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Baby names

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

Original poster

I think this name is far too old-fashioned, should I tell my friend?

138 replies

onthepier · 11/10/2009 21:51

A friend of mine who is due to have a little girl in the next week or so is almost decided on the name "Eileen". I think it's just so old-fashioned for a little girl, poss because two of my nan's friends are called this!

A couple of other friends don't like it but we don't know whether to say anything to this lady, suggesting she changes her mind. I know "each to their own" and all that, but I just can't imagine a tiny baby or child called Eileen! What do you all think?

Several months back she came up with Hannah and Lauren, both far better in my opinion!

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scottishmummy · 11/10/2009 22:52

given you're not mum,wont shout it in park, say it to gp, etc none of your business

in general most people upon hearing a baby name smile, and say gorgeous name. that's all that is required

scottishmummy · 11/10/2009 22:56

tbh why does anyone seek opinion/approbation about their child name.if you like it use it. no one has dibs on a name either

do you ask the woman at the bus stop which ISA or tracker rate mortgage?no!

so why ask other folk which name for your baby
as parents you decide
not others

StrawberriesandCherries · 11/10/2009 23:01

Yes it's awful imo too, but keep your mouth shut if you still want her as a friend

witcheseve · 11/10/2009 23:01

scottishmummy because we do, and we are not women at the bus stop how dare you.

LeonieBooCreepy · 11/10/2009 23:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

scottishmummy · 11/10/2009 23:05

no we are burds with vociferous opinions and pc

haha just the kind of heidbangers to ask about your babyname

have to say the babyname threads always cause me mirth, esp the bastard stole my baby name spats

oh diddums
grow up

piscesmoon · 11/10/2009 23:13

People seem very insecure about names. We didn't tell anyone until they were born; we liked them and that is all that matters. You can't please all the people-so here is no point in trying. If I posted my DSs names people would comment 'boring'-I don't care-I love 'boring' names! If someone is set on Eileen you can just say something vague-save mumsnet for being brutally honest!

scottishmummy · 11/10/2009 23:15

told no one our names.as their opinion didn't matter

Squiglet · 11/10/2009 23:16

No, none of your business and you know it. Nice friend you are, she is very close to having her baby and you want to shit on her like that. Nice

witcheseve · 11/10/2009 23:24

I put the feelers out with a couple of names for DD and got mixed responses. When I settled on a name I wanted I didn't tell anyone until she was born and got loads of compliments afterwards.

Doodlez · 11/10/2009 23:27

My middle name is Eileen!

It's fine thanks very much

Doodlez · 11/10/2009 23:28

Erm - has this thread gone a bit squiffy! I was last to post on it and now I appear to be the OP!

Clary · 11/10/2009 23:30

I like Eileen. A name people know yet she will be one of very few her age.

There are a lot of Hannahs and Laurens about so maybe (tho they are pretty names) she wants sthg less popular.

If she is asking you what you think then I guess you can say sthg like "well, it's bit unusual...have you thought of XXX (Ellie? Edith? Evie?)"

Please don't tell her you hate it. I told a colleague the other day what DS2's girl name would have been and she laughed and said "Good thing he was a boy then". I was a bit insulted, stupid really since that baby girl will not ever be born (DS2 was our last).

witcheseve · 11/10/2009 23:31

It's growing on me, now. Individual.

cleaningsucks · 11/10/2009 23:34

jeez and peas. on what planet is it any of anyone else's business what people think of someone's name choice? you think its old fashioned op? i reckon you should wind your neck in.

Doodlez · 11/10/2009 23:35

Ladies - is this thread all muddled up for anyone else or is it just me?

Onthepier is now the OP!

xoxcherylxox · 12/10/2009 00:01

when my friend was pregnant she told us her boy and girl names she wanted to call her we boy jimmy i told her it was an old name and that i couldnt imagine saying jimmy in a cute baby voice i just kept thinking of an old man everytime i said it. luckly she found it it was a girl she was having but she did say she likes older names and that if she ever has a we boy it will be called jimmy although i dont think her partner really liked the name either so it wasnt just me

witcheseve · 12/10/2009 00:08

onthepeir is the OP on mine.

justbeenforapromenade · 12/10/2009 00:15

I think I prefer Eileen to Hannah and Lauren actually. The latter have become the standard, which I have a distinct aversion to.

SparklyGothKat · 12/10/2009 00:35

my middle name is Eileen, its my nan's first name. I admit that I don't like it, its old fashioned and I hate telling people my middle name. But you can't say to someone that you don't like their choice of name.
My mum hated my Ds1's name when he was born, but she says now it suits him.

nooka · 12/10/2009 05:28

As your friend has asked your opinion I think you can say that as it is a name that you associate with old ladies you think it is old fashioned (although that in general is the fashion at the moment), and I don't think it is unreasonable to remind her about "Come on Eileen".

What you really shouldn't do is say that you don't like it, especially as she is almost due and likely to be very sensitive, and this probably is "the" name to her. Once the baby is named you then should not say anything in any way negative.

I can't see anything particularly wrong with Eileen (or particularly right about Hannah or Lauren). As for Jimmy, it is a diminutive of James, so perfectly appropriate for a baby/little boy.

bellissima · 12/10/2009 07:23

It's just not fashionable, unlike Elsie, Elise, Aysling, Eloise, Edie, Evie, Ellie, Ella - in fact all the e and e-sounding names mentioned umpteen times on here. Eileen and Elaine, which frankly sound as nice as most of em (personally I prefer Elaine but it's not my baby!) just aren't 'du jour'. But they probably will be soon.

There are two each of Hannah and Lauren in my DD's class....I suppose if you really want to be one of the crowd then go for em.

Thissideofchannel · 12/10/2009 08:10

We all (luckily) have different tastes, so why are you so worried about your friend giving her baby a name she loves? It's her baby and her choice imo!

I wouldn't choose Eileen personally, but much prefer it it to Hannah and Lauren (which I find incredibly dull and boring), but my opinion shouldn't matter - it's your friend's choice. She has to love the name she gives her daughter!

pippel · 12/10/2009 08:20

Almost 20 years ago my Aunt named my cousin Grace and she got a lot of these faces and told it was an old ladies name.

5 years ago I named my dd something very similar to Eileen and I got the same and was told it was a cruel thing to do to a baby that it was a middle aged woman's name, apparently there were 15 babies born last year with the same name as her.

Fashions change and it will come back, probably when shes having babies herself.

piscesmoon · 12/10/2009 08:40

I love the name Hannah, so I would get around the problem by just enthusing over that, and not comment on Eileen.