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!

[strawberrybootlace]

Now wishing that I'd RTFT and that there are no parents of Unicorns or Candyflosses coming forward upthread...

[Dexterjamesmummy]

We have a Tabitha, we love her name and it suits her to a T! I also have a 9 week old Heidi and someone asked me her name the other week, then just raised her head when I told her 😂. I really don't care what anyone else thinks.

[Elbekind]

100% go for it! At the end of the day you can never predict how a name will be perceived in 5, 10, 50 years time.
I have a popular first name and a popular middle name. Both bog standard, perfectly normal, likeable names.
When I was about ten a character came out on a comedy show with the exact same first and middle name. All of a sudden, my full name was laughed at and my parents instantly started using just my first name.
Now that the programme isn't so popular, no one would bat an eyelid when I use it.
At the end of the day people will always talk behind your back, so why try and prevent it by not having the name you want?
I, for one, love the name Willow

[MissPattie]

Def do it. Both my DCs have normal but unusual names. DS2 is slightly more unusual and I had more of a wobble over it. And tbh I am so so so glad I did it. I have no doubt people take the slight piss, but people who know him, see him as a great wee boy, not just the 'name'.

Also, apologies to prople who chose more normal names, but I'm so glad we did not go with Max, Oliver, Daniel, James etc, as there are tons of them.

[Dexterjamesmummy]

Oh forgot to say I think Willow is a lovely name x

[CarTroubles]

Elbekind I knew a boy growing up who was Noel Edmund. Totally normal until we all started watching Noel's Full House and then he got terrible stick, poor lad!

[MurphyDog5]

Sod what anyone else thinks. We've had a few eye rolls/"oh that's different" accompanied by a false smile over our little girl's name which is Eden. I don't think either Eden or Willow are names that are too out there.

[GruochMacAlpin]

I rather suspected my MIL wouldn't like either of our DC's names if given a chance to comment in advance (very regional named).

So we just didn't tell them until after the babies were born. She was so excited about becoming a Grandmother that if there were any thoughts about the names I certainly didn't hear about them.

People feel that they can be very very rude with impunity if you haven't actually given it to a child yet. Once the baby has arrived they are more accepting (or at least keep their thoughts to themselves)

My friends brother gave his baby a very marmite name last year. There were some eyes raised in the family but no one said a word. They are used to the name now.

[mycatwantstokillme1]

DOn't worry about what anyone else thinks, if you like the name that's the most important thing!

[CarTroubles]

Eden is fab. Nice and simple.

Do people on here who get the odd funny reaction not burn with indignation at the eye rolling through? Ooh I'd get so annoyed.

[Chewbecca]

Willow is a lovely name and whilst not too common, I don't think it is considered odd either so really don't think you'll get much eye rolling. Good luck!

[Magz6]

We picked unusual name and didn't give a monkeys what anyone thought and we still love it and he's a teen... Suits him too... Willow is a lovely name go with what you want not what other folk think! :)

[Yogimummy123]

There are quite a lot of Willows now so don't worry about eye rolling

[VerbenaGirl]

I think it's a lovely name. Charmingly different, without going too far and just being a bit too much. It was on our shortlist 13 years ago - but my husband couldn't quite get there. Imagine my surprise when a year or 2 later we encountered not only a Willow of the same age as my DD1, but one with the same surname as us!! So it kind of turned out for the best. However, wait until you meet her - as our shortlist for DD2 went out the window when she wasn't quite an any of them!! She was nameless for 4 days, then we suddenly thought of something we had never ever thought of before - and it stuck.

[iamapixiebutnotaniceone]

I love the name Willow, I wanted to use it for my daughter but her surname is Worrall so it just didn't sound right x

[Hepburn14]

CarTroubles - if your inlaws have passed your entire family an ugly surname, you deserve to pick a name for your daughter you love. If they roll their eyes, stuff 'em!

[Masketti]

There's lots of wanky names I hear and was expecting to open this post and roll my eyes at another one.

I didn't. Willow is a beautiful name. Go for it!

[ragdoll700]

Willow is a lovely name unusual but not weird or mad like some you see these days I would use it

[MummyTheGregor]

use it, its a fab name and eye rollers can eff off!!!!

in fact eye rolling (especially from my my mother) only encourages me further go use a name thag I like.... I like Stanley, Norman and Walter, mother isnt keen on any of them...... So we might just call ds3 Stanley Norman Walter McG.....

[user1467981309]

I did!
All the in law & fathers side hated it!
But I loved it so much I changed her name to it (not to willow) when she was 6 months old, changed it on her birth certificate much to the in laws and parents dismay!

Have to stick with what you love instead of making the mistake I did & having to change it!

Abi x

[MagikarpetRide]

I love Willow. And Willa too.

We named our DD something unusual, though we didn't give a stuff about what the family think. DS got a name that wasn't too common at the time but is now top 10. Guess who's name we regret more?

[flirtybird]

Willow is beautiful.

The singer pink called her daughter it.

Your baby, your choice.

[MrsCharlesBrandon]

My maternal grandmother kicked off because we didn't use her mother's name for DD1. We'd never said we were going to! Some people will complain about anything.

I love Willow, use it and sod what the family think.

[diddl]

I agree with pp that it's not really that "out there".

I mean it is recognisable as a name!

[Luciferbox]

Use it. We love DS2's name but my mother was very vocal at his birth about how unsuitable his name is (it's very Welsh and therefore rare and hard to read/say at first).
She still isn't happy but has mellowed and DS2 is now 1. But, we love it and he suits it perfectly.