Everyone laughs at my babies name......thinking of changing it????

[KidderminsterKate]

Well, title says it all really. DS is 10 weeks old and is a handsome smilng chap already so gets alot of attention. My parents hate his name but are sort of used to it...my other DC's love the name but its HVs and shop keepers and friends and friends of friends that usually just eh and then oh.

I wasnt bothered at first but now its starting to get to me. I do love the name but am a bit embarrassed now.

Would these sort of things make you change the name??? I'm thinking of changing it to Edward (Ted).

A zephyr is a type of breeze or wind, and Zephyrus is the Greek God of the West Wind. I really think that is the more likely name-sake...

OP - sorry, I think this kind of baby-naming is really self-indulgent.

If you're pissed off, annoyed and embarrassed by the comments after 10 piddling weeks !! - how on earth do you think your DS is going to put up with a lifetime of it?

OP I think your son has a lovely unusual name please keep it.

This thread had had me helpless with laughter - brilliant, brilliant mumsnetters at their most eloquent best
(and OP, Bear is lovely)

Are children actually picked on for their names these days? There are so many unusual names in soaps and american TV that it seems to be seen as something cool. My son has at various times been picked on for; being a nerd, doing Karate, not liking pokamon to name a few, but never for his name!

You know what, Ive been thinking about this thread.

WHen I first read the name I thought good lord that's brave!

BUT have given it some thought and you know what that is a f**kin AWESOME name.

Be confident in your decision, tell people it proudly. He will be remembered for his name, and that's a good thing.

I love it! I mean really love it. Well done yoU!

BaldricksTurnip - no, when I worked with her she had a very sensible professional job, and only admitted to being 'Mouse' after completing her probationary period. It was rather a conservative company, I dont think she'd have got an interview if she'd applied as 'Mouse'...

I don't think it's because it's "unusual", it's because it's a very specific noun which may turn out to be completely unsuitable. 'Bear' is mostly a nickname that has been acquired because it suits the person, either by character or physique (cf. Mr Grylls and that Stuart chap that somebody mentioned they knew). Nicknames of this type evolve. It's different from a traditional pet form or shortening of a name.

dream me and dp were just discussing that also, were both early twenties and at school people with unusual names were cool, and amongst our younger cousins 10-15yos the unusual names are cool.

Dp is a boring fart when naming our dcs so I said, what does he think of Bear, he hmmed for a moment and then said, nah that's cool, I like it a lot.

And so do I, stick with it op --steals Bear for list of names for next dc--

I love Bear. It think it's brilliant. Please please don't change it!!

Bear Alexander sounds lovely. If he decides he does not like his first nam, he can always change it.

I'll tell you why I think it's a great name. My daughter is called Ursula specifically so that we can call her Bear. It's been sobering reading your thread! Although it seems as though I avoid a lot of the wrath by having a proper name too. And I do like Ursula, we're using it more than we had perhaps intended.

There is a composer called Bear - Bear McCreary. I'm quite used to hearing his name, so it doesn't strike me as too unusual compared to most people here. In fact I quite like it.

I think your DH should announce himself/refer to himself constantly as Bear for the next six months. Then he'll maybe get a feel for what your son will have to indure, before you make a decision about renaming him.

I like it. Keep it!

I know a child named Lemmy, one named Fox, and one named Dre. no-one laughs at them. why are your friends/acquaintances so rude? surely the name can't be THAT funny (although ... Cabbagehead (LOL): love it!!!)

Oh it's BEAR! Well ... that is quite funny, really.

if you really love the name then stick with it .however, as you're canvassing opinion on here and feeling embarrassed by his name after only 10 weeks then maybe you should consider changing it .
if you want a name that lends itself to the nn bear but is more unusual than edward have you considered Rupert . you could then introduce him as his name is Rupert but we call him bear giving him more options but enabling the nn bear to fit .

What I meant with bullying was that most bullying is not due a specific thing or name

Bit of a generalisation there Kitty!

Kids can b cruel at school, but I think it's a lovely name, very unusual. If he's got a fairly average middle name he can always use that when he's at school x

It's just so, um, emasculating... Hence my comment about the poor bloke trying to pull at 15.

I mean, it's not that one should strive for masculinity by any means. I come from a very, very metrosexual family and my brother is gay. Alpha male-type bravado is vile.

But... really... Bear?! Big old, fluffy soft teddy bears, that you normally find scattered on small children's beds...?!

I mean, it doesn't exactly conjure up 'James Bond' in the suave, sophisticated, wooing-the-laydeez stakes, does it?

To compound it - can you imagine standing up in front of your friends and loved-ones on your wedding day, opposite someone who you'd quite like to respect you as a human and, err, a grown adult man, and say, 'I, Bear, do solemnly declare...'?!

Honestly, I really don't think it's the 'unusualness', per se, that is generating the reactions you're getting from people.

Love ted and Bear

Sorry - by the way, I apologise for seeming harsh, I honestly do.

It's just I had these exact same thoughts when Jamie Oliver called his poor kid this name, and they only used it for a middle name.

It's a cute (middle or nick) name for a baby, but it's embarrassing for an adult man - unless claimed by himself as a nickname.

I think it's fine given he has a more common middle name to use if he prefers. If you're still unsure you could just change the order. Between Bear and Alexander he should be able to pick something fitting whatever his future hobbies and career :)

now I know where you may have got inspriration for his name, the infamous, mn, POMBEAR!