Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Today at work I met 2 children called

64 replies

Saltire · 09/07/2009 17:42

Jamaica and China! My face must have gone when the mother told me becasue she said "well we can't all go through life with boring names like yours"

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
KerryMumbles · 09/07/2009 20:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

hullygully · 09/07/2009 20:30

My name in real life is Papua New Guinea and my sister is Democratic Republic of Congo (Demmy for short).

RorysRacingMa · 09/07/2009 20:35

I once knew a guy called China, and now he's a published and well perceived of author. Not that my influence had anything to do with his writing skills.

Jamaica makes me think of the joke tho' too

shoshe · 09/07/2009 20:39

DD's name was Chynna!

edam · 09/07/2009 20:42

Jam for short?

Frasersmum123 · 09/07/2009 20:48

We had a Genoa at school which I thought was very exotic. Her surname was Winstone though so people used to take the mickey a bit.

Ozziegirly · 10/07/2009 03:07

LOL at ActivityApple.

MadameDefarge · 10/07/2009 03:16

aw Saltire, you must lead a very sheltered life, re children's names! Round here China and Jamaica are positively staid.

savoycabbage · 10/07/2009 05:50

You can't pull a face when people tell you their children's names!

Original poster
Saltire · 10/07/2009 08:18

I didn't deliberately pull a face, I must have done it involuntary, becasue thats when the mother made the comment about my name.

BTW Jamaica was a boy and China a girl

OP posts:
MamaLazarou · 10/07/2009 08:31

To be fair to the OP, it would be difficult to hide the shock at being told a child was named Jamaica, and the mother should be prepared for that. Jamaica indeed.

I love China for a girl - I suggested China Blue to my husband but he thinks it's silly (The spelling 'Chynna' looks like it should be pronounced 'Chinner').

Pyrocanthus · 10/07/2009 09:20

Trinidad is a proper Spanish girls' name I think - not so sure about Tobago though, suspect it has something to do with a smokeable cop.

Pyrocanthus · 10/07/2009 09:24

Trinidad must be Trinity in Spanish - good Catholic name.

cat64 · 10/07/2009 09:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

gorionine · 10/07/2009 10:02

It took me a while to get the Jamaica joke but very funny!

I agree with savoycabbage, very bad form for an adult to pull a face when tolsd a child's name!

Pyrocanthus · 10/07/2009 10:40

I remember having to take a firm grip on my facial muscles when being introduced to a young Marmaduke.

MamaLazarou · 10/07/2009 10:41

We are talking about human children here, though, Pyrocanthus, not puppies.

JuJusDad · 10/07/2009 10:43

Love these name threads.

Always makes me feel better about the name my DD is saddled with was carefully chosen for her. (four syllabel first name, Chinese middle name, double barrelled surname)

At least my Dad managed to curb my enthusiasm and stop me calling her Solestra as well... (My excuse - carried away by her being my PFB)

I'm gonna need some sort of proof about those two kids called Marshall and Solomon Islands, can't quite believe that (although when I worked in banking I saw some fabulous names: Miss Treasure Island and Mr Maximum Velocity - he'd changed it, but hers was as given - are two of my favourites).

PeachyTheRiverParrettHarlot · 10/07/2009 10:46

child listed on school play Yr 6 programme as wanklyn

Can only assume she's not of bristish descent (goodness I hope so anyway)

Saltire my biggest annoyance would be rude Mum's attitude tbh, not exceptional names alone but for twins- goodness! I don't like themed names though

Pyrocanthus · 10/07/2009 10:48

I know MamaLazarou - I did it, not a flicker of surprise, but it was a complete surprise as his elder sisters' names would never have led one to expect anything so exotic.

I think Treasure Island is rather lovely. I don't have any trouble believing in Marshall and Solomon.

JuJusDad · 10/07/2009 11:07

Fair enough, I retract that. Doubtless there's plenty worse things they could be called with the family name Island(s).

And yes, I always thought Treasure Island was quite sweet, though I wonder if she thought so...

I agree with Mama - parents of children with unusual / themed names should be prepared for others to react in some way on hearing the names. So I don't think OP was being rude, and the mother should be (a little) less defensive.

Original poster
Saltire · 10/07/2009 11:25

It's not as if I screwed my face up and said "oh my god that's awful". I must have had a surprised look which I wasn't aware of, and that's why she felt the need to get all defensive and rude about my name.

OP posts:
Pyrocanthus · 10/07/2009 11:35

Saltire, you may not have had any visible reaction, she may be defensive about previous comments and was getting her retaliation in first.

MadameCastafiore · 10/07/2009 11:40

My friend's mum has the middle name Adelaide!

She hates it because everyone does a face when she tells them it!

The women you met was lucky - my mouth works befoe my brain most of the time so I would have done the face and said 'Why?'

shoshe · 10/07/2009 13:12

MamaLazarou I wanted Chynna Blue, but she ended up Chynna Skye

Swipe left for the next trending thread