Boy's Name

[itsallaboutthehoney]

Hi All,

Just had a beautiful baby boy and my partner has his heart set on the name Granit. It goes very well with our surname.

I've come to see the baby as Granit now although I wouldn't have chosen it in the beginning but everyone we've told has been very derogatory about the name that my partner now feels it's tainted and put off by other people's reactions. I've said I want to go ahead and call him the name as it doesn't feel right calling him anything else.

What would you do?

Are you Albanian?

Congratulations on your new son! If your partner is having very negative feelings about the name, wherever they;'ve come from, I think you really need to consider his point of view and ultimately think about changing the name. There was a similar thread when the OP had come to hate her child's name but her OH wanted to keep it and the consensus was that the child's name should be changed as it's not fair for a parent to dislike their child's name. Maybe your partner is seeing the negative reaction to the name and doesn't want your son to face that. Does he have any other suggestions for the baby that you like that you try out for a few days? Maybe you'll like that better in the end, or maybe you'll both realise the Granit was the right choice all along.

Do they just not like it? Or are derogatory comments because of something that makes the name problematic?

If the former, ignore, a name won't please everyone, but if you and your partner like it then that's all the matters. E.g. I don't like the name Lucy at all, but that doesn't mean it's an objectively bad name just not my cup of tea.

If the latter, then might be worth mulling over, but doesn't automatically mean you shouldn't use it if you decide your love for the name overrides the problem. E.g. the name Claudia means lame, this might put some people off, but I would still use it as I love it and don't care about meanings. E.g. Alexa is the name of the popular Amazon device, as a result most new parents avoid the name.

aah I misread slightly, I thought your partner had been upset at the reaction, not that it had made him have a change of heart. In that case toast has give some good advice.

It's awful.

Who has been derogatory? Do their views count? This really sounds like something to discuss with your partner, if he loved the name but is now discouraged.
I like it. I can see the potential for confusion, mainly that he will get called Grant, which is not a big deal.

Thanks everyone. No we're not Albanian! Yes it's a very common name in Albanian I hear. Family members & friends of ours who have asked previously if we had any names we liked prior to our sons birth have put the damper on it. Comments like it's an odd name, it sounds like a rock, can't you call him something normal 😂

Partner has said he would secretly see him as being called Granit but would outwardly choose a 'standard' name to please others.

Granit means rock in the Uk and is mostly associated with kitchen worktops. It’s a very odd choice. Use it as a MN if you want but it’s pretty cruel to saddle it on someone as a first name.

All names are weird when you analyse them. Some names mean a colour, like yellow.

It is a very unusual choice, and when you make an unusual choice you have to be prepared for opinions, given freely by those you have not asked. You can either see this out or it will taint the name.

If you have to change, what about using Grant?

I like loads of unusual, uncommon names, but Granit is just ugly. Sorry. My opinion, obviously. If your husband has gone off it, find a new name, and the new name doesn't have to be traditional.

Like the rock?

How about Grant instead?

It's really not a very nice name, I thought it was a typo first for Grant. Also, imagine the nicknames? Gran? Or Nit? Sorry, I usually try to think of positive points for all names but I'm genuinely struggling with this one.

If you both like it that is all that really matters. To me it does sound like one of those names that people look twice at. I think if you really want the name you need to be strong in your decision. I think you will need to become thick skinned about it because I think it’s a name you are likely to always get raised eyebrows about. You also need to consider the impact that might have on your child as they grow up.

I absolutely love the meaning. I say go for Grit as a nn .

It is a very unusual name, especially if you have no connection to a culture where it is more commonly used.

I wouldn’t be able to use it personally - I wouldn’t want my DS to have a lifetime or “sorry what was that”, “how do you spell it?”, “oh that’s an interesting name - where’s it from?” Etc.

If you absolutely love it, then I would say go for it - but I’m not sure you do absolutely love it. It sounds like your partner loves it and you’re willing to go along with it to make him happy.

Is he an Arsenal fan?

What about Gray or Grayson instead?

Granit is a very unusual name for the UK, unfortunately people pass judgment on every name (if you ask for it or not 🙄)

Thanks everyone for your replies. I just thought I'd update you and let you know we decided to go with it. We decided in the end that we would regret not calling him what we wanted and with a name like Granit, he'll be strong maybe in character and stature. I really believe you can grow into your name

Hopefully he’ll like it

But I think it would be kind to give him a conventional middle name so he has some choice if he doesn’t.