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Baby names

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

Original poster

Email from friend about my baby's name

259 replies

toolonglurking · 27/03/2018 18:53

I've just had DD, she is a whole 5 days old and we thought we'd picked a good name, but I've just received an email from a family friend saying that it's a terrible name.
Please tell me straight, is Ophelia Elizabeth Cole a horrible name?

OP posts:
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rach01pink · 28/03/2018 00:00

Do whatever makes you happy!!! All 3 of mine have quirky names which I love and each get strange reactions.. Who cares what others think!!

OnlyJoking1 · 28/03/2018 00:10

Lovely name, if people want to have a go about it, then it’s their issues.
Everyone knows about Mike Hunt,it’s his brother Issac I’m more worried about.

Madcatter · 28/03/2018 00:17

As far as teenagers are concerned I think if kids want to take the piss or pick on someone they'll find a way. Kids took the piss out of my (very unremarkable) surname when I was at school. Yes, at a stretch it could be twisted when said out loud, but otherwise it's fine and I wouldn't change it if you love it.

smurfit · 28/03/2018 00:32

She'll learn how to spell it the same way everyone else does. My names a handful and I couldn't even pronounce it for years. Would she have said the same if you'd called her Elizabeth? Which for a kid is just as hard to say and spell and just as cumbersome to yell (albeit with more established shortened versions).

Your friend is a dick. I don't like my friends daughters name. It's weird, has weird spelling and doesn't flow well. I've said nothing about it because it's none of my business.

Puffycat · 28/03/2018 00:51

Your DD can do anything with a name like that!
“Love your new handbag”
“Thanks, it’s an Ophelia Cole”
“Who’s playing leading lady in that new film?l
“Ophelia Cole”
“Which dr did you see?”
“Dr Cole”
I could go on but you get the point.
It’s stylish, classy and adaptable, especially with Elizabeth in the middle.
You chose well, and anyone who wants to be derisive about names we choose for our kids should keep their big gobs shut!
Unless you call your kids things like Dragon Flower or Dandelion, then you deserve everything you get!😉

bagster · 28/03/2018 00:53

Only joking I just laughed out loud at that and woke up my DH!

ItsalmostSummer · 28/03/2018 00:59

Ophelia is truly lovely name. I must admit I am a bit confused by this post, and the responses. Is this real or is someone trying to be silly? Also, no one typically says anyone’s name in full on mumsnet.

Original poster
toolonglurking · 28/03/2018 04:52

It's almost summer - this is a real post, and I realise I've probably been a bit silly to put the full name, but given the circumstances I needed to hear honest opinions on the full name so I can be sure that it is OK.
Thank you so much to everyone who had replied. If the absolute best anyone can come up with is 'I feel ya hole' then I feel fine about it as a name, as I feel that is a bit of a stretch and definitely doesn't come across in my accent or the accent where I live.
Thanks everyone.

OP posts:
FallenAngel89 · 28/03/2018 05:03

Absolutely beautiful name and I bet it matches an absolutely beautiful baby girl 💖 Don't let her get you down, enjoy your early days and just ignore her. I'm calling my new arrival Gabriel and have had many raised eyebrows and my DM downright has said she really doesn't like it but it's just made me want to call it him even more. Enjoy you're new baby OP Smile

SweepTheHalls · 28/03/2018 07:59

I'm afraid I feel your hole us exactly what it sounds like. Ophelia is beautiful, but not with your surname

RickOShay · 28/03/2018 08:04

It doesn’t to me. At all.
Beautiful name op. Enjoy your baby and don’t worry, it is a lovely name.

flumpybear · 28/03/2018 08:14

Your friend is a twit it's easy to spell and kids taking the piss - we'll let's face it they can make stupid names up out of any name if they're that type of bully - ignore your friend and her idiotic reasons it's a lovey name

Maybe it was her chosen name! A work colleague told me I couldn't use my child's name as it sounds like a cats name - months later she inadvertently told me if she'd had a girl she'd have called her my chosen cat name!!

LRL2017 · 28/03/2018 08:15

I think it's a lovely name, what a terrible thing for your friend to say.

backsackcraic · 28/03/2018 08:17

Dear ex friend, I haven't asked for your opinion on the name we chose, nor do I want it. We've had nearly nine months to chose a name we both love and are offended that you feel in a position to comment.

My daughter will learn to spell her name in exactly the same way as every other child....by learning to form the letters that make up her name.

Please keep any other opinions you have to yourself. FWIW I've met people in my life who I think have hideous names but I grow to like their name when I love the person.

Have a nice life...without Ophelia in it!

sonjadog · 28/03/2018 08:57

Your friend is ridiculous. Ophelia is no more difficult to spell than any other name.

Joeybee · 28/03/2018 09:00

Nothing wrong with the name. Also it's rude, and cowardly for someone to email you their negative opinion. Just insensitive. Go with that name, don't let someone put you off like that.

Shockers · 28/03/2018 10:14

Loving the post from an Ophelia who wouldn’t put her name in the same category as Kaycee, McKensie and some other random name.

The point was, she will learn to spell it because it is made up of letters, just like those names. The letters will never change, so even if they are arranged ‘unusually’ the child will remember them.

shesalady · 28/03/2018 12:55

I keep thinking about this. At five days old? Honestly that's so bloody cruel. Even my Mother wouldn't pull something like that!

flumpybear · 28/03/2018 13:43

@shesalady - my bloody mum did!! Straight after my caesarean - she even rang around the family, even my dad whom she'd been divorced from since the mid 1980's to get them to 'back' her - it was a nightmare

I mean - what's wronnwith the name Pussygalore anyway ShockWink

.... ok it's actually Tabitha .... 😉

shesalady · 28/03/2018 13:48

@flumpybear that's awful! My Mum actually refused to say ds's name for three years as she said 'it felt weird' but at least she waited a couple of weeks to tell me!

diddl · 28/03/2018 14:26

Tabitha is lovely.

I wanted that but husband didn't.

When I told mum the name of our PFB, she said it a couple of times, mulled it over & pronounced herself "not keen".

Er no mum, I'm telling you the name, not asking your opinionHmm

Of course it only took one person to say lovely, unusual etc & then wasn't it just the best name everHmmHmm

DairyisClosed · 28/03/2018 14:32

Right, so your friends concern isn't that you've given your daughter a name that is by and large associated with insanity but how she will learn to spell it? Your friend is being ridiculous. It is not that difficult to spell. So long as you know about the cultural association with Hamlet's Ophelia and you are OK with that I really don't see any issue.

ClaraBee123 · 30/03/2018 15:21

Ped-Ophelia. Awful name to burden someone with. Change it now or she will hate you for nameing her Ped-Ophelia

Oysterbabe · 30/03/2018 15:23

But she hasn't called her Ped-Ophelia? (whatever the fuck that means)

ForFuckSakeSusan · 30/03/2018 15:45

@ClaraBee123 - bored of the Easter hols already?

OP, it's a lovely name and such a bloody stretch to come up with the 'hole' thing seeing as your surname is Cole. Congratulations and tell your 'friend' to fuck off.