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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Clement, Clarence, Roscoe or Gilbert?

164 replies

ammature · 27/08/2015 13:13

We are totally settled on Astrid if we have a daughter, LOVE IT! but a little confused for a boy. We always had Roscoe in mind way before I was ever pregnant but since being pregnant have come up with a few others. Gilbert, my husband like Gil and I like Bert as nick names, worried child will have 2 diff nicknames! Also like Clarence, Roscoe and Clement, Florian is an outside possibility too. Any thoughts?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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RedToothBrush · 27/08/2015 16:01

If you don't like a name, its not hard to be polite about it or constructive about it without being an utter twat. You can point out problems with a name or say that its simply not to your taste.

Gilbert and Roscoe just aren't my cup of tea. I think there are other nicer 'bert' names out there and its a failing in my life to admit I know this, but the Roscoes are a family in Hollyoaks.

I like Clement a lot though, and its definitely on the rise and gaining popularity along with Clementine (which I don't like. go figure!). It will not be out of place in your son's generation.

Clarence I find a bit too similar to Clara or Claire. Its not awful but I personally prefer Laurence instead. (FWIW Clarence Clemons was Bruce Springsteen's saxophone player. He is not someone I would call effeminate).

Florian is a definite no though as its just a bit too frilly and I think many people not familiar with it, would assume it to be a girls name.

Just remember OP this isn't about what I like though. Its not about pleasing some randoms on the interwebs. Its down to how you feel about a name. If you love something, try and be aware of its possible pitifuls, and if you still think its right for you and your son go for it.

I love Astrid. But not said with an American accent... (just something to think about).

Original poster

ammature · 27/08/2015 16:09

Thanks for your constructive comments I really appreciate it, and i understand that out name choices might not be for everyone. That said I agree that you can be constructive or even say you don't like them without being a total cunt about it- as you have. Yes we are never going to have an Oliver or grace but that doesn't mean I would slag off those names. Just not for us. Astrid is a definite and so don't really care about people's comments on this either way. The issues was that the way I feel about Astrid is not the way I feel about the boys names- I'm still uncertain. This thread has actually really upset me. I'm not looking for the approval of strangers on the Internet bit the total disdain some people seem to have for my suggestions is kind of horrible. I guess I'll keep thinking... Have found myself having just bought a baby name book

OP posts:

Squooshed · 27/08/2015 16:12

A total cunt?

I think you're overreacting there.

Original poster

ammature · 27/08/2015 16:14

Well I don't.

OP posts:

Squooshed · 27/08/2015 16:18

Well then step away from the internet and keep future name conversations just between you and your husband.

Costacoffeeplease · 27/08/2015 16:20

Of course you're overreacting - you know the names are unusual and you asked for opinions, if you're not looking for the approval of strangers, who you'll never even meet, then, shrug, call him whatever you want, and have done with it, but you did ask

Backforthis · 27/08/2015 16:23

If someone posts a thread and you don't like any of the 6 names mentioned maybe you could accept that this person has very different taste to you, leave the thread and not post just to slate them.

Squooshed · 27/08/2015 16:28

So it's bad to slate names but good to call people cunts.

Have I got it right?

Original poster

ammature · 27/08/2015 16:33

God this thread is mumsnet at its worst. I seriously wish I hadn't asked. Perhaps I am over reacting but I find it very hurtful and negative to hear people call the names I've chosen ugly, drippy, wet and say I must not like my unborn child to name him xyz. Really? He will be bullied at comp? Do you not think that's a bit much? Its just extremely nasty to think that people can be so shitty about my unborn babies potential name. As some of the other posters have said if you don't like my choices that's fine I prob wouldn't like yours but you don't have to completely fuxking slate them for the laugh.

OP posts:

Backforthis · 27/08/2015 16:33

I think it's pretty cunty to come onto a thread and say that you mustn't like your child to give it those names and be crushingly negative. Why bother to post when you every one of the (several) choices?

Backforthis · 27/08/2015 16:35

Hate

Laquila · 27/08/2015 16:39

OP I do appreciate your frustration but I also think you're overreacting. Whilst I think you've had some unnecessarily harsh responaes, you've not done yourself any favours by calling anyone a cunt. Having said that, I also think people should maybe think twice before being quite so blunt on these threads - people choosing baby names are pretty much always going to be liable to be hormonal and possibly get a bit too attached to their name choices. God knows I wasn't what you'd call totally calm and rational for a lot of my pregnancy so it can be hard to step back and not take offence. Chin up, and stick with the names you love - as PPs have said, it's only about whether you and your partner love the names in question.

