Do you think people tell fibs on here?

[ZeroTolerance]

I'm always reading posts where people claim to know lots of children with fairly obscure names. Names way out of the top 100. Others say they know "literally" dozens of Harrys and Amelias. Can this be true? How does one meet so many children anyway? Unless you're a teacher I suppose.

I often feel this section of MN is a bit surreal. Are people being honest or are there other agendas at play?

[HeyJudith]

Rooners it just depends what your take is. Some posters come across as genuinely contributing to a discussion and some definitely come across as engaging in competitve one-upmanship because it makes them feel superior and/or important. And those people aren't just on baby names threads, they are everywhere (as in life, too). It's kind of sweet that you don't get it. I wish I wasn't so cynical/perceptive sometimes, and only saw everything through rose-coloured glasses.

[Rooners]

Wow, what a strange thread. So what if someone doesn't like a name and knows some Latin? and yes they might have changed name before they post the same opinion a second time...

not getting it. and it's not me, fwiw!

[Pearlsaplenty]

Since having dc (and trying to have another) my ears are always listening out for names of children, particularly babies and toddlers. I always ask people what their dc names are and I also eavesdrop on conversations to find out. So I do come across a lot of names in day to day life.

[Shoutymomma]

Thing is, if yorknew 20 people with kids, they will know 20 people with kids and everyone tells everyone else about the bonkers names they have heard of "Little Jimmy is in a class with a girl called Jill who goes to gym with a boy called Breadboard!" I'm guilty of that kind of thing.

[RobinVanPrissy]

If you live in a 'naice but hipster-ish' area of London, you'll know a fair few Atticus/Juno type kids, trust me

in my DD's ballet class (of around 25 kids) there are:

Isabelle
Isabella
Isobel
Ella x 2
Annabel
Ava
Eva
Evie
Isla x 2
Olivia x 2

Scout's honour!

[morgs22]

I work in a kids hospital and ive seen a few kids with some 'different' names, my favourite this week is a little boy called diamond, some are more out there and bizarre and honestly you couldn't make it up, tbf I do like the name Ichabod so I never judge the parents lol

[Matchthecase]

I can't see why people would lie. Once you get to you 30's everyone seems to start having babies, then you know all your friends kids names, also if your kids are in nursery/school that is an awful lot of children. There are certain names which I seem to know/know of loads. This year for example 4 friends have had boys all called Thomas/Tommy. One of those friends said she wished she had chosen a different name as her Thomas is one of 6 in his nursery, so you get to hear about it iyswim.

[nooka]

Or maybe it's just a relatively common reaction to a particular name and a knowledge of Latin isn't really that unusual? If for example I posted about potentially using say Claudia or Cassandra I wouldn't be surprised if a number of people said they weren't keen on the meaning or origin. I wouldn't assume they were all the same person. If I liked the name, knew the meaning/origin but didn't really care then it would not upset me.

NB dh liked Cassandra/Cassie but I rejected it, partly because of the origin and partly because our landlord had a small and rather badly behaved dog called Cassie.

[steppemum]

well, I have 3 school age kids, so automatically 'know' 90 children. Add to that I help in combined reception/year 1 so that is another 30 names. Then we go to a big lively church, I help in kids church, where we have a total of 100 kids.

So that is over 200 names of kids that I 'know' But all the school kids are from one area, so that isn't a good spread in terms of what is popular, only what is popular around here.

My nieces are called by very different type of names to my kids (traditional versus modern) and when we lived in the village there were much 'posher' names!

So yes, one person can have loads of Amelias and another person never heard of it.

I don't think people fib.

[morethanpotatoprints]

I don't think people lie completely but obviously in the case of unusual names there is a lot of exaggeration.
I know 2 Amelias

[ZeroTolerance]

BlueTit, I think you make a lot of sense. I agree. Some names pop up so often on threads that you could easily think they were ten a penny and yet, weirdly, they're quite low down the ONS list every year.

There are names people profess to love and yet don't actually use did their own children, making you think says name is far more "common" than it actually is.

And yes - totally agree in the name geek thing. I have on and off posted about a particular name over the last year and there are a few posters who seem to hunt that name out like a heat-seeking missile in order to tell you how much they hate it and give a very specific (I've studied so much Latin, aren't I clever) reason. I have even wondered if its sometimes the same poster under several different names because their turn of phrase is so similar.

[GrandstandingBlueTit]

Also, the baby name forum isn't just populated by pregnant Mums (and, potentially, their partners).

There's also a fairly hefty preponderance of baby name geeks who find the subject fascinating, so are probably more aware than the average poster as to the popularity of certain names, etc. And who might be a bit more, um, vehement in their opinions.

[GrandstandingBlueTit]

I don't think people mean they actually know loads of children with name X.

They mean they know of loads of children with name X.

