Negative comments make me regret daughter’s name.

[evelynsmummy44]

I know people are going to say not to worry but it’s something that I think about regularly. My daughter is three and her name is Evelyn. She has never, ever been called Evie (not even once) and her name was picked for sentimental reasons. When we named her I had never been on a site like this and having never met another little Evelyn I didn’t know it was popular (still haven’t met another one in our area!) however I get really sad that it is pretty much always called boring or horrible on this site. I very rarely see anything positive about it and it makes me regret not calling her Eliza. I’m not sure how to learn to love my daughter’s name again (maybe just come off this site? But I love looking at it for inspiration for baby number two) anyone been/felt similar about their child’s name?

[Ihopeyourcakeisshit]

I love it.
I know one Evelyn and she is adorable.
Ignore the negative comments.

[bananasandwicheseveryday]

Both my dcs have names which are generally slated on here - one is 'always a naughty child's name and the other has a name which will apparently prevent him from getting a good, professional career as an adult. Except that, when we chose their names, they were both very uncommon and 99% of people we told loved their names. The one with the 'chavvy' name has a very successful career in a professional role, is well respected by colleagues and clients alike. My 'naughty boy, also has a very good career, is probably the kindest, most gentle person I know and is teaching his own child to be the same. He is also well liked and respected at work and among his friends. Never even got so much as one detention during his entire tine at school. Names are about the person they belong to, not the people around them. There are names I'm not keen on, but that says more about me than the name.

FWIW, I have a lovely friend Evelyn and it's also the name of a much loved, now gone, member of the family from my Nan's generation. Lovely name which I associate with lovely people.

[Double0FeckingBollocks]

@tiredandpregnant that's terrible. I had a lot of that rudeness too. The ONLY correct response to hearing someone's name choice is "how lovely. It suits her/him". NO OTHER RESPONSE IS REQUIRED

[lisamac28]

I've seen both my name and DDs names trashed on here on some threads. Other threads they have been complimented. I don't think there's a single name in the world that everyone would think is nice.

[parttimeateverything]

I teach a 5 year old Evelyn. She's a really lovely girl from a lovely family and it's a lovely name!

[parttimeateverything]

Conversely I didn't like my daughters name for many years, I think I had prenatal depression. The pregnancy wasn't really discussed, certainly not names. I was tired my dh was so worried about money. He said how about Daisy or Ellie, I liked one of these at the time, immediately regretted it and was embarrassed calling her it in public, my other 2 have names I really love. But I've come to realise it's fine some other people like it some don't. She has a middle name she can use if she wants in the future. Once she was born dh and I fell in love and all our worries fell away she's been a real blessing to our family. I wish I hadn't always had niggles about her name and come to terms with it sooner.

[AllCaughtUp]

All my kids have names in the top 5 which are frequently slated on here. Don't really care, I like them and that's what matters. FWIW Evelyn is a beautiful name.

[Mysterian]

It's a name. Thought you were going to say some ridiculous thing like Mauve, or Kumquat or something. Perfectly nice name.

[chocolatelog]

I wouldn't worry about the opinion of strangers, I wouldn't even take notice of the opinion of friends and family. Dd4's name is seen as a stripper name on here (Scarlett) which I just don't get 🤷🏻‍♀️
A while back I started a thread on here asking opinions on my boy list. I named my son the least favourite name from that list (intentionally) because I didn't want to go with the "favourite" from people that just don't matter to me. And I figured well if it's not a well liked name then it won't be popular 👍🏼

Evelyn is a beautiful name. It's on my girl list 😁

[hopelesslyromantic93]

I would try not to let it bother you at all! (Fwiw I think Evelyn is a beautiful name and I was too scared to use it for the comments about it being too old womanly so I 100 percent get where you are coming from). I know it's easier said than done but they really do just 'become' their name and it really doesn't matter what other people think. According to a thread running at the moment my daughters name is 'truly the pits' and 'downmarket' (Georgia btw) and honestly it did bother me to read it but everyone IRL loves her name and it suits her down to a tee! It's too easy to get wrapped up in peoples opinion online :) you love the name and it means something to you!

[aliceelizaloves]

Love the name Evelyn, it's so classic and pretty. I think people say no to it here because Evie is so overused (but still lovely).

[PostmanPatIsIncompetent]

I LOVE the name Evelyn. I badly wanted it for our DDs but DH wasn't keen (our surname is E and he thought it sounded too alliterative). It's a beautiful name I think, really elegant.

The name we did choose for DD1 (which I also love) is often said to be far too popular on here, but I've only met one other little girl with it in 6 years.

On your question though, I have sometimes wondered if we gave DS the right name (for the opposite reason, it's a bit unusual). It's his now, though - he's become it, and he's lovely so it's lovely, and he'll define it in his own way.

