Caused family upset by boys name choice - Help pls!!

[FeedTheBeast]

After much consideration we had decided on Jesse as the name if baby is a boy. I had suggested lots to DH & Jesse is the only one he really likes apart from Zac, which sounds like a sneeze when said with our surname Asher.

Asher is a old Hebrew name, one of the tribes of Israel and means to be happy / blessed. Isaac means to laugh which would give the name a lovely meaning but doesn't flow well - Isaac Asher / Zach Asher. (Also it is quite popular in our area)

Jesse is fab, old biblical name, cool snowboarder / surfer type guys spring to mind, and I also associate it with a kind wise old man character. It is a 'proper' name but uncommonly used, however we are in the North and it does have the slightly negative connotation of someone being a 'mummy's boy', which DH thinks is irrelevant & he said he would be happy if Jesse was his name.

The problem lies with my parents - my father is 70, & my mum has told my sister that he keeps having some sort of terrible funny turn / peculiar episode whenever he thinks of it, (he's recovering from a major op. too so feeling guilty of causing him distress) They both dislike it(understatement), & my mum keeps referring to a mummys boy character called Jesse in a soap she watches?? The rest of the family diapprove too but less bothered about them TBH (not keen on the names they picked for their LO's)

So my question is:
1)do we stick with it & everyone will get used to it? (& deal with the guilt if he's picked on later?)

2)Try & think of an alternative (any ideas??)

3. Bury head in sand & hope the bump is pink so we don't have the problem

Yeah, stick with Jesse and just change Asher

ok, I completely say stick with your own choice! But I've been reading bits of this aloud to dh while he makes dinner, and he says J.A doesn't work, his opinion is that a more earthy name will sit better with Asher, he likes Tomas Asher, (which would also be totally giving in to the older generation). he also suggests Jerome Asher? The letter J works with it, but Jesse? It's the ss's in both names don't work. Jerone? I think that's nice, it's english meaning hopeful.

at dizietsma!

and er [http://www.serbia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/jesse-metcalfe-20070329-232917.jpg Jesse Metcalfe, hardly a big jessie!]]

I think your Mum is coming on a bit strong with the emotional blackmail and it's not fair of her.

I know a Jesse and AFAIK, he has never been teased about his name. And he's in Cork, hwere they like men to be men!

sorry and er Jesse Metcalfe, hardly a big jessie!

My Husband is Irish, i loved the name Jessie for a boy but my Husband was having none of it, like MmeLindt, he said he'd get 'ya big Jessie'

Personaly it's one of my favourite boys names.

Am in Edinburgh and I know someone with a little boy called Jesse. He started school recently (this year or last, can't recall) and no problems have been mentioned.

I did wonder when I first heard it if people locally would think of it as the insult "jessie", but nobody seems to. Their other child also has a gender-neutral sort of name, so they don't seem to have regretted their choice! Personally I reckon the name is fine, any connotations it may have had of being wimpish or whatever are fast disappearing into the past and now the associations are pretty cool and positive.

Anyway, sod what other people think

thank you I really appreciate all of the replies and the honesty.

seashore DH is Thomas would possibly be MN
chipmonkey would be very proud if my boy turned out like jesse metcalfe! however his dad's yorkshire ginger genes may win through...

In Cork we like men to be called Jeremiah and Cornelius. Cornelius Asher would be good! (Ignore other people is the best advice)

I can see what you mean about it being a good male name with positive associations ... but, to me, it just sounds like a girl's name... Sorry.

where have you been?

i love the name jesse

but as a northerner - and not an old one, its not one i would chose if i still lived up there - whilst it isn't used as much as 'you fucking cunt' it is still used - in that everyone knows the connotation hence i wouldn't/couldn't give my child that disadvantage to life before he started. not unless he started bench pressing at 3 months in training for first day at school.

that said. if you love it and are not going to change your choice - then bollocks to your family - your kid - your choice.

i have a Jacob - when up north on rough council estate my BIL told me in no uncertain terms he thought it ws effeminate, stating "i'm not calling him in for tea with that name"

but i loved it so much no -one - not even dh had a look in - i WAS absolutley going to have a jacob and they could all swivel.

FeedTheBeast, would love to know what you decide to go with in the end, maybe put a post up -FeedTheBeast Has Baby, also best of luck with birth and fussy folk,

My MIL said something about my DS2's name the other day and I reminded her how much she hated it when I first said it, she denied it completely and said she always thought it was a lovely name!
When I first mentioned it as a possible name she said oh god you can't do that to a child, its cruel. Denies it all now.

They get used to it. And tough arse if they don't.

BTW, I love Jesse.

Hi Stleger, I'm irish and dh is called Cornelius, since when in Cork is Cornelius a popular name? My dh has only ever met one other Cornelius in Ireland and that was an American tourist!

I really like Jesse, I've known a couple and they were great! Of course I'm American and it's not an insult here.

we live in australia and ds1 whos 6 has 2 jesses in his class. one of them happens to be his best friend. but coming from england i always think ' what a jesse'!. i've grown to like the name but thats because the boys i know with the name are both nice

Up in Scotland here so wouldn't use Jesse either sorry, all the Jessie's I know are women in their 40s and onwards.

I don't think it goes with Asher as well sorry, I do like Zac and Isaac better though.

I'm about to have a DS and cannot decide on a name either so feel your pain.

What about

Jacob
Reuben
Matthew
Daniel
Nathan
Gabriel (love love love Gabriel)

Also this is the reason you DO NOT discuss baby names ever with people in RL especially family, I did with DD1 and people tried to put me off her name, with DD2 and 3, told no one and just introduced her with her name, people cannot say anything then

Stick with it, it is your choice not theirs. My mum said my dad moaned about our choice of girls name for my first child, but to be honest I didnt care, its my child, not theirs and I had my choice. They had their turn when they had us. So stick with it they will have to get used to it.

Hi there

Just wondered if you ended up having a boy and if you did call him Jesse?

We have just called our little boy and although I love the the name feel really guilty as didnt realise how much some people wouldnt like it - didnt know how much it was used in the north as an insult.

His middle name is Kurt and thinking of starting to call him that instead

bump

Your son, your choice - my parents disliked our DS's name when he was born but hey-ho, he's ours and we like his name!

As pretty much everyone else has said - your baby, your choice of name.

Your parents had their turn at the name-game, it's got ZERO to do with them what name you choose for your DC.

And as, I've just said to biddy2 elsewhere: my Step-bro is a Jesse and loves his name. Has never had any probs with it. Altho we're Southerners, my DH is a Yorkshireman but has never said anything silly about the name (and believe me, he would if he thought it!)

FeedTheBeast: Just realised your original post was back in Feb so this is prob all done and dusted. Please update us

Jesse James. Great man's name in fact, you could even give him the MN James to avoid other associations (which IMO I very much doubt he'll get from his peers Jessie as an insult is SO old-fashioned)