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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Do you just know if the name is right regardless of appearance?

27 replies

Lady84 · 05/07/2015 19:36

Anyone else think they have the names picked but worried if baby has unexpected hair colour or appearance that it won't suit and you will be back to square one?! Does the name just work if you have your heart set on it?

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Teabagbeforemilk · 05/07/2015 19:39

Both mine had first and middle names before they were born and used their name when talking about them

They both suit them. So either we were really lucky or we just think they suit them because we cant think of them any other way.

mummybare · 05/07/2015 19:40

I was totally set on my DCs' names before they arrived.

It may not be the case if you were planning something like Raven or Ebony or something, mind you.

Justmuddlingalong · 05/07/2015 19:41

Not in my opinion. We had a name picked for Ds1. We changed it when he arrived. Ds2, no name til he arrived. Ds3, again had a name chosen. Didn't use it. So in our family, none of the kids 'looked' like their name. ITMS.

Teabagbeforemilk · 05/07/2015 19:41

Mum did change Dbros name when he was born, just because she hated the name and agreed to it because it was a family name in dads family. After he was born she said she confessed she hated it and didn't want him to be called it.

But she was never fully on board with the name in the first place.

Treesandbees · 05/07/2015 19:44

I'm wondering this too! I'm due DD in 4 weeks. Already got a DS who is blue eyed and strawberry blond like all of the males on my side of the family. Curious if she bucks the trend and has the same colouring as him or is like all the girls who have olive skin, dark hair and dark brown eyes! There are definitely names in my mind that would suit here better depending on the colouring!

WankerDeAsalWipe · 05/07/2015 20:26

Not a name selected before he was born, but DS2 was very dark, sallow skin and dark hair (he actually looked quite oriental) and we gave him a name that means dark. He was a blond curly haired toddler....

He's 13 now and is dark haired again, but you can't even assume the name you select based on how they look will necessarily be appropriate if that kind of thing bothers you :)

CalebWomble · 05/07/2015 20:33

Knew that dd1 and dd2 were girls pre birth, and had names for both. Dd1 is called that name, it was clearly spot on. Dd2 just didn't suit her chosen name, and it took us a couple of days to find one that was perfect for her.

sidonie1 · 05/07/2015 21:19

We have three, second pregnancy being twins, and named all before birth, including twin number 1 and 2 (both boys). They all totally suit their names. Whether that's because they just become who you think of when you think of that name, I don't know!

Interesting question!

MamaLazarou · 05/07/2015 21:33

We had a shortlist of three and then I went with the one he looked most like when I saw his beautiful face for the first time.

Iliveinalighthousewith2friendl · 05/07/2015 21:37

Yes I do know what you mean.
All the Georgias and Olivias. I know all have red hair.
I know a dark haired Olivia and her name doesn't fit.
All the Emilys I know have blond hair and blue eyes.
Sophie and Ellie are blond haired names.
I know someone who who selected a name for if her dd sS blond and if he dd was dark. Because one of the bands she had chosen was Greek and blond hair would not have suited the name, okay I get part , anyway her dd was born with Jett black hair and inevitably given the Greek name, but the point is so to was my dd born with Jett black hair but she turned blond as a toddler. I mean this girl hS stayed dark mind.

Ikeameatballs · 05/07/2015 21:42

We hadn't chosen dd's name as she was prem so we were still running through possibilities. I remember saying to ex-p "I bloody told you to look at the baby name book!"

With ds we decided for sure a few days before I had him. Nothing about his appearance etc would have changed our minds at that time.

JillBYeats · 05/07/2015 21:45

My first has a first and a second name that she just did not suit once we saw her. We ended up changing her name on day 5 (first and second) and she still (13 yrs on) suits what she has though she now says she'd've loved the original!

DC#2's name was chosen by DC1 so we couldn't change for fear of a cold war!