For example, I semi-know and/or know of a few little girls with the name Isla. Combine that with all the threads on here about Isla, which for some reason always, always explicitly ask about the popularity of it (never just 'what do you think of Isla?'), and that all combines in my mind to Isla being overly-represented as name for this generation of children.

Not sure if I'm making any sense...! I suspect people use a bit of artistic licence when they make these comments, but at the same time, they're grounded in reality.

[Lubiloo]

I honestly don't see why people would lie on here?

If you work in a school and/or have school aged children then you are going to know A LOT of children (even if not personally). So it is very possible that you know dozens of Harrys or Amelias.

What is wrong with posters being honest about certain names' meanings putting them off? Isn't that the whole point about asking honest opinions of people? You may not like it that your child's name means 'to bully' or 'lame/disabled' but why can't it be pointed out to the op who is considering the name?

And, depending where you live, there are probably a lot of Ottilies and Hugos around - if you look at the ONS list of all baby names, there are loads of 'unusual' names in use!

[JollySeriousGiant]

www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/theme/vital-events/births/popular-names/babies-first-names-2012/detailed-tables.html proper link

[nooka]

Judith I've been on mumsnet for about eight years now so I know about some of the crazy behaviour, I just don't really see how that applies to this baby name section. There's not really much drama here. Some cattiness sure, but it's really a fairly tame part of the boards. I can't see why a significant number of people would be incentivised to make stuff up about names.

[JollySeriousGiant]

In scotland they publish a list of every forename registered as well as a breakdown of the 10 most purchaser names in each council region.

www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/theme/vital-events/births/popular-names/babies-first-names-2012/detailed-tables.html

You can see from the tables how many obscure names there are outside the top 100. And also the variation throughout the country.

[HeyJudith]

(Also want to add that I have seen many amazing acts of kindness and help and terrific advice here over the years too, far more importantly).

[peanutMD]

I thought this was going to be about some of the, er.. more refined pretentious names mentioned om here.

I've often thought atleast some of those people were taking the piss :o

[HeyJudith]

Nooka "...but beyond that why would anyone be that bothered enough about what a bunch of strangers think about their opinions, especially given that everyone posts under pseudonyms. I can see why someone might lie for any of those reasons at say a local mums and toddlers group, but on Mumsnet it just seems a bit pointless."

Not been on MN long then? MN is more real than real life to some people. There's just as much snobbery, lies, deceit perhaps because it's a bunch of strangers posting under pseudonyms - people can reinvent themselves however they want, say what they want, create a new edgy persona when they are mousy in RL... the possibilities under the cover of a username are endless. However I have seen it spontaneously combust here and there over the years. There was a poster who claimed to have a violent ex-H at her door (or similar, can't quite remember the details) and created a dramatic thread about it, (presumably to drum up some drama on a Friday night), some other MNers got very concerned and had worked out enough details to get the police in RL involved. It appeared to be fabrication by the OP.

There was also another high profile MN who often posted about a certain (genuine) difficult situation in her life but ended up with somewhat unwanted exposure over it after well-meaning fellow MN got some high profile persons involved on her behalf. That happened to be genuine, but it goes to show why some people would deliberately change lots of details (or create lies as red herrings) because they don't want to be traced at all in RL.

Food for thought :)

[sleepingbeautiful]

Know/know?! Now know.

[sleepingbeautiful]

That's a good point Catchhimatwhat. I bet there are "London" names that are really popular that would raise eyebrows elsewhere too.

I expect there are some fibs and exaggerations told, as there are in all walks of life.

I do find I know/know of a lot of children know though through nursery, music class, twins club, friends, colleagues, Facebook etc. As for Kit, I know a 30 something, a 20 something and my parents' neighbours' dog lol.

[Catchhimatwhat]

I think some names are much more or less popular in different regions too. So someone saying they know five baby Amelies might not ring true if you are in Devon but perhaps in Nottingham they are ten a penny this year?

[nooka]

Surely that's why people post possible names here though, to find out what sort of response they might get? Not much point if people don't actually give their opinions.

Having said that my personal opinion is that you shouldn't tell anyone the name until your baby is born, and all naming discussions should be between parents only. But then I had my children before Mumsnet really got going. I'd probably be tempted to share now :)

[Bowlersarm]

The thing that really annoys me about 'baby names' is when the same old negative comments are inevitably trotted out.

A poster is considering:-

William - 'I wouldn't playground teasing over Willy (I have one, he hasn't been)
Claudia - 'I couldn't, it means lame' (who cares)
Hector - I couldn't, do you know what hector means???? (similar to Harry then)
Lily-May - really? You would give a hyphenated name to a baby
Archie/Charlie/Maisie - 'ends in ie and doesn't pass the high court judge test, too cutesy'
Rose as a middle name - booorrrrrrrrinnnnng. everyones middle name is Rose.
Jayden - 'chavvy! Do not do it!'

And so on, and so on.

Sorry OP, a bit off topic but the inevitable comments always, always pop up, and I just find it predictably annoying.