I'm starting a Baby Names mutiny... Who will join me?

[CheeseAndBunion]

Last year Mumsnetters rallied behind a seemingly pointless quest of mine to find a lost teddy and helped give my son a very Merry Xmas. The comments and posts on my thread were unbelievably kind and I was struck by what a great bunch of people Mumsnetters must be. On the Baby Names forum though I often read comments which would give the impression we are the total opposite and that instead it's populated by quite a vicious bunch.

I have read some awful things written about my child's name on here, comments that have sometimes really stung. If I was posting to ask advice about his weight, hair colour, acne or sexuality then I have no doubt people would reply with kindness but instead I've seen endless posts about how 'x' will never be a doctor or using 'y' is akin to child abuse and that you shouldn't have been allowed to breed if you were going to name your baby 'z' (or worse something beginning with k). I've seen parents and children described in the most awful way just because their naming style differs from others and for the most part the names being attacked are ones in the current top 100. Names that will be unremarkable, commonplace and totally acceptable once our youngsters are young no more. As most people on this forum are likely to be hormonal parents to be, or sleep deprived and angst ridden, I wonder if an intervention is needed?

I'm going to start an appreciation society for the hyphenated. A support network for those with the initial K. A meeting place for the made up, awkwardly spelt and abbreviated. You're all welcome - membership is free and there is booze on offer. Founder members include Tony and Cherie (nickname and slightly common sounding), Condoleeza Rice (made up spelling), Madonna (sounds like a sex worker) and Willie Walsh (never going to get a decent job with a name like that). Kay Burley, Kirsty Young and Kate Middleton have shown interest in joining. Yes, Kate has the far more acceptable 'Catherine' to fall back on but it's obvious she has experienced first hand the negative affect on your life a 'K' name can cause. Our hyphenated patrons have asked to remain anonymous as they know the persecution that might follow if the unfortunate dash in their name becomes public.

So I'll start...

My name is CheeseandBunion and I have a child with a nickname on their birth certificate... And I like it.

DS name alliterates with his surname, it looks like a nickname (although it isn't), and worst of all, it's apparently also a name people use for penises (frankly, that kills so many names I don't think it's an acceptable criticism anyhow) for which he will be endlessly bullied at school.

But it absolutely suits him, and has since birth (and I apologise to him for trying other names for entire weeks when he was a newborn, to the extent that I had to send his registration forms special delivery so they would arrive in the time limit)

Interestingly my son actually want's to be a Judge despite him apparently having the "wrong" name!!

When he was about 2 and a half he asked "who makes all the rules anyway?" - he is very clever - rather than give a big explanation about government and the Lords etc my OH just said Judges do. This did cause a wee bit of confusion re Britains Got Talent and Simon Cowell for a while, but age 11 he is up for going for a law degree and becoming a Judge for real!!

Well my little Rudy shouldn't be called Rudy because it sound too much like 'nudy rudy' and its a dangerous name to call a child.

Evers

" your child will never be a doctor with that name"

Are these people forgetting that there is a doctor named pixie on the tv ?!

My name is ilovedaintynuts and I have the common aforementioned name beginning with K.

I have named my THREE children names from the top ten most popular names. Obviously it was only so they could have tacky pens and key rings with their names on.

Thank you for setting up this group.

I hope you all know that your childrens CVs/uni applications will be cast aside without a glance.

mine will be fine at university but will have the crap kicked out of them should they venture into Real Life ... you know supermarkets & stuff like that.

