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Original poster

Ever had a bad reaction to you new baby's name?

25 replies

YouDoTheMath · 21/08/2011 20:28

As in has anyone ever told you outright that they think the name you've chosen is awful?

(Greedy second post of the evening - sorry!)

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Iamkenny · 21/08/2011 20:33

I've had people tell me DD1 nn (no one ever calls her by her actual name ) is awful and 'So you wanted a boy then' and been asked why we didn't just give her initials as her name instead of a full name (as we did)
Apart from being asked how to pronounce it no problems with DS1.
Have to wait and see about DD2 and DS2

agora1 · 21/08/2011 21:24

Yes, I was asked did I not want to change my mind and call her something people could pronounce like Emily!

cece · 21/08/2011 22:12

I had several people ask me if I had made DD's name up Hmm no it is a very old name thank you very much.

With DS1's name I got asked once whether I worried about him being teased about his name when he became a teenager.

emmanumber3 · 21/08/2011 23:09

No, but then all of my DCs have "top 20" type names that people are used to hearing. I was however told that I "lacked imagination" by an elderly neighbour who asked what my two DSs were called (before DD was born - he'd probably hate her name too Grin).

survivingsummer · 22/08/2011 10:03

I had an 'oh well, each to their own then' after DS was born!

Eglu · 22/08/2011 10:08

With DS2 from Gran1, 'Where did you get that from?'. Gran2 'I'll never get used to that name'. To be fair I don't think she has as she often call him DS1's name. Grin

MamaLazarou · 22/08/2011 12:43

"...... Oh well, it's better than Barry, I suppose", from my mum (Barry was the bump's nickname when I was pregnant).

4pinkbabies · 22/08/2011 14:29

OH YES! DD no. 1; long silence and forced smiles from very close relatives. Came back to visit the next day after telling all the family and said; " actually, we've been thinking about it and now we don't think it's too bad." (As I found out later, "all the family" had said how lovely it was).

DD2...no comment.

DD3...."OH now THAT name is beautiful"

DD4.....(To DH on phone)..." WHAT?" (Mispronounces name in a shocked manner) "Oh no, surely not?" Still grimace every time they say her name and don't say it correctly. ( It's in the top 20 ) :(

I am still horrified that people you love can spoil your first days with your new baby like that.

cadifflur · 22/08/2011 16:42

From a work colleague - "ugh, I couldn't understand why you've named your DD that, it doesn't go at all with your DS' name. when I heard it I thought how odd, DS has an english name, DD has a welsh name. they just don't go together".

Galena · 22/08/2011 16:50

An old lady at church asked DD's name. When I told her she said 'Well, that's not even a name! Why didn't you give her a proper name? Has she got a middle name?' When we told her the middle name she said 'Well, that's a proper name, I shall call her that!'

(DD is called Skye)

aStarInStrangeways · 22/08/2011 17:09

Not outright bad, but both times my dad has said "oh...so...where did that come from then?" in the tone of someone who has just been told a runaway cow has shat all over his brand new BMW. And has then spent the first few months referring to them simply as 'baby'.

Both my children have beautiful, normal names.

Kytti · 23/08/2011 15:11

Well hacked off when we picked a name that we thought was a bit different but still a traditional name to then find it in the top 5 English names of that year. Oops!

DS1's name is ALWAYS being shortened... and I have to look all stroppy and correct people. Bah.

comedaygoday · 23/08/2011 15:20

Yes, with DS1 DH's family decided it was so ridiculous we must have been joking.

With DS2 my parents phoned me up and begged me to reconsider because it was such an awful name.

bamboobutton · 23/08/2011 15:28

i did from my ILs, typical 'don't like that much' type comments.

they are just a rude, rude family though.

my friend has a really awful name for her dd but i would never dream of being so rude as to voice my true opinion.
as i am always polite it really shocks me when people are rude.

mybootsaremuddy · 23/08/2011 15:45

DC1 First name 'oh thats beautiful upon hearing mns 'You what'!!!!

DC2 'That sounds odd with your dd' and 'is that even a name'!? (it is a name)

DC3 only got good comments those who understood reasons for dd1 mn didint react to the mn but new people were a bit Hmm when heard mn

DC4 'Thats a bit old fashioned' 'ooh a marmite name'Hmm people tend to either love it or hate it!

DC5 People seem ok with ful name but dont like nn and dont get me started on mn

DC6 again the 'marmite' comments and again Hmm with mn

DN (we addopted) Only ever gets 'ooh how lovely' and 'dont hear hat often now'

All my dc have 3 names First, Maori then a family/close friends name. Most people are a bit [mm] when first hear my dc full names but we dont care we love all of them.

mybootsaremuddy · 23/08/2011 15:47
  • hat= thatBlush my nephew is not called hat Grin
yawningbear · 23/08/2011 19:46

PIL reaction to DD's name (which is lovely but really quite ordinary) 'you can't call her THAT' and subsequently proceeded to refer to her as Mary for at least the first two weeks. With DS, whose name is old fashioned and not at all popular, well at least it wasn't, until we decided to use it, 'are you joking' and even worse, directed at DS 'what on earth where they thinking when they gave you that for a name' Grin.

MaElsie · 24/08/2011 21:17

Yes - when I was walking away from the registry office, even though we had chosen my favourite name of all time! I got over it quite soon.

kelly2000 · 24/08/2011 21:55

I was at one point thinking of Wolfgang, with wolfie for short. DH said it was an old mans name, DM said "oh dear God", MIL and SIL nearly fell off their chairs laughing after saying "wolfie, like a dog". I am now not using the name, but still say Wolfie is cute.

earshot · 24/08/2011 22:06

A friend of mine said ''Why did you give your daughter a prostitute's name?"

We also get a lot of complete baffled silence without even the standard "oh that's a lovely name " Grin

PricklyThistle · 25/08/2011 23:33

When DH phoned from the labour suite and told his father DD's name, he asked 'are you sure?' Never quite forgiven him, even though he now dotes on her and she's grandpa's favourite.

lazylula · 26/08/2011 00:31

I got asked where I had got ds2's name from (it is a top 5 name so not uncommon, but apparently a bit posh for our family Hmm. With dd no one has said bad things (except for a friend who stated quite often that she did not like it when we had it as a possible name for dc2), but we either have people state how much they like it and how nice it is or they just go 'oh'. It isn't that uncommon a name, but until I had her I hadn't heard any children with it.

NickNacks · 26/08/2011 20:24

I need to know what some of these names are!

rachel1970 · 26/08/2011 21:42

Both my dd and ds's names have had generally very positive reactions in real life Smile.

But on mumsnet, dd's name is described as 'too princessy' and ds's as 'too poncey' Shock. But we love, love their names and so do they.

Offspring · 29/08/2011 03:17

Colleague of DH's said (upon being told first and mn), "Oh, mn is lovely, you should have used that as a first name".

Ex colleague of mine "Oh wow, trying to be trendy then?". No, it's a well-established name, just outside of the top 100.

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