What are you telling people when they ask what names you've chosen? Are you just saying you haven't decided or saying that you're not going to tell? What do you say to the persistent (read: pain the butt) people who insist "oh, I won't tell anyone else"?
Re: Those keeping the name a secret...
Normally I just say that we have no idea and that we are stressed out about it. "What are you thinking?" "Honestly, we don't even have a short list, yet! We really need to get on it!"
If they keep pushing then I say-- even if we did know, we're not telling. "why?" "Because we don't want everyone's opinion on it." "oh"
If they insist then I'll probably tell them we are naming her Lucifer/Satan or something horrible to get them off my back.
I am fully expecting to get bombarded about this at our baby shower tomorrow. I am hoping people will be satisfied with the "She has no name yet!" response. I don't get why they care so much anyway. She really doesn't have a name yet!
I am lying to my own mother about this.
I once told her what name I wanted to use, she made fun of me...so now she gets to wonder until she is legally named.
I tell them we've narrowed it down to two possibilities and we're waiting to meet him before we decide.
If they are being persistent I just tell them it's a secret because we haven't decided and we're not looking for opinions. hehe
I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living my baby you'll be.
- Robert Munsch
We say that we've decided on a name but we're not telling anyone because we have pushy parents.
When people push, we have a couple of go-to ridiculous names that we tell people. For instance, "OH we're naming her Shaniqua" or "FINE I'll tell you ~ it's Pilot Inspecktor."
This exactly for us too.
This. And if they press, I say that we're naming LO "Bertha" or "Erma."
Coming out of lurking...
I actually made up a name. I tell everyone Amber because our last name is very similar. Or I tell them a name like "Ellie May, you know, like Beverly Hillbilies." That usually shuts them up.
we always say that we have a few favourites but that we are waiting to meet the baby before deciding. you hear so often that parents are stuck on a name, and then the baby comes and its just not right and they end up changing it in the end!
for the persistent ones i just say: "sorry, we rather not share." (we are also not telling people what gender we are having, so they tend to leave it at that)
and to the odd one that will not respect that and ask on I either say: "honey, you can guess all you want, but im not sharing!" or "which part of ?im not telling? did you not get?"
-- i have no problem being rude in return
Perhaps it's a little easier being Team Green since that means we need to have two sets of lists for names. We are only going to have a short list before the baby is here since we're the type that want to see the baby before naming them.
So I usually tell people that we have a long list with no favorites at the moment (a lie). If they persist I tell them that the baby's name is Taco since that's what we call the baby. That usually shuts them up.
I usually tell people we have one but it's top secret
I enjoy driving people crazy.
I tell people the truth: that we have a short list, but we are not sharing with people because we don't want negative responses to names we love. Most people understand.
The only exception I made - after explaining this - was my sister. BUT I told her that I was only interested in positive responses, so if there was nothing she liked, I didn't want her to comment. She said she liked all the names on the list and said which she liked in particular. I don't know if she was lying/being nice, but I don't care - it makes me more comfortable in our choices, and what's wrong with that?
Horace Longfellow Ballsox said in my most serious face/voice tends to shut them up pretty fast.
It's not that it's "a secret", per se, as much as it's "we have no effing idea yet". :-P
He's the single greatest thing I've done in my life and reminds me daily of how fun (and funny) life can be. He's turned out pretty swell for having such a heartless and evil mother.