Bracing myself for negative reactions...

[mamablondie]

Advice please!

DH and I have finally settled on a name we love, after a lot (and I mean a lot) of discussion. We have chosen Willow. However, I’m bracing myself for negative responses particularly from my in laws. I just have a feeling they will have strong views - any advice on what to say?

This is my second baby and my first has a fairly common yet lovely (IMO) name. There wasn’t as much room for ‘debate’ with it if that makes sense. TIA

I think it is lovely!

Definitely don't tell anyone before she is born.

My cousin has a bit of a wacky name and I just know that if my auntie had told my mum "we're calling her X" before she was born, my mum would have stuck her oar right in and said "you can't call her that!"

But they waited until she was born to announce her name, and whilst privately my mum and maybe some other people all said "WTF", the only thing they said to the new parents was "congratulations, when can we meet the baby?"

She's 25 now and we all got used to her name a long time ago.

It's a beautiful name. Just don't tell anybody until she's born. They will get used to it pretty quick. My MIL didn't like DD2s name and now it's so not a thing at all. You can't be mean about a name when there's a gorgeous baby attached to it. Unless you're a real meanie. Enjoy your lovely Willow and ignore the rest.

Don't tell them until after the baby is born.. She is your baby and your choice of name. Once a baby is born most people will accept their name.
I think it's a lovely name by the way. But it doesn't really matter what anyone else thinks.

Beautiful name. Unless your surname is Tree then I don't see what the problem is

Definitely do not tell anyone until baby is born.

@whatausername

Don’t joke. There’s a Givenchy in my home town.

That’s a really cute name. Lovely.

I think its a lovely name

I agree with everyone. Willow is a pretty name and not unusual . I have known Willows for the last 55 years although I can't think of any older than me.Don't discuss names before your daughter is here, present her already named and everyone will accept it. In our family a couple of older relatives were a bit sniffy about non Christian names but they soon adapted!

The first they hear of it should be a text that says ‘Our lovely daughter Willow Charlotte Sempronia arrived at 3.45 am this morning weighing seven pounds.’

You can’t argue with conservatism. Both my parents and ILS feel that names should indicate nothing other than a desire not to stand out from the crowd, and I’m sure were secretly aghast that we felt differently and gave DS a very unusual name.

Gorgeous name. Don’t tell anyone til she’s born. I told people our first born’s name before she was born and EVERYONE had an opinion. So annoying. With our second we didn’t say until after she was born, no one criticises the name once baby is born.

Willow is lovely. I love the name Willa too.
She’s had her chance to name her children. It’s your turn now she has no right to be rude, particularly when you’ve chosen a beautiful name

My 10 month old DD is called Willow!

You'll save yourself the need to plan a response if you don't tell anyone her name until after she's born. Before each of our DDs were born, if people kept asking what their names would be I replied with one of the names that rhymes with our last name e.g. Mia Fear. Occasionally people commented about the sound of the names together but I'd just reply with, "we really like it". They'd either understand that I was joking and wasn't going to tell them the chosen name or they'd look a bit and move on.

Willow is a lovely name and will be all the more lovely once your DD is here to own it. Give a pretend name if you are pressed and want to say something, pick a name that rhymes with DD1's or say you're going to name her after the street you live on. Just don't say her actual name yet!