Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

I think I want to change DD's name...

166 replies

AutumnName · 28/08/2017 20:11

DD was born on Halloween (2016) and I named her Autumn. I really like the look of it and the sound of it in my head. Since using it as a name, it doesn't seem to work as well as it did in my head? Lots of people don't get it. My mum actually makes jokes about it - "I can't wait to see my grandaughter who hasn't got a proper name" or she directly speaks to her and says "you might as well have been named 'Season'". No one else really says anything, but I feel like they think the same. I'm just really close to my mum, so she probably feels like she can say it.

SadSadSad

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
UrbanSausages · 29/08/2017 08:01

It's a beautiful name. I think people may have the reaction you're saying they do because you might not sound very confident when you're telling them. Like you're not sure yourself.
Your Mum is being cruel. Are you able to tell her to stop?
If you love the name you should definitely keep it and be confident with it.

Sallywiththegoodhurrr · 29/08/2017 08:16

My nearly 4 year old DD is Autumn.

When she was first born I also got comments from family but now it's just her name and it suits her. I also get a lot of positive comments from people now, it's a lot less uncommon now then it was a few years ago.

OP it's a beautiful name, if YOU want to change it then change it, but don't do it for other people's benefit Flowers

thelittlebear · 29/08/2017 08:48

Autumn is definitely a 'real' name, not that it has anything to do with anyone eise! It's lovely, and imo much better than the standard names where there are 5 in every class throughout throughout school.

Sugarpiehoneyeye · 29/08/2017 09:30

I wouldn't change her name, and I would make this very clear, to your bullying Mother. If anyone else says, Autumn like the season, just say, yes, just like the season, and smile.
If your Mother carries on bleating, say this is getting boring now, so you'll see her later, and leave. Do it every time, until she gets a grip.

gingergenius · 29/08/2017 09:35

No different to the name Summer!? Also a season. I think Autumn is lovely and your mum is being bloody rude. My mum pulls this sort of shit too. One time she referred to my daughter as 'who's this ugly thing come to talk to me' I could've slapped her. I made it very clear her comments were out of order and so must you with your mum

Tell her straight! Otherwise this is the thin end of the wedge! Good luck

gingergenius · 29/08/2017 09:39

And she can even say she's got a song with her name in! 'Forever Autumn' from war of the worlds!!

Lemondrop99 · 29/08/2017 10:01

The problem here is not your DDs name.

The problem is your mother's attitude.

Autumn is very pretty and perfectly acceptable as a name. If you still love it, don't change it.

I find it baffling your mum is going on about it 10 months later. So rude and mean of her, especially when she knows how much it upsets you. I think you need to really clamp down on your mum and tell her that if she can't keep her tongue in check, then she won't be seeing her granddaughter until she can. I also think you should show her this thread so she can see 1. How many people like the name Autumn and 2. That every single person so far thinks you mum's behaviour is unacceptable.

Her behaviour is making you overthink other people's reactions. I think people say "like the season" just to double check they've heard the right name - not because they think it's weird or horrible.

Stick up for yourself and your DD. Your mum had the chance to pick names with her own children. This is YOUR child and she needs to respect your decision.

Choccyhobnob · 29/08/2017 10:05

Oh FGS, i'm angry on your behalf! Autumn is a beautiful and TOTALLY NORMAL name! I wanted it if we had a DD but DH said no. Your mum needs to pipe down. What a horrible person she is being.

DonkeysDontRideBicycles · 29/08/2017 10:07

I am dismayed for you that your mum is being so unkind.
I would buy her a doll and say, "Here you go, now call it Matilda" because she is so obsessed.

PandorasXbox · 29/08/2017 11:28

Please don't change it. Autumn is YOUR baby not your mothers. She has no say whatsoever in what you call your baby. Autumn is unusual but so lovely! Better than all the Ava's, Olivia's and Bella's that will no doubt be in her class.

