Would you use a name you love, knowing there may be rolled eyes?

[CarTroubles]

The name is Willow.

Not particularly controversial!

But I know all our families will be a bit......eye rolly. They'll think it's hippie hilariousness. Possibly think its too silly a name to lumber a child with.

They probably won't say anything much to our faces, maybe the occasional "Oh, that's........ unusual.....why Willow?" with a fixed glassy smile.

But I'm cringing at the imagined snorts of derision that will happen behind our backs. What adds to it is that we have a ugly surname that doesn't really go with it AT ALL. So I can just imagine them all going "Willow ThatSurname???? Really??"

We love love love the name. But I don't want people to laugh at us! DH doesn't give a fuck, lol. But I don't have his confidence!

[Rockingaround]

I love Willow x

[CitizenBloom]

Our DC's name appears more than once on the 'names you love but couldn't use' thread. (No one has explained precisely why it's unusable. It's an actual name with a long history which is just used very seldom in this country - though common elsewhere -- not Moon Unit or Ughtred or Lancelot.)

I know both sets of grandparents were initially embarrassed by it, though none of them had the gall to say so to our faces, but it didn't cause DH or me a second thought. It's a gorgeous name, and I remain delighted by the fact that we chose it. Go for it. Willow is a nice name, and I rather like the idea of a slightly fey/hippyish name with a no-nonsense surname. Willow Braithwaite or Dodd or something would sound great.

[JeanGenie23]

Would you like to be called that?
If so go with it!

I love willow, it was on my list for dd, alongside Wren

[CarTroubles]

You've all emboldened me a lot. I can feel a tiny flicker of Fuck It starting to burn.

Shes coming in the next week, btw. Ive just been wobbling cos its all lovely till you realise you have to pull the trigger very VERY soon!

[CarTroubles]

Am suprised people kicked off that much over Andie. Would have thought that was more "normal" than Willow, tbh. With Andie McDowell and all.

[CitizenBloom]

it was good to get people's real thoughts on my children's names

Honestly, though, why would you care? All you tend to get is a mishmash of entirely personal reminiscence about how X is a horrible name because they were once bullied by an X at school, or it reminds them of a 1970s Page Three girl, or someone saying over and over again that it reminds them of a car brand/a film character who dies, or that it's a dog or cat's name, or that it's 'try-hard' or 'chavvy'.

[MitzyLeFrouf]

Would you rather give your child a name that you think will provoke least eye rolls or a name you love?

If it does cause an eye rolling kerfuffle it will be a one day wonder and then it will be over.

[EllaHen]

I wish I had known about the name Willow when I had dd. It's beautiful. Go for it - I bet people will surprise you with their love of it. Just look at this thread.

My ds has a modern nn of a name which has an older nn. For the first 2 years, my in-laws called him by the old fashioned nn. They couldn't help it. Just an aside.

[Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost]

I don't know why they're eye rolling.
Willow is gorgeous.

[specialsubject]

as long as it doesn't give her piss-take-able initials, go for it - she'll probably be one of several in the class.

do make sure it goes with her surname NOW - the idea that it doesn't matter if not because she can change her name if she marries won't avoid two decades of piss-taking if you get it wrong.

[rackhampearl]

Yes I was really surprised too cos I've always loved it. We still get abit of shit from some people about it but my uncle Andy loves it and she's his favourite haha X

[CarTroubles]

Thats true, everyone on this thread has loved it.

I think its BEAUTIFUL. And its DHs favourite girls name of all time.

Fuck Them All! Bunch of old farts! Let 'em snigger as much as they like! They eventually did shut up about the hairdressers son Jaxsun, (yes...like Jackson but yoonique) so they'll probably shut up about this far quicker.

[rainbowstardrops]

Definitely go for it! Willow is a lovely name.
My DD has a not very common name and a more popular middle name.
MIL stuck her nose in the air and I asked why we hadn't put the names the other way round.
We just told her because we don't want to! She shut up after that.

[CamperWidow]

I had eye-rolling from a few, but especially the MIL over DD1, she even tried a couple of nicknames that totally didn't stick, but now she loves it. More to the point, I don't care!! I love the name we picked, it's waaay more out there than Willow ( I can think of at least 3 I know by the way!) and that's the joy of having children, you get to pick! No one else. Just you. You have to be happy shouting it n the playground, the zoo, the supermarket, everywhere! Fuck em all!!

[RustyBear]

We called DD Amber at a time when it was probably about as unusual as Willow is now.

None of the family commented adversely, even MIL (well, not to me, anyway, she may have said something to DH which he didn't pass on!)

I did get a comment from one of the staff at the hospital, though...

Her: What a lovely little girl, what are you calling her?
Me: Amber
Her: Emma - oh, that's a lovely name!
Me: No, Amber, not Emma
Her: Oh. (pause) Oh well, I suppose one name's as good as another...

[JinkxMonsoon]

I don't think Willow is considered unusual or "out there" anymore. It was the 40th most popular name in 2015 with 1246 Willows being born.

Yes, I looked that up

[ztunm]

Who cares what people think?

My sons name is not one I've ever heard and after months of trying to find a name it came to me, we both kind of said "yeah, we like it"

When we tell people we get 3 reactions:

1. Wow that's really cool!
   
2. They repeat it as though they misheard it
   
3. What, like the car?
   
   The name is Forde. Everyone that knows him and us, has fully accepted it and like it now. Don't be worried about initial reactions, once the little one is here and they've heard the name it just gets accepted.

[VioletBam]

Surname Braithwaite or similar. Willow Braithwaite...it's nice OP! Bugger them all....they talk nowt but rubbish!

[Zarajayne]

It's a lovely name I wouldn't worry as long as you and your partner like it then who cares. People always turn their noses up at my littles name. She's called Felicity-Trixabelle and people are forever say what where you thinking when you name her that or why would you do that. She suits her name perfectly she's a little princess and I still love the name. We are happy and that's all that matters. ☺️

[JugglingMuggle]

We have two children with unusual first names, and the girl's name is very frilly (and actually much more unusual than Willow) and we have a salt of the earth northern surname. We had a couple of eye rolls when we had number 1, but now nobody bats an eyelid and it's never been an issue!

[CoolCarrie]

Willow is a beautiful name, friends of our have two daughters, one is Willow, and the other daughter has a beautiful name as well
Go for it ! It is so pretty. Like any name, if it goes well with the surname then go for it!

[strawberrybootlace]

Lovely name! I thought that you were going to say something like Unicorn or Candyfloss given the thread title

I chickened out of an unusual name for one of our dc and now strongly regret it. Go for it!

[BalloonSlayer]

Well I hate

• hippy names
  
• "cool" names
  
• "unique" names
  

BUT my one exception is Willow. I love it. I wish DD was called it. It would suit her.

[Justaboy]

Sounds absolutely lovely :-)

Go for it! it's to join my fave girls name list of Hannah and Araminta and a few others too numerous to mention;)


JB.

Who's daughters he was so proud of 'em when born they got 4 Christian names each;-!

[stressedinsurrey]

Willow's a lovely name but if it doesn't go with the surname then don't use it! They will be stuck with that combination and they won't thank you later!!