To tell them their baby name options aren’t great?

[Ellase]

I can be fairly confident DS and DIL don’t use Mumsnet so I’m prepared to take a risk and post this.

DS and his wife are expecting their first baby, all very exciting, a little girl. Tonight they came over and we were chatting names and they told me what their two front runners are, and well they aren’t inherently awful, but they are diminutives that aren’t well established as names in their own right (so we aren’t talking Milly or Rosie which are now fully fledged names). I asked if they were planning to use a longer name too and was told absolutely not. This worries as I feel their child won’t much appreciate having a name that is not well established, sounds a bit off (I don’t know how to explain better than that), and could easily have a longer name that would provide more optionality however they choose to live their life.

Should I cautiously mention it or just bite my tongue? We have a very positive relationship generally and they tend to be open to advice.

I know a Gigi who proper name is Georgia. Tiggy is a cute possible shortening for Tabitha. I don’t hate those names. I was expecting something worse.

Oh no. Absolutely no. You need the shit hot lawyer name conversation. Friend's grandson is 'Teddy'. Not Edward, Teddy. I guess he can be Ted but honestly, do people think their children never grow up?

It's popular now though so Teddy's peers are far more likely to be Alfie, Freddie, Bertie, Bobby etc than traditional 'full names'.

Teddy is hardly going to stick out.

I know, I just think it's nice to have the option.

Vogue Williams?

whilst not ones I’d choose id rather those over Bonnie Blue right now; a name I have actually seen for a newborn

Decades ago I had a young relative named Vicki on her birth certificate. She had to spend so much time correcting people who wrote down ‘Victoria’ when that was not legally her name that it would have driven me round the bend if I’d had to do it. At least Tiggi and Gigi are not common diminutives.

It didn’t bother her though, she just kept correcting everything and as a cleaner didn’t need a ‘shit hot lawyer’ name.

This was fifty years ago - I don’t think shortened or cute ‘made up’ names as given names are an issue at all now.

Tiggi or Gigi would be totally normal to anyone in this generation, and there must be loads of babies being called Gigi at the moment because its popular with influencers and, of course, there’s Gigi Hadid.

I’m only 54 but have a very, very dull 1950’s name and sometimes wonder what it would be like to have a lovely modern name of my choosing.

If people called Edward can call themselves Teddy, then people called Teddy can call themselves Edward.

It's not a law or anything.

Of course but children are aware their parents chose a name for them so certainly in the past it might have felt rude, changing your name.
Possible to do it legally of course. Just so much easier if they get a formal form of a name to begin with.
Now of course they might just say that their parents called them x but they have chosen to change it to y.

Oh agreed. I don’t like my name much. It is a name of its time and dated. There aren’t many of us and we’re all over 60.

Please don't interfere.

I've never met anybody with either of those exact names, but I've met plenty of children with similar types of names, and it didn't seem to cause any problems.

FWIW, I know of a Bertie (not short for anything) who must now be about 27 and is a qualified teacher. Having a cutesy name in a generation full of cutesy names isn't going to hold people back as much as it might have done at a time when everyone else was called Peter and Susan.

I like Tiggi, I always assumed it was short for Antigone (which I also like).

Tiggy Legge-Bourke

Each to their own. People who think kids will care are in my opinion just clutching onto that idea because they don't like the name. Unusual names are the norm these days, kids don't care.

Youve had your kids to name, let them have their own choices
Gigi is lovely and very popular at the minute.
I’ve also known several Tiggys over the years. It’s not my favourite.. but no idea what your problem is about it being ‘well established’. Do you live in Downton Abbey?

You know that child will grow into what ever name they give and it could be really popular in a year or two. It is their choice and you will love this GC no matter what.

it has nothing to do with you

That's so funny. When Teddy grows up the shit hot lawyer names will be Muhammad, Lucas, Freddie, Isla, Poppy, Luna etc. Teddy will fit right in.

I sort of know this but would always, always give the option of a more formal name. Just me.

Alexandra, her name is.

And that's fine for you and any children you may name, but not to be advising the OP to intervene with outdated ideas about what appropriate names are.

In my family we are quite open. My mum still muses why I gave my kids the names I did. It's annoying but then a lot of her opinions annoy me. I still love her.

Im trying to imagine if I felt the same if it was mil who was so critical. Im not sure. I guess it depends oj your relationship. If you do decide to say something maybe only tell your son.

I am not advising. It’s none of my business and best if she says nothing too. At no point have I suggested she voice an opinion and in her shoes I wouldn’t either.

Sorry I misunderstood when you said "Oh no. Absolutely no. You need the shit hot lawyer name conversation. " - as advice to the OP have the lawyer name conversation with the parents to be.

It was just an opinion! I’d never say it out loud to anyone involved. Ever.