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Original poster

Help! my family hate my baby's name!!

63 replies

karmum · 03/10/2011 13:20

I love the name we have given our son, it feels perfect and was not given without a good nine months of serious deliberation.. and yet I have become so uncomfortable with it after both my parents (separated) have made comments about it.. our boy is called Oswold - Ozzy for short... the problem is that people of my parents generation or + have mentioned the fascist Oswald Mosley.. i just don't see how this man should commandeer such a beautiful name 30 years later.. am i being unreasonable????

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Blu · 03/10/2011 13:22

Ozzy is lovely.
Just give them a list of alternative Oswalds and Ozzy's and in no time they will associate the name only with your DS.

lizzieloubee1 · 03/10/2011 13:23

No, he is YOUR baby, you can call him what you like. Oswold makes a nice change from Oscar, and Ozzy is a workable nickname.

tammytoby · 03/10/2011 13:23

Oswold is a lovely, classic underused name and Ozzy a cute nickname. I think it is a great choice! You will never be able to please everyone, nor should you - your baby, your choice imo.

By the way, I have never heard of an Oswald Mosley ..Confused.

pyjamasinbananas · 03/10/2011 13:23

I love it!!! It's different yet has a classic feel to it

pyjamasinbananas · 03/10/2011 13:24

Mine refuse to call DD by her full name of Alexandra or even nn Alex so she's become Lexie!
You can't please everyone as long as you like it

MinnieBar · 03/10/2011 13:24

As long as his middle name isn't Adolf I think you're fine.

tryingtoleave · 03/10/2011 13:30

I think of mosley as mosley, not as Oswald, ifyswim. My family hated my dd's fairly unexceptional name. I would ride it out.

comedaygoday · 03/10/2011 13:43

My ILs hated DS1's name and my parents thought DS2's name was cruel so I do sympsthise. However , the name Oswold does make me think Mosley and for thst reason I personally would avoid it. The rest of the replies you have currently got however suggest that many people don't make the connection, so it may be that I am unusual.

Original poster
karmum · 03/10/2011 13:53

i feel better already! thanks so much ladies! TammyToby i had to google him! MinnieBar, someone actually said that Oswold was on a par with Adolf, you've made me chuckle! i dont personally think theyre comparable obv
so great to get feedback thank you :)

OP posts:
ExpensivePants · 03/10/2011 13:56

Ozzy is possibly the best nickname in the world. Unfortunately I don't have a son but I did have an iMac called Ozzie... and my Macs are like my babies. Blush

Oswald is a great name. Stuff 'em :)

WorkingItOutAsIGo · 03/10/2011 13:59

I think of Oswald Boateng before I think of Oswald Moseley....he is tall and very chic - definitely someone to be named after!

ShoutyHamster · 03/10/2011 14:08

Shame on them - how rude!

Tell them with a smile that if the baby's name bothers them so much, they don't have to visit...

...but if they do want to be welcome, they can stop with the rude comments!

That should shut them up Grin

BuntyPenfold · 03/10/2011 14:13

Goodness yes, Boateng is classy and Ozzy is a great nn

DesperatelySeekingSedatives · 03/10/2011 14:13

Ozzy is such a cool nickname Smile

I think it's very rude of your parents to comment negatively about your DS name. They think what they like obviously but it's very bad form to say "I don't like the name you've chosen for your baby". I admit to thinking Hmm at what some people call their children but I'd never be so rude to say anything!

TimeWasting · 03/10/2011 14:23

I agree the name shouldn't be tainted, like Enoch too. All names have associations though, particularly uncommon names, so it's not not their fault they're thinking of Mosely.

Original poster
karmum · 03/10/2011 14:33

Thats true TimeWasting, i guess he was more prominent than i realised.. i think of Boateng & Ossie Clark myself, the responses are really interesting and its definitely mixed..

OP posts:
ledkr · 03/10/2011 14:37

I was torn between 2 names for my latest baby,mil was so rude and vile about one of them-guess which one i chose Grin I love my little Delilah too,it suits her.He's your Ozzy not theirs and i thinks its a great name.

lynniep · 03/10/2011 14:41

You just can't please everyone. I think that is a super-cute name. We called DS1 a really run-of-the-mill name (Joseph) and we call him Joey. MIL wont call him that - not sure why - probably thinks its common - she will call him Joe or Joseph only. You cant win lol!

allhailtheaubergine · 03/10/2011 14:52

Oh my god I love Oswald so much I might have to have another baby to call him that.

catkate10 · 03/10/2011 15:28

My dear-departed Grandad used to make up stories when we were children about a very wise old owl who was very kind and was a Doctor to all the other animals and birds in the woods. His name - Oswald the Owl :)
So for me, its a great name and stick with it and Ozzy is cool :)

BuntyPenfold · 03/10/2011 15:29

ledkr I love Delilah too

ledkr · 03/10/2011 16:55

Thanks bunty it suits her.

grottielottie · 03/10/2011 17:15

I loved this name and the shortening oz or ozzy but the Mosely conection put me right off.

We are going with Austen and figured I could still try to us Oz with that (although not confident it will catch on).

Eglu · 03/10/2011 17:17

It is not really my kind of name, but your parents are very rude to comment on it now he is already here and named. I think you should tell them that they are rude. And tell them they had their time for naming children.

frutilla · 03/10/2011 17:23

Your parents are in the older generation, that's why for them the name is fixated with Mosley. The past is the past. What about Jack the Ripper, should we all stop calling our kids Jack! Their argument is silly and anyway so what if they don't like it? Your child, your prerogative.