Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Baby names

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

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Original poster

Is this name just asking for trouble or perfectly okay?

119 replies

KnittedC · 07/02/2013 19:48

I'm currently 38 weeks pregnant with my first (don't know if we're having a boy or a girl) but I'm not sure whether one of the names we are thinking of is too out there or not. The day we found out we were pregnant I suggested this name for a boy and DP was adamant there was no way; but since then it has sort of stuck and now he is even more keen on it than I am! The name we are thinking of is Grover.

Because we've discussed it back and forth for so many months I'm not sure if I have clarity anymore over whether it's horrible or not, but we both really love it and it just feels right. It also goes well with the surname. What does everyone think - would it be unreasonable to call our son Grover?

Of course, it's possible that after all this we have a girl and this is moot

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

NotInGuatemalaNowDrRopata · 07/02/2013 20:16

Please don't do it. I can see what's happened, the name's grown on you and you've forgotten why it's such a big "NO!"

You'll meet people and they'll say "And what's this little fellow's name?" and you'll say "Grover" and they'll say, "Pardon?" and you'll repeat yourself and they will either be silent or quickly think of something nice to say. Then they'll go home and say "Can you BELIEVE anyone would do that to their child? That poor, poor kid." Children will go home from school talking about Grover. Their parents won't believe there really is a child called Grover in the class.

When Grover finishes university and tries to get accepted onto a grad programme somewhere, his application will be ignored for his dream job because the recruiter will think its a practice one that someone submitted before doing their real application. If by some miracle he gets an interview, the company will be discussing candidates and one of the old school senior people will say "Grover? Seriously? I'm not having someone called Grover working for me. I am not introducing him to clients."

I'm sorry to be so mean, but you have to see why it's not fair. Can you give him a different name and call him Grover as your pet name for him?

selsigfach · 07/02/2013 20:19

Makes me think of growler!
It's horrible, sorry.

pictish · 07/02/2013 20:20

I think it's fine.

ArbitraryUsername · 07/02/2013 20:21

Honestly, grover is absolutely no worse than the kind of names that everyone gets all enthusiastic over on here! I doubt 24 year old grover is going to have a harder time having job applications taken seriously than Rufus, Artemis and Ptolomy who all applied too.

scottishmummy · 07/02/2013 20:25

ghastly try to hard media types name.smacks of try too hard to be trendy

Peevish · 07/02/2013 20:26

I quite like it. I was probably in my teens, though, before I realised it's an actual American name, and not invented for the Sesame Street character. I would think it was appealingly quirky.

Are you Americans, incidentally?

GirlOutNumbered · 07/02/2013 20:26

I laughed when I first heard it as its a Muppet, but actually the more you say it, I don't think it sounds too bad.

I think its quite cool

Viviennemary · 07/02/2013 20:26

It's really absolutely awful. One of the worst I've heard on here. Please don't. The teasing at school will be horrendous.

OutragedFromLeeds · 07/02/2013 20:27

I've been through this OP, considered both Grover and Elmo and I do still quite like both of them, but they're not useable, they're muppets. Thankfully the crazy fog lifted in time and neither have been used.

DON'T DO IT!

GirlOutNumbered · 07/02/2013 20:27

No. I changed my mind.

It's a muppets name.

PickledInAPearTree · 07/02/2013 20:28

It's a shocker !

amillionyears · 07/02/2013 20:28

If he is cool he will be fine.
If he is not....maybe not so

stradbally · 07/02/2013 20:28

IMO you answered your own question when you said "I don't think it's too dreadful". Surely when any name in the world is open to you, you'd want to choose something special and beautiful. There must be other names you're both drawn to which aren't ugly - and I think deep down you know Grover just is, otherwise you wouldn't feel the need to ask others if it's ok.

Original poster

KnittedC · 07/02/2013 20:28

Peevish no, not Americans, we live in the UK.

OP posts:

HenriettaChicken · 07/02/2013 20:28

I think it's quite cool. Never watched SS, though. I thought 'Washington'

CaseyShraeger · 07/02/2013 20:32

I do think "muppet" but if I suppress that reaction then I like it well enough. I don't think I could get past the muppetiness of it for my child, but if you can then it wouldn't be terrible.

What about Abby Cadabby for a girl ?

DontEvenThinkAboutIt · 07/02/2013 20:33

Umm, that is quite an interesting name.

I just asked my DD what she thought and she said:

"you mean like in Seaseme Street"

Floweryhat · 07/02/2013 20:36

Elmo would be (infiitessimally) better. Grover makes me think of Rover, groover or Michael gove. To me it just isn't a real name.

loler · 07/02/2013 20:36

Cool nickname

DontmindifIdo · 07/02/2013 20:37

NotInGuatemalaNowDrRopata sums it up well. You are not naming a tiny baby, you are naming a man who will have to go through life with this name.

What do you picture "Grover" looking like? Rugged, tough, outdoorsy, 'men want to be him, woman want to be with him' type? Well, a man like that can carry off most names.

Now picture your dear first born not being a stand out student - not one that fails, but someone who gets Bs and Cs, someone who doesn't get picked first for every team (not last, just not first) and someone who isn't ever going to be on a 'stella' career path - but middle managment and being really happy with that. Can you picture hearing that the bloke you need to talk to in the planning department at the Council is called "Grover"? I can imagine a lead singer in a super cool band being called Grover (although I'd assume it was a nickname that had some long history behind it), I can't imagine an accountant called Grover, or if there was one, I don't think I'd trust him to do my tax returns.

Sorry, it does'nt feel like a good choice. You're banking on having produced a genius of one form or another for them to be able to carry it off, what if you've produced a lovely but perfectly ordinary man? it's a hell of a thing to carry off.

BehindLockNumberNine · 07/02/2013 20:38

Have just asked dh, he thinks it is quite cool! He would not disregard applications for apprenticeships (one of the aspects of his job) merely because the boy in question is called Grover.

I quite like it too!

Shellington · 07/02/2013 20:39

Awww, don't though :)

Gregory, Oliver, Victor even - all as a given name - with you fondly referring to him as "Grover" would be OK.

TreadOnTheCracks · 07/02/2013 20:40

It's a name for a dog I'm afraid.

DontmindifIdo · 07/02/2013 20:42

BTW - whenever I read a thread on here when someone's suggesting an unusual name on here, I want to suggest they read this Guardian article from the parent who went for something a bit more 'out there', and the child not liking it.

Remember, it's not you that has to live with this name...

QueenOfCats · 07/02/2013 20:44

Of all the names in the whole world, Grover was the best you could come up with?

It's awful! Please don't!

How about Fox? I had a patient the other day called Fox and all my colleagues commented on how awesome it was!

Flip

1 2 3 4 5