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Baby names

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

No one likes my child's name!!

88 replies

ButtonMoon88 · 23/04/2015 22:53

Hello I gave birth to my first child in January, a little girl. My partner and I decided on the name Jeane (Jean) after my grandma, and also because we just liked it and it suits us and her. Our immediate family love it, but there have been a few sarky comments from people and it's so hurtful. Not only does she share the name with a wonderfully strong woman, she completely carries the name off herself so why do people feel the need to comment?

Has anyone experienced nasty comments about names and how do you deal with it? Please don't bother to comment if you are going to say something unpleasant that isn't the point of my thread! Thank you

OP posts:
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Tryingthisonefornow · 23/04/2015 22:57

They're assholes! It's a lovely name made all the lovelier for your family connection to it!

Can't understand why anyone would tell someone they didn't like their childs name, particularly after they are born! Just weird. You wouldn't meet a new work colleague and say eww jean, what a horrible name poor you! Wtf would you think it's ok to say about a beautiful baby!

ImperialBlether · 23/04/2015 22:57

I wouldn't take any notice at all. Before too long, nobody will be able to think of her as anything else. Lucky you, having a little baby girl - my daughter was my first born and it's a really lovely time having such a young baby girl - I'm jealous!

AtomicDog · 23/04/2015 22:58

Ignore them!

But please don't tell people how to respond to your post Grin

I'm sure it's your hormones, but you need to develop a thicker skin, as people will spend the rest of your life commenting on some aspect of your parenting!

griselda101 · 23/04/2015 22:59

how is it pronounced - like Jean the English version or like "Jeane" the French version? I think it's pretty.

I would take no notice of other people! The kind of people who comment negatively are not the kind of people that are worth bothering with tbh.

I have an unusual first name that was completely off the wall when I was a kid (and mocked mercilessly) but it's a pretty name and now becoming trendy and getting more fashionable by the year. Fashions change so if it's not in fashion now by the time the kid is growing up it may well be fashionable.

3579little · 23/04/2015 23:00

It's a brilliant name and very very cool.

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 23/04/2015 23:01

Jean is a lovely name. Strong yet still pretty.

The answer is simple. Ignore. Ignore. Ignore.

The only people who matter love the name and, once at school, her peers won't bat an eyelid. "Granny" names (for want of a better phrase) are in fashion at the moment - your little Jean will be at school with children named Edith, Albert, Ivy, Edmund etc. etc.

Don't worry. Stupid people can be cruel but you've chosen a good strong name with a special meaning for you.

nickelbarapasaurus · 23/04/2015 23:01

it's an unusual spelling, have to say - i've only seen Jeanne or Jean (Jeanne i know 2 people with the name, one pronounced Jan and one prononced Jeen)

but there's absolutely nothing wrong with the name - it's nice, it's easy to pronounce, it's classic without being too many people with that name.

sod what they think.

Rivercam · 23/04/2015 23:06

ignore them. Your baby, your name. Think about the lady who inspired her. as Santas said Granny names are all the rage. I often wish I was a little braver with the names I chose.

ButtonMoon88 · 23/04/2015 23:07

It's pronounced the English way but spelt with an e on the end, which is how my grandma spelt it, and Marilyn Monroe Smile

Sorry atomic dog I didn't mean to offend, just didn't want endless amounts of comments on here saying it was a horrid name, mners can be as ruthless as some of my so called friends!!!

Maybe it is hormornes but I would never ever comment on a child's name, I have found the nastiness unbelievable!

Someone told me that I was damaging my child and I should give them a normal name like Isabelle (which is actually a beautiful name but would rhyme with our surname!!)

OP posts:
YAsoNBU · 23/04/2015 23:07

I love it, in fact variants of Jeanne and Joan were on our girls list. I love the nicknames Jeannie and Joanie/Joni too.

WindMeUpAndLetMeGo · 23/04/2015 23:09

I like it, it's very X-Men. Ignore them, their (or my) opinions really don't matter

Galrick · 23/04/2015 23:13

Someone told me that I was damaging my child and I should give them a normal name

Hmm There are some proper weirdos out there!

steppemum · 23/04/2015 23:13

It is because it is not a name of the moment.
I am often bemused by people who say 'these names are lovely' - and then list names which are very very of their time and will sound dated in 5 years, and then say - 'these names are awful' - and list all the classics (eg Elizabeth or Victoria)

It is good to hear a baby with a lovely name which is currently underused. She will be the only one and therefore remembered

ErrolTheDragon · 23/04/2015 23:16

But that is a pretty normal name. ConfusedI can't imagine why anyone would be unkind about it unless they were simply not a very nice person.

When we were expecting dd there was only one name we both liked - before we'd told anyone MIL announced that there was one name she really didn't^ like (reminded her of someone)

IvoryMadonna · 23/04/2015 23:17

I love Jean and I think it will become quite fashionable soon.

It's the real name of Scout in 'To Kill A Mockingbird', a book which most people seem to love. She's Jean Louise. Soooo much nicer than "Scout"!

The only slight drawback is that it's easily confused on paper with the French man's name Jean. I have a similar difficulty with my own name, in that Europeans have sometimes expected me to be a bloke Grin But it's never been a massive problem.

mrsmeerkat · 23/04/2015 23:17

It's a beautiful name. I much prefer it to all of the overused names of the moment. My two boys have older less used names and I love them.

Try not to them them annoy you. Why people need to comment is beyond me. I genuinely think Jeane is very classic and pretty.

ErrolTheDragon · 23/04/2015 23:19

Bugger fat thumb. Anyway of course the name mil hated was the one we'd chosen. We laughed, told her - and of course she got over it rapidly when the name was associated with her dgdSmile

tomatodizzymum · 23/04/2015 23:21

I like it, I know a Jean and she's fantastic.

ZombieZoo · 23/04/2015 23:24

I love it!!

ParkingFred · 23/04/2015 23:24

If you like it, that's all that matters.

SanctimoniousWitches · 23/04/2015 23:25

well, I like it. Its simplicity doesn't take away from its prettiness, plus, it's unusual without being weird.

I would have clicked, read your thread and run if I didn't like it.

villainousbroodmare · 23/04/2015 23:26

It's my name - well, Jean is - and I've always liked it. It's simple but not very common and like the eponymous pants, goes with everything. She'll enjoy being Jeane and the best of luck to her in everything she does. x

SingingHinnies · 23/04/2015 23:28

My DD's middle name in Jean but she doesn't use it, try calling her Jeanie, it might sound a bit more twee/cutesy

Give it a year, i bet it's in fashion then

ilovemargaretatwood8931 · 23/04/2015 23:29

I think that is a really, really lovely name. If I was having another DD, I'd have considered that as a name; it's strong, beautiful and uncommon (nowadays). I think if people mock that name, they are unpleasant and have no taste! Very cool name. That is all!

villainousbroodmare · 23/04/2015 23:30

Oh, as Ivorymadonna says, it's occasionally pronounced Zhuhn and I once had a Skype interview with someone who clearly expected me to be a man (funny, not a problem), but for your girl the 'e' at the end will prevent that in most cases.

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