Our name choices don’t seem very liked

[Fritesky]

DH and I have just had our twin baby girls, they are 3 weeks old and we have named them Gigi and Lola. We love their names and put a lot of time into picking them. We are a Anglo-Franco-Italian family so tried really hard to pick names that everyone would be a fan of.
Since then we’ve told family, friends etc. our babies names and got lots of “oh are the nicknames” and “oh that’s interesting”, which I guess just makes me feel really crappy. We haven’t registered the girls yet so we could change the names, but I’m not sure if I want to. Their full names are Gigi Apolline and Lola Gabrielle.

What are your thoughts?

Two works of fiction that are barely on the radar of the majority of people. Personally when I see Lolita I don’t see Lola, and I have no idea who Gigi is as a literary character.

I would be interested to know where the OP lives. Some of these responses are very Little England but in a more multicultural or global place I doubt anyone would bat an eyelid.

DD has been at school variously with a Percy and a Princess, a River and an Arthur, a Nevaeh (Heaven spelled backwards) and a Mohammed. All just names to her generation.

I also have no idea who Gigi is.
I absolutely love the name Lola but could never use it because of the song about a transvestite. Lolita would not spring to mind it’s literally a different word!

It's weird because no one bats an eyelid at the name Frank.
Also a transvestite.
(Or or rather a Sweet Trans-vestite from Trans-sexualvainia 💋)

@Jugjug , it literally isn't. The literary character was Dolores, shortened to literally both Lola and Lolita. Lolita is literally little Lola.

To me it’s because the songs so catchy I can imagine other kids singing it at any prospective daughter I had.
I started puberty really early and was picked on for being hairy called a man etc. so maybe that’s why I’m sensitive about it

But I am not really sure what song "Lola" is from so will the current babies of the world know in 10 years time?

Yes but who actually reads the book these days?
Very very few people would make that connection.
Anyway the OP decided on Lila instead.

Not sure Barry Manilow is set to have a career resurgence a la Rick Astley.

Whose name is actually Bernadette.

Really? Song came out in 1970 and I wasn’t born until 2001. Feels like something that will never die.

I know what you mean though when I named my daughter my father was going on about “she’ll be bullied” because of a really old song that no one genuinely will know under 60

the Kinks Lola is such a brilliant song - my sons specialism at karaoke!!

I do think they have a ‘touch of the night glamour’ about them as my gran used to say - but are actually pretty names too .

@Needmorelego , @Jugjug , Walk on the Wild Side, Lola and Copacabana are immortal. They don't go away.
None of them give a positive take on the name for a girl.

Gigi no as it’s a name that call girls call themselves hence why others don’t like it.
Lola is lovely.

I’d love to know how many Gen Alpha kids know any of those songs. I’d be surprised if many Gen Z did, to be honest.

It's a classic and well-written - if rather disturbing.

The songs I can understand might fade a bit, but Nabokov isn't going off bookshelves any time soon.

I personally think you could get away with Lola OR Gigi, but not together.

Yup: Lolita, Dolores, Lola, all tainted.

"The tip of the tongue takes a trip ..."

@Ddakji , songs have a habit of being revived. I can think of lots of hits from before I was born.
You get cover versions etc.

@DuchessOfNarcissex Lola is just a regular girls name in my world - like Ella, Evie, Mia or Lily.
It's a really ordinary name that probably every primary school has at least one.
Seriously... it's unbelievably normal.
(Well...here in South London. Obviously can't speak for the whole of the UK).
Anyone under 20 is most likely to think of Lola from the Charlie and Lola picture books/TV show if they were going to think about the name in depth.
I doubt anyone would.

I’m Gen Z and know Lola as does my Gen Alpha child. It’s a funny song so I don’t see it dying off

@Calliopespa loads of people know the book but unless they're studying literature most people won't read it.
The name "Lolita" has the bad connection but most people won't know that it isn't actually the characters name.

it's a dog's name around here, @Needmorelego . Usually a -doodle.
Home Counties.

Yes popular with dogs too. Probably a few cats too.
Do people act horrified hearing of a dog with a name that has such an (apparently) bad background?
I doubt it.
Because Lola is just a regular name.
In my personal opinion anyway.

@Needmorelego , Of course. The cockerpoos belong to tourists.

My step daughter in her early 20s is name Gigi (not short for anything, doesn’t have a middle name). My husband is Italian and her mother is French so she is used to some pronouncing it more as Jee-Jee and others as Zhe-Zhe.
I think it’s a really lovely name OP and of all of my children and step children she loves her name the most, my daughters are Ellen and Hannah and don’t like their names! DHs children are Gigi, Rémi and Nino and all his children like if not love their names!

I LOVE them. Both really lovely.