To be surprised at friends/family’s baby names

[AllyCatTown]

Anyone else been surprised at what people in their lives have called their children?

As a registrar, I've come across so many names that are a bit out there. I usually manage an "oh, that's nice" but when someone namd their kid Breitling I was a bit lost for words. It doesn't actually sound bad imo, just very different, and I don't know why you'd chose a brand!
My kids have boring, traditional and very classic English names which I know some find totally dull.

Most popular names now are old fashioned names. Like fashion things go in cycles

Tadhg is an Irish name, pronounced Tie. I've taught someone (around 10 years ago) called Tye

What pants ??😂

Most of the outrage on here about names other people have given their children comes down to an ingrained sense of the class system (there's only a tiny amount of leeway, apparently, between 'Chavvy' and 'Try-Hard'), or a total ignorance of other languages and cultures.

Or the idea that monoglot English speakers should never, ever be expected to get their heads around a foreign name, couched in faux-concern for that 'poor child who will never have anyone pronounce their name correctly/will never be able to buy a necklace/doorplaque/personalised bar of chocolate!' and die of mortification every time their name is mangled by a dental receptionist.

I have sometimes been surprised by people I know giving their child a name that I wouldn't have said fell within their aesthetic/sense of what is pleasing, but I think it's interesting.

I met a baby Gary last week.

I know a Wolf and a Tiger. When I grew up a knew a girl called Tuppence, because she was worth more than a Penny, I always liked that

a girl in my class at school, a child of the 80’s was called Blue September.

Sounds to me like somebody who would work in 'adult' entertainment.

When I grew up a knew a girl called Tuppence, because she was worth more than a Penny, I always liked that

Also means female genitalia in some parts of the country - like a modern-day Fanny!

I know a Griffin, love it! They’re Welsh.

Also know a Seabass (no it’s not short for Sebastian!)

If they about my age (30), presumably inspired by Effie from Skins! I wouldn’t think it was an odd name at all

and die of mortification every time their name is mangled by a dental receptionist.

Try it, I've had this all my life (and not just at the dentist!) It's not fun.

Anyway -- anyone know a baby Ethelfreda? My DD does.

Not family but I’ve known someone who called their child Zeus, but pronounced Zay-us.
A little girl named Monet. ( which some people misheard as Money)
And a Boudicea- pronounced Bow-di-see-a not even Boudicca.

Poor kids will be spelling their names out for ever.

Kanga pants? Holster? French knickers? A la Harry's fight, 'shards of dog bowl'?

😂
Pants? Socks?

Cravat? Please god no............

Thighs

Ah Boudicea! The first name of Mrs Overall in Acorn Antiques if memory serves.

I thought it was pronounced Tige, like Tiger without the r at the end?

Yes, that is probably correct, although not always pronounced that way at school.

Chardonnay I thought it was an urban myth that parents would call their daughter that, but no it’s real.

It’s not necessarily the Effie (I know the Skins character), it’s putting it with Boo to create some hideous cutesy name that has ‘I want my baby to be on Insta’ all over it.

No teenager wants to be called Effie Boo.

A notorious family in Dublin have children named Fendi Blú, Dolce and Cavalli .. you couldn't make it up.

Yes but then they grew into their name and couldn’t be called anything else now !

Even fairly ordinary names can sound very different with an accent. We have a 'Kent' in the wider family. Problem is that's in New Zealand and if the poor little bugger ever comes to the UK and introduces himself he's going to cause much amusement.

We also have a Kale (parents didn't know if was a type of cabbage but they do now!) and lots of old fashioned granny names, some with 'unusual' spellings Maisie/Mazie, Dorothy/Dorothea, Nora/Norah. Maori names are also popular in NZ even with those of non-Maori backgrounds and sound lovely if pronounced correctly but often aren't (Nikau, Mikaere, Aroha).

Both seen in Dr's waiting room (came up on the little screen back when you could get appointments). Pumpkin and Xyla. Different surgeries and a good few years apart but blimey. Both in their 20's too.