Original poster

ammature · 27/08/2015 16:42

I'm not calling anyone directly a cunt I just think a lot of the comments on this thread are quite shity and yes of course I'm attatched to these names but more so it's a real person I'm growing inside me so it just feels awful to hear people say you must not like your child to give him that name. Anyway I give up.

OP posts:

Squooshed · 27/08/2015 16:45

OP I'm sure you adore your unborn child a ginormous amount and are trying to choose a name that you think he'll love. But when your tastes run to the more eclectic end of the scale and you look for feedback online it's inevitable that some of that feedback is going to be of the 'hell no' variety.

But if you and your husband love the name, and think it's a name that will carry him well through life then just go for it.

Because only proper cunts make negative comments about a baby's name when introduced to them in real life.

HelsBels3000 · 27/08/2015 16:49

Astrid just reminds me of the character in 'How to Train Your Dragon' film - but I guess its ok.
Clarence I like for a girl, and Clemence.
Roscoe is unusual but not bad. Gilbert is difficult - depends if your surname sounds like it could be a first name. Pet hate - two names that could be reversible. Carter Bridge for example. Could quite easily be Bridge Carter.

Backforthis · 27/08/2015 16:49

'only proper cunts make negative comments about a baby's name when introduced to them in real life.'

Very true. No one told my ILs that

KitKat1985 · 27/08/2015 16:52

Honestly they're not to my taste, and I think they're a bit 'out there'. If I were to choose out of all of them though I think Roscoe is the best. I'm sorry but Gilbert sounds very 'old man' to me.

Squooshed · 27/08/2015 16:53

The more I read Clement the more I warm to it. And he'd be in good company in the Telegraph birth announcements.

'Clement Willoughby Francis St.George - a brother for Loveday'.

RedToothBrush · 27/08/2015 16:58

I think if you don't have the same feeling for a name as you do for Astrid just keep looking for now.

Either one name will start niggling at you as the right one or you'll find another.

OP remember someone will hate your name choice WHATEVER. Even if you choose a top 10 name, so one way or another you have to learn to deal with reactions to a degree (remembering that different generations also have different taste so often hate popular names). Don't take it too personally.

I think that people do jump on the 'the child will get bullied' bandwagon more often than they should too. Again its to do with the names of their own generation rather the names of the generation the child will grow up in. 'Old man' names are the current fashion, so you can pick something different to the more obvious ones but still be very much on trend (and therefore the name won't stick out as much as the protestors believe).

I think that of your names, Gilbert, Clement and Clarence DO fit the old man trend. I'd also say Roscoe fits what I call the current 'dog name trend' (I don't mean that in a negative way, but there are a lot of popular names about which you might give a stereotypical fictional - not real - dog. Think Rufus or Harvey. Noting here that real dogs don't actually tend to be given these names! For me the tag is just a way of labelling a particular type of name and I can't think of a better name for it unfortunately).

It is very much a matter of taste and its difficult at times to view it like that because you do feel like you are exposing yourself when you come up with a suggestion because you invest a lot of yourself emotionally in that choice.

Its about you and your family ultimately though. What's right for you, isn't right for the next person and vice versa and it is as simple as that.

Original poster

ammature · 27/08/2015 16:59

I know 2 grown men who are Clement it's just not that usual to me and I think clem is a nice nick name. I wasn't looking to name my kid after a PM I was just making the point clement atlee was not wet. I think we just have different point of reference to ppl on this thread. For example my husband loves Gil because he likes Gil Scott Heron and so Gilbert came from that.

OP posts:

BeautifulBatman · 27/08/2015 17:01

Backforthis
If someone posts a thread and you don't like any of the 6 names mentioned maybe you could accept that this person has very different taste to you, leave the thread and not post just to slate them.

Then maybe the OP should think about the thread title a bit more - maybe 'please only reply if you like the names I've short listed.^

Original poster

ammature · 27/08/2015 17:02

Thank you. I agree. I think people's points of reference are different to ours. Astrid is named after the Brazilian singer Astrid Gilberto and Roscoe was from the midlake some as also another musician my husband liked. Tbh I think most of the people slagging our names off proberbkynhave kids with common name that we would Never go for so I guess I should remember that.

OP posts:

Original poster

ammature · 27/08/2015 17:03

Really? I should have a precursor on the thread to ask nasty people to not respond. Wow!

OP posts:

thunderbird69 · 27/08/2015 17:04

This is what first comes to my mind...
Roscoe = Dukes of Hazzard
Clarence = Lion
Gilbert = and Sullivan
Clement = inclement

Depends on what circles he'll be mixing in, but I think all of those have potential for a lot of teasing

Lweji · 27/08/2015 17:04

So, why not Astrud (her actual name)?

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