Original poster

Lady84 · 05/07/2015 22:27

Interesting stories, thanks guys! Although I do know lots of babies that end up with completely different hair colour to what they start with so even if I pick a blonde name for a blonde baby, I might end up with a brunette later!

OP posts:

IsadoraQuagmire · 06/07/2015 12:43

Exactly! I had red hair when I was born, then it changed to white blonde. So you never know.

AbbeyRoadCrossing · 06/07/2015 12:51

I changed DS's planned name at birth. Can't really put my finger on why but he was premature and I thought the original name didn't suit him. Ended up picking one with a meaning that fitted the situation as I wanted him to be lively and go for it in terms of getting better, which he did. I know it's not for everyone but the meanings of names are quite important to us.

In terms of looks he was dark skinned, full head of almost black hair and looked like me. Now at 9 months he's a pale skinned blonde like his Dad. No idea how he'll end up looks wise!

orangepudding · 06/07/2015 13:00

DD1 really suited the name we chose pre birth. DD2 and DS didn't so they were both nameless for a couple of days until we found names to suit.

sweetpeame · 06/07/2015 17:21

We had a name decided for DD when she was born and her appearance did suit it. For DS we were pretty sure (although not completely) on the name, however for the first few days I didn't necessarily think it suited him. It's not a very babyish/small boy name. But after 2-3 days he seemed to just grow into it and now it's perfect for him. So I think sometimes you need to try out a name to be sure but other times you just know . Not sure that's very helpful!!

jaykay34 · 12/07/2015 10:01

My eldest two children had names before they were born, and luckily they really suited their names - and still do.
My DS3's name, we narrowed down to a shortlist - with one favourite - although I wasn't sure if he would suit it, so was open minded. When he was born, DP and I looked at him and knew he suited the favourite name so we stuck with it. We probably wouldn't have gone with it if he hadn't though.

Wishful80sMontage · 12/07/2015 10:13

I know what you mean but think eventually they suit their name. We'd picked out Georgia a few months before dd was born so she was always Georgia- I had assumed she would have my oh colouring of hazel eyes and dark hair- she's got my colouring blonde hair and bright blue eyes so not at all like id assumed but she is beautiful Georgia and it suits her completely.
Weirdly Georgia and Lucy had always been 'dark haired' girl names and since dd all the ones I've met are blonde!
On the other name my sister completely changed her dd name when she given birth and decided it didn't suit her and we still say it really wouldn't have suited her at all.

Wishful80sMontage · 12/07/2015 10:13

Other hand not other name

EmmaWoodlouse · 13/07/2015 20:04

We had a shortlist of two names for DS1 and in my own mind they went better with different hair colours. However, when we saw him, we both instinctively wanted to call him the name that theoretically didn't go with his hair colour.

DS2's name was set in stone a long time before he was born, but I always thought it would suit someone better if they had a certain look. He wasn't born looking like that. but his looks changed dramatically in the first couple of years and he ended up looking exactly like my preconceived idea of that name!

It stops mattering after a while, anyway. When you get to know your baby, their name just becomes "their name" and you couldn't imagine them as anything else.

hawkmcqueen · 13/07/2015 23:13

With our three DCs we picked totally different names than what was on our shortlists. I think for me, in my head, I like slightly Americanized, cool names. But then in reality I choose conservative, British names!

cocobean2805 · 14/07/2015 03:28

My friend had a delicate, whimsical name picked out, baby arrived and was so not a delicate, whimsical baby, she chose a different name, we still agree tinkly name wouldn't have suited her or the personality she developed.

soundsystem · 19/07/2015 08:13

We had a name picked for DD1 but didn't announce it before she was born. Good job, because she completely didn't look like the name, and is called something entirely different! I still like the originally name but it doesn't seem like her name at all.

nuttybananas · 19/07/2015 08:20

i love the name Willow but to me that does suit a lean leggy type of girl in my mind. Given that neither me or DP fit that description I can't imagine our children will - so don't really want to use it on one of our children - but I absolutely love it when I hear someone has used it!

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