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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Thoughts on Foster as a boy's name

83 replies

Amiasmummy · 13/01/2014 20:29

I know it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea and to be honest, when my OH first suggested it I wasn't a fan. I thought people would think he was named after the beer. BUT it's really grown on me and now out of the few names we have agreed on it has become my favourite. (The beer thing obviously no longer bothers me). What are people's thoughts on the name? (Without being plain rude please)

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starfishmummy · 29/01/2014 16:46

Foster was traditionally used in my Mum's family after a lady with that surname married into it in the 1800's. However it was used as a middle name for the boys only

QOD · 29/01/2014 16:51

I like it, who cares what anyone thinks though if YOU like it

Summerwood1 · 29/01/2014 16:52

No, it sound like he's in foster care,sorry!!

Summerwood1 · 29/01/2014 16:52

Fraser?

NadiaWadia · 29/01/2014 18:12

Foster care, exactly. Then there's the beer. Fine as a surname only.

Original poster

Amiasmummy · 30/01/2014 10:57

Thank you notso and QOD
I still like the name Foster regardless of negative comments. I'm surprised to see so many saying 'it sounds like he's in foster care'. Growing up I was very close to 2 families who fostered and the children were never referred to as 'foster' - they had their own names?! Lol. Plus when I think of foster care I think of just that - care/caring. So not a negative connotation for me, although in all honesty I didn't think of foster care at all when OH first suggested the name. As for the lager. It DID bother me at first but I very quickly got past that when thinking of Foster as a name in its own right. It was a name long before the lager came along (and no, not just a surname).
It's not set in stone, but still very much in the running despite you nay sayers

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Original poster

Amiasmummy · 30/01/2014 11:07

Oh, and thank you Summerwood for your name suggestion. Although I neither like nor dislike Fraser

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notso · 30/01/2014 11:15

As long as your surname isn't Care or Austrailianforbeer those connections won't matter anyway
If you love it use it!

GiniCooper · 30/01/2014 11:18

Ya, fozzy is cute.

Foster wouldn't register as a name for me.
Fester out of the Addams family does.

If I saw the name Foster Smith written down I would assume the parents drank a lot of cheap Lager.

UriGeller · 30/01/2014 11:25

If those are your alternatives then I think you'd better go with Foster.

Hopefully he'll become a doctor.

Original poster

Amiasmummy · 30/01/2014 12:05

And go to Gloucester, right Uri? (Because all doctors go by their first names) lol
To be fair you can pick holes in any name if you try hard enough, and MNers will certainly do that. What's wrong with a simple 'not to my taste' if you dislike a name, and perhaps offering other ideas. I'll never understand why people feel the need to be so blunt (rude) just because they're hiding behind a keyboard. 99% of people aren't so openly rude in RL I'm sure.

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Oldandcobwebby · 30/01/2014 12:12

I'm amazed how negative this thread is! I don't know any Fosters IRL, but I like the idea of it.

Original poster

Amiasmummy · 30/01/2014 12:22

Thank you cobwebby it's like people dismissing the (perfectly lovely) name Felix just because it's a brand of cat food. Or Hunter, because they're welly boots... I don't think you can ever 'win' on MN anyway. People either think a name is too posh/common/chavvy/unusual, or have negative connotations for various (often vague) reasons.

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notso · 30/01/2014 12:27

Don't get sucked in to it Amiiasmummy my DC names have been described as chav, posh, try hard, hipster, easily dated, cutesy, boring, terrible on here.
Only one stands any hope apparently of being a high court judge, Prime Minister or news reader, their CV's will be binned as they don't have proper names.
Almost everyone in RL says "oh what lovely names your DC have"!
In fact the only bad comments I have had are about the only one who has an acceptable high court judge name!

notso · 30/01/2014 12:29

Sorry I added an extra i in your name then!

GiniCooper · 30/01/2014 12:36

If you ask for an opinion that's what you're going to get.
I don't find the replies on here rude TBH but then I don't have fuzzy (or fozzy) feelings about the name. You've invested emotion into it.

We are the outsiders who will have a different view, not the hormonal, 'why can't you all agree with me and think it's the most fabulous unique name ever' view.

Needadvice5 · 30/01/2014 12:38

I immediately thought of Dr Foster went to Gloucester...

Original poster

Amiasmummy · 30/01/2014 13:06

Thanks notso. I'm not phased by it tbh. I kind of expected a mixed review and posted more to see if the negativity bothers me/ changes my mind rather than anything else. My thought being that if I can deal with MN negativity then any RL negativity won't be an issue either

I hold my hands up. I DID ask for people's opinions, and the majority of the responses (negative or not) I don't find rude at all. However a couple of comments I feel are a bit 'snorty', but then again nowhere near as rude as comments I've seen on other threads - so I probably shouldn't complain

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PenguinsDontEatKale · 30/01/2014 14:24

Personally I am not keen. For me, I don't associate it with a first name, so the 'real word' associations of fostering or Fosters the beer would be strongest in my mind.

I am also not, at a personal taste level, that keen on 'surname as first name' as a trend, so I was never a likely candidate to love it.

I don't think that there's anything inherently 'wrong' with it though. Objectively it is no different from Harrison or whatever. I like loads of names on your other shortlist though

Original poster

Amiasmummy · 30/01/2014 16:13

Thanks penguin for your input. Your post is the perfect example of how to disagree with someone's opinion in the politest possible way

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PenguinsDontEatKale · 30/01/2014 16:43

The thing is, 99.9% of baby naming is just personal taste isn't it? I don't expect people to like the same cake/music/films/holidays as me, so why should they like the same names? If someone asks my opinion I will say, but only in the same vein as if they asked if I liked a new band or something.

Ok, so there are some names that are just wrong. If you said "my surname is Bond, can I name my son James?" or "I think Adolf is due a revival" or "My daughter is called Paula, can I call my son Paul?" I would be a bit more forthright . But other than that, I really don't see that it's black and white.

Although Foster still wouldn't be my choice, I have to admit Fozzy is growing on me as a cute childhood nickname. Just don't go on to have a daughter called Stella

williaminajetfighter · 30/01/2014 16:48

I like but it does make me think of bananas foster -mmmmm

Writerwannabe83 · 30/01/2014 16:57

as soon as I saw the thread title I immediately thought of the beer - as will most other people. My second thought process was one involving my sisters ex-partner who was really chavvy and called his pet dog after a beer.

Weirdly enough, three of your other 'possible' names were also on mine and DH's list for our son - including the one we have finally opted for (baby due in 7 weeks).

Original poster

Amiasmummy · 30/01/2014 16:58

Haha!! Penguin, I do solemnly swear never to call my future-maybe-daughter Stella
Williamina, I'd never heard of banana foster (sheltered life). Just googled and it looks and sounds delicious!

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Original poster

Amiasmummy · 30/01/2014 17:03

Writer, we're due really close together! My due date is 7 weeks from today, although I'm being induced at 39 weeks. We're not definite on the name yet. I'm incredibly jealous that you and your oh have decided already. I find boys names a lot harder than girls names

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