In your opinion, can people with names like 'Posy', 'Kitty' or 'Dotty' be taken seriously?

[Stateofgrace]

...I happen to think so, but my family and a few friends disagree. Strongly.

Almost every name I have considered is of the 'cutesy' variety - as well as the above three, I also like Polly, Lola and Nelly. I seem to just like girly names. My mother is fond of telling me ''You are naming a person, not a baby'' as if I am not aware that baby will grow up.

I know that you shouldn't tell people the names before baby is born and present the name as a fait acompli, but I really don't want to pick a name which everyone else seems to hate...

Any thoughts / experiences on this? My mother this morning has just told me that ''she wouldn't trust a Doctor called something ridiculous like Posy'', which is actually one of my favourite names.

Any thoughts/experiences on this?

Interesting. What a shame that in this day and age people might have trouble getting a job because of what they are called. Why don't we just go the whole hog and judge them on their skin colour, age, religion and sexual orientation as well.

perhaps applications forms should have initial and surname only (a bit like we don't put age, and can choose whether to put ethnicity). Then perhaps people who have a, god forbid, cutesy name will have the same chance as all the lovely middle class Elizabeths and James.

I named my youngest son Bear. It suits him and people that know us don't bat an eyelid. My other children have unusual ish names with a sort of 'nature' theme but all suit them

I'm reminded that CVs sent by agencies usually remove any personal mention at all - so names and addresses simply do not appear, and the hiring company says "we'd like to see number 362" or whatever.

That's surely a better system in general.

I have an Evie and I was told it was too babyish.

She can just call herself Eve if she likes when she is older. It wasn't as popular when she was born but I still adore her name, even though people tell me it is babyish and she won't be taken seriously

I love the name Posy!

I just don't see why you would saddle an adult woman with Dotty when she can be Dorothy and have loads of lovely shortenings to choose from. And she can be Dotty to you forever!

I knew a girl who dropped her "cute" name as soon as she could, having been laughed at for years. She trained as a lawyer, and changed it, simply because she couldn't stand the thought of going into a meeting and introducing herself as "Hello, I'm Posy Willow". WHAT WERE HER PARENTS THINKING!! You are naming an ADULT!!

My adult niece is called Dotty.

Her actual name is Laura but when she was born she was so tiny her DM said she was just like a little dot. Over the years this changed to Dotty.

She is now 27 and Dotty suits her beautifully.

I think it sort of depends on accent.
Posy pronounced very poshly as 'pays-eh' - no I can't take that seriously.
Kitty shortened to Kits by tously blondes in massive sunglasses - not going to make me think 'strong woman'.

It's like being called Plum and having horses. There's an indefinable air of 'going to marry a banker and be known for giving a good dinner party.'

I notice the title of this topic is baby names. A lot of people seem to forget you're not just naming a baby, you're naming the adult that baby will become.
And Bear? Why would anyone do that? Ridiculous though better than weasel, I suppose.

"She is now 27 and Dotty suits her beautifully."

If I were her I wouldn't find this flattering!

What is the purpose of a name? So that you are distinguishable from others, it doesn't give you a personality or anything else. I'm not shy or loud because of my name, we all think differently about names because of others we have met that is it.

I'm sorry, but naming a child 'Bear' is beyond silly.
I just hope the poor boy has a sense of humour.

As there is a dichotomy of opinions on this matter and many people feel strongly against such names why don't you give her a "proper" name and let her shorten it IF she likes? Or you could give it as a second name.

I like the name Posy

(Had no idea it was short for Josephine tho!!!)

My DC are (and soon will be) called quite boring sensible names tho (in case they ever become prime minister, ha).

Agree though that by then it won't really matter, given how many people (boys and girls) are given 'cute' names now.

ps ref the name Poppy, I like, but did inwardly cringe once when hearing the (quite posh) mum of one calling her child in the park by several even more cute forms of it: Popstar, Popsicle, Poptart...

I will admit to sometimes being a bit sniffy about certain names, and Lola was always the exemplar - it seemed to become popular about the same time as I had my oh-so-sensibly-named daughter. But then I came across this lady - Baroness (Lola) Young of Hornsey:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lola_Young,_Baroness_Young_of_Hornsey

She's amazing, and I feel embarrassed about being mean about what the name Lola signifies. More fool me!

I bet this doesn't happen in the states.

Am I the only one that's thinks its ludicrous to give their child a formal name and a nickname? Are people that do that members of the royal family or summat. Sounds to me, like the way a pedigree dog has a name on his certificate for show purposes but a pet name for home. Barmy on a human.

Why would someone who likes Kitty( I love it btw) put Catherine on birth certificate? Sounds snobby to me and as if a parent is embarrassed by the name they really like.

Also, what is exactly wrong with being girly and cutesy?I am a professional woman but love sparkly, glittery pink stuff. Doesn't mean I have no brains!

Yeah Susan may be nice but a little dull(sorry). I'd much rather be a Kitty, Polly or even a Princess :)

It's your child your decision, I regret telling people the name of my son before he was born they all looked at me as if I was mad then offered up their own (dull, boring, traditional or overused) suggestion as if I'd change my mind. My little boy is called Brody and he suits it right down to the ground. if he really hates it or finds it holds him back when he grows up his middle name is Alexander and he can use that.

My gp is called dolly. I work with a radiographer called kitty. I know an obstetrician called Hetty. And my feisty nieces have four of the names that have come up on this thread. Shame on you lot who are showing your snobby colours. Really, who do some of you think you are?

If think your mum is wrong. I always want to be sure enough of my daughter's name to put it on the birth certificate and not just put a traditional name and then shorten it if that makes sense.
My daughter's name is Kitty by the way! It is such a pretty name and is actually very old fashioned, one of the sisters in Pride and Prejudice is called Kitty! She gets lots of compliments on her name and is the only one in her school with the name.

To make clear, Kitty is on her birth certificate too, it's not simply a nickname.

It's your child your decision

[Dons hard hat]. I really hate that attitude. We don't own our children. They're the ones who have to live with their names long after we're dead and gone. At least give them something un-cutesy on the birth cert so they have a choice in later life.