts:
Original poster
feelingnotbelieving · 30/10/2023 15:05

LolaSmiles · 28/10/2023 14:29

@LolaSmiles that’s why i’m confused though. I think it’s very common among the middle classes to have names like Teddy, Bertie, Alfie etc
I don't want to put words into other people's mouths, but I'm going to guess that the line of thought would be it's fine to have the full name on the birth certificate, then use whatever diminutive day to day, but there's something "chavvy" about picking the trending diminutive as the child's 'proper' name.

So Albert with nickname Bertie wouldn't be considered chavvy, but having Reggie on the birth certificate would be

I disagree, but I think that's the argument.

Correct. Full names shortened to nicknames don’t bother me. I just think it’s chavvy when they are born Bertie Ronnie Alfie etc.

OP posts:
Original poster
feelingnotbelieving · 30/10/2023 15:07

HRTQueen · 28/10/2023 15:53

Oh it’s so common

isn’t that what you really want to say op

Oh yes, v. common!

OP posts:
Original poster
feelingnotbelieving · 30/10/2023 15:10

adriftinadenofvipers · 28/10/2023 16:49

Weren't the Kray parents so ahead of their time when they named their twin sons in 1933...

@feelingnotbelieving you are becoming more and more irrational with every post!!

Again, they weren’t born Reggie and Ronnie were they…Youve misread or Missing the point of my post.

OP posts:
00100001 · 30/10/2023 15:19

SinnerBoy · 30/10/2023 13:51

I sometimes work with a Wendy (I am a contractor) and years ago, I called her Gwendolyn. She glared at me and demanded to know who'd told me her full name!

Why would you call her that? It's a bit presumptuous on your part?

KajsaKavat · 30/10/2023 17:22

SinnerBoy · 30/10/2023 13:51

I sometimes work with a Wendy (I am a contractor) and years ago, I called her Gwendolyn. She glared at me and demanded to know who'd told me her full name!

OMG, I’m a Jennie and that’s what I was named, I want to scream at those who try to call me Jennifer.

SinnerBoy · 30/10/2023 21:58

Why would you call her that? It's a bit presumptuous on your part?

We were having a bit of a joke around, I didn't know her actual name.

marcusian · 31/10/2023 09:58

Reminds me of a fun afternoon on a small beach cove in cornwall, with several couples on a joint holiday. One of the guys arrived late, was walking down the cliff, shouting out silly nicknames for everyone by just adding on -ezzer to their names, e.g. hello pezzer (pete etc), hi cazzer, morning mazzer, afters heller...but he got stuck when it came to sally and he said, how you doing sadder? Was very funny.

FlipFlop1987 · 03/11/2023 17:22

I hate the whole cute name thing for kids as I don’t think the parents have considered they will become adults. I know several Albie’s, a Ralphie and worst of the lot a Reggie.

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