Made the mistake of telling people what name we like...!

[Nixen]

My DH and I both love the name Felicity.

I’ve struggled a bit emotionally with this pregnancy anyway as we had a loss last year and my family are not respecting my wishes not to shout the news from the bloody roof tops. I get that they are excited and that is lovely, but I feel very uncomfortable about the contents of my uterus being discussed with everyone they meet.

I made the mistake of telling my mum we liked the name Felicity and she has said ‘if it’s girl I’d like you to reconsider your name... kids can be cruel blah blah blah’ and some other shit about how when people asked her what names we were thinking and she said Felicity they were like ‘oh’ rather than ‘that’s lovely’ ... like I should give a shit what some random person from her work thinks?

It has really really upset me and I now don’t want to discuss anything to do with names with her. She keeps suggesting other girls names and it’s really getting to me. I was so upset by what she said and it’s making me feel dreadful thinking when baby comes she will hate the name - oh and she says my dad and brother don’t like it either

(the boys name we told her is a family name which everyone is happy with... but we actually know we are having a girl - she doesn’t yet!)

I know it’s DH and my choice, but it’s making me feel shitty and just adding to me really not wanting to discuss my pregnancy with her full stop. Any advice?

We spend a lot of time in France and Spain and people there love the ‘happiness’ meaning. It always raises a smile.

I love the name, it's beautiful and one I've loved since I was a little girl. Speaking as someone who inadvertently sparked a (totally ridiculous and unnecessary) family crisis with the name I chose, I'd say go for it. People get over it.

My friend didn't give her daughter the name she loved because people pulled their faces when she said it and she's always regretted it.

Felicity is a lovely name and is growing in popularity again. I know several babies/young girls names felicity - nicknamed Fliss or Flick. It's classic but not overused at the moment.

Personally I'd think of a name which she will really disapprove of and tell her you've changed your mind on felicity as it's too classic and introduce the new name (as out there as possible) and tell her that there's no more discussion, you've decided and that's that. When the baby arrives, she'll fall over herself with joy that you have decided on Felicity and not Seashell or some such.

your baby, your choice, your mum had her turn naming you. Nothing wrong with Felicity, very classic and pretty. Enjoy your little girl xx

I think it's a lovely name, really pretty.

We didn't tell anyone our shortlisted names or final choice until our DD was born. It went down well (not that I was bothered tho really).

But then we made the mistake of saying what our boys ones were - cue face pulling, comments of dislike and a sense of relief that we had a girl!
Thing is I'm sure the same names will still be on our shortlist if we were to have a boy next, so I regret saying anything now

You’ve all made me feel so much better, thank you for all the lovely replies. I agree, what could be wrong with a wee one called ‘happiness’?!

Thanks again for all the support

I kept both my DC names a secret till they were born for this very reason, I’d seen it when my cousin was born everyone had an opinion so figured I’d keep it tsecret. For the whole pregnancy everyone was trying to get it out of us, even had to threaten the DP with a sex ban as he’s terrible at keeping secrets. When I finally told everyone they were pleasantly surprised except my Nan who had a cruel opinion but I soon as put her in her place. Listening to people drowning on about stuff that don’t concern them is one of my pet hates.

Felicity is a lovely name! Nobody liked my sons name but they got used to it. I made a bit of an error (didn’t realise what the nickname was) and sounds silly with his middle name but nobody has ever said anything. At least not to my face

Felicity is lovely.

Have lots of fun coming up with more and more outrageous and bonkers names for boys and girls to see your mum's reactions and turn it into a game (see if you can get a full alphabet of bonkers choices). Keep some of the to hand in case you ever need to use them for future babies so you don't need to share the real name you've chosen.

And - depending on how much you like your name and those of any siblings you can also turn it around on her - along the lines of mum, you chose xxx and yyy, neither of which are great choices. What on earth makes you think I am going to take your advice on names? You've had your go, I'm going to have my go and I'd like you to reconsider your behaviour as it is incredibly hurtful when you are so rude about names that we love.

Oh and I'm voting for Marmaladia and Ethelreda as starters on your bonkers name list for girls, Adolphus and Zillon for the boys list

Xenophyllisa for a girl and yodabugt for a boy.

Merkelonica and Vivulvula for girls and Jocquie and Aristotillus for boys

My DH isn’t british and we had real trouble picking a name - in the end we went old school Viking (he’s Swedish, we live here, there’s a Tor and a Loke at kindergarten so ours is minor by comparison...)

I’m sure it raised a few eyebrows back home but no one has ever commented to our faces. Felicity is a really lovely name. :)

Alfalfa for a girl. Stigroid for a boy.

My mum was in a mission to make us change our first child's name because she hated it, Tabitha, I stuck to my guns, politely, but I told everyone who she said was 'backing her' to basically back off and they'd call her Tabitha or tabby etc and no discussion as it was our choice
It was fine and it was our choice. My DD is 9 and LOVES her name and loves that she's a tabbycat too

Absolutely gorgeous name!

Ok there's a bat west opposite me by the rounderbout - police station if that's helpful - you can have a quick prosecco here first if you like xx

Is that an open invitation flumpybear?!

I love Felicity. There's a girl in DD's class with that name and I really like it.

We're having a boy, but I mentioned it to my Mum before we knew.

Her response was "she'll just be called Fliss"
Which confused the hell out of me because WHY!
But when I said I liked Dexter.. Her response was "he'll just be called Dex"

I don't understand her obsession with nicknames. It's like she doesn't understand that not everyone has one!
Jesus, DS is called Oliver and nobody calls him Ollie!

I like it. I know someone called Felicity who shortens it to Fliss

Pink my mum is like that! She’d shorten it to an initial if she could!
I didn’t think my sons name could but shorted but she did!

Woah I can't believe anyone can be rude enough to make a comment on someone else's baby's name!! 😮
Your baby. Your choice. There is nothing to think about or reconsider. That's all there is to it.
I like Felicity by the way😊 but if I didn't, I would sooner chew my own arm off than upset an expectant mum with an ignorant comment about it.
Ignore it. Good luck 😙

Nymphadora
Precious
Sweetie Pie
Kisses

All names it your mum to hate

When I was pregnant with DD, we deliberately called her something somewhat ridiculous in utero (think Ermintrude, though it wasn't), partly because we didn't want to discuss names with others (OP has probably discovered why) and partly so that when we revealed her somewhat more 'normal' name, there was an element of relief; we only got positive comments!

When we found out we were having twins, we sent the most absurd names we could think of to MIL any time she asked...
Titus and Titania
Fox and Eagle
Niles and Frasier
Mia and Maya (although I met someone who used these!)
Ronnie and Reggie (as above!)

We figured anything remotely normal we picked would sound great by the time we had them ;)

Marmaladia and Alfalfa are fab.
OP, if you like the name Felicity then use it. \lots of people love it.
Felicia is an alternative.
Isn't Fizz on Corrie Felicity?