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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

Are you embarrassed about your name choice?

82 replies

elseIlltellyourfather · 17/05/2011 13:22

DH wants to call DC Barnaby (if it is DS obv.) and it is growing on me. However, when people ask about name ideas I am reluctant to tell them in case they laugh. This makes me think I may regret it when I am calling it in the supermarket! Will I get used to it (I do like it, just worry what people think), or do you still cringe a bit when you say your child's name, years on, if it is a bit unusual (or ponce-tastic)?

OP posts:

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Daisy03 · 17/05/2011 21:37

Funny enough when I saw the title of this thread I thought of the name Barnaby, there was one lost in my John Lewis today and I did chuckle a little at it being yelled all over the store (after I knew he was safely located of course),not sure I'd choose it on those grounds

HopingForAZoo · 18/05/2011 04:31

I was terrified to tell people our Ds name even though I LOVE it. I got really positive reactions from most people though so I was pleasantly surprised. Except on MN. Very little possitive feedback. Ahh well...

Justfeckingdoit · 18/05/2011 06:20

This made me laugh, as our current name of choice has somehow ended up being the joke name we have been calling the bump. The name was not on either of our shortlsts, nor have either of us ever considered it in any context, but it has weirdly grown on us!

Going to wait until the baby turns up to decide if we have both been going a bit mad, or if it will be a sticker.

freesias · 18/05/2011 08:06

thankselsei'lltellyourfather by the way i think barnaby's lovely all though midsommer murders does immediately spring too mind although that's no bad thing imo
if i might a barnaby i really wouldn't think it was weird , ott etc

Cattleprod · 18/05/2011 08:17

I gave DS a traditional, reasonably unusual name which I still love.

Unfortunately, if you change a couple of letters in the name you get something hideous which is frequently slated as being chavtastic on mumsnet. And it really pisses me off when people try and link the two names together, therefore insinuating that my boy's name is downmarket too.

kreecherlivesupstairs · 18/05/2011 08:52

I do regret calling our DD Ruby, but that's what she is. My only other choice was Zam Zam and that would be daft in England.
She likes her name and so far has been the only one in any of her four schools. I am sure it will change when we get back to England.
when I was at school, everyone was Debbie/Debra or Tracy or Sharon.

UrsulaBuffay · 18/05/2011 09:00

Tammy's point is interesting, and the attitude is increasing. Also as Superv1xen says the 'opinion' of a name changes over time so whatever you choose it will be considered differently in future. DDs name is very popular, but she is it and she loves it despite only being 2- she has always referred to herself as her name so I cannot have any other opinion but to like it!

ShowOfHands · 18/05/2011 09:02

What on earth is wrong with Delilah? Or Barnaby? Or most of these names? I suppose the first is a biblical whore but I know two Delilahs under 4. People are reclaiming it.

Barnaby is lovely and goes fabulously with Caspar (which I adore).

UrsulaBuffay · 18/05/2011 09:07

I know I have been shocked at work since returning after having DD that many baby announcements have been met with sneery 'they called it what? Oh no I don't like that' rather than 'how lovely our colleague has had a baby'. I can just imagine them slagging my choice off. It's the British way in the last decade or so: negative & judgey.

issy123 · 18/05/2011 09:08

Ds2 's name is Albie Albert, friends and family hated it when he was born made me feel really bad and low, he is 2.5 now sometimes wish I had called him something else. Although it seems to be quite trendy now so don't think he will have probelms with it.

Original poster

elseIlltellyourfather · 18/05/2011 09:18

Interesting comments, Thanks showy, you are always so nice . I bet DC2 is a girl now, then I'll be back with more hand-wringing angst.

justfeckingdoit, tell us......

OP posts:

ShowOfHands · 18/05/2011 09:21

Albie's fabulous too issy. I really like it.

I am mainly nice else. Until Bono or David Camerham come onto the radio/television and then I swear like a good un. Sometimes throw things too.

What have you picked for a girl?

