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Original poster

Aladdin

144 replies

MissKH84 · 22/08/2023 14:20

We chose to name our son Aladdin.
Ala ad din but we wanted something unique to us and opted for Aladdin . We thought it was cute and We both loved this variation .
Dhs mother refuses to call him this " after a disney character" and it telling people we called him Alan. His name is not Alan.
I've had people send congratulations messages to me , hubby and saying how Alan is beautiful. Its really annoying me now

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LemonDrizzleDessert · 22/08/2023 16:25

MissKH84 · 22/08/2023 16:17

Ok ,I feel like I need to clarify for those of you who are assuming we named him after a Disney character. We did not. But even if we had, I don't see how this would be any worse than bella or molly mae calling her child bambi .
My DH was raised white British/ Irish but his grandfather ( his mums father) not the MIL who's calling him Alan ( his birth mother) shes passed and his step mum pretty much raised him since he was around 9 or 10 and he calls her mum. His mums dad was fluent in Arabic and didn't speak much English, only basic and DH was too young to understand his culture and when his mother passed he has no direct connection to this He always recalls thats what he called his grandad. His grandad died when he was 4.
Anyway , we had never planned on calling him this, we actually planned on calling him Oliver Jack. When I was 6 months DH received an item of jewellery that had belonged to his grandad. He's since met and became quite close close with his cousin and plans to go out and met extended family in the new year.. He then thought he wanted to change his name and give him the baby a name something that would connect him. He wants to be more connected with his roots on his mums side. He's not close with his dad ever since his mum passed and his dad remarried he's always felt like his step mum and step sister were priority. They have a relationship and speak of course and he sees his sister often but aren't close family if you know what I mean. I said is fine if it makes him happy as I know he's always wanted to he more connected to his mum. He grew up never even knowing his mums family surname. Anytime he asked anout his mums family his step mum shut it down. She refuses any kind of talk about his birth mum in the house . He's always felt like she's rather pretendd she didn't exist so his dad was never allowed to talk about her. We actually had a few different names in mind but his step mum shut them all down. In rhe end up he decided he wanted to go with his grandad but it wasn't flowing of my tongue properly so we made it one word and the extra A just didn't seem right so removing it became aladdin and we thought it was a cute nod. We didn't think anyone would be so cruel about a name . People have all sorts of daft names anyway

Walls of text

SausageRoll2020 · 22/08/2023 16:26

SirenSays · 22/08/2023 16:05

Literally any name is better than Alan

Apart from Alun maybe 😂

maddiemookins16mum · 22/08/2023 16:26

ClaraThePigeon · 22/08/2023 14:22

We chose to name our son Aladdin.

Oh no you didn't!

Probably the best response ever.
I thank you.

tt9 · 22/08/2023 16:27

@MissKH84 tbh OP the name Aladdin is a misappropriation of the Arabic name Alauddin which means excellence of faith, or the elevation of faith. it is a name steeped with history (many Muslim saints and historical figures have this name) and spiritual value. it's a beautiful name to have, but not if you call him Aladdin. and the whole origin aladdin movie was a bit offensive with all the stereotypes (as were most Disney movies from that era).

RedToothBrush · 22/08/2023 16:28

What you called him after David Bowie's Aladdin Sane?

As much as I love Bowie, I'm not sure naming after that album is really a great idea.

Some one is going to call your boy A Lad Insane. That's worse than Disney!

Westfacing · 22/08/2023 16:28

I'm remined of when I was at secondary school in the 60s - a Chinese girl was named Cinderella, to much sniggering by some. Poor girl died of 'flu when she was 18 Sad

RedToothBrush · 22/08/2023 16:29

SausageRoll2020 · 22/08/2023 16:26

Apart from Alun maybe 😂

Show quote history

Baby Ian?

Or Dave.

Baby Dave.

RedToothBrush · 22/08/2023 16:31

Dragonwindow · 22/08/2023 15:26

If your child has Arabic heritage and your MIL is insisting on calling him Alan, then she's being supremely awful. If you're all white British and you've chosen Aladdin just because it sounds cute, then I think you've probably got a lot of years of this ahead of you....

