Does it bother you when Mumsnetters criticise your name/your dc's name?

[WithACherryOnTop]

I'm just curious because a lot of people seem to take offence when their name or their dc's name gets negative remarks,and often on a thread that they didn't even start?

Personally I don't care if people hate my name,as I like it.I've no children yet,TTC,but I don't think it'd bother me if I had a child named X,and people said that they didn't like their name,if another poster asked what they thought of name X.

This isn't a thread about a thread btw.I've been pondering this for a while.

Not bothered at all.

Not my child's name. I chose it, after all, got to take some responsibility for that!

I've never seen my name criticised, other than perhaps being included in lists that might be thought a bit staid. If someone said, "I've never met a nice SurgeonsMate" or something like that, I probably would be a bit shocked!

I think it just depends on how people express their critics: I do not mind "dull", "not keen" or "run of the mill", but "horrid", "terrible", "horrible", "hate it" are a bit too much imo.
There are names that I hate too, but I stop my critic to "not keen" - there is no need to hurt anyone, just give a thumb up or down.

Just done a vanity ceck on my name. It seems well received! Didn't need to do my child's name - I am aware that many MN-ers are "not keen" on it already..

Someone on here told me I was wicked for choosing my daughters name as its obscure, hardly known meaning would make her self conscious about her weight.

I laughed.

My niece who is named after a flower must have a complex about being thorny then, or dropping pollen everywhere.

my dd's name got a "hate it.hate it. hate it" once. Bit harsh i thought but each to their own.

I don't and I can't understand why people get so upset about it, then again I don't like it when people are proper rude about a name.

People like different things, I say on baby name threads if I like/dislike a name but I'd never say a child will never amount to anything because of a name.
Lancelot "Capability" Brown managed to do alright with a poncey first name & a fussy nickname

Well, none of my dc's names ever come up on the Babynames threads, but I think if you are so unsure as to want to test out a name with strangers on the internet, you are doing so to find out what 'the public at large' think of the name. There's no point in people then being 'it wouldn't be my choice' or It's quite unusual other bland comments people will give you in RL, as well, people in real life can give you those.
If you have already chosen a name that's a little bit controversial for your children, then you will know already (presumably) that a lot of people don't like the name(s).

Someone said on a thread recently that a particular name made her "shudder".
Just that, and it was my grans name, I felt ridiculously sad about it.

An instant, immediate reaction to negative comments about my daughter's names is usually one of 'fuck off!' oh I'm gutted you feel that way, actually

But then, there are numerous reasons why the rational part of me saves the day (and my MN reputation):

? Each to their own. We all have different tastes
? Reactions to names on MN are more honest. This can be honest in the brutal sense.
? So-called 'Name Nerds' frequent here. Lots of names irk particular folk: ones that end in 'ie'; popular names; 'cutesy' names. Even ones that begin with the letter 'K'. Therefore, I don't think opinions expressed here are an accrate reflection of RL opinions/reactions.

I'm never bothered if my real name gets flack. It's due a revival any day now, anyway.

MammaT

In my case I still wish I had hyphenated DD1's names, naysayers be damned..

Have not seen any of their names shot down here, but would shrug if I did. I like them and that's all that matters.

Well I feel a bit guilty if I say a name is awful and then somebody comes on and says that's their DC's name and it's lovely. I never know whether to apologise or not but don't as it's only a matter of personal taste and maybe a question of stop digging!

No it dosnt bother me. It is only their name they are not saying they dont like your DC.

Ds1 has a name that seems to be universally hated in here and is frequently labelled a "chav" name.

I look at DS1, a nerdy 13 year old bookworm and laugh that anyone would think he is chavvy! (I guess he still has time to change and let the inner chav that's patently in him break free!)

I'm only bothered when people are downright nasty about it. Otherwise I just smile and think that if they knew MY fill-in-the-name, they'd never have a low opinion of it.

Not in the least bothered! The general criticism is 'boring,' but since I love boring I must be on the right lines!

I don't get bothered if anyone comments on my or my dc's names but I do feel quite angry when people get snobby about names and start suggesting that a child's career would be limited by their name - it's only limited by some people being narrow minded and it is the narrow minded who deserve the scorn not the children or their parents.

Slightly bizarrely, when my eldest's name is discussed everyone always loves it - which is strange, because in RL when we told people the name there was always a small gap while the person worked out something polite to say about it (normally something along the lines of 'how unusual').

DCs 2, 3, and 4 are all in the 'boring' category.

Well, I think Le-a is a lovely name, and I don't care what any of you think.

(it's pronounced Lehyphena. We are educationally superior, you know.)

I don't currently have any DC's (25 weeks pregnant though) and I've seen the names I like described as foul, awful etc etc and it doesn't bother me. I do wonder why some people have to be so rude about it though sometimes! It bugs me a bit when in RL people ask me what names I like, I tell them, and they pull stupid faces and explain why they don't like whichever one. I just think it's rude, I mean i'm not keen in the slightest on some of the names some of them have used for their kids, but I'm not rude enough to behave like they do about it!

I have seen people really go off on one if their (no doubt perfect child's) name is criticised. My favourite was when one poster insisted she knew the connotations of the name before choosing it, but was still outraged when other posters pointed them out as not exactly positive.

Morals:
a) you'll never please everyone,
b) no matter how loudly you shout on MN, negative connotations may exist, and posters don't make them up especially for MN,
c) people with adequate manners will never let an adverse comment pass their lips in RL, and may well join in the chorus of universal praise you receive there. This does not mean they like the name, it means they like you.
d) even the most horrendous name can still mean a lovely child.

I think the problem with baby naming threads is that names are thrown about in isolation so people think of old, unrelated associations. It is altogether different when you meet a new person with a certain name - that person just becomes the name, whatever it may be.

Some of the comments are so narrow minded (dumb) that you really can't gake them seriously. For example, one poster once said my ds's name would make him gay .

Of course it is fine to dislike names....

... But some posters are down right rude in their comments I feel, ie. hate/ god awful etc etc.

It is so easy to lose your manners in an Internet forum, that's if you have them in the first place

No, it doesn't bother me.

I think that names that tend to be popular on MN are names that would be quite laughable where I actually live so I kind of disregard any comments to be honest.

No, it doesn't bother me at all.

My older daughter's names has been condemned as 'chavvy' (Savannah) and my younger daughter's as boring (Jessica)

Seeing as I don't think my children are either of the above I really don't care!

I'm happy to say that I dislike names too though