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My mum hates the name I've picked

69 replies

Soph88 · 20/03/2018 21:40

I'm due in less than 4 weeks and I love the name April but every time I mention it to my mum she makes a face. It's starting to get on my nerves and I'm starting to think I should pick a different one. My DH says he neither likes or dislikes it. Not sure what to do. Any other names suggestions would be welcome. We also don't know what we are having and have no preferred boys name either Confused help!

OP posts:
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LastNightsMakeUp · 21/03/2018 07:11

April is a lovely name.

My OH and kept our dd's sex and name secret from everyone til she was born. Everyone has so many opinions and if you love it it's the main thing. I can't imagine you handing a newborn dd to its grandmother and saying 'this is April' and her pulling a face.

It's a shame your OH doesn't love it though.

Somersetter · 21/03/2018 07:42

@nixen just stick with your name - you'll always wish you had otherwise. You and your DH love it, and your mum's already had a chance to name children (her own!)

PandaCat · 21/03/2018 07:47

Stick with the name you love. When I told one family member our chosen name, they just said "but you won't call her that will you, you'll shorten it won't you?" While pulling a face and stating it's a mouthful. It's really not! Every time we see them they ask if we are calling her the shortened version too, we are not.

Your baby, your choice.

SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 21/03/2018 07:53

Ophelia
Martha
Scarlett
Chloe
Lucinda
Xanthe
Emiliana
Rebecca
Isabella
Maya
Paloma
Saskia

SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 21/03/2018 07:54

Love April though!

RayM · 21/03/2018 08:02

My husband and I picked out a name for our little girl very early on. I can’t keep anything a secret though and have had very mixed reactions - not too fussed coz we love it! I’m 40+1 and if it doesn’t look like it suits her we’re not against rethinking her name Smile.

MyKingdomForBrie · 21/03/2018 08:11

Well I think it’s a lovely name, I think she’s extremely rude and the poster that said it would be shortened to ‘ape’ Is talking bollocks!

I wouldn’t pick a name my DH wasn’t keen on though, just because it wouldn’t feel fair to him. I would absolutely refuse to discuss with your DM again though and tell her why.

carmelsundae · 21/03/2018 09:30

I have an April! Most people slightly pause when I say that's her name and then respond very positively! I do get the, was she born in April a lot. It's a winner of a name for Me!!

Ohyesiam · 21/03/2018 09:35

How rude of her, she has named her children now it’s your turn.
Stick to your guns and let your mum know you will be avoiding her face pulling by avoiding her. She needs to grow up.

QueenofallIsee · 21/03/2018 09:38

My Mum, who is generally lovely, was terrible for this when I was expecting PFB. I chatted lot less about names when expecting the next 3!

I liked the name Paige and she kept on about it being common, I liked Antonia and she kept saying Tony was a 40yr old darts player. She wasn't being mean exactly, she genuinely though she was helping!

MammieBear · 21/03/2018 09:38

Don't pick a different one!... This is your chance to name your child, your mum had hers when she had her children, you might regret it if you don't go with the names you love.

FusRoDah · 21/03/2018 09:47

I love April, it was high on our shortlist for DC1 (who turned out to be a boy). Other girls names we liked were Sophie, Cara, Susanna and Amy.

I would say ignore your DM. You mentioned that your DH isn't overly keen though, for that reason alone you might want to use a different name. It should be something you both love.

I really would suggest not discussing your choice with anyone else until after the birth is registered and the certificate printed. Your DM and everyone else will get used to whatever you choose!

boomboom1234 · 21/03/2018 09:50

Oh dear I can totally see how you would find that upsetting.

Personally I would try to work with your husband to find something you both love as that will give you more confidence.

I put names I loved aside if my husband didn't like or was neutral about them as I think it feels nicer to choose something together. Forget your mum and don't tell her anymore until baby is born and named!

Good luck!

bridgetreilly · 21/03/2018 10:17

Iris April
Vivienne April
Evelyn April
Coraline April
Charlotte April
Phoebe April
Felicity April
Linnet April

Just be careful using April as a middle name that the initials don't spell a word you'd rather not have associated with your daughter!

StarUtopia · 21/03/2018 10:40

Bollocks that she'd be called Ape?! You really think kids at school won't do that?! You clearly don't work with children...

Any excuse to shorten a name or be mean with it (April Fool too will be something else some idiot at some point will say)

As someone else said, if you mention before a baby, it's open game for people to pull a face etc...announce a baby's name once born, most people will simply smile, nod and say how lovely.

Those posters saying ignore, pick what you like etc....it's also important to the OP that her mum and DH like the name -w which they don't particularly. Millions of names out there! Pick another one and call the cat or dog April!

squoosh · 21/03/2018 10:53

If it's really important to you that your mum likes the name let her choose it. Alternatively keep in my mind that she got to name you and you get to name your own child.

'you can guarantee if she's pulled a face, so will plenty of other people. Yada yada, it's whatever you like etc, but do you really want to give your baby a name that plenty of people will pull a face at?!'

This seems a bit hysterical to me. April is blandly pleasant, hardly a name that's going to illicit 'WTF that's such a terrible name!' type reactions.

BlackberryandNettle · 21/03/2018 21:43

April is lovely, gorgeous springtime month to arrive and nice name, also a little different/not met any others which is good. An alternative might be Avril? I'd ignite negative comments and go with the name you like best, people will come around to it.

BlackberryandNettle · 21/03/2018 21:44

Ignore not ignite...

Snowysky20009 · 22/03/2018 09:47

The three Aprils I know are all referred to as Ap/Aps. But it's not so much as a nickname, but a shortened version of the name. The same as Rachel=Rach, Rebecca= Bec, Donna=Don, Louise=Lou, Sarah=Sar and so on. So I wouldn't worry about it being a 'nickname'.

Although the one was called April Fool at school, which really grated on her, especially when someone would say it as if she hadn't heard it a thousand times before!

On the plus side, I haven't heard of anyone being called April for a long time, all the ones I know are 35+. If that's what you like then go with it, it is a very pretty name.

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