We've found the name but scared of people's reaactions

[Joeybee]

Baby #2 is due in October. I already have a son, Stanley.
I'm fussy with names
Nothing in top 50
Nothing with strong R or W sound (clashes with surname)
Not ambiguous to say/spell
Vintage or classic name
Has nickname options.
Middle name will be Elsie

So after a LOT of researching a name came to me out of nowhere. It's very unusual and a vintage girl name. I love it and Husband does. However when I look it up on websites, it seems to be a name people either love, or hate.
So now I'm doubting myself.
Do I just go with the name that feels right, and that meets my criteria and brace myself for a few possibly insensitive/negative comments OR just go back to the drawing board again?

@Astronica thanks :-)
It's nice to get an Aussie perspective, as that's where baby will be growing up.

Gorgeous name! dont tell anyone the name until the baby is here, then they will smile and say how lovely and you wont know or care if they like it or not.

I have a friend called Araminta. Generally called Ara, but called Minty when she was small.

I really like it btw.

I had an Araminta at my school but knew her as Minty. I wouldn't use it myself but if you love it then go for it!

I’m trying to like it, but failing.

My sons name gets rinsed on here as an 'upper class' posh name. We are neither upper class, or posh. I would call us lower than middle but higher than lower class if i had to class us! People on here seened to mostly hate his name but as soon as we named him, all our congratulations messages included "oh and i LOVE his name". So go with what feels right for you. I also had second thoughts when i first saw these opinions but so glad i ignored them because he couldnt be called anything else!

It’s a great choice. Go for it.

I think Harriet Elsie is better. Hetty for short. But it's not my baby!

Thanks everyone. It's nice to see how many people really like the name. I know a lot of people don't think it goes with Elsie, which is fine...the more I think of it, the less I think it matters if the first and middle name 'go'....you never have to say your full name that many times anyway.

I know a lot of vowel heavy names are very popular and rising in popularity - Layla, Lyra, Olivia, Aurora, Amelia, Emilia, Arabella. So Araminta goes with that kind of trend, but I'm not in danger of it becoming too popular.

I do think for sure that the class associations with the name and my sons name won't be an issue where I live. Class distinctions are so much more apparent in the UK than Aus. Here, people just see Stanley as an English name, so that doesn't bother me.
I am surprised that so many people think people would ask how to spell it. As it's spelt phonetically I can't see how else someone would try to spell it tbh. Then again I thought I was safe with Stanley, but get asked all the time how to spell that, so maybe no name is safe 🤦🏻‍♀️
I'm pronouncing this name Ara-Minta. I've noticed some people saying the R sound would be too strong with my surname, but I'm wondering if those people are thinking it should be pronounced Aarah-minta or something, as then I could understand those concerns. It's not that a name I pick can't have R in it, just that it doesn't have a strong Rr or w sound. I've said that name out loud with the surname so many times and can't see how it'd clash....Harriet however and other suggestions (lovely how they are, I actually love that name) Are a mouthful to say with the surname.

As it's spelt phonetically I can't see how else someone would try to spell it tbh.

My name is slightly unusual (but less so than Araminta) and it is spelt phonetically, yet people constantly get it wrong with some absolutely ridiculous spellings.

Someone could hear Araminta and write it down as:

Araminda
Arraminta
Aramintah

... and so on. Or, as happens to me quite a lot, write down a better known name that sounds a bit similar, e.g. Arabella.

Mind you, I lived in Australia for a year and it was the one place where people generally got my name right! Maybe Aussies are better listeners

The great thing about Australia is that no-one gives a fuck about class.

Stanley is in fact a very Notting Hill name right now. I know two in that bracket. The posters on this thread aren’t even right with their class indicators.

Yes, Minty from Moondial!

Not my taste but then not is Stanley. But I wouldn't recoil in horror. I'd just think you were mega rich and had you own pony.

Its ok, like not awful. I think Agnes or Agatha might be better.

Or Iris.

Even though the spelling seems completely obvious, I suspect she will have to spell it the first time for most situations. People will also read out / write / hear Arabella, Amanda, etc instead.

I have to spell my name without exception. It's currently one of the top 10 most popular names - so very far from unheard of. But there are at least three widely-used spellings.

It's not that big a deal - I think most people probably have to spell at least their first name or their surname, don't they?

My maiden name had to be clarified Mc/Mac, and my married surname is slightly different from the way the Scottish comedian spells it.

I think not having to spell out your name is realistically way down on most people's priority list. And if it is a priority, it leaves you with a pretty small, dull list to choose from.

Not a fan myself it just sounds like a comedy posh name ie. a name someone would use when taking the piss out of a posh girl. I also really don’t like Minty.
Also why the references to the Borrowers? Her name was Arietty (which I think is far nicer than Araminta)

Similar nicer names I would consider are Arianie, Ariane, Arabella, Aria, Aurelia, Annabelle, Audrey, Aubrey, Adeline, Ada, Anya, Alana.

I don't like Minty, either and definitely not Araminta. Ariadne is more interesting as a name. I also like Audrey, Ada, Anya and Alana.

Araminta is a really ugly name - probably because all the syllables are short and the same length and there are far too many of them. It makes me wonder why you have to bark out so many short sounds to get to the end of the name. Tbh, Aramint would be nicer. Why the ridiculous a at the end? Also, absolutely no way is it a name people would not ask how to spell - people always ask how to spell a name that is a bit unusual.

Aramint sounds like a chewing gum, @Walkaround!

As you thought, the name divides people. Do you care or does it make you just dwell on the nicer comments? Now you have your answer!
I also thought that Stanley is more working class/hipster adopting these types of old man names but then I remembered Boris Johnson's dad, frequently interviewed on news shows- he is rather, rather posh! By the way, I'm one who likes Araminta. I know a couple of children with similar type of mildly unusual names or even ones where you initially think "really?" but they all grow into them so even if I hated it (ie if it was Hilda) I'd say disregard others' opinions.

Call her Elsie

I really like it and think it does work with Stanley as they are both "vintage" imo.

I also agree with some pps re class really not being an issue. I actually think these days you're just as likely to meet a lower class Araminta and a "posh" Stanley as the other way round. So called "posh" names are popular with everyone these days, as are vintage names like Stanley. I remember when Sebastian and Amelia were considered hilariously posh and now you hear them being shouted out in very not posh accents!

Seems odd to ask on a UK-based forum and the say, oh well your opinions don't really count.

And then agree and thank the one antipodean who likes the name/s.

It's fine. Seemingly unlike most other posters, it doesn't inspire strong feelings in me either way. I would perhaps vaguely associate it with 'posh'. It also has quite a strong and bold feel, which is good. A big plus is it's phonetic and therefore travels well.