Hate DD’s planned baby name. Is it ever ok to say that?

[Giggsie]

I expect the answer is to keep quiet but I fear by future grandchild will be teased mercilessly.

I actually know someone with that name! She changed it to that from a very common name.

💯 youtube one of the latest uploads,May 2025 over 72,000 views & that's just one.

I had this from my mum.....she wasn't impressed with DD2's name, said no-one would ever be able to pronounce or spell it, blah blah blah. it's an Irish name, as DH is Irish.

I didn't care, to be honest, and went with it anyway. She now loves it.

I like Io....no-one is going to be reaching for the ancient Greek pronunciation. Once people know her name it will be easy to remember, pronounce and spell....which is more than I can say for DD2's name!

That IS worse; sounds like a yorkshire exclamation!

@HolidayBrochure , it's correct in English.

Could you maybe suggest a different name? I'm all for greek names but someone famous for being raped seems a smidge unusual. It's like naming your baby Paris because of the sex tape.

My daughter is called Lowri, it is a Welsh name and equivalent to Laura. Her nickname is Lo and it's perfectly fab, I really wouldn't worry, you'll get used to it

Actually for a split second I thought you were announcing another name. It wouldn't surprise me.😂

The name is not Lo! It is Ɪo - look at it carefully. The first letter is a capital i NOT an L! It’s pronounced ‘EYE-oh’ and is a lovely classical name.

Women aren’t defined by the actions of men. Ɪo was a person in her own right. Cassandra and Persephone and many other women were raped. Should we let that mean we write off those names too?

I am wondering if everyone on this thread is aware these are Greek myths ... and as with all good fiction, any resemblance to persons or Gods, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

I have visions of someone meeting an "Io" and blathering on for ages and ages about the "meaning" of the name only to get a blank look and reply "Have you met my sister Ae ?"

Once again, I may not be taking things as seriously as I should ....

I think it's a perfectly decent name. I don't get the angst. It's hardly a Tragedeigh!

Rape is ubiquitous in Greek myth.

Medusa, the Sabine women, Leda raped by Zeus as a swan, Dryope by Apollo in the form of a snake, Hera by her brother, Halie by her sons, Europa by Zeus as a bull resulting in the birth of Minos, and Demeter by Poseidon as a horse causing her to give birth to a horse. And on it goes… That’s just the way it rolled and I doubt any of it’s true! 🤣

the Sabine women

Er, that is not myth ...

Oh sorry, yes you are right! I was getting carried away with the stories about giving birth to horses and bulls! I didn’t mean to trivialise the Sabine women.

No you can't say anything. This is why many people don't say the name until the baby is born.
You will probably grow to love the name as you will love your grandchild.

… my point really was that for many of the classical names are “ tainted” by rape.

You can taint any name if you really really want to.

Personally I'd be a bit down on patriarchal names from the Bible ...

Yes there will always be a less than desirable usage someone can point to - if not in literature, mythology and history then someone they know or a celebrity or politician etc.

I wouldn’t shun the name Io on the basis of the mythological rape.

I’m just as concerned by the fact that some posters must think we’re all randomly spelling a name without a capital letter at the beginning - because they must be thinking that if they all think it’s lo (Lo). I note nobody thinks the boys’ name Ian is Lan 😂

e.e. cummings agrees.

I looked it up to check, and it's Eye-o. It is 'Ee-o' in modern Greek. Most names in English that begin with 'io' are pronounced with a 'j' sound (since 'i' and 'j' are the same letter) or a 'y' sound ('y' being a semi-vowel and closely related to 'i'), but this is an ancient Greek name.

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=pronounce+Io&ia=videos&iax=videos&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D9Gi4Mo3ZBz0

I really love this as a name. But even if it was awful, I still wouldn’t say anything. Your daughter has spent a lot of time considering this, and has chosen. All you can do by raising it is damage your relationship.

No you can’t just go suggesting other names!

I imagine when someone shares with you the name they have decided on, if you go to them a fortnight later with a list of better options it is going to be received like a barrel of shit.

Many people keep their plans to themselves, to bring you into the confidence and let them know your plans is a sign of trust. Not an invitation for interference

If I named my child Paris, it would be from the classical myth of the judgement of Paris.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judgement_of_Paris