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Original poster

Has anyone had their baby and not had a name for him/her?

106 replies

hunkermunker · 10/11/2005 23:50

Think this is a situation we might find ourselves in!

Did your baby just look like they suited a particular name when they were born? Or had you got one all lined up and then they just weren't a Humphrey (or whatever)?

And is it ever acceptable to call a child "the baby" until they're old enough to choose their own name?

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Original poster
hunkermunker · 11/11/2005 10:01

So do I FS, but it's a cat

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aloha · 11/11/2005 10:03

Me! But Mumsnet named my daughter (after some particularly ferocious nagging from Coddy!).

HOwever, the downside of this is that, despite the fact that she is nine months old and has been named for most of that time, she is still routinely called 'baby' or 'the baby' by all of us!

She is beginning to sound like one of those 20s socialites - Bubbles, Bunty and Baby.

foundintranslation · 11/11/2005 10:06

we chose ds' name after inadvertently 'finding out' his sex at a scan at 16 weeks (we hadn't intended to, but the gyn said 'I know what it is if you want to' and I knew if he could see at that stage it had to be a boy - which had been my gut feeling anyway) and he looks exactly like that name too.

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Lonelymum · 11/11/2005 10:08

Be careful with your efforts to not choose a popular name. When we were naming ds2, I rejected Liam because I thought it was too common (popular, not chavvy). We named him Connor instead and blow me, if the Times didn't print the list of top names a week later (he was a Christmas baby) and Connor was placed 12th in front of Liam which was 13th!

And of course, as you all know, there are Connors coming out of our ears now....but only one who is truly special! Anyway, it was also chosen because it is a bit simialr to my maiden name and I liked the old tradition of naming boys with their mother's maiden name. That is how names such as Russell came into existence. Did you know that? How about it HM? What was your maiden name? Any good?

flamesparrow · 11/11/2005 10:25

Oooh, now you've got me all riled up again I would love to name it Harrison if its a boy (my maiden name), but DH is dead against it!!!

I have never liked the name, but since falling pregnant its kept coming back to me!

Lonelymum · 11/11/2005 10:26

Do it! It is a great tradition, I think and Harrison is a name you can do it with (though be prepared to have everyone think you are a fan of Harrison Ford!)

dazedandconfusedmum · 11/11/2005 10:27

Hunker, what's wrong with the Top 10??? 3 of my 4 DS's names are on the top 10 (not that I knew that at the time, I only came across the top 10 on a wall when I was in the office registering DS4. I understand that people don't want anything too popular but lets face it, the reason those names are so popular is because they are so nice!!!! (hence why they are the top 10 names). What to one person is "traditional" to another is "boring" and what one person thinks is "trendy" another thinks is "awful and not a real name anyway". we are all different and lets face it, if everyone thought the same we would ALL call our children the same name throughout the entire country!!

I had all of my DS's names chosen before they were born and DS3 had a name before he was even conceived!!! (knew I would fall preg straight away so chose the name before we started trying)

Long live the TOP 10!!!!!

Original poster
hunkermunker · 11/11/2005 10:27

Nope, maiden name not a possibility - would sound mental!

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sansouci · 11/11/2005 10:29

This happened with both our babies. Dd wasn't given a name until the next day & dh & I were debating ds' name for hours after the birth. Names are quite important, aren't they. I wanted to call ds Auberon for some reason but gave up when I was told that it means "king of the fairies".

Original poster
hunkermunker · 11/11/2005 10:32

Nothing wrong with the Top 10 - just if possible don't want to use one of them. But if we agree on a name from the Top 10, so be it. It's just that DS's name is relatively unusual (don't think it's in the top 100, in England at least).

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flamesparrow · 11/11/2005 10:32

lol - King of the Fairies might get picked on at school!!!

