Mom hates baby name! Help!

sniffysmom

So my hb and I are TTC and have already started picking out names! We absolutely love Otto for a boy and especially for a girl. We are both athletes and it sounds so empowering. We would of course add a very girlie middle name like Otto Sophia or something similar in case she would rather that. My mom HATES it. She is upset and told me she would be embarassed to tell people about her future grandson or grand daughter. Sure, my friends say they wouldn't steal away the name, but it is a somewhat common name. (Top 1000) Not like Rainbow or something off the wall. Is my mothers response warented? What do you think? Is mom right?

JaysonandKristin

Idani said:

Otto is awful for a girl. It does not sound empowering just ridiculous IMO.  You don't need a boy name or something crazy to be a strong empowering female.

Exactly.

Otto is an AMAZING name...  for a boy.

Think about the women that you find to be empowered or influential.  What are their names?

I feel pretty confident saying that 90% of them carry distinctly feminine names.

catahoulatte

Otto would be a great name...for your son. Horrendous on a girl.

+ASH+

Personally, I don't like it for either gender, but that's just my opinion. However, my daughter has a male name and my mom hated it (which I also posted about when it was an issue). She said she would call her by her middle name - Lauryn. Five months later, all of her friends love DD's first name and they tell her so often that she recently told me she couldn't imagine DD having any other name. She's never once tried to call her Lauryn.

bumpuser9353653

I agree, Otto is a very cool name for a boy. Just NOT for a girl.  I'm not bothered by most masculine names on girls (Emerson, Riley, Jordan, even Ryann doesn't bother me), but Otto is one that I would totally side-eye.

Keep it on your list for your son, but please pick a different name for your daughter.

Helenahhandbasket

I think this is MUD.

NerdyLucy

I personally don't like Otto.

 

Having said that, it's your child.  Your mother got to name her own children, and now you get to name yours.

erb82

I think Otto is heinous, especially for a girl. The real question is why do you care so much what your anyone, even your mom, thinks. She got to name her children and she doesn't get a say in what you name your children. Period.

WashingtonQueen

Otto for a girl is just horrible.

NerdyLucy

Helenahhandbasket said:

I think this is MUD.

'Tis a possibility...

sniffysmom

Erb82 I only care because she truely will stop talking me and have no involvement with us if we choose a name like Otto!! (BOY or girl) yikes. Awful. I'm surprised not one yet likes Otto for a girl!

capulet

JaysonandKristin said:

Idani said:

Otto is awful for a girl. It does not sound empowering just ridiculous IMO.  You don't need a boy name or something crazy to be a strong empowering female.

Exactly.

Otto is an AMAZING name...  for a boy.

Think about the women that you find to be empowered or influential.  What are their names?

I feel pretty confident saying that 90% of them carry distinctly feminine names.

I agree. Giving a boy name to a girl isn't empowering.  Being an empowered woman doesn't mean you have a male name and take on male traits; it means you fulfill your potential *as a woman*.  What kind of a message do you think it sends girls when we tell them that being empowered means being like a boy?  Do we tell boys that they should be like girls?  Maybe we should, but we don't.  I have both a boy and a girl; this stuff concerns me, because I want to raise both of them right, and this just strikes me as a vapid, superficial way of thinking about how both boys and girls can realize their identity.

Otto for a boy is NMS, but fine.

sniffysmom

Great responses!

JaysonandKristin

sniffysmom said:

Erb82 I only care because she truely will stop talking me and have no involvement with us if we choose a name like Otto!! (BOY or girl) yikes. Awful. I'm surprised not one yet likes Otto for a girl!

What about Otto (DS), and Autumn (DD)?

macska3

sniffysmom said:

Erb82 I only care because she truely will stop talking me and have no involvement with us if we choose a name like Otto!! (BOY or girl) yikes. Awful. I'm surprised not one yet likes Otto for a girl!

aeh72

I'm one of the first ones on here to defend unisex names on girls or traditionally male names that are swaying towards girls, but I can't get on board with Otto for a girl (and it's nms for a boy, but it's not terrible).   But, am I missing something about why Otto is so empowering?  And, what does Otto have to do you and your DH being athletic? (Maybe I'm having a clueless moment about a famous athlete named Otto?!)  There are countless females athletes out there whose names you could pick from. Have you considered going that route for a girl?

Although I do agree with your mom that you're making an odd choice for a girl, in the end, she doesn't get to tell you what to name your child.  But don't flat out discount criticisms/suggestions people offer (not matter what name you go with) because they might be on to something!

sniffysmom

Hahaha! Okay, okay, I get it! Everyone hates Otto for a girls name.... hahah! But....Did I mention it would be a strikingly beautiful Otto..?! Its good to hear how people would react to it! I still just love it. Won't pick it (for a girl) but love it. Apparently I'm absolutely bizarre. When I said empowering I actually did envision something feminine not masculine. I do hair so I'm about as girlie as they come!

MrsSparklesMcGee

Otto for a boy is bad IMO; Otto for a girl is horrendous.

Dr.Loretta

This has to be MUD

1. I have no idea how Otto and athletic go together.

2. You cannot guarantee your child will be beautiful

3. Giving a girl a boy's name will only lead to confusion down the road in terms of paperwork, professional dealings, etc. That's not empowering, it's frustrating.