I would sit your mother down and tell her just how upsetting it is that she keeps saying Autumn isn't a good name, that YOU love it and won't be changing it. Tell her to STFU.

Hope this thread has helped you in believing in your name choice a bit OP? Flowers

luluharry · 29/08/2017 11:54

Don't change it. its a lovely name, and not that uncommon.

Is your mum normally this controlling, it sounds like she wants to choose your dds name!!!!

MammieBear · 29/08/2017 12:09

Your mum has had her chance to name her children and this was your's Autumn is a Lovely name. Don't do it because of the digs she's making if anything you need to speak to her and tell her straight that comments like that especially to your daughter are unacceptable.

Ummmmgogo · 29/08/2017 12:12

Autumn is a much nicer name than violet x

BunnyNeeded · 29/08/2017 12:19

She's being brought up to realise traditions like that are sexist - that's good Smile

Can you imagine being so rude about a name your daughter had chosen for her daughter? Would keeping her name be a way of drawing a line in the sand about how your mum interferes - so that your daughter also learns from positive interactions within a family?

It is a beautiful name. If people react, it's probably because you look a little unsure due to how your mum is being so rude.

Are things otherwise OK? Sometimes on here wanting to change a name as been a tiny symptom of PND (not always, obviously).

BlondeB83 · 29/08/2017 12:24

I love the name Matilda, it's gorgeous!

Autumn is a quite a nice name but I think if you're going to go for a more unusual name you have to be prepared for people to question the pronunciation etc. Most people will just want to make sure they get it right.

Middleoftheroad · 29/08/2017 12:28

I love the name Autumn.
children are called Summer and nobody questions it. Months - January, April, May June (and July in Annie) are regular names. We had a Red in class and nobody thought anything of it.

Choose it because you like it and it suits - not for amybody else.

scarletpopapil · 29/08/2017 12:31

Autumn is lovely. It is relatively unusual (there's nothing wrong with that) and I think maybe people are checking 'like the season?' to make sure they've got it right, not in a critical way. But your mum's nasty comments have got to you so much that now it all sounds like criticism to you.

Your mum is wrong. Autumn is a proper name, and a very pretty one. Summer is another season name. April, May and June are all used as names. Seasons, months, any number of different objects are all used as girls' names. Would your mum be whining on that 'I might as well just call you Flower' if you'd named your daughter Rose?

If your mum is desperate to be in charge of picking someone's name then she can get a bloody dog!

LinaBo · 29/08/2017 12:32

Hope your mum doesn't read the huffington post, op. (Or that she does, in case you want her to see this...)

Piewraith · 29/08/2017 12:43

The name Autumn is perfectly fine. Nothing wrong with being named after a season. Summer is a very popular name.

As for being made fun of at school, how ridiculous. If her name was Tilly - kids could say Silly Billy Tilly or Tilly the Willy!

Your daughter will most likely be in a class with lots of unusual modern names and different culture names as well.

Btw I don't think Tilly/Matilda is a bad name, it's nice as well, just pointing out literally any name can be made fun of if you are determined.

finderkeeper · 29/08/2017 13:10

I know three Autumns and they're all lovely people. Lovely name op.

Seren0805 · 29/08/2017 18:03

Autumn is a beautiful name. Don't feel under pressure to change this name just because your mother hates it. If we all liked the same names life would be boring. Jokes starting with "I can't wait to see my granddaughter without a proper name" isn't a joke. This is so rude. Tell her, no matter how close to your mother you are. She should respect your decision and this isn't how she should address her granddaughter. Be strong!

NeverTwerkNaked · 30/08/2017 09:00

@AutumnName - just a heads up that this is now a "news story" on huff post so is popping up on my Facebook feed. They have lifted huge chunks of your posts verbatim

Jenala · 30/08/2017 09:20

God it would be so easy to be one of these journalists. Copy and paste some stuff off a forum and head home.

Mammadragon · 30/08/2017 09:22

Well I hope her mother sees it...she might get the message then 😏

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.