Completely negative real life reaction to baby name....

[curiousgeorgie]

I've posted about this name before on here and usually get a good to mixed reaction.

I desperately wanted a girl just so I could use it, and found out we were indeed having a girl and couldn't believe my luck that I get to use my favourite baby name.

But telling both sets of parents the gender and saying the name, my mum said.. "no, really? That's awful" and I just let it go.

But today DH's parents and a few friends and our siblings have all been really negative about it with DH's brother even saying "Please don't call your baby that."

I truly love it so much, is it really so bad??

Its Seraphina.

[amazingmumof6]

Sephy sounds like Sophie (think phones!) and also looks like it's short for Stephanie.

and Sera - Sara is likely to happen

I have to say I'm not English, but moved here (DH's English) and always have to spell my name and explain spelling etc, very annoying, but there's not much I can do.

so my view is to make it easy on her, maybe give it as a middle name?

[NowPlayingZone]

Love it & Fifi for nn.

IMO parents have already had their turn at the name game so should butt out. My MIL was insistent we used the name Oliver despite us saying no several times. In the end DH (who never questions his mother) politely suggested that she used it for her next one as this was our child, our choice.

[HecateWhoopass]

I think it's pretty.

When I was a kid, I thought that if I ever had a daughter, I'd call her....


Shangri-la.

Oh yes.



You know. If you were evil. You could always say you know what, we've changed our minds. We're going to call her Shangri-la.

Keep up the pretence until the birth.

Then announce you were kidding.

They will be so massively relieved that they will forget completely that they ever disliked Seraphina

[stleger]

I heard a man on a radio quiz this week whose wife was Feena (dunno how she spells it), short for Seraphina, and I knew a Vina, short for Josephine.
My PILs hated dd1's name, but we had stuck it in the births of a national paper before they were able to visit and rant.

[sweetkitty]

This is why you should never tell anyone your chosen name ( apart from MN of course).

As part of DD2s homework this week we were talking about her name why we chose it etc (she's 7 now). Its a fairly unusual name and she gets a few coiners.

We didn't announce her name until she was born my mother said "where did you get THAT from?" me "the bible" "well I've never heard of it, I'll have to write it down I'll never remember it" :S MIL said "well at least she's healthy :S she did say a few years ago that she wasn't keen on it at first but DD2 has grown into it and she couldn't be called anything else. My Das couldn't pronounce it for the first 3 years (it's not that difficult).

Names are very personal, I've met babies and thought "mmm" about their name not my choice but I would never be rude about it.

I also known a Grandad who refuses to use his grandsons name merely calls him the boy

Name your baby what you want and tell everyone else to piss off

[amazingmumof6]

sweetkitty - I love Bible names, please tell what it is? (sorry OP!)

[sweetkitty]

Her name is Talia (tah-Lee-ah)

[StephaniePowers]

We had negative reactions to one of our names as well - tough, he was called what he was called and everyone loves it now.

Seraphina is a gorgeous name, as someone said even if people don't love it, it's not one of those comedy names or spelled insanely or just daft. I like it a lot. (Not that that matters!).
Ditto Talia. I know a Thalia and I think it's gorgeous (as is she).

[MikeOxardInTheSnow]

If you don't like Sarah for short then I wouldn't use a 4 syllable name beginning with a Sarah sound! Saying that though, call baby what you want. Tell everyone you're not sure what you're calling her, so as to avoid a discussion you don't need to have, and then call her what you want when she is born. I think Seraphina and Sarah are really lovely names anyway.

[pumpkinsweetieMasPudding]

Stick with what you want, stuff everyone else!

[IrnBruTheNoo]

Would recommend waiting until the baby's born, then announcing the name. That way you won't have to endure all the comments, negative or otherwise.

[amazingmumof6]

sweetkitty as you probably know Talia means "Heaven's dew" - that is beautiful!

[sweetkitty]

amazingmumof6 - yes I knew that lovely meaning unlike DD3s that means house of sorrow or house of song depending on which website you visit.

[mystiquesonya]

I think it's lovely. If we all liked the same names we'd all be called the same thing. What a boring world! We're individuals and if you and partner like the name, it doesn't matter what your family think. As others have said, the name and the baby will become 'one' anyway and they'll love both.

[thegreylady]

I think it is very pretty indeed.
My dn gets very negative reactions to her ds name [Ezekiel nn Zeke] but she just ignores them.

[Blottedcopybook]

This is quite timely because I was getting really ratty at the attitudes on the Matthew/Finlay thread.

I don't know why people feel the need to be so rude about someone's name! I'm really sorry that your family have been so thoughtlessly unkind - DH and I had a bit of that with DC4 - but honestly I'd be responding, "Oh! Did you mean to be so hurtful/rude when you said that?"

If you and DH like it, that's all that matters! x

[Mockingcurl]

It's a beautiful name. Stick to your guns or you will regret it all your life.
My mil made a big fuss about not liking my youngest sons name. We ignored her and she just came across as rude and ignorant.

[Jo124]

I'm always amazed how forthright people are in their opinions about all sorts of things - passers by in the street 'that's going to be a huge baby!' - thanks! and total strangers in the park 'your dog's really fat' - she's got a heart condition you ignoramus so mind your own business! We have decided on our baby's name and she's not born yet, and generally I don't mind telling people - but I made the mistake of telling my GCSE class what it was going to be (after weeks of them yelling at me 'call it Becky!' (from Becky) 'call it Kelly!' (from Kelly)...etc). Their reaction? 'Gross! that's a fat girl's name!!!' - well really what did I expect? :) The name was my lovely great Aunt's and I love it :) I say pick something that means something to you and that sounds nice with the other names and let everyone else think what they like!! (Having said that another teacher I was talking to once claimed to have had a boy in her class called Tequila Sunrise Brown...I may draw the line there.)

[Graceparkhill]

I think it is a lovely lyrical name. Ignore all other opinions and go with your choice. In my experience once the baby is born you won't be short of unwanted opinions from all and sundry so do something decisive while you still can.

[lollypopsicle]

It maddens me that people seem to think it's ok to rubbish a name you have chosen before the baby is born. I stopped telling anyone our real contenders for this very reason! Once they are born, everyone just accepts the name (at least to your face, anyway )

Screw anyone else! Call your baby the name you love and everyone else can and will get over it.

[TomArchersSausage]

It's lovely. Honestly I think so. Feminine, uncommon but certainly not in a not in an 'out there' way.

I can't believe people who are part of your family turing up and being so blimmin mean to you. Really your issue is with them. They all sound horrendous Although its true it's best not to mention names until the baby is here.

A name becomes 'owned' by the baby as they grow to fill it and means that person to others when they think of it, rather than just a name standing alone which it probably is atm.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

I think it's lovely.

Also think Sephy and Fee are more likely nicknames than Sarah.

[HoneyandRum]

I love Seraphina and wanted to use it but my husband got his car towed outside an Italian restaurant called Seraphina's and wouldn't use it!!! People don't like names for daft reasons so don't let others change your mind, once the baby's older it will be fine. She will probably be called Phina for short.

We have a Raphaela and I think the British relies thought that was OTT but now we live in Germany and she had another Raphaela in her year at primary school spelt the same way! We also lived in the states and you heard it there too. Her nicknames are Rara and Raffa (German nickname).