4. I agree that giving a boy's name to a girl to "empower" her is a ridiculous thought, and sends the wrong message

5. Your family sounds very black and white about things. Whose parents disown them because of a name?

6 This is why you don't share names with people if you're concerned about feedback

7. There are female variants on the name that might work, including Oda, Ottilia, and Otha.

moonfaerie

I agree that it's MUD. But I'll throw my.02 in anyway. Otto is bad enough for a boy, but ridiculous for a girl. And I don't mind some boy names on girls.

sniffysmom

sniffysmom said:

Hahaha! Okay, okay, I get it! Everyone hates Otto for a girls name.... hahah! But....Did I mention it would be a strikingly beautiful Otto..?! Its good to hear how people would react to it! I still just love it. Won't pick it

Dr.
I assumed the "hahaha" was enough to convey that it was sarcastic comment. I DO appreciate and welcome feedback, that's why I would post something like that on a community message board. Its fun to read what others have to say. My mother is VERY black and white. Very extreme. We are not on good terms anyway, she is a bigot. Otto is in my baby names book as a "great athlete name" (not why we picked it, we have a german ancestry) I appreciate all the feedback, but this just went from fun and funny and informative to not so nice.

mylilwildflower

My mother in law gave us such a hard time about my DD name. She said people wouldn't know how to pronounce it and it sounds like celery. Of course we named her what we loved anyway and of course she grew used to it and even adores it now. Babies change the way people feel about a name

That being said, Otto for a girl may not be one of those names. I recently heard the name Dorcas on a little girl and I wanted to cry about it.
#-o

Keri Marie

Name your child whatever you want.

... Otto is not a unisex name. it is a boys name and if you give it to a girl she will be a a girl with a boys name. There is a difference between unisex and opposite-sex names.

Dr.Loretta

mylilwildflower said:

That being said, Otto for a girl may not be one of those names. I recently heard the name Dorcas on a little girl and I wanted to cry about it.
#-o

I know of at least 2 people with this name. One is Hungarian, the other Greek

evaazalea

I would rather be named Rainbow. ETA: just asked my 6yo SON, he also prefers Rainbow. And Otto makes me think of the stoner bus driver on the Simpson's.

Kfran84

I saw Otto and was like Yes! Awesome!... Then I kept skimming for the girl name and realized it was also Otto. Um... color me disappointed.

Would you like your name to be Otto? Or Gregory? Or David? Probably not..

I always think that goddess names sound really bold and empowered, maybe look at some of those? Also, there are lots of great female athletes to draw inspiration from if that's your goal.

sniffysmom

Maybe not gregory or david! lol! My middle name is Clark and I always wished it was first name growing up (suggested it, hubby didn't go for it) Emmerson is fun for a girl. I also like Eugene, for a girl. Love Walter (boy not girl) husband hates it. Otto was just the one we both loved..so far!

Scrowjr

Personally, as a big fan of traditional Teutonic names I really like the name Mafalda for a daughter. If you prefer a masculine name for you daughter have you considered Usain? What about Franz?

That said, Otto is uncommon enough that it is much more gender neutral than popular boys names.

susieandmarty

Your mother is right. Otto is terrible for a girl. Not my style for a boy but not bad.

Scrowjr

I'm going to name my child Scrow. Regardless of sex, that is an awesome, aggressive, empowering name. You can use it too, if you like.

macska3

What about Elliptical? People feel pretty empowered on those. 

sniffysmom

Hilarious!!

Belle3184

Don't care for it.

ArgyleBride

Obviously it's up to you, and unless a name is grossly offensive, disowning is preposterous.  

That said, I do have trouble with the unfortunate implications of giving a female a male name for empowerment.  It says then females cannot be powerful or proud, they must masquerade as men, or be masculine, to accomplish this.  Since you clearly like male names for females, but you also want your daughter to have choices, why not do as your parents did and put the male name in the MN spot?  I think it is easier to be a girl with a feminine name wishing she had a masculine one than vice-versa. 

Have you considered a name like Georgeanne, which is clearly feminine but has an obvious masculine nickname you can use until your daughter is old enough to have an opinion?

Scarlett&Gatsby

I kind of don't believe you're real, but just in case...Otto is awful for a girl, on such a level that your mom MIGHT not get over it. Some "bad" names grow on family after they have a baby to attach it to, but having a family member who used a pretty bad name for their child, I can tell you honestly that even 6 years later, most everyone still hates it. If your mother's opinion of the name is important to you, which it seems to be, consider that she might seriously always hate the name. On a boy, I think she'd get over it. I love Otto on a boy, and it's pretty cute on a boy. But it will never, never be cute on a girl. There are boys' names that are cute on girls, and I like a ton of them. Trust me, Otto does NOT fit into that category.

leahmary82

What about a feminine name that has a masculine nn?
Charlotte/ Charlie
Francesca/ Frankie
Andrea/ Andie
Alexandra/ Alex/Lex
Roberta/ Bobby
Josephine or Joanna/ Joe or Joey
Jacqueline/ Jackie
Maxine/ Max
Michaela or Michelle/ Mickie
Natalie/ Nat
Nicole/ Nic
Samantha/ Sam
Stephanie/ Stevie
Wilhelmina/ Billie

Meery82

Otto is pretty ugly, boy or girl.

rider5344

I think Otto is refreshing on a boy, but awful on a girl.   I met a 40 something woman tonight named Michael and she hates it.  Another NOT unisex name.

janelleashu

sniffysmom said:

Hahaha! Okay, okay, I get it! Everyone hates Otto for a girls name.... hahah! But....Did I mention it would be a strikingly beautiful Otto..?! Its good to hear how people would react to it! I still just love it. Won't pick it (for a girl) but love it. Apparently I'm absolutely bizarre. When I said empowering I actually did envision something feminine not masculine. I do hair so I'm about as girlie as they come!

What about Apollo for a boy? That seems empowered and athletic to me and sounds similar to Otto.

nolagal79

I would side eye the name for a boy or a girl. Not my baby though - if you love the name then go for it!

tbug09

If you like it go for it. No matter what you pick for a name someone is going to have something to say about it.