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Original poster

Is my name a 'brave choice'?

127 replies

rosy189 · 18/04/2015 14:39

First time poster on this board!

Our first baby is due in the Autumn, we are not finding out the sex but if we have a boy we have decided to name him Milton.

I told my best friend and sister and they both said 'ooh thats very brave' but they were positive and seemed to like the name. I know you don't see many around but are we brave for choosing this name?

I didn't think it was too 'out there' maybe a bit uncommon?

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squoosh · 19/04/2015 01:00

Oh dear. If you read her post you can see (quite clearly) that it's other people describing the name as 'brave'.

RedCheckedTablecloth · 19/04/2015 01:05

I was met some parents who called their child a very unusual first name of Maori origin.

When asked them to spell it (several times) and asked the origin they sighed and said in unison......."Yes it is a Maori name.....and no we have no links to New Zealand.............we just liked it"

The parents were bored after four years of spelling and explaining it.

I feel for that kid.

squoosh · 19/04/2015 01:13

I can imagine that spelling out a Maori/Irish/Korean name every day in England could get quite tiresome.

Milton is hardly in the same category though as its spelling is unlikely to cause any confusion.

nooka · 19/04/2015 01:19

I think that Milton probably fits with the surname as first name trend. My first thought is also the steriliser though, and my children are teenagers!

The 'brave' comment always annoys me too, there is no courage involved in choosing an unusual name for your child, it will have little impact on the parents lives beyond the first couple of years of weathering potentially negative questions/ comments.

The bigger issue with Milton is potential diminutives. Of course some children aren't nicknamed, but Milt isn't great, and Milly is a possibility to avoid.

RedCheckedTablecloth · 19/04/2015 01:29

I was off topic with the Maori name. Sorry.

Back to Milton.

burgatroyd · 19/04/2015 05:55

Makes me think of mildew

SinglePringle · 19/04/2015 05:59

Love it! Strong, quite Statesman like.

I immediately thought of the poet - not everyone is a mother / thinks of the sterilising fluid!

hesterton · 19/04/2015 06:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Candycoco · 19/04/2015 06:40

I really don't like it, and I like surname as first names and a lot of American boys names. Straight away thought of sterilising tablets, and I get that you don't have that connection yet, but as soon as your baby is born you become much more away of baby brands and every parent you come into contact with is going to think the same.
I agree 'brave' is just a polite way of saying they don't like it, otherwise they would have said they liked it!

Coconutty · 19/04/2015 06:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

2boys2girls · 19/04/2015 06:55

Its another 'surname turned first name ' though did think sterilising as soon as heard, how about
Jackson
Mitchell

Mehitabel6 · 19/04/2015 06:58

I immediately think of sterilising solution. I wouldn't do it.

youarekiddingme · 19/04/2015 07:00

I grew up in a town called Milton. I first thought of that and not the sterilising stuff!

I like it - different - strong name - but not too 'out there'

Congratulations btw Flowers

SoupDragon · 19/04/2015 07:02

Never understand people saying parents are brave choosing a name- it's the person who has to live with the name for 90 years who has to be brave!

Absolutely this. Read the comments and imagine your child dealing with them throughout his adult life whenever he meets someone new. I know because I had to deal with it. That's OK though because my parents loved the name, right?

ooerrmissus · 19/04/2015 07:04

I like it. My first thought was Milton Friedman.

I disagree with the kids taking the piss at school comments. There are so many different names nowadays that kids seem much more accepting of different names now. It's not like when we were kids. We were just on holiday and met a 9 year old Ford. DS2 said 'like the car? Cool' and DS1 said 'like Ford Prefect! Coooooool'.

Mehitabel6 · 19/04/2015 07:12

It isn't brave of the parents - it is the poor child who is lumbered with it for life.
I was having a conversation the other day about adults we know who have changed their names because they had 'brave' parents.
Of course they take the piss at school! Nothing changes there. It depends whether the child has the personality to carry it off and you can't tell from looking at a baby.

SoupDragon · 19/04/2015 07:13

And how fed up do you think Ford will be of car and Ford Prefect comments by the time he's 19?

Ziglinda · 19/04/2015 07:13

Made me think of the cartoon series Milton the Monster

Crownjewel · 19/04/2015 07:20

First thought was of EverestMilton (show jumper from early 90s) - I also know a Milton who is about 70-odd so it's not a "new" name! I like it...

esiotrot2015 · 19/04/2015 07:26

I like it as long as your surname isn't Keynes Grin

PunkrockerGirl · 19/04/2015 07:31

a sad excuse for a punk Grin
Very mature.
I didn't realise you were only allowed to express an opinion on here if it was in keeping with your nickname Confused

stormyboots · 19/04/2015 08:35

20 odd years ago my cousin when naming her child Henry was met with almost universal advise not to do it to the child, he would get bullied, it is too posh or he'd be called Hooray Henry all the time. None of the supposed bullying due to name choice happened. The point is as long as name isn't made up nonsense or 'Fanny' (sorry) , kids just accept them. Bullies choose victims because of a whole host of reasons, if you have an unusual name yes it will be added to the bully's arsenal but I can't see you being bullied just because of it. School's are so full of strange and unusual names these days, Milton really isn't that out there. If bullying arguments are to be believed I would have thought names like Dolly or Willy/William would be a no go too but it doesn't seem to be the case.

Hakluyt · 19/04/2015 08:45

Interesting this thing about bullying. I don't think children will be bullied for their name unless it is a "rude" word, (or like my unfortunatechildren's last name - one letter change away from a rude word!). The family of uniquely named children I know all changed their names to go to secondqry school because, as one of them said "It's so bloody boring explaining it every single time. I just want to say My name's Tom and move on"

Yes,it it is unusual. No,it's spelled......Yes, my mother does love gardening/it's my father's lucky number/my parents read a lot of.../went on holiday to.......Thank you, no I've never met another one, yes I suppose it would be funny if I married someone called.......

Hakluyt · 19/04/2015 08:47

Just noticed the comments on Ford. Exactly my point!

J0annie · 19/04/2015 08:48

I agree with that. I knew a family of condons and they weren't bullied so much as slagged relentlessly. There are some sur names I'd go so far as to change my name. Hoare and Condon would be on the list near the top.