Wilberforce

[Fartbaby]

We have decided to call this baby Wilberforce if it is a boy. We absolutely love it, as do my family and my best friend. I haven't told anyone else as I know for a fact lots of people would be horrified by the name. We will be almost exclusively calling him Wilbur due to the aforementioned probability of loathing for the full name, so my question is: is there any point to putting Wilberforce on the birth certificate?

I know it sounds as if I don't have the courage of my convictions regarding the name Wilberforce and that makes me a little sad, too, as I absolutely love it. Would you introduce your baby as Wilberforce if you were me or would you pretend he is simply Wilbur?

Oh blimey, I sound like an idiot

[Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost]

I know it seems a long way off op but think of when he gets to his teens you don't want him getting teased, I'm sure and I fear this name has teasing potentials. I doubt your son would be thrilled at that name.
Wilberforce it doesn't even sound like a real name.
Wilbor is lovely though
But I always make a point of saying. Your baby your choice

[Fartbaby]

The way I see it, he may get ribbed for his name but it won't be as vitriolic as grown mumsnet women calling him a pig or saying his mother must have hated him.

At your suggestion, Smugair, I went to read your baby name thread and couldn't get further than 'Bianca'.

THE END

[scatterthenuns]

Thing is, in real life everyone will be nice enough about the name to your face. You said that you know that people will be horrified by the name - so I don't understand the fighting talk when people are on here.

Go forth and use it if you want, but remember that you are naming an actual individual person with feelings that may differ to your own.

It is easy to name an imaginary person with an imaginary personality - posters are concerned that the reality won't match up with the grandiose of the name, is all.

A legitimate concern for a future adult man who had no say in the matter.

[Eminybob]

^^ all rubbish. You own your name. Make it what you want.

[MrsGentlyBenevolent]

Eminybob

I quite possibly am. However, I think I've managed to give a better and more intelligent contribution to this thread than just childish insults. Or were you suggesting that as a name? I guess Wilberforce is better than that, on comparison.

[scatterthenuns]

Possibly true Eminy. If Wilberforce hates it, he can just use Will or his middle name.

[SmugairleRoin]

No, I didn't call him a pig - I said the name was a great one for a pig and nothing else. Standing by that!

Bianca was the second last name, so it seems you got pretty far actually!

Anyway. I think some other posters on here are doing a great job of explaining the problems with the name (besides the pig thing) so I will leave them to it. Enjoy your stalking.

[Eminybob]

I've already given my opinion on the name, if you would care to read the thread. I, however, feel that your contribution is on the twatty side. Hence my calling of twat.

[LemonPied]

I hope you don't live in Hull OP, what with our massive statue of William Wilberforce.

[MrsGentlyBenevolent]

Yeah, sorry didn't notice your opinion. I would go back and look, but apparent 'adults', who call names when they disagree with the opinions of others, really aren't worth my time or effort.

[scatterthenuns]

I take it Eminy isn't living with a name she/he dislikes? Fact of the matter is that people don't always 'rock' their names and having one that dramatically overestimates your personality/style/taste/disposition can be a huge problem for an adult.

[Eminybob]

Woah. I just really don't see how wilburforce is such an awful name that it's getting the reactions that it has got on here.

It's a fine, strong name and I really think that if you had a little boy with that name he would own it and there is really no need to assume otherwise.

Apologies for the twat comment I just hate all this horribleness over a perfectly fine name.

[mumofthemonsters808]

It's your baby call him what you want, if you and your Oh like Wilbourforce that's all that matters. I like unusual names but on this occassion it's not to my taste. I can get my head around Wilbur though.

[MrsGentlyBenevolent]

Apology accepted. However I still disagree with you and the op on it being a 'perfectly fine name'. If it was, the majority would have agreed. As it goes, it is not a name that 'agrees' with modern society, trends and language. It may not seem a big deal to yourself, Eminy, but some of have had to deal with the negative effects of an uncommon name. 'Owning it', that's just not an option sometimes, especially through tricky childhood years. And if he happens to be a shy child anyway? Having that sort of name will make it worse. It's only fair that it is pointed out now, it's obviously still the OPs ultimately choice. But I, myself, dont think it's brave or at least 'being different'. I think it's a bit of a gamble, with something that could very realistically give their child a hard time, in youth at least.

[Canyouforgiveher]

Wilberforce and Perdita seem fine to me as names - not my choice particularly but clearly names. but ... I think you have a vowel issue which is the thing that would bother me the most.

The shortened version of Wilberforce should not be Wilbur - it should be Wilber

The shortened version of Perdita should not be Purdey - it should be Perdy

Kind of joking but honestly both those wrong vowels would drive me crazy if I were your child.

[Eminybob]

I suppose it's all relative.

Perhaps if we allowed these more unusual names to become mainstream then there wouldn't be a problem. Eventually. The issue is the bullies who have a problem with the names. Not the names themselves.

[JoffreyBaratheon]

Fart, my son with the Italian name was named after his lovely great uncle. I am big on kids being given family names/names with some real meaning, not just things I like the sound of... So I was fine with it at the time and now.

The shortened version happens to be a really cool name (and pronounced the English way but he spells it the Italian way) so it does preserve a bit of his cultural identity even in the Anglicised form.

A teacher reading it from a register - even one who is unfamiliar with him - can't really mispronounce it in the long form, and his friends think his full name is cool.

I have done daily supply as a teacher and mispronounced many names. The kids laugh and put you right. But that's different to reading out the only version you have on the register (the one the school secretary saw on the birth cert) and the kids pissing themselves laughing at the poor child because they previously thought 'Will' was short for 'William' not 'Wilberforce'.....

[Fartbaby]

It's a fabulous name or else I wouldn't have fallen for it. My son (if it is a boy) will be known as Wilbur, which is also fabulous to me and my loved ones. To hate it with a passion is no more relevant to this discussion than my hating Jane, George, Aoife, Ben or the myriad names I find truly uninspired and boring. I would think it cruel to give a child a name in the top ten, for instance. How rubbish to share your name with three others in class?

I think Irish names are visually ugly and anything ending in 'ie' frightfully common, but people seem to care much more about the bully-o-meter ringing and a-dinging in the playground than saddling their poor lad with a spectacularly dull name. My son will not be shy and will not be withered by school yard taunts - especially if his 'bullying' counterparts are Jayden, Oliver, Ben or Kai.

[JoffreyBaratheon]

Ooh I forgot til after I hit 'post message' but my mother was given a hideous first name at birth and right from being a child, insisted on using her middle name and that alone. She found her name incredibly embarrassing. Same with my mother in law. The name we called her for her whole life was also her middle name.

I'm sure the kids of celebs with attention-seeking stupid names have often changed them, in their adulthood, too.

[Fartbaby]

A girl would be Purdita, apologies.

I would LOVE to know what you all called your children...

[Fartbaby]

I remember pitying Brooklyn and Romeo when they were born and I still think Apple is nothing but absurd. It's funny how differently we perceive names, isn't it? Really interesting that what one person deems ghastly another would find adorable.

[scatterthenuns]

With all due respect Fart, you're not a Beckham or a Paltrow-Martin. Different rules for them, innit.

[Fartbaby]

No. Apple is absurd for them, too. I wanted Brix for a girl and yet couldn't believe my husband's murderous look when I suggested it. I couldn't see how such a pretty name could only be viewed through the lens of a house brick.

[NerrSnerr]

Lemon- I was going to say that if he ever lives in Hull then everyone will say 'like the college?' People will get the William Wilberforce connection but will still think it's a surname.