Original poster

elseIlltellyourfather · 18/05/2011 09:37

I really want Sukie for a girl (Susannah) but have yet to fully convince DH of its merits. He likes Freya, which I like but think is a bit meh. He likes Clementine, I am not sure now, though I planted the seed of it with him initially.

DS 3yrs pretends to chop off DC's head if he comes on tv, with a lovely sawing motion with the side of his hand. Just adorable

OP posts:

ShowOfHands · 18/05/2011 09:57

We've trained just 4yo dd to shout boo hiss at the television and she does it with great gusto.

Sukie is fabulous. I need to have many children immediately. There are some brilliant names out there. I like Josephine. Especially Posy and Sephie as NNs. Might be up your street?

Clemmie's cute but not a patch on Sukie. Freya is meh, precisely. You have excellent taste.

Original poster

elseIlltellyourfather · 18/05/2011 12:25

I also like Josephine, tis on my shortlist! What is your DD called?

Sign here for mutual admiration club .......................................

OP posts:

ShowOfHands · 18/05/2011 12:30

She is Mathilda but is rarely called that. She calls herself Tildy. I call her many, many things. Mainly Squigsy. I have no idea why.

I could probably have an army of children and never run out of names.

ArfurBrain · 18/05/2011 12:36

I now cringe a little sometimes at my eldest's name. I loved it all those years ago and it does suit him. He is the only one in school, It is Welsh in origin, simple and not OTT. But recently it has become more popular and ... er....common. I have heard it screeched by boiled-ham-armed, chain smoking harridans, wielding cans of stella on the seafront...can't somehow imagine that happening to an Inigo or a Septimus somehow...or a Barnaby :)

NerfHerder · 18/05/2011 12:47

Oh I love the name Septimus!

bigbluebump · 18/05/2011 12:53

Unless you call your child poopoohead or something silly, why on earth would you be embarassed about calling his/her name? I really struggle with that concept - thankfully we all have different tastes and like different names. Why is there this pressure to 'conform' to some naming rules that seem to prevalent on mumsnet?

TobyLerone · 18/05/2011 12:57

Nope, not at all embarrassed. My children are called Joe and Esme and the only thing I regret is that they're getting more popular now (they're 11 and 10). I love the names, they suit them very well.

I love Barnaby, btw. It's one of my favourite boys' names. I used to have a boyfriend called Barnaby (Barney) when I was a teenager and he was utterly lovely :)

MissRead · 18/05/2011 13:04

Haven't had time to read the whole thread but my take is that I'm really relieved I didn't go with one of my favourite names as it's turned out to be incredibly popular and rather pigeonholes the child and the parent in my opinion (bit like Lola, Scarlett etc).

We went for what I think of as a 'classic' name, not too traditional, always fairly popular but quite neutral. I genuinely don't think you would know from her name whether my DD was born in the 80's, 90's 00's or any other decade or get much of a clue as to her background (or for want of a better word, class), and that works for me.

I adored the other name but in retrospect I am very glad DH wasn't keen as I do think it might have embarrassed me a bit and possibly DD as well.

ensure · 18/05/2011 13:40

Barnaby is nice! Not weird at all. I don't think people would raise eyebrows at Barnaby.
Hey, some weird names I heard last week: two British boys, Tallinn and Baxter. I think they are quite odd. Barnaby, not odd.

bigbluebump · 18/05/2011 13:55

Of course not everyone is going to like your name choice. And many people will dislike Barnaby. Just like you will probably not like their name choices.

But thats ok. Thankfully we all have different tastes. Why be so judgemental about other people's choices (whether they be hairstyles, shoes or their children's names)?

Choose the name you love and feel confident about it .

Pinkjenny · 18/05/2011 13:58

I love my dc's names. I couldn't give a fig whether people think they are chavvy or not. Although ds' name is very common, there are 3 in his nursery class. That does bother me slightly.

MarioandLuigi · 18/05/2011 14:01

I love my childrens first names, but DD's middle name makes me cringe - I blame it on the pregnancy hormones.

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