How do you feel when you tell people a potential baby name and their reaction is 'whaaaat?!'

[ilikeyoursleeves]

I have posted another thread re the name we like for DS- Zach (full name Zachary). I am humming and hooing over this name, secretly I do love it but when my DH told his family about it they all went 'you can't call him Zachary!!!' (apparantly, I wasn't there, not that they'd say that in front of me anyway).

So I continue to feel a bit hesitant about the name Zach, in case others don't like it. But then I think 'he's OUR baby!'.

What have your experiences been when telling other potential / actual baby names?

whats your ds called lockets

I told a couple of people DS1's name before he was born and had a few faces.
After he was born, and I named him, my mum, nan etc STILL tried to talk me out of it saying 'why don't you just call him Rory/Thomas/James' etc. My sister pointed out that I had given him the name of a Disney Monster.

Now my mother seems to have forgotten all her previous disdain and says she loves his name, always has. Uh huh.

I have also seen a few negative remarks about it on here.

But quite frankly I really don't give a toss.

I am now PG with DS2 and have told no-one the name because I bloody well love it and don't want boring old farts like my mother to sway me.

I think it is worth asking people on MN for their reaction to help you judge it a bit ... but then when you have decided, stick to your guns and fuck the lot of 'em.

Apple, I think you have different experiences to me.

People have quite openly told me what they think of my car/dogs name/clothes/haircut/choice of husband/choice of living etc etc

Why should a name be any different?

My theory is, if I wanted to be like them, I'd take their advice. As they often seem to be miserable trouts with a philandering husbands and crappy jobs, I'll do it my way thanks

I can't believe how rude people are.

IMO there is only ONE response when somebody confides the name of their unborn baby or happily tells the name of their new baby and that is:

"That's a fabulous name!"

It matters not a jot what you actually think of it, but it does matter how you make the person feel over their choice.

Zak is a fabulous name BTW. No really, it is . It's on our shortlist for a future DS.

Hellhath, nobody tends to comment on my choices of names etc for dogs, cats, DCs, haircut etc. I think I must give out a certain vibe....

Nobody touched my bump without asking first when I was pg either. Was quite disappointed. Wonder if its connected to the same vibe

We really liked Zach actually. It IS a great name. We just decided no as we know a Zach in our circle already.

DD2's name is generally described as "poncetastic" on Mumsnet. Am I bovvered? It's an old family name. My mother doesn't like either of the DDs' names and said I should have called them something more "normal." Oh yes - like I have suuuch a normal name, thanks Mum.

Your baby, your name. And anyone else can stuff off.

Hear Hear

I'm getting this. First, and probably only, baby due in four weeks, and have now stopped telling people our name ideas, as I get all hormonally upset if they don't like it, and find it hard not to sulk.

One of them is Linus, thanks to a recent thread here!

A particular worry is DP's family, who will go 'WHAT??!?' with a look of utter horror if we don't call him something from the top ten, and I'll find it hard not to punch them.

When we named DS, FIL called up to say "You can't name him x, what if he wants to be prime-minister?". We laughed and called it him anyway.

Just don't tell them!

I always think it's better to have surprises anyway.

Go with what you like. The others with get used to it eventually.

I like Zach/Zachary.

My only problem was calling dd Holly, completely forgetting that my dad never pronounces his "h's". Bah.

It's very bloody annoying and has had me havering over the name dh and I love for months now. MN however has helped me get some perspective outside the grandparents opinions, which does help a lot.

Zach is a lovely choice imo.

Why do we care so much what other people think of our chosen name?

Like your choice of hairstyle, wall colours, food preferences, we all have different tastes - thankfully .

There are hundreds of names, so of course its unlikely we all like the same ones.... Why are we so keen for everyone to love our choices - of course they won't always and thats ok.

As you did ask, Zach is a lovely name, but personally I wouldn't choose it - there are other names that I love more!

I too posted on your other thread, I like Zachary and Zach. There is probably not one name that everyone you ask will like. Zach is a very old/biblical name so not made up or anything.

My MIL and some of my family didn't like some of my kids names but I stuck with them and never regretted it, they came to like or at least (In MIL case!) get used to them.

When i told my mother the name i was going to call DS, she declared she didn't like it, to which i replied that it was a bloody good job that it was my baby then and not hers and as such i'd call him whatever the hell i liked!!

She never moaned about it again...

And FWIW, i really like Zach

Thanks for all your replies, it's made me feel stronger in just going for our choice of name and ignoring anyone who thinks otherwise! Funny though how often we get caught up in what others will think of our name choice, I guess they will just get used to it and the main thing is that we like it. (oh, and hopefully DS too LOL).

Cheers!

Absolutely the way to go, Sleeves

I discussed baby names with the people I liked and cared about their opinions, then when DH and I had absolutely decided, we didn't tell anyone. It was announced as part of the birth announcement, which for almost everyone was enough to prevent comments of dislike
Having told everyone she would be a girl, it felt really lovely to keep a surprise.

Zach is a fab name, BTW - not that my opinion matters!!

do you let strangers opine on your shoes.get put off by anonymous comments?

hell grow a backbone.regardless of name chosen someone will rock up and say dont like it.

you decide
not a bunch of burds with pc

Just don't tell them then. Simple.

Heh heh heh. You'll be surprised who'll like and dislike a name.
If some people react with horror, and some love it, you're good to go.
If it's unanimous horror or stony silence, maybe have a rethink.
I knew I was OK with DS' name when my v conservative Catholic chum in Blackburn gave her instant approval:
"Urban? We had a few popes called Urban...."
"And a couple of chemists and an astronomer....."
"Well.....that'll do reyt then, won't it?"
Some of our more right-on lentil-weaving "free-thinking" friends went bonkers in their condemnation, but the fact that Blackburn chum, with her six traditionally-named children and innate dislike of hummous loved it just gave me that final affirmation.

My brother said 'why the hell would you do that?' when I told him what we were calling our DD, I was most miffed but stuck to my guns anyway, after all, his (now ex) wife was hoping she would have a girl so they could call her Tabitha! What is that saying about people and glass houses??

My Dad reminds me whenever he can than he didnt like DS's name when we first announced it - in fact most of my close family have said the same at some point. But now they see how well it suits him - it's "his" name and he owns it and they couldnt think of it negatively now, iyswim.

I had to stop DP telling his family our initial choices though as it used to upset me too much when they were a bit mean. It would drive me mad when people would ask if we'd chosen a name and then offer their opinion on it, when I clearly hadnt asked for their opinion - grrr!! I do think pregnancy hormones make you more sensitive to it though - I regularly disagree on matters of taste with most people and it nevers bothers me [shrug] but this one thing used to get me all !!!

Stick to your guns if you like Zachary then go for it, you're right it's YOUR child!!!