[AJPTaylor]

Lol. Daughter no 1 was born in 1995. I bought a baby name book. I was the first of my friends to have a baby and knew no one else with children or any other mums.
Yep. Blind picked the most popular girls name. There was still only 2 others by the time she got to secondary in her year of 180.

[Bumblebeesmum]

ALL names will be either boring, trashy, pretentious, try hard, weird, faddy, dated..... there is not a name that every single person on here would like.

I take boring as the downside any day! I love unusual or even weird names on other people’s kids but it just wasn’t very me. My son’s name is James which has been in the top 10 for 500 years (!!!!) I don’t think you’ll get a name more worthy of ‘boring’ - but I love it - he loves is & I couldn’t care less! (He’s really proud of that fact).

Evelyn is lovely - I don’t think it’s even anywhere near popular enough to be deemed boring although that’s not really the point of my comment - even if it were, it’s a lovely name - why worry if lots of other parents also think it’s a lovely name?

Also in 1911 one name could be given to over 10k kids - nowadays everyone is striving for uniqueness so to make it to the top of the charts it only takes a few thousand. My son is almost 7 & has the most popular name of all time, yet of the 3 classes in his year he’s the only James, same for his out of school clubs!

[lilabet2]

Evelyn is a pretty name!

[LordPickle]

I saw this thread because it got picked up by The Mirror and I just wanted to say that Evelyn is a lovely name! My DS also has a "boring name " by MN standards and I don't care at all. I couldn't imagine him being anything else. Don't worry about what anyone else thinks. It genuinely does not matter.

[LordPickle]

Also I think that being upset about what the internet thinks is somewhat indicative of a larger personality issue where your need to please and fit in can often cloud your judgment and choices.

I say this as someone that suffers from the same problem, so I am in no way judging you. I am 38 years old and I have to constantly remind myself that others opinions don't matter and if I like it then that's all that matters.

It's quite hard for us chronic pleasers to be happy because we worry so much about fitting in that we often don't do what we genuinely like and if we do, we worry so much that it ruins it anyways.

I'd love to have some great advice for you, but I don't. I think the first step is probably to focus on what makes you happy and to try very hard not to care what everyone else thinks.

Opinions are like assholes, everybody's got one.

[HeronLanyon]

I like Evelyn a lot (both pronounciations) and also like eve and Evie. Classic. Strong. Pretty. Also know one whose nn is Ellen.

[LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD]

I just saw it popped up on the Mirror too!

Bugger off you lazy ‘journalists’, haven’t you got any actual news stories to follow?

[Peacheyhouse]

When we decided our daughters name we didn’t hear many Evelyn’s but haven’t been told it’s boring at all. I still love the name and we shorten it to Evee to make it different

[lanesra2]

I plan to call my baby Evelyn when she is born in June. I haven't seen many negative comments on here and if I did I don't think it would stop me. I love the name

[Zigzagpolar]

Another Evelyn here! She’s 6, the only one i’ve met and a force of nature. I also had wobbles over the name....but she really couldn’t be anything else!

[Livipearl1]

I’m reading these messages and often it’s opinions: who do I listen to... those who say it’s a great name or those who don’t like it? It’s hard thinking people don’t like a name you lovingly chose.

I thought I’d share a personal experience, having grown up with a name that (where I lived at least) was unheard of, and is now the most popular name for several years running.

When my parents names me Olivia, there was a long silence from the nurses who asked my mum what she’d name me. Surrounded by Emma’s, Kate’s, Emily’s, Sarah’s, Laura’s and Charlottes growing up I longed for a name every supply teacher didn’t mispronounce in front of the whole class at register, and people always asked me to spell for then. It’s weird to think that considering how common it is now and how often I’m complimented on it now instead of strange puzzled looks after asking me to repeat myself as a child. I’ve gone from one extreme to another and I can honestly say that with the same thing happening to my sister, with such varying responses, that people’s opinions change as does the norm of names. Please love the name you gave, not because others think it is beautiful but because you chose a name that is beautiful for your child. I hope you grow to love your choice again x

[pixie1980]

You have chosen a lovely name for your daughter. You should be proud of it. You chose that name for all the right reason. Don’t let negative comments change how you feel about a name. What is most important is the moments you share with your daughter and the memories you make. Who cares if strangers don’t like your daughters name. You loved it enough to give to it to your precious bundle of joy. Be proud!! Xx

[Starburst8]

@evelynsmummy44 I like the name Evelyn.
I wouldn't worry about what mumsnet think of it. Apparently my son's name is "chavy" (I named him 16 years ago and it wasn't a well known name at the time)
Either way we're not here to please the anonymous posters, so as long as you like it that's all that matters.
Wouldn't you rather have an Evelyn amongst all the Sarahs, Rachels and Lauras? (Just to list a few popular names)