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Baby names

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

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Original poster

If your DC has a name not to everyone's taste...any regrets?

55 replies

RichInBunlyGoodness · 21/01/2013 22:03

DS is due in a couple of weeks. We have a short list and a couple of definite favourites. I know they are not really crowd pleasing names which in theory doesn't bother me but I'm freaking out slightly about negative reactions.

DD's name has always received a fairly positive response but none of the options we have for DS will be well liked. Those people who've gone for names that aren't everyone's cup of tea - any regrets? Were people more or less negative than you imagined?

Part of me thinks that a couple of people might pull a face but in no time at all I won't even be able to remember why I was worrying. Surely you just have to go with what you like and not worry about what others think (as long as its not completely ridiculous). Right?

OP posts:

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UnnamedFemaleProtagonist · 21/01/2013 22:06

Are we talking worse than Ethel?

Megglevache · 21/01/2013 22:08

Just go with whatever you like and have a more common name as a middle of can it be shortened?

LadyBigtoes · 21/01/2013 22:13

People are usually very positive about my u unusual /odd names. Very rarely we've had baffled or sniffy looks, but that's a real minority. The only person who's been outright rude is my mum, who hates DD's name, but that just makes me like it more!

Be guided by your feelings and don't worry what people think - though I agree a name that can be shortened is good. We also gave our DC less out-there middle names that they can switch to if they ever want to.

LadyBigtoes · 21/01/2013 22:15

I wrote my DC's names, not sure why it came out as "u"! (iPad...)

BeauticianNotMagician · 21/01/2013 22:17

My ds2 has a real marmite.You either love it or hate it.I love it and couldn't care less what others think.Its cute and really suits him.

rocket74 · 21/01/2013 22:17

My two DC's names are definitely not to everyones tastes - and if someone had said to me ten years ago these would be the names of my children I would have been gobsmacked!!! They are quite traditional but not granny names and not made up.

DS (3.7) name has really grown with him - I cannot imagine another name for him and don't mind telling anyone and everyone.
DD (7mths) - I love, but I sometimes hope that people dont ask me her name so I don't have to get the odd stare. A little girl on a bus asked me, I told her and she replied ' I dont like that name'... :(

I have no regrets though - they are both names that I think will grow with them and not be too cutesy which I am not a fan of.

Original poster

RichInBunlyGoodness · 21/01/2013 22:18

I would say not worse than Ethel but others might disagree.

No middle name (neither I nor DD have them). Some of the names on the list can be shortened but the top two not so much.

OP posts:

Anonymumous · 21/01/2013 22:23

Our daughter has a real Marmite name. We adore it, our families say they like it, and everyone else looks dubious and says, "Er... what did you say?"

She's being christened soon, and even the vicar looked at her and said, "I wonder what you'll think of having that name when you're 18?" To which I retorted that if she doesn't like it, I'll have it and she can have my dull, boring, meaningless name instead!!!

I have to say, I much prefer the sense of slight unease caused by my daughter's name than the total blanket acceptance of DS2's name. When nobody so much as raises an eyebrow or asks why you chose that name, it's time to ask yourself if your choice was too boring!

FunnysInLaJardin · 21/01/2013 22:26

My DC have names where people have said 'Oh, OK' when you say what they are. We gave them normal middle names on purpose in case they wanted to change later. They are Fabian David and Raphael (Rafe) Thomas

MikeLitoris · 21/01/2013 22:33

Dd1 has a name that has been ripped to shreds on here before but I havent had any bad reactions IRL.

Just name your dc what you like. There will always be someone who hates it.

recall · 21/01/2013 22:37

I had some very funny looks when I told people what I intended to call my son, and some hurtful comments. When he was born, I chickened out and called him something else for an hour, then I went with my gut instincts and reverted to my favourite name.

I'm so glad I stuck with it now, its just him, and many people say they love it.

forgetmenots · 21/01/2013 22:41

Can you share your shortlist for DS, OP? Realise you might not wan to out yourself with dd's name!

Original poster

RichInBunlyGoodness · 21/01/2013 22:51

OK. Will have type quickly as DD is shouting.

Sonny
Wyatt
Ernest
Baxter
Huey
Elwyn

Sonny and Wyatt are faves.

OP posts:

5madthings · 21/01/2013 22:52

I like those names :)

Our names weren't particularly liked by family but they got used to them!

BeauticianNotMagician · 21/01/2013 23:01

Ooh op I love all those names.Only one I couldn't have which I quite fancied for ds3 who is still cooking is Baxter as my friend called her dog it

But I love a quirky name something that I'm not going to hear yelled across the school playground

Sonny is my fave from your list

NowPlayingZone · 21/01/2013 23:02

I was expecting really horrid names from op, but personally like them all (apart from elwyn- but it's still not an awful name). Def go with what you like, but I'm secretly voting for Ernest!

redbobblehat · 21/01/2013 23:05

children grow into their names ime

so go for it op

redbobblehat · 21/01/2013 23:06

i liek ernest best

good honest name

zcos · 21/01/2013 23:10

I think

You have to love the name yourself lots so you can weather any criticism
I would look up other famous people with the name people who are famous for great achievements as I think that helps sometimes with defending the name - also look up the names meanings.

There is a welsh rugby player called sonny - sonny Parker for example.

puds11isNAUGHTYnotNAICE · 21/01/2013 23:15

I knew a sonny, it really suited him.

Mike please tell me your son is called ptolemy??

forgetmenots · 21/01/2013 23:24

I know a couple of little Sonnys - I wasn't keen at first but when I met them it fitted! I like it now. And Ernest is a great name. I don't like Baxter or Huey (personal association) but none of these strike me as completely wacky. If you love it, go for it!

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 21/01/2013 23:25

I like Wyatt!! :)

MikeFlowersPops · 22/01/2013 00:00

I like those names.

My DD has an old lady name (no not Ethel ).

People younger than 30 years old tend to love it, people 50 years old + tend to hate it and people in between are mixed. It was unusual when she was born so did get some faces, but has become more popular since.

Jenni145 · 22/01/2013 00:24

Don't worry about what other people think - I worried so much with my first child's name trying to please everyone else, I called her Mariya whereas I probably liked other more unusual names, however I called my newborn Ibrahim and only one person, a stranger, said oh that's a nice name! everyone else has been mocking the pronounciation I say -ib-ra-heem, and they say EE-bree-heem, or abraham, or abraheem, or ibrihim, etc etc... and my mother calls him anything except his name and even jokes oh I'll just call him jack.. I've become pretty thick skinned over the years so it doesn't affect me much obv I feel slightly annoyed I chose a name for my son she obv doesn't like at all but she doesn;t even try - she even was playing with my older daughter who is 3.5 and saying oh let's call him jimmy, or jack, and she call him wee man all the time...

So anyway, people can be insensitive and mean sometimes but just be confident in your decision, we are not all the same we don't all like same things but that's the way the world is :-) xx

MikeLitoris · 22/01/2013 08:55

Puds did you mean me? Its dd thaat has the hated name so not ptolemy (htf fo you pronounce that?)

Dd is Kadie. There was a long thresad on here a few years ago slating it. Someone said it sounded like someone full of snot trying to say Katie

I just shrug it off. She loves her name.

Dd2 on the other hand has a mn fave name.

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