Do you hear Iris and assume rainbow baby?

[LavenderIsNeitherBlueNorGreenDillyDilly]

I’ve name changed as I’m mentioning DD’s name.

Our daughter is named Iris.

She was born after years of fertility struggles/ treatment but not losses so is not a ‘rainbow baby’ as I understand the term.

Her name has a particular meaning for us - but not that one, and if we associated with anything it was the flower rather than the rainbow.

I know this seems like a weird question but since having her the ‘rainbow baby’ link has been brought up to me quite a few times - by a friend who told me she’s only ever come across two others but they were in the rainbow baby group she attends with her daughter. Another time at a class I met another mum who had an Iris and we sort of smiled ‘great name haha’ at each other before she asked me ‘is yours a rainbow too?’ Another friend I met at baby group has since told me she did wonder if we had been through a loss (as she did herself) and that’s why we chose the name. It’s also come up in an online group I’m in.

I just feel a bit uncomfortable that people might assume that when it’s not the case - partly because I don’t want to appear to be claiming something I’m not, and also because it seems unfair to DD somehow.

In all cases the people who mentioned it had experienced loss themselves so perhaps more aware of the term/ connection. And of course the vast majority of people just say ‘lovely name’ or make no comment at all so I’m not saying it’s all the time or anything. I just wondered if it was something people generally assumed or at least wondered when they hear of a baby Iris, or if I’m way overthinking it.

I have an Iris, and she is not a rainbow baby. I've never heard that association before tbh. Congratulations on your Iris 😍

No I don’t know the connection but my first thought was why would you name a baby after your eye? That’s a bit weird, like calling your dc elbow or something. The. It occurred to me it’s also a flower.
but first though was eyeball

No - there are loads of Irises - and the two I know well are first babies with no losses or fertility issues before them.

I had no idea of the connection (and I studied Ancient Greek at school!). I had to Google it.

I've never heard of that connection.

Iris is such a beautiful name.

No, never heard of any association to a rainbow baby and wouldn't make the connection. Our DD is called Violet and we've never had anyone mention connection to rainbow baby even thoufh it is a colour in the rainbow and never crossed my mind until now, we just loved the name (although she actually is).

No. I think of an older woman at church named Iris who I knew as a child.

I'd assume these mums spend a lot of time on social media groups for parents who have experienced loss. Because the average person isn't going to know what Iris means in Ancient Greek or make the connection between the name and the rainbow baby term.

Hmm, I wouldn’t assume a rainbow baby, no, although I’m aware of the Iris/rainbow link. I do however know a few people who have chosen rainbow themed first names or middle names for their babies as they were born during the pandemic.

I didn’t know there was any link between the name Iris and a rainbow baby, so for me, no I wouldn’t assume that.

Not heard that one before! What have rainbows got to do with the pandemic?

@Coffeellama It was adopted as a symbol of hope during lockdown; all over the UK, rainbow drawings were displayed in windows to bring cheer to those passing on their daily walk. It then got picked up by the NHS and was used in the ‘StaySafe” and “Thank you NHS” messages. On one of our Thursday night doorstep claps, a neighbour of mine played ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ on the trumpet in the street! All that year there were rainbow face masks produced, rainbow themed Xmas decs, trainers, tracksuits etc. There was even an uproar from the LGBTQ+ community for ‘stealing’ their symbol. I don’t know how you missed it?!

No

Rainbows were heavily linked to the NHS during the pandemic as far as I saw, not saying your wrong, just that that’s what I saw of rainbows during the pandemic. Signs and teddies with a rainbow on saying ‘thank you NHS’. My kids did a rainbow in the window when everyone else did and also wrote ‘thank you NHS’ on it. Certainly never heard anyone play over the rainbow or saw rainbow Christmas decorations, so it seems nuts someone would name a baby after an NHS pandemic rainbow. Guess I just didn’t see as much of it as you did, which is no bad thing.

not at all, i just think what a beautiful name!

I have an Iris and had never thought of the rainbow connection, and that's despite being a fluent Spanish speaker (rainbow = arco iris).

no -just eyes/eyeballs! Or the flower

It wouldn’t even occur to me. The two young children I know named their kid after the Goo Goo dolls song. I know a teenager called Iris but I just thought the parents liked the name.