Mary and Joseph

[Mazzatron]

I'm due my second baby in May. My name is Mary. I want to call him Joseph. We aren't in the least bit religious, I just love the name and the shortening Joe and Joey.

Will this be a big mistake? Will he / we be ridiculed forever?

Obviously he will call me Mum / Mummy not Mary.
Not seeing many other names we like.

Most of the time it won’t be an issue. You are bound to get the occasional scenario such as;

Friend : oh hi Dave (insert OP’s DP’s name), how are you? How’s the family?

Dave : yeah, good thanks mate. This here is DC1. Mary & Joseph are just over there - looking at the donkeys.

So I don’t think it would come up all that often. Whether you would find it funny or embarrassing when it did is up to you.

I do love the name Joseph.

Lovely name, no reason not to as you will be mum to him and Joseph's mum to his friends

If his sibling was Mary it would be worse, what is your partners name? I think it would be fine.

If you meet up with people and take him with you, it will be “Mary and Joseph are coming in a bit”. Work colleagues will ask baby’s dad, “how are ‘Mary and Joseph doing?” For the foreseeable future. Your friend you walk to school with telling their child “hurry up, Mary and Joseph will be waiting for us”

I think it’s wrong to assume you’ll never be referred to as Mary and Joseph because you will, a lot, especially before the child reaches his teens. And it will usually be when you’re not around of course, and it will stick out to people.

I think there’s enough other lovely names to choose that won’t get people taking the mick out of you both. Of course you may not care, but you’re posting here so I assume it’s a concern!

lulu I know a bloke called Adam whose wife is called Eve.

Yes, we did laugh.

It's fine. Someone might comment, but it isn't like it's a bad association. They are common enough names. Different if your name was Cher and you named him Sonny for example. That would be a bit bonkers.