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).

Wow, befuzzled, I batted an eyelid when I found out a GP who was seeing me was called Jemima. Trying to imagine what I'd have felt if it had been Pixie... I suppose with a GP called Pixie you just know seriously suspect that that person had to fight against their hippy family laissez-faire attitude to claw they way up through medical studies.

How many stereotypes did I just manage to cram into 5 lines? The point is though that most people do it. I think if there is a combination of serious name and fanciful name at least they have the choice. I always think about Frank Zappa's son, who ended up changing his name and becoming an accountant or something, and also always slightly wonder whether Bob Geldof's daughters haven't been typecast by their names. (although the oldest one with the really silly name is now a nurse I think).

I think the problem is that people are taken aback by this name already and the baby is 10wks old.

OP is finding it embarrasing and is finding it hard to deal with already.

Kids will tease him. It is inevitable.

OP, you need to know whether you will be able to deal with the constant requests to repeat/spell/clarify his name as how you react will have an effect on how your son will react.

If you are finding it hard to deal with people's reactions, then you have to question whether this is fair on your son.

However, if you feel you can cope with it, can react positively and confidently and therefore can show your son how to react and deaal with it, the go for it!

Didn't Alicia Silverstone call her DS Bear Blu? I'd just think you/your DP were big fans of her and copied the name.

If you are a film/pop star or tv personality you can call your child 'UglyMug' and no-one will bat an eyelid. If you live in London, not many people would bat an eyelid.

If you live in A-F-Nowhere (as I used to) the child will be teased mercilessly. I used to live there and have a fairly 'normal' name (not unheard of or weird, but not all that common) and I used to get some fairly nasty bullying over it.

I have to say, if I was introduced to someone (adult or child) who was called 'Bear' I would assume it was a nickname. I worked with someone whose first name was Teddy and surname sounded very very much like 'Bear'. He was a very serious man though.

I'm in complete disagreement with everyone else. I like the name Bear, and would stick with it.

Be brave Kidderminster Kate.

Most names, even the most unusual/foreign/funny ones tend to just become the person who owns the name and people don't think of the name, just the person. Go with Bear - it is much more original, less overused and cooler than Edward/Ted.

In fact, I think it is quite sad that so many of us would rather choose a top 10 name that is already used by thousands of others than a cool, slightly less common names. It is not like the OP called her son Poopoohead or UglyPugly. She called him a fairly normal name, albeit one that isn't used that widely. And the Wolf and Tiger I know are both lovely, lovely boys/teenagers.

I can get on board with Wolf, as it's also a surname so doesn't sound too outlandish, also I believe that in Germany it's quite a popular shortened form of Wolfgang.

If I met someone whose non nickname, actual official name was Bear I would assume their parents desperately wanted people to see their kids and by extension they themselves as being cool. I do see that you are inevitably making a statement about yourself no matter what you call your child. So ok Bear isn't the very worst. Also I suppose Behr is a surname too so you could claim some German lineage.

Tiger however is ALL kinds of wrong. I've noticed it popping up recently (e.g. the actor who plays the older boy in Outnumbered) and I just cannot understand why anyone would inflict this on their child.

It is stupid, he will be be beaten & ridiculed. if you love him, change it.

Makes me think of the delicious Bear Grylls ....so I like it.
Mind you I have a Ted and I know a Hunter....

My ds knows a 3 year old Bear, so your ds is not alone. It's fine. There'll always be a slight initial reaction, but that is what happens with unusual names. They can be a useful twit filter-those who witter on about it are letting you know what tiresome people they are. He'll be fine, so if you still like it don't change it.

Agree go with Edward as a first name, but for the love of God do not then use Bear as a middle name. You cannot saddle him with Teddy Bear for his whole life.

by the way, we know a little Ted and no one has ever teased him for his name.

Back on the Tee Jay thing - DS goes to school with a boy called TJ who has a brother called AJ. And that's their names, not initials... I think Bear is a fine name by comparison.

It's not about the OP being brave, it's about forcing her little boy to be brave.

Be brave kidder and change it to a normal name that he won't have to develop character building strategies to deal with odd looks, teasing and bullying.

great name, don't listen to the naysayers.

A major problem with Bear is that it sounds like Bare. That really should settle the matter.

Bear? I'm really not sure how I feel about it.

But I'm in the camp of give them a proper name on their BC. My ds1 is TJ , but they are his initials. DH would have had him Teejay on the BC but I put my foot down and gave him a name he could use as an adult. Although he's actually a bit young for his name at the moment!

I don't particularly like it but I think you should tell people to shove it.

I think it's ok as a middle name. Definitely think his name should be Edward Bear Rumplestiltskin. However if it's Edward Bear, some smart arse will call him Teddy Bear. Sorry if that's come up, my eyes are hurting from a combination of reading and giggling at the guessing names!

p.s one of my best friends has a Ted. We call him Tedders

See someone did mention Teddy Bear....slinks off

Why for the love of god can't people give their kids proper names and then use whatever name they like in the family.

It really gets my goat. The world seems awash with people calling their kids after other peoples nicknames... Bear, Junior etc.

Why wouldn't you just call him Edward then let the nickname develop the way nicknames are meant to?

You did ask for an opinion. Bear is adorable, I call my wee boy my bear all the time. But I wouldn't name a child darling or sweetheart.

My maiden name was in a bear/bare vein. I hated it. Constantly had the piss taken out of it all through school. Everyone thought they were the first to make the joke
I couldn't wait to get rid of it.
Be prepared for him to have a lot of "Are you bare, bear?" "Are you mummies little teddy bear, bear?" type comments.

I would keep it as a nickname but change it. Sorry

Befuzzled is your GP Dr Pixie off the telly? Her real name s Bernadette.

The fact the OP is embarrassed after 10 weeks, says it all....

What a lovely name!! I love it and think you should be brave and keep it. Before you know it, you'll hear of a few more boys called Bear and you'll start getting cross that your Ds isn't the only one! (happened to me with Dd's name ~ heard of another baby with her name just yesterday).

It's a fab name KK. :)