Personally I can't wait for the sequel.

Baby two's name will be fascinating! What's the MIL called?

TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 22/08/2023 16:31

I really like it. Aladdin is a good name.

I’m less keen on Alan.

BoohooWoohoo · 22/08/2023 16:34

Do you live in the UK OP? If not then the Disney connection is fine.
Btw Most people wouldn't choose Bambi either but she will probably be at a private school with children with names like Apple . Bambi as a nickname would be one thing but I've only heard of it as a stripper name in movies.

BoohooWoohoo · 22/08/2023 16:36

If I knew your MIL then I'd tell her that I liked Aled more than Alan. Alan makes me think Partridge.

AristideBeauvoir · 22/08/2023 16:36

@TheLightSideOfTheMoon Although I'd never considered it before I think actually I agree with you. Aladdin is a good name.

It's just the overwhelming association with panto that is distracting.

RedToothBrush · 22/08/2023 16:38

BoohooWoohoo · 22/08/2023 16:36

If I knew your MIL then I'd tell her that I liked Aled more than Alan. Alan makes me think Partridge.

Aha?

Original poster
MissKH84 · 22/08/2023 16:42

@NuffSaidSam I personally am half Indian, half British.
DH did one of those dna tests and his came back a mix of European, Middle Eastern and Chinese.
We live in Britain yes.
I've lived here since I was around 5 years old but we travel often as I'm very close with my family .we've often considered moving so it's not to say that our child may or not grow up in Britain. We have decided we would not make any decisions for a few years.

OP posts:
DigbyTheDigger · 22/08/2023 16:44

Is it too late to put the u in, so it's Aladuddin?

Dragonwindow · 22/08/2023 16:46

OP it sounds like your husband has a lot of issues he needs to work through with regards to his own heritage and identity. I'm getting the impression that this isn't the first time his step mother has tried to minimise his connection to his birth mother.

But I don't think it's fair to give a baby a name steeped in meaning and tradition when that baby will be even further removed from that community than your husband is himself. Your husband needs to make sure he recognises this new baby as an individual in his own right, not a "second chance" for himself. Use it as a middle name for your son, and encourage your husband to make meaningful connections with his extended family in other ways .

DigbyTheDigger · 22/08/2023 16:49

Bugger, I meant Alauddin.

FayCarew · 22/08/2023 16:57

@SausageRoll2020 , Alun's a really nice name. It's when people saying it like Alan it looks ugly. It's a Welsh name as is pronounced Al-in, it from a river name. The name Alyn is also pronounced Al-in

lollipoprainbow · 22/08/2023 16:57

What a 'genie' us name.

RudsyFarmer · 22/08/2023 17:00

Hang on, have you hyphenated it Ala-ad-din? If not, you should have. Much easier.

IglesiasPiggl · 22/08/2023 17:01

I can't keep up with the ins and outs of how you have arrived at Alladin /Alan but the fact remains that this child will have to function in the UK with the name of a pantomime /Disney character. Sure you can do that, but why not just pick a different name?

Bluetrews25 · 22/08/2023 17:04

Isn't Aladdin 'The Prince of Thieves'?
That's not an association I'd want.

Isn't it quite easy to change a name on the birth cert in the first 6 months here?

Seriously, if this is genuine, please re-think your tribute, as this will cause him years of trouble. Until he changes it by deed poll at 18.

TokyoSushi · 22/08/2023 17:05

Well, I think it's fabulous OP! Grin

AuroraForever · 22/08/2023 17:07

I’m sorry but it’s bloody awful! Your poor child, if growing up in the UK, will absolutely have the piss ripped right out of him and will most likely end up changing it himself when he’s allowed. I agree with your MIL but I’d have said it was Ali rather than Alan.

Lionesses23 · 22/08/2023 17:12

I live in East London, Aladdin is actually not a big deal. I met a Rhubarb Skye in the playground at the beginning of the summer.

I don’t particularly like it but Alan is much worse.

People are cruel so I would just use the middle name