Does anyone else's family make fun of names you've picked?

[JustCuriousToday]

Hi all,

Bit of a weird one but after literally nine months of going through every boy name is the world I have finally decided on "Louis" (Lou-ee) for my little boy and honestly it seems like everyone in my family has a negative opinion on it, "you can't call my grandchild that", "at least give him a chance, what a stupid name", "he'll be called Lewis" and more bizarrely "he'll grow up gay with a name like that" (I mean I don't think names dictate sexuality but jokes on you granny, I don't care if he's gay)

Has anyone else had this? It's really making me second guess the name but it's genuinely the only one me and DH can agree on and I've been calling him Louis for the past few weeks and it just feels right but I guess because I'm heavily pregnant and hormonal I just feel upset at the comments.

If you have had this, did you name them that name anyway? Any regrets?

What an odd response. It's a perfectly normal name

Oh and it's your DC so call them what you want. They've had their chance to name their baby...it's yours now.

I had this op, i named dd Brooke. 'D'M said it was awful and she never heard of it 🤔🙄.

Louis is a lovely name!

DH (unwisely!) shared our choice of boy's name when I was still pregnant. The response was "Oh I don't like that". We shrugged and used it anyway. I learned only to share the name when the baby is introduced so it's too late. As my parents pointed out, they got to pick names they liked when they had their own kids. And, no, we didn't call him Ferrari or anything remotely adventurous!

Definitely use the name. I'm a fan of not telling people the name before birth because people can be weird. I'm always shocked how rude some people can be though.

As in Prince Louis the queen's great grandson?! Your family are bonkers. I know a few children called Louis both little ones and older teenagers. Also Louis Theroux etc it's a lovely name and you chose it together for your son so I'd keep it if I were you

Yes my DDAD wife passed comment on all three of my DCs names. She didn't like any of them. She's ridiculous though so we're very low contact anyway.

I think that, in some cases, it can be a much needed reality check. Not with Louis though - there's nothing wrong with it at all. With Prince Louis there won't be too many mispronunciations I wouldn't have thought.

It's a lovely name ignore them. I sisnt tell my family our name choice before ds was born as I knew I would get some funny looks/comments, as long as you and DH like it that's all that matters. Also if you don't use it you may end up regretting it or resenting his family for not using it.

Never tell anyone the name until the child is born. Otherwise they feel you are asking for their opinion. They had their chance to name a child. They sound incredibly rude and outspoken.
Also Prince Louis? Its a pretty popular name at the moment even before the prince was born.
It was on my list.
Just stop engaging with them and change the subject.

Yes, and some did it after they were born as well so that trick didn't work on the stubborn ones for me.

For months, my mother would not stop going on about my first two were going to get bullied in school for their middle names (not even that weird, just not English names) and how she's never give children such names. Part of me still regrets not asking her why she would think I would take naming advice from someone who seemed to forget two of her children were mocked for our given names and that I had changed mine from everything she had given me to something with a bit more thought.

I did have a wobble when my oldest was little, but it was purely from coming across another name that I think could have suited him just as well that I hadn't heard before. They're both teenagers now, never had any issues with their names.

Aw it’s a lovely name! I learnt my lesson hard when I shared my daughter’s name with my mum (narcissist) where she sneered and sniggered. But I didn’t change my mind(despite all her comments) and I m so glad I stuck to it because I love it and so do many others. A friend told me to NEVER share ur name ideas as everyone has an opinion. Name and register THEN tell everyone. Much harder to take the piss out of a cute baby staring back at you. Your family are horrible

Two of my extended family did this. They are not nice people. The good people in my family only said ‘how lovely’. They have shown their true selves

It's hardly 'out there' or weird. It's perfectly normal and a lovely name and even if it was horiffic it's really no e if their business.
I'd completely ignore and not let them know it's getting to you.
I had this when I declared I loved Betsy.
I decided against it but only because I found a name I loved more. My DM didn't like the name I chose either but it really didn't matter to me.

Lovely name. Ignore them.

It's a perfectly nice name!

It’s a good name. Ignore them and use it.

The answer to anyone telling you that you cannot name their grandchild that is “Oh yes I can, and I will be whether you like it or not.”

Ignore them, they're being weird - Louis is a perfectly normal name.

I think rudeness is reasonably common - my grandmother rang my father to complain about my name when I was born. One of my colleagues had family complaints about her 'embarrassing' children's names, her children have very classic names like Sophie and James, so no idea why her family were so rude!

I also think there is a generational aspect with names - my mother thinks my friend gave her daughter 'such an unusual name' - it's Freya! FIL didn't believe DH when DH said his friend had named his son Arlo. They're just not familiar with names which are popular today as they don't know many babies.

Names are a very personal thing, even the parents agreeing can be hard work .

The problem here seems to be relatives feeling it's their place to comment, it is not.

My family has been on the other side of the fence, my sister chose a name nobody erh felt for. Of course nobody said a word, it was their choise.

There’s nothing wrong with the name. Your family don’t sound very nice though.

That’s what you get for telling folk!

We didn't name our DC until after they were born and still had comments from grandparents despite the names being very "normal".

Comments on DD's name: "that's too English, we don't like it" (GP are Scottish)

Comments on DS's name: "did you call him that because you like watching cowboy movies?"

My comments in reply: "sorry, are you being rude about your grandchild's name?" accompanied with a death stare and arched eyebrow.

The advice seems to be never to tell anyone your name choice before your baby is born and named! Then people won't be so rude.

Louis is fine. There is another couple who your family may have heard of who used this name a few years ago.. what are they called again ?

I had an elderly relative who used to do this though after the babies had been born! She was a bit of a...character though .

I made the mistake of telling people what I was calling DC1 and everyone had a negative opinion, even though it was a fairly common name with no negative connotations (similar to Jack or Sam). I ended up feeling pressured into calling him something different, which I regret. With my following 3 babies I didn't tell a soul what I was going to name them until they were born. Nobody said anything about the names apart from how lovely they were.

I think you could be more likely to regret not giving them that name you love. Louis isn't a weird name. I can't see anyone getting bullied for that. I'd stick with it if you love it. They'll get used to it.

I agree with a previous comment that quite often it can be a generational thing. If I have a daughter we plan to call her a name that was most popular in the 1920/30s and my parents might say it's an old fashioned name - though it's in the top 100. When really the names they would choose are either dated or super popular.

Ah yes, my children all have unusual names (not made up names, historical names with specific meaning, just not very common!) And I've had comments and jokes both before and after they were born from certain family members. However I loved the names, they were carefully chosen and I didn't really care what others thought (although I will admit a bit of a wobble when DC1 was tiny).

I think some people just want to say something and can be a bit rude and unthinking. I'm surprised Louis would be so controversial though!!