Made the mistake of telling people my favourite girl's name. Opinions please.

[Ridiculousness]

I'm expecting a baby girl in October, and there is one clear name I like - Tessa. However, when I tell friends and family I don't seem to be getting a positive response. What are your thoughts?

I already have one child called Jack and our surname is fussy and double-barrelled, so something shorter suits it. If you have any suggestions as well as responses to the name Tessa that could be helpful.

Oh I love Tessa and it suits the family name and sibling style very well.

They'd never criticise a real name once the baby is here.

I think similar names are Esther and Kate.

It's your choice.
You will always get someone who comments negatively about such things.
Just ignore them.
Some people have no tact.

My daughter's middle name is Tessa

I knew a lovely tessa at university so it’s got very positive associations for me - it’s a pretty name

I think it's a lovely name. A bit different but not too out there. FWIW my dad didn't like the name I chose for DS but loved it once he was born, much better than the name he kept pushing on us - go figure

Prefer Tess. It's great.

It's a lovely name. I also learnt the hard way that telling people the name beforehand can lead to unsolicited opinions on the topic! My family didn't explicitly state they didn't like the name we chose, but every single time I saw them before giving birth they'd start listing all the names they liked in a "have you considered x, y and z" kind of way. It was most tiresome! I stuck to my guns through and so should you!

Stick with it if you love it, that's the problem when you tell people your choice of name they feel the can have their say... This is your baby to name nobody else's (except your partners)...

calilark you'll have to tell me if you go for the name Jack! What a coincidence.

Thank you for all of your comments. You've certainly helped me brush off some of the negative faces I received whilst mentioning the name.

From now on, I won't mention it to anyone. And wtffgs I like your idea of pretending to go off it for a while, only to 'change our minds' once she comes along.

I love the name Tessa (Tess), don't let anyone put you off.😄
How about Tessa Wren ?

It's a nice name. I prefer Tess, but Tessa is fine. Don't let anyone put you off it.

Tessa is a nice name.

Don’t tell people you know your potential baby names. That’s what Mumsnet is for!

I love it. And Tess. Makes me think of Thomas Hardy and healthy, ruddy-cheeked country lasses.

It’s alright.

Sugarpiehoneyeye that is perfect. We're English but living in Wales so would love a one syllable Welsh middle name. Hadn't thought of Wren. Cheers!

I hate it. It’s my name 😂. I am called T though.

It's sweet, don't know any children with the name but i do know a Jessa.

I like Tessa or Tess. If you really love the name, don't worry about what others think. There's nothing wrong with this name. I don't think you'll ever find a name everyone likes. So if you really love this name, do it. You might regret it later if you don't.

Love it, it's on our list for our baby.

I love it, mostly because of The Constant Nymph, which is one of my favourite books. I'd always assume it was short for Theresa/Teresa though.

It's a lovely name and it's not that much of a common name... Stuff what other people think, your child your choice of name

It's the perfect counterpart to Jack. Unfussy, country, curly-haired (for some reason), possibly a bit more practical than elegant but it's certainly not overused. Go for it OP.

Also due in October, also love it.

None of our parents liked the name for our first child and I've no idea what they think no because it doesn't matter

Tessa might be going on my shortlist

I like Tessa! Choose the name you like - you can't please everyone.

My favourite girls name gets negative reactions too, but it's the name of someone I love and admire, and also (in my opinion) a beautiful name, so if I have a DD in the future I'm using it regardless.

With the exception of truly awful or ridiculous names - the likes of Ptolemy or Balonz - other people's reactions are irrelevant. As a PP said it will soon become her name. A friend of mine named her DD Karen which I secretly thought was quite dull and dated, but it suits the now 7 month old so much, I can't imagine her being called anything else.

As it goes, Tessa or Tess are not to my taste.

However when I, very late on, told a friend the name we were likely to go for, her response was “that sounds like a stupid girls name, you know the quite pretty but dim sort” and my mother proclaimed it “dull and unimaginative sounding”.

They both flat out deny saying such things now, 3 years on and have done since the day my daughter was born

So, essentially - your chosen name isn’t dreadful, ugly or likely to cause lifelong spelling issues - use it.