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Baby names

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

My maiden name as 1st name for son?

51 replies

sallyseton · 30/03/2010 16:32

thoughts? Whole name would be Bedford Brooker, I thought maybe we could call him Buddy for short. We would give him a more conventional middle name in case he wanted one when he grew up.

I thought maybe this would be a nice way of hanging onto my maiden name without giving son/future children excess names!

?????

OP posts:
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activate · 30/03/2010 17:48

Bedford?

Bedford?

Seriously, have you all gone mad - I mean I can understand the OP becaues pregnancy hormones make you think stupid names are actually quite nice but Bedford?

come on now

Intergalactic · 30/03/2010 17:49

I really like it, I think it sounds brilliant.

I have my maiden name as my son's middle name - wouldn't have chosen it as a first name as it is a popular first name and we wanted something a bit different.

ChippyMinton · 30/03/2010 17:51

Brooklyn, Paris, Brittany, Chelsea...Bedford

LLJ4 · 30/03/2010 20:22

I like it better as a middle name.

The only person I know who gave a DC her maiden name as a first name had the maiden name "Penny" which was a more obvious first name!

Why not use it as a middle name? Even if you name him Charles Bedford Brooker you can still call him Buddy as a nickname. Buddy is good like that, it can be a nickname for just about anything!

mathanxiety · 30/03/2010 20:49

Some surnames work as first names, but Bedford doesn't fit in this category. Nice as MN, but I do think people are going to assume this is where he was conceived (either the town or in a van. Or in a van in the town).

MarianneD · 30/03/2010 20:52

IMVHO it seems a tad self absorbed, I would give the child his own name or go for PollyTechniques idea and use Bedford as a middle name

OrmRenewed · 30/03/2010 20:53

Not that particular surname. Sorry. It makes me think of vans. Middle name perhaps.

pixiestix · 31/03/2010 11:41

Like the idea, but not the name, sorry.

MaisietheMorningsideCat · 31/03/2010 11:44

As others have said - it sounds like the name of a Bedofrd van, or the name of a company. Nice idea, but just not with those names. Why not just hyphenate, or give him Bedford as a middle name?

katiepotatie · 31/03/2010 12:00

I think Bedford would sound better as a middle name. Our son has my maiden name as a middle name, although lots of people use it as a forename.

ipanemagirl · 31/03/2010 12:09

nice idea, name sounds like a van to me too, sorry!
Ford's a niceish name but I'm of the school of don't lay a weird name on your child if you don't want them to get horribly teased in school.
(Obviously unless you child will be in a school where everyone has a weird name)
I gave my son and daughter my family's middle name as their middle name, that has worked really well for us.

sorry!

notsochickchickchicken · 31/03/2010 12:22

I want to say it in the accent of Forrest Gump.

Please use it as a middle name. A first name, a middle name and a surname is not excessive.

CirrhosisByTheSea · 31/03/2010 12:28

Bedford is a frankly ridiculous name for a child.

Why not give him a nice first name, and then double-barrell your surnames, so he could be for instance Gaylord Bedford-Brooker?

jenduff · 31/03/2010 12:49

Bedford as a first name would be unusual but its strong sounding so I think it would work.

DS has my maiden name as a middle name - although the name itself is becoming quite common as a first name - already mentioned somewhere up there ^

LetThereBeRock · 31/03/2010 12:52

It's awful. It's like a character from a Danielle Steel novel. You can't call a child Bedford.

flowerybeanbag · 31/03/2010 12:53

Middle name. DS2 has my maiden name for a middle name. I could probably have got away with it for a first name but it would feel weird calling him by my surname if that makes sense? He has a first name which is all his, then my surname as a middle name and DH's surname. I think that works well.

LetThereBeRock · 31/03/2010 12:54

It would work as a middle name however but certainly not as a first.

NorwegianBlue · 31/03/2010 12:54

I like it, it sounds Jamaican.

clpsmum · 31/03/2010 13:50

My first son as my maiden name as his first name and i love it and so does he and at 3 he is already refusing to answer to any nicknames. Also i am an only child so my surname would have ended with me but now my son is carrying it forward as his first name, my family were all thrilled about this. Think its nice to have a slightly unusual name rather than your run of the mill (know six children called that) name. I would say go for it, whatever you call him will suit him so don't be put off anything you like xxx

Divatheshopaholic · 31/03/2010 13:57

Bedford? Poor child never mind Buddy, he may not like Buddy when he is in his teens
Think before go for it. May be second name, at least you give him chance to escape your mistake.

Magaly · 31/03/2010 14:12

I'd put it in as a middle name. Not sure I like Bedford as a first name. It's not terrible though

ipanemagirl · 31/03/2010 16:34

I think it's nice to give a child a name they can put their own stamp on in a way, rather than a name which puts a stamp on them.
I think it does sound American. You want to give a child a name which they're going to be able to be proud of whatever kind of person they become. It shouldn't just be about what the parents want or think it cute.

belgo · 31/03/2010 16:38

Bedford is just dreadful as a first name.

cory · 31/03/2010 17:12

I prefer Heckinbottom.

jennyftm · 23/11/2010 12:51

his nickname might be "bed" - possibly bad idea for a teenager ! However I see I am too late for the discussion so hope I'm not insulting him !