Mine will be fine as long as he goes to a Scottish Uni or accepts that it will be mispelled with a "K" and if we never move as it's actually a reasonably popular name where we live (albeit when it is spelled with a K instead of the actual Gaelic spelling which he has) It is pronounced the exact same way :)

....but then all the supermarket staff will have names like strippers or names with hyphens so he should be safe :o

My DS has a 'boring' always top 20 name and he's known as a shortened nn version (and not the most common one either) we love his name and that's all that matters :)

joins mrsdevere in the Rudi camp only mine is spelt with an i at the end, oh my he is doomed isnt he?! [grin

2 of my children also have 2 middle names each and they all have a double barrelled surname apparently i pronounce ds3's name wrong as its welsh and should be said 'dullan' he is Dylan :)

ds2 has a dogs name and it now fairly popular tho wasnt when we used it ten yrs ago, ds1 has a popular name but again not when we used it almost 13yrs ago.

dd's name is generally liked on mnet but that only scares me as i dont want it to become popular!! tho her middle names are not liked and had she been a boy she would have been Emmett, which i have got much scorn for! if i ever have another baby and its a boy they will be Emmett or Cassius, infact i like the idea of twin boys! just need to win the lottery!

my mil didnt like any of my childrens names and has on occasion said to me that it would have been nice if ONE of her grandchildren had a name she liked oh and she doesnt agree with middle names either she thinks they are pointless! fail on both counts there then!

Both my kids have 2 middle names each and they both have very unusual names that always need repeated and spelled out. (spelt?)

I worry for them.

yes my dd's name is often misheard and i have to spell it out, she wil hate me when she is older! :)

I'm TigerFeet and I have no problem with telling you that I have a Lucy and an Isabel as I doubt that will out me in RL.

Fab thread. I agree that some of the comments are foul. Fine to say "It's not what I'd choose" but "Bleughh" or whatever is uncalled for.

I would advise phrasing a Baby Names OP as "any suggestions along the lines of Frogzilla" rather than "Whaddaya think of Frogzilla"... more likely to get a positive response.

My name is VivClicquot and in real life, I have a 'K' name

My DD has two middle names.

And the name we will choose if DC2 turns out to be a boy, has been cited on here as being pretentious and try-hard. :)

Oooh Frogzilla......pity I had boys :( - boy/girl twins of Kermit and Frogzilla would be good :o

4 kids, 2 of them have names that end in an I !! one is super common, 2 are practically unheard of, and youngest 2 have a ridiculous (even by my standards) amount of middle names, can I join

My DC has a very common name. I don't care.

If he had been a girl he would have been something considerably more pretentious.

Oh I think this thread is brilliant! I have a nickname first name that does not have the full name on my own birth certificate. And both my DS have nickname first name without the full version on the BC. In fact they are referred to on the baby names forum as good for dogs names. I am expecting dc3 and plan on using another nickname!

DS has what is now an "overused" name, despite me (genuinely) never having heard of it before I chose it
XP vetoed my first choice which I still love, have never met another child called it, and DS now has as a middle name and hates :o

I love this thread!

My DD has a name that is usually dismissed as being far too common, overused, and cutesy. I love it, so ner.

However, I was on the hyphenated name thread because I dislike them for looking indecisive, not because it means they'll never be Prime Minister or whatever. I even know someone whose DD is 'First name, Middle name', not hyphenated but she always writes it down with a hyphen which is

And I like names that begin with a K! It's a nice letter.

I am a SneakyBiscuitEater and I am a pretentious, middle class try-hard. I have 3DCs all of whom have two middle names. The names include; one with a silent letter at the start, one which even old ladies would think was old fashioned, one which is not a name of a person but rather a name of a thing one which Angelina Jolie later used for one of her DC, three names which appear on the 'most unusual name you've heard lately' thread and one from the 'names you love but aren't brave enough' thread.

Some quotes in regards to my kids' names irl include; Aunt to my DM "Have you got over them calling him that yet?". Lady in hospital "Is that one of those new made up names then?" Me "No, its ancient Greek from classical literature". Her "So what will you actually call her then? Me

Kailum also has 2 middle names but those are 'boring and plain'.

Can't seem to.win

I always get
Me- her name is A...
Person-Ma...
Me- No, A...
Person-...Oh, that's unusual...

Apart from the people with great taste who love it of course!