How do you deal with negative reactions to your baby name?

[micc]

So I made the error or telling people the names we are thinking of calling our next baby due soon. I guess I'm just really excited and didnt see it as a big deal. As I did with my DD and I got mixed reactions then and I really didnt care, now everyone loves her name. I dont know what I'm having this time. We have got a top name for both, we love them. But we have had about 90% bad reactions, we have only told immediate family and a few close friends who ask.
I am not necessarily thinking of changing my mind, but nothing is set in stone. But lets say I do change my mind, everyone will be like oh thank God you didnt call her that for her whole life. I guess it's my fault. I should of kept my mouth shut. But its starting to put doubts in my mind slightly. In no way are my names offensive IMO, its not like Lucifer or anything Haha, not that that's offensive IMO! I have mentioned the names on other posts and got mixed reactions but I'm looking for more advice moving forward. Did you have a similar experience? Do people get over it? Did anyone say anything once they were born to you?

My niece has a really unusual name. No one had ever heard it before, it's not even on the ONS list. DH even commented that it sounded like a very unflattering character from the 80s. Anyway, she was born and we all got over our doubts. We can't imagine her being called anything else. At the moment the name is just a name, when DC is born you associate it with a person.

On the other posts where you asked about the name, what comments did you get? Does it mean something else in other languages, sound like something else, hard to pronounce etc?

Cousins baby girl is called Jovi. I can't stop thinking about Jon Bon Jovi and 2yrs on, still feel its unusual. Nothing to do with me though. When she was born, I did ask if they were fans of the band, or where they got the name from, but it didnt even have any significance or association with the band

My aunt really hates my daughters name- she said “it’s ok people can use her middle name”..:her middle name is far more niche as it’s my late mothers name, and tbh I’ve never heard it on any child.
Honestly with names everyone has an opinion you have to learn not to give it a second thought

Mil hated ds's name. I told her she wouldn't want to be around him then...
She stfu...

I had one woman wrinkle her nose in front of me when I was holding my baby!

It was quite a standard name for the year she was born without being in the top 50 (not that year anyway)

The woman had had a baby herself recently and was obviously delighted with her own choice (Ruby) and she told me she wanted something unusual. I just nodded. I wonder if she ever noticed how many other children have that name! I like the name Ruby, it's lovely, but to wrinkle your nose at other people's choices when they are literally holding the baby struck me as extremely immature! I felt like saying, it was hard enough naming her, thank goodness we didn't have to consult you too!''

I’ve been on the flip side of the coin where sister told us their top 3 names (one was awful, two were not great IMO). I was torn between giving an honest opinion while there’s still time to reconsider.... and not wanting to offend them. I gave a fairly neutral response, but it probably wasn’t the positive reaction she’d hoped for.

At least I wasn’t as bad as her MIL who actively asked her DH to not use their preferred name (and avoids saying baby’s name if she possibly can).

Anyway, baby is born, I wasn’t crazy about the name but they love it and everyone else is used to it now and couldn’t imagine him with a different name.

I wouldn’t let it change your mind on your name choice.. there will never be a name that everyone loves. If you love it then it’s perfect.

Somebody also once said to me ''bit,conserrrrrrrvative and her own kids had names that wouldn't have been on my radar because they sounded like she made them up after watching too many day time tv shows

People didn't really like my baby names. You get over it and to be honest those people always like to 'play it safe' and just go for something really plain. As long as its not like Thanny or something they are going to be straight out bullied for go for it. Haha

I either get that's a great name or a look of confusion. I get asked is it 'foreign' a lot and a relative said it sounded like ashtray....

I just ignore them

@Elouera if I'm honest the main feedback on our girls name is that its chavy and one friend said it sounds like a stripper! Haha, and that's what people on here said too. So it could be worse I guess, but it's just irritating like it's actually a really old name with a lot of history. And that's my future baby your saying sounds like a stripper?? Haha And my boys name people think sounds really American and doesnt suit our DDs name. But I would hate it if my mum chose my name just because it went with my sisters ya know?

Thanks for all the comments, I remember an older lady saying to me in the que in M&S 'I wonder where you got that from' about my DDs name and her name is an English name with lots of history again!! I dont know why its bothering my more this time. I think its because everyone is saying it sounds like a stripper while with my DD they said it was weird. I can get over weird but can I get over stripper?

Naming a baby something that makes people think of sex worker would give me pause. That's not a nice connotation. Have you googled the name + porn star to see if it is a famous porn star name? Before naming out kids I had a thorough google!

yeh that would be an odd choice. I think people feel they want to protect a child from having a name that makes creeps view them through a sexualised lens. So normally it's a not my baby i don't care from me, but if you have given your baby a name that is associated with the sex industry then you cannot blame your family for having an (upset) reaction to that

Is it Sapphire?

My paternal Grandmother called dd "that child" til the day she died. Most people can't pronounce her name properly and it's used primarily in continental Europe but dd is named after a relative dh adored so we just smile and correct people.

People thinking stripper might put me off though. Does it start with an L?

Big hugs! It is thoughtless of people to say unkind things about names.

@Elouera Jovi is a fab name. I think I've heard every name in the world but that's new and makes me think of a cheerful person.

Its because of a song with a very similar name. But it's an 80s song that kids nowadays will not know. I'll just say my DDs name, its Clementine. Now if anyone knows the song about Clementine its horrible hahaha shes lost and gone forever!! I have friends with girls called Lola and there are 1 or two songs about that name that aren't particularly favourable. But it doesnt matter imo it's a nice name, it sounds nice hence it's in so many songs..
It's not like a specific like porn star name Haha, mainly people have been saying its chavy. Which I can get over I think..its just sad as we really had a moment where we both loved it. I shouldn't of opened my mouth

It's tricky op. The thing is people will still think those things even if they don't say it. Do you mind if people think she's chavvy? The stripper thing would worry me a bit. You've just got to think how it will help her get jobs and things when she's older. And if you think all those things are fine then still go with it.

I don't think you can say much except that you still like it!

I think clementine is lovely BTW.

I've said it before on forums and I'll say it again now I've got some feedback on the situation so you can all pretend to like it for me Haha, it Roxana, we would say Rox-ah-na. It's the name of Alexander the greats first wife and we both just really love it. Roxy sounds really cool with our last name too.
and our current boy name is Cody which gets less kick back, only people saying it sounds really American.

Now please dont be too mean hahaha, but I honestly dont think they are that bad? Like is it really that bad???

Roxanne????

Sorry cross post

That’s a lovely name, it’s hardly the most out there name I’ve ever heard (work with small children).

Love Clementine, like Roxanna.

Oh, Delilah!

I remember that post. I think it's a lovely name.

Lovely name. People just say stripper because they are thinking of the song but tbh when I’ve actually met people with the name I don’t think of the song any more I think of them.