LM - you don't need to convince me, I love it... tis DH with the problem. Maybe if I tell him that by naming it Harrison it will make him Sean Connery....

sansouci · 11/11/2005 10:36

There are a lot of north American children who get their mother's maiden name as their first name. Or any old last name.

Why have I never heard of anyone except Churchill with the first name Winston? Association with cigs, perhaps?

moyasmum · 11/11/2005 10:37

We had a choice of 4 first plus second names on the wall after our dd2 birth. Couldn't make up our minds, but was being really hassled by the midwife . We gave her one of the names, Flora Mae,
in good grace, and she put it on all her forms . After a week we changed our mind - She was really disgruntled! Not bothered as she was such a bully anyway.
I reckon this may be the last post, as i'm a terrible thread killer.

dazedandconfusedmum · 11/11/2005 10:38

I must admit Hunker, the reason we chose DS2 3 & 4's names is because they "went" with DS1's!!! I DO believe that if you start off with a traditional name then other traditional names go well, the same goes for unusual or trendy names. When I told people what I was going to call DS4 the first thing they did was run through all the names together and said "oh yeah that goes well with the others" so that is something worth taking into account!!!

Elf1981 · 11/11/2005 10:43

We'd nicknamed the bump "Boo" throughout the pregnancy. We had a boys name sorted - first and middle name. As for a girl, we couldn't agree. We'd settle on a name then somebody that we knew would use it and I didn't want to use it then. I was okay with not having a girls name as I was convinced Boo would be a boy.
Then out popped a girl.
We settled on Evelyn (because my DH knows that I love it) and Boo as a middle name (because it would be odd not to use it!).
No doubt she'll wish that we did call her "the baby" until she could pick her own!!

Original poster
hunkermunker · 11/11/2005 10:44

Yes, I agree. I know that they're individuals and won't always be referred to together in the future, but it's nice when a families' names go together.

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kama · 11/11/2005 10:44

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scotlou · 11/11/2005 10:47

We had chosen ds names well in advance - knew he would be a boy. dd was nameless for about a week. Yes - we had 9 months to choose. But we didn't know whether it woudl be a boy or girl (everyone including mw said it would be a boy!) We did have a couiple of boys names picked but could not decide on a girl's name. When she was born we tried a few names on her - but nothing suited. One of our friends named her eventually!

Original poster
hunkermunker · 11/11/2005 10:47

Yes, we don't know if we're having a boy or a girl either, which makes it harder (but don't want to know - love surprises!).

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Papillon · 11/11/2005 10:55

Choosing names can be hard. I really have to feel the right name. Then and also dh has to like it. 37 weeks pregnant and have not one name.

HM you are not alone!

Papillon · 11/11/2005 10:56

we don´t know the sex either... maybe its a bonding issue? !!

Carmenere · 11/11/2005 10:56

Our dd was and still is called 'Widge' which is short for fidgetywidget which is what her dad called her when she was born. We didn't get round to naming her until she was about 6 weeks old (that was the last possible minute when we had to register her birth iirc). We found naming her really hard and to be honest i'm still not sure if her name was the best choice (it is a pretty name though)

Original poster
hunkermunker · 11/11/2005 11:00

Names are such a big responsibility, I think.

It's odd, I KNEW DS was a boy, without being told - there's NO way he could've been a girl. But this one...no clue. Think that makes it harder. Am really looking forward to meeting him/her. Just hope s/he's born with a name badge on

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roosmoo · 11/11/2005 11:03

agree abt the surprise(it's the only surprise left in the world' someone said to me whilst pg ), & also abt not liking many names - there are literally abt 4 names for boys that i actually like. girls are easier IMO. but i still would have to have the 2 possible names ready for the birth, i would want to say this is 'XXXX' when baby is born, rather than have a name tag with 'baby surname' on...

roosmoo · 11/11/2005 11:04

yep HUGE responsibility IMO, & i'm not always sure whether ds will like his name (really really hope so!). but then names are strangely important to me, unlike some people.