How to respond when family & friend ask you about names

[HamCheeseHamnCheese]

We aren’t finding out the sex and we don’t want to share the name(s).

When people have asked I’ve kept it vague “oh we have a few we like but nothing final” when in actual fact I’m pretty certain we have both our girl and boys names decided included middle names (still a way to go so could change our minds of course!)

But this invites “what names do you like?” with particularly curious friends.

I’ve even said “we’re not going to share” and they go “oh come on, we won’t tell, tell us!”

It’s annoying! What can I say instead of sharing!

My mum is the worst culprit, she’s determined to bully it out of me.

They are being unfair - you've already said clearly that you're keeping it to yourselves. They should calm down after that!

I'd just say, "No, we've narrowed it down but we're going to meet the baby first before deciding." Or "We want to keep it as a surprise for everyone on the day! Thanks for understanding." And then change the subject.

An alternative would be to say, "well,what names do YOU like" or "what do you think the new royal baby will be called?". Then they can have the fun of discussing names but without it focussing on you.

I read something funny the other day, if they ask turn it back on them and ask for their suggestions and they say you hate all of them 😂

Pick something awful, Cedric and Gertrude (sorry if you are called these) and tell them that's what the baby will be called, but you'd like middle name suggestions.
Otherwise, say you are waiting to meet the baby.

Also tell them that you’re not interested in other people’s opinion on the names (“I knew blah and she was a cow” or screwing up their face). Don’t tell. In fact the only person I told was someone who I already knew liked it as was on her list and when I got her positive feedback was reinforcing. But otherwise say nothing.

I always said Hannah or Thomas Nothing offensive, neither were names we had on our list. It was nobody elses business and I didn't need any input.

Tell them a name (different name to what you want) that's what we did - MIL kept saying through the pregnancy "how's xx or xy?" And we just said yeh yeh fine. Then gave it the name we wanted when it was born. Her face was priceless

Tell them a name (different name to what you want)

That’s a good idea! Just have to hope no one goes out and buys anything personalised

Do what my daughter did and make up names you have no intention of using. Be vague and say you haven't thought of any names yet. Be totally disinterested in names people suggest and don't be drawn into a discussion on names you like .

“We want it to be a surprise” always worked for me.

Just say you havnt chosen yet? You can't tell if you don't have one.

Tell them it’s either Tarquin or Roxanne. Sorted.

Mention some names you quite like but aren't going to use.

Unfortunately, a friend who has nought she was jokingly stalling her family with Alucard and Dumpula (I’m inventing, but preposterous names), actually got at least one item of clothing with an embroidered name.

Just say ..Oh there's lots of names being thrown around..we come up with a new one everyday.
Do not tell them. I never did until baby arrived and then their could be no comments as insulting to gorgeous little baby.

We came up with a daft name that rhymed with the baby's surname. Not exactly but along the lines of Kevin Evans and just kept repeating it every time someone asked. I think it led family to believe we'd come up with other wacky name, so when we told them the name we'd chosen all along, there was a sigh of relief it was a normal name I'm pregnant again and doing the same thing 😂 they should know by now.

I did tell one relative but I knew I could trust her to a) not criticise it and b) keep it to herself.

Just tell them some other random stupid name like Daenearys (however it's spelt) or Phoenix Fox.

Our surname is shared by a famous family so I picked one of their kids names and said that every time. It was such a ridiculous name that people didn’t know what to say so just shut up instead.

“We thought we’d celebrate the conception by calling it Fanny Or Dickie 🙂”

I have a friend who's pregnant at the minute, when I asked her if they had started talking about names she just said "I think we've chosen our boy name but we want to keep it to ourselves" I just said "ok". If people are going to pester they're the assholes for doing so not you for keeping quiet.

best advice is to continue what your doing and say nothing. The minute you start sharing names everyone has an opinion!

We've actually had a real laugh about this with our friends. We know the sex and they don't but they do know baby will have a Greek name. So there's been a lot of good humoured comedy conversations with name predictions like Poseidon and Cyclops and Medusa. Could you have a bit of a giggle with them if they persist? Just throw out some really random names or something? Our friends know we have zero intention of telling them and they respect that but I have to say, the jokey guessing games will be one of my favourite friend related pregnancy memories.

Just say you’ve got no idea and ask for suggestions?