how much influence did this board have on you?

[Nimbostratus100]

I like the baby names threads, and am always prepared to add my opinion when asked. I just wonder if we have ever changed a parents mind, or preferences. Are their any children walking around who are carrying a name because of comments on this board? HOw old are they now? Did you make the right decision for you in the end?

I asked on here with both DCs and ds was nearly one of the names people liked on here. In the end he got a family name which is quite unusual and gets mixed opinions on here.

With DD, I picked the boy name and DH picked the girl name (from pre-approved lists) so unless he asked on here, dd's name has nothing to do with Mumsnet. It is a solid, classic name though and is popular on MN.

I just wish people would come back and confirm what they chose!

yes, that would be interesting! Maybe we could have a thread just for that!

I joined MN when I was PG with DC2 and DH chose her name. He doesn't read MN, as far as I know, so little influence here

My daughter's name received mixed reviews on MN when I asked for opinions around 7 years ago. It's actually suggested on here more now, and usually responded to positively. Just the way fashions change!

In a sense it solidified my resolve to use the name as none of the (subjective) negative opinions changed my mind in the slightest, so I knew it was 'the one'. I still love the name and, more importantly, so does my daughter.

In a sense it solidified my resolve to use the name as none of the (subjective) negative opinions changed my mind in the slightest, so I knew it was 'the one'.

Good point. We also have no idea what tastes other people have...!

If people who don't like my name choices have 'bad' taste in my opinion, then surely it's a good thing they dislike my choices?

Consciously it didn't influence me, maybe subconsciously it did.

I found it was an echo chamber in the main - the names I liked are well received here.

But a couple of bolder posters were very to the point about names I liked that were a bit more out there and definitely not being considered with a real human in mind eg Alaric or Persephone (the latter is absolutely beautiful but perhaps hard to wear outside of Greece).

Everybody hated the name we were thinking of for dd. It made us think more carefully about using it, and almost used something else but in the end used the original name that was hated. She's 10 weeks now and I'm so glad we used it regardless of opinions on here!

Surely a random bunch of internet users, with possibly very different tastes and styles, should not have much influence on your choices.

One of my dc has an unusual name - had I asked for opinions on Mumsnet beforehand, I might have been influenced not to choose it. However, I'm so glad we did and absolutely love the name now.

I think for me it solidified my choice. I already knew I loved DDs name and the chosen spelling but knowing that other people thought it was a nice name kind of gave me the 'green light' to name her that. I didn't really discuss name choices with many people in real life so it helped gather honest opinions.
Although I probably would have chosen her name anyway...but it was nice knowing what people thought!

"Surely a random bunch of internet users, with possibly very different tastes and styles, should not have much influence on your choices."

Honestly, this. The opinions you get here are so varied. One person says they love it, another says it means something bad in Aragonese, another says it's the name of Italian male porn star, another says it's the name of a flatulent character from a forgotten 1970s children's TV show. Etc.

I'm not sure why the views of some random person living in Plymouth would change my opinion of a name that I love.

I'm not sure why the views of some random person living in Plymouth would change my opinion

Exactly. Especially if that person in Plymouth has a very different taste and style to yourself!

If anything, names that are currently 'loved' by everyone tend to fashionable names that inevitably fall out of fashion and sound dated. So this 'validation' that others like a name may actually be a negative.

Agree with pp that it actually helped me realise how much I wanted the name when it had a negative reaction and I didn’t care and used it anyway.

It was called naff & faddy but to me was still completely beautiful!

It's been useful in terms of adding more options to our list, but whereas I was 70% sure about our 1st choice before, I've gone to 50% sure and now I'm stressed!

If I were of an age where I was looking for baby names, I would not be influenced at all here ! Every thread seems to be largely about totally obscure names that no child would ever thank their parents for giving them. Does anyone just call their kids normal names any more ?

I tend to try and suggest less common names simply because I assume anyone asking has probably already considered names like Oliver, Jack, & Sophie.

I try not to go completely off the wall though, unless the OP suggests they like really obscure names!

whereas I was 70% sure about our 1st choice before, I've gone to 50% sure and now I'm stressed!

But why would you be influenced by random internet users? Why would Bernadette in Blackpool or Paula in Plymouth have 'better' taste than you??

Go with the name YOU love

Definitely helped me make up my mind. We had Indie most of the way through my pregnancy and everytime I mentioned it on here it got shot down. So she’s not Indie. She’s also not Lois as the Welsh pronunciation that people kept asking about put me off.

She’s Piper. And I love her name. She’s now 11 days old with the chubbiest cheeks and it completely suits her ❤

My boys name kept popping up on here with people thinking it was a bit "out there" which made me realised it was a trendy faddy name and put me right off it. I had a girl in the end and there was only one name we thought of that would work and luckily she looked like it :)

This is the thing; if I loved it, I wouldn't have asked in the first place. I was only 70% sure and having doubts. And I agree that people's opinions on a name are less helpful. What's helpful is offering alternatives along the same vein. I love seeing people's lists!

I didn’t start any threads, but I did search several names on here to read through old ones.

All fairly marmite-y, as I expected.

There was one I searched that was universally hated on its one thread though, so I didn’t go for that one 😁