Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

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

486 replies

KidderminsterKate · 04/03/2012 12:48

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).

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
BelleStar · 06/03/2012 07:54

OP, you've got plenty of food for thought here already but I thought I'd add anyway!

Bear is a great name! Yes, it's unusual and some people will certainly "eh?" and "oh!" but that's ok! A friend of mine has a Bear, but on his BC he is Nathan Bear, but been called Bear from birth. I think this is the way forward if you're worried...change the BC either to Edward, or I would just swap the middle name and first name round, don't feel the need to tell anyone, and carry on calling him Bear - but at least he will have the option if he wants a more conservative name when he grows up. IMO Bear is a much lovelier and palatable name than Rupert!

Also, I certainly don't think soft, cuddly toys; I think amazing, strong, beautiful animals! And Bear Grylls got his 'Bear' from Edward, not because of physique or behaviour (from what I gather).

Have you looked on the ONS list to see how many babies have been called Bear recently? This may give you some reassurance (or not!) if there have been others. Having said that, my DD's name isn't on the list, which means she is max. 1 of 2, and I didn't think her name was that unusual!

Let us know what you decide to do!

FriggFRIGG · 06/03/2012 08:01
Bear

So cool

Himalaya · 06/03/2012 08:06

Teddy Bear ?!? Hmm

hellokitty123 · 06/03/2012 09:05

Actually Bear is much more masculine and cool than Ted/Teddy imo.

jaffacakehips · 06/03/2012 09:09

hellokitty I so agree...Bear is much better than Ted or Teddy.

I would think Bear is a nn, but that's just me. Also i'm so not brave enough to call a child Bear...so if i was wearing a hat, i'd take it off to you!

HowCanADoorBeAJar · 06/03/2012 10:41

Change his name to Edward and let Bear be a nickname. Please, for his sake! Sorry, I don't want to be horrible but life is hard enough in the playground without a very unusual name. Edward with the nickname Ted or Teddy is lovely too.

dontellimpike · 06/03/2012 12:08

I've already got used to it while reading the thread. Bear is a good name. Go with it.

Anonymumous · 06/03/2012 17:33

I have a Theodore, and my personal nickname for him is Ted Bear. But I wouldn't have given him that name officially! I like the idea of changing your son's name to Edward, but not telling anyone - that way they will all keep calling him Bear, but if it does cause problems for him at any point he will be able to switch and go by another name very easily.

And imagine how hilarious it will be on his wedding day when he's saying his vows and it finally dawns on all those rude, doubtful friends and family that they've been duped into calling him by a name they hate for all those years! Grin Grin Grin

FairyArmadillo · 06/03/2012 20:33

Bear Alexander is a nice name. I've heard a lot worse.

encyclogirl · 06/03/2012 20:43

I love it. The more I hear it the better it gets. Stick with it OP, and congrats on your new ds!

abbypumpkin · 06/03/2012 20:48

If you love the name and it suits him then don't change just because of other people. You are the one that will use it all day everyday so you should love it. Bear is unusual but not odd and prob much more acceptable with bear grylls and Jamie oliver's little one. It goes really well with Alexander.

SoupDragon · 06/03/2012 21:10

"You are the one that will use it all day everyday"

No, the child is the one who has to use it every day of their lives.

VeryStressedMum · 06/03/2012 21:12

If it's what you really want to do then change his name. You 've got until he's 12 months but if it's what you're going to do then do it sooner rather than later.

Migsy1 · 06/03/2012 21:17

I don't think he will get teased in the playground. There are lots of unusual names these days. Keep it.

Floggingmolly · 06/03/2012 21:21

If I have another one I'm going to call him Gobshite. By the law of averages I'll get at least 40% of the people I tell saying "Hey, great name! If you love it, that's all that matters! It'll make him so cool to his friends!". Bloody hell.

nocake · 06/03/2012 21:23

He will get teased in the playground because kids are like that. You can pretend as much as you like that he won't but it's going to happen. I am begging you, for the sake of your child's future happiness, to change his name. Give him the name Edward then call him Bear as a nickname. Then when he's old enough he can choose to use Edward, Ted, Ed or, if he wants to, Bear.

SoupDragon · 06/03/2012 21:50

This is not an "unusual" name though. It is a cruel one. People are already laughing at it.

amothersplaceisinthewrong · 06/03/2012 21:56

Sorry, but Bear is a ridiculous name for a child and it will cause people to laugh and titter at him or whisper about it. Edward on the other hand is a lovely name.

Migsy1 · 06/03/2012 21:59

Maybe it depends upon where you live. If you live in a more cosmopolitan area children won't bat an eyelid.

befuzzled · 06/03/2012 22:22

I think Bear Alexander is a pretty good name actually. But you (and your son) need to be thick skinned if you don't live in a cosmopolitan area. Round here, no one would bat much of an eyelid I don't think. I like it. Keep it. Maybe always emphasise that he has 2 names and then he can be Alex at secondary school if it worries him. I am not sure it will though in 2020 whatever.

Also, surely Bear Grylis, real name or not, has paved the way?

My GP is called Pixie. I don't take her less seriously as a result.

SlinkingOutsideInFrocks · 07/03/2012 01:09

There is nothing cosmopolitan about Bear. Grin This is half the problem.

ThePoorMansBeckySharp · 07/03/2012 04:52

Bear is a really, really stupid name to give a child. You need to change it.

agreetodisagree · 07/03/2012 05:45

423 posts later...your choice is

  1. Keep Bear Alexander but at school, forms etc underline the middle name as the one to be known as i.e. Bear Alexander
  1. Change BC to Edward (Arthur, Barney, Bernie ) but keep Bear as NN
other Bear names include Berndt, Bjorn, Thorben and Orson , the latter being worse than Ber (yiddish spelling)
  1. Change BC to Alexander Bear (doesn't actually sound as good imho but it is easier on him and you can always shorten it to Xander which was one of your original choices)

As a teacher I think Bear is -wait for it- too much for him to bare.
As a nickname it is fab.
As the name on the bc but Alexander as the failsafe (i.e. name to be commonly known as) would be the compromise for me if in the UK you have that option of course.

SoupDragon · 07/03/2012 07:10

" If you live in a more cosmopolitan area children won't bat an eyelid."

Only if by "cosmopolitan" you mean "stuffed with dumb celebrity names".

imnotmymum · 07/03/2012 08:21

Do you know initially I was OMG what a ridiculous name but now I love it !!It totally grown on me