When someone tells you name of their baby & you find the name minging...

[alardi]

Is it only me who feels guilty for the nasty face I must pull? I don't mean to, but sometimes it's the surprise of their choice. I'm really not a snob, people should call their babies whatever they like and other people should shut up. But sometimes I have a visceral reaction, just can't believe someone in real life has chosen that name.

What do you say, how best to distract from such unexpected dislike?

(Whispers) Met a baby 'Gus' today.

They are very posh though ! proper posh

Ooooooooh, fancy!
we're not......we're just weird!

Yes A and C?

Don't want to say the names

I thought that one was A-C (a double barrelled name) and the the other is also an A.

It just isn't necessary to comment on names.

Just smile at the baby and say 'hello Gus / Cormorant / Follicle / Petunia or whatever. It's the baby that's important, not the name!

It's funny though, I could have thought, wow, there are Léopolds everywhere, and you might have thought the same thing, and one of us might have posted that the name Léopold is quite popular now. When it is the SAME one!!

I lie because I was well brought up and then if it's a friend's baby i inevitably love the baby and their name because i love my friends.
If it's not a friend I lie and then I squirm internally whenever I hear it.
Gus is lovely - why do I think of lovely big baby cheeks?
I blanched in private re a Richard a while back- nothing wrong with t just seemed ill matched with his sibling's exotic name.

Cringed at a 'Tiana' today.

smile serenely.not your baby name.not your problem.maybe people hate your baby name and grimace

How funny.

Leopold- so last year!

Alardi, why do you think your opinion is so important to the parents? Your manners are lacking if you can't smile sweetly and say something appropriate.

I did just this when confronted by a Chinese baby called Wayne (wearing lilac) and a tiny newborn called Colin - very sweet babies, but not names I would've chosen.

OP, what are your children called, so we can ridicule you smile sweetly?

I think Gus is actually quite cute!
If I don't like the name when they tell me I just say "aww!" and smile. The parent probably thinks that I am saying "aww" becaues the name is cute, but I am really saying "aww" because the baby is cute.
Everyone has different tastes. Some people probably inwardly grimace at my DD's name (not many though coz I have such great taste )

LongliveElizabeth - there was a whole thread in this section that revealed most posters hated my dd's name - oh well!

Alardi,
As the mother of a Gus, I would love to know what your kids are called so we can all pass judgement!

Alardi - I don't believe you can't act as though you think the name is fine. I have heard a few names I don't like but accept it is the parent's choice and admire the baby rather than the name.

As a parent think how hurt you would be if someone pulled a face at your baby's name.

Ahh I doubt she would care - I don't anymore and I've even (loads over the years) even had two HVs slag my dc's names off

NO way Minky!!!! What did they say??

i notice everyone's kept quiet at my revelation and
heh heh!
yeah, i wanna know the OP's names, too.

Hunkermunker, I know what you mean. There was a girl with a baby Brian at a mums and tot group near me. And I was like a dimwit, I kept saying "Brian?, Did you say Brian?? I thought you said Brian????!!!!"

She could have said Gullivar or Atticus and it would have rolled over me, but Brian has the power to leave people standing in their tracks.

What revelation?

Both pretty much (sour faces) "why on earth/the hell would you call Minkymini that?", and "oh you should have called her XXX instead why XXXXXX?

I know what Alardi's children are called.

Yeah I got a bit of that with my son's name in particular. MIL wanted me to call him James or Thomas. Great names, but numbers 3 and 7 or something like that. My son's name is about number 350! So I was never going to go for Thomas. (although I do like it).