Should I mention my concern about this twin name pairing?

[Ellentelss]

Hey,

Looking for a little bit of advice, my DD is expecting twin girls, she has incidentally revealed their chosen names to me, and I’m a little worried that while individually the names are lovely, together they sound a bit “showgirl” or similar.
The names are Lola and Roxy. She lives in France but I can’t imagine the connotations are much better there. She didn’t tell me directly but she was on FaceTime showing me some things they’ve bought and there were a few personalised pieces with these names.

Should I mention it or just bite my tongue?

You are surely well aware that the pronunciation isn’t at all like Lola.

Oh come on! I love that song but it is more than 50 years old, as am I. The younger generation probably have never even heard of it. I know a Lola, she is South American and it is apparently a common enough name there.

That's an unfortunate combination in English speaking countries although both Roxanne and Dolores are perfectly acceptable names individually. And obviously you can't say anything.

Copacobana by Barry Manilow
Lola by the Kinks
Lolita by Nabokov

There are other uses of the diminutives of Dolores in literature and song to imply exoticism and sexuality, probably inspired by US racism against South Americans of course.

Roxanne by the Police is the only obvious negative association I can think of for that name and of course the name was inspired by the most famous Roxanne in French literature from Cyrano de Bergerac. So in France the name is probably perfectly fine.

I think some posters either need to keep up with the times or keep quiet.

It’s a bit like questioning why a mother is returning to work instead of spending the next 18 years being a housewife and serving her husband and kids.

It’s just not relevant of today’s society.
And even if you have those views, just keep them to yourself.

The only time I would ever give my opinion would be if someone is trying to call their kid chlamydia or something and there’s a chance the child would be bullied for it.

Otherwise I wouldn’t care if some elderly person associated a name with something they deem as less than.

Don’t say anything.

Bite your tongue- hard though with names like that.

Lola seems to be a very common name nowadays, I wouldn't question it at all. And I know a 40-ish year old Roxy.

Times change. Babies born today are not going to know Barry Manilow, the Police or the Kinks.

Trust me - as a mum of twins myself - they aren’t that bad! - I’ve heard some absolutely awful twin names over the years

I think you should mention it. Tell her both names are lovely, but together they make you think of showgirls. She probably doesn’t realise.

bite your tongue.

The other thread was Lola and Gigi. Both lovely names as is Roxy.

Otherwise I wouldn’t care if some elderly person associated a name with something they deem as less than.

I don't think anyone aspires for their daughter to be a prostitute though do you?

If your DD and partner have bought personalised items,I think it's fair to assume that they are set on the names.....

Can’t be worse than someone I know naming their twin boys ronnie and Reggie

my mind went to:

her name was Lola, she was a showgirl
with yellow feather in her hair
and a dress cut down to there 🎶🎶

But you can’t predict which name will become (in)famous next..

edit: the names aren’t my cup of tea (particularly Lola) but there is considerable worse out there. I don’t think I’d say anything…

Maybe she wants them to perform at the Moulin Rouge @Ellentelss ?😅. Seriously, having lived in France I can tell you that Lola is fine but Roxy will be frowned upon.

Keep it to you

Lola, la la la la lola...The transvestite in the song... hahahaa

She can name her kids what she likes your opinion isn't needed

Lola won't raise (m)any eyebrows in France; it was in the top 10 for most of the 2010s. Not sure about Roxy as a stand-alone; Roxane is reasonably common though.

Definitely showgirl. I see Lola and Roxy as girls from tough backgrounds in the line-up at Moulin Rouge. 🤣 Sorry, OP. I don’t think you can say anything though. She’s had items personalised so has obviously made her choice, and she hasn’t told you straight out, anyway. Maybe she knows you won’t approve. And I don’t blame you - you don’t get many professional women called Lola or Roxy, do you.

OTOH, for the babies’ sakes, maybe you SHOULD say something. Oh, I don’t know. I’m guessing Roxy is short for Roxanne, so she could always call herself the much more respectable Anne. Or Anna. There’s no real way to class up Lola, though.

You know, since the babies can’t speak for themselves, I would say something. They are trashy names and you might save them from them.

Bite your tongue. She will have thought it all through, she's happy with them, she's unlikely to change them, but you might ruin a bit of the joy she's feeling just now.

I'm sure that you're better off keeping quiet, but this did make me laugh as I saw a clip of Jack Whitehall on the Drew Barrymore show this week. He was talking about choosing his daughter's name. You should try to track it down...

I know four Lolas, and three of them are dogs.

What’s wrong with Lola and Roxy? I remember the Lola and Gigi thread and someone said they both come from literature about paedophiles. What’s the issue with Roxy though?