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Baby Names
mollybloom
member
What reaction have you had to your child's name?
mollybloom
member
in Baby Names
My daughter is 6 months. We didn't know what we were having and only a boy name picked out, so her name was chosen after she was born.
We decided on Evangeline Ryan. Aside from my shitty FIL, we have heard only positives about her middle name, but her first name seems to really divide people. Most people love it, but there is a minority of people that feels really strongly against it. Not "dislike", but "hate".
From the negative side, I have been told that it is too southern for a NY baby, that it is too old-fashioned, that we should only call her by a nickname because people don't like to say long names.
I usually answer with a curt "yeah thanks, but we like it" and a dirty look.
What has the reaction been for you?
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Re: What reaction have you had to your child's name?
I think Evangeline is lovely.
In general, the reaction to Betsy has been very positive. Most people love it. There have been a couple of people who have just said, "Huh." when I tell them her nickname. But that's the most negative reaction we've gotten. Everyone who has heard her full name, Elizabeth Everett, loves it.
We have only had positive reactions for our son's name Cameron. However, the only person who would truly be honest if they didn't like it would be my mom, and luckily she liked it!
If we have a girl next, I am liking the name Fiona. I mentioned it to my mom and her reaction was, "Like Shrek?". And has since referred to her a couple times as "Shrek baby". I know she's just trying to be funny, and will like the name once she's born, but for that reason I'm thinking we should keep the names a secret until the baby's born.
I find it extremely rude to make a negative comment once a baby is born and named.
That's weird that people would give negative feedback after the baby is born.
Are you Jewish by any chance? There was someone on the board a year or so ago who named her daughter Evangeline and she was Jewish. I thought it was a strange choice because the room earning behind the name is Christian. But if I met her IRL I would never have said anything, particularly if the baby was already born.
The only negative reactions I got were before the baby was born, and really it was only one person and she objected to the middle name.
Gorgeous name and I love the nn Betsy!
A lot of our friends had no idea how to pronounce it and they mess up the spelling whenever they write it.
Honestly, I was afraid that was going to happen if we named her Maeve, but we love it so we went with it.
Nope, Catholic.
Well, as DS is Declan, we've gotten an array.
We've gotten a lot of "I LOVE that name", to "Declan? Any name but that name!" (From my MIL while we were picking names), to "Dec.... what? What's the name again?" from people who've never heard it.
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You're Irish, I guess. I love this name, my best friend's husband is a Declan from County Meath.
Our lips are sealed IRL, but waaaay back before I was pregnant and would talk about names, the reaction I mostly got to Pearl was that it was too "old lady" to be used today (as if that was a fact that couldn't be contested).
I expect to get a lot of Gone with the Wind comments from Rhett, or people assuming that it's a spin on Brett.
I kind of have it in my head that most people are not going to like the names, but I hope that's not the case.
People are being super rude about your daughter's name. Evangeline is gorgeous. I'm 98% sure it will be our MN if LO is a girl.
I love Evangeline. It's beautiful.
I don't have any kids yet, but our top pick was Evelyn for a few weeks. Every time I share our ideas with my mom, she immediately goes to potential nicknames. I love the name Evelyn, but when my mom started chanting "Heavy Evvy, Heavy Evvy", that knocked it off the top of the list.
We didn't tell our baby name until after he was born and I feel like my family loved it. I know my mom was afraid we'd go too out there with naming.
I find it really strange people dislike your LO's name. It's really pretty and not made up or trendy.
My DD's name (Katherine Grace, nickname Kate) is very "safe". Even some of my friends who like more trendy, modern names still give me positive feedback. Not everyone loves it obviously, but nobody has outwardly made a negative remark about it. It doesn't tend to evoke strong feelings.
My son's name (Connor Patrick) has gotten more mixed reviews. I get more "oh, I love that!" than I do for Kate's name, but I also get more blank stares and "oooooh. wow. That's really... Irish" reactions too
. So it is definitely more polarizing.
At the end of the day I am confident I didn't make my kids' lives harder with their names.
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Most people seem to like/love our daughter's name, Natalia. However, I had a couple 'interesting' reactions. For example, my one good friend told me she LOVES my daughter's name. And I told her, 'thank you, we do, too...we were on the divide between Natalie and Natalia'. HEr response, 'oh, no, definitely Natalie, not Natalia...don't like that too much'. MY REPLY...'IT IS NATALIA'....she then realized she read my initial email to everyone incorrectly, and thought her name was Natalie.
Another friend kinda 'questioned' me as to why I picked the name....um, b/c we love it! And it is after my grandmother, Natalie. This coming from a person who named her daughter a pretty name, but an interesting spelling (Mya)...
So, it is what it is...ppl need to mind their own business, and be careful what they say....it is insulting to parents to hear ppl don't like their children's names. Esp. when a lot of time and thought goes into it! And if you have NOTHING nice to say, DON'T SAY ANYTHING:)
What kind of asshat makes fun of your kid's name to your face? It's not like you named her Nevaeh.
But for what it's worth, I really like the name. I have a female friend named Ryan and I've always liked the name.
I couldn't agree more!
Yes, completely agree!
I also love the name Evangeline. Seriously though, who cares what others think? It's too southern? What? My DDs name is greek (very sim to Evangeline actually) but no one has ever said the name is too Greek for an American baby. That's just silly.
Seriously though, don't feel like you have to defend yourself. People who voice opinions like that aren't worth the time it takes to listen.
P.S. Good news for those who "hate" the name: they don't have to use it for their kids!
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I love the name Evangeline but my husband doesn't like it that much. I was suggesting it to my sister since she is due soon and I got a very negative reaction.
I don't understand it because I think it's a beautiful name.
My kids have traditional names so there's not really a reaction to them. (names like John, Gavin, Joseph) With my oldest son I can tell some people think it's too common for their taste. (although there aren't any in his classes at the moment and in his school of over 1000 kids there are 2 right now)
I usually get really positive comments on the boys' names. One time an old lady asked me DS#1's name and when I said Reed she was so confused. She asked me to pronounce it like 5 times. I was practically shouting it at her and I finally said "you know, like READ a book". I think she thought it was the craziest name she had ever heard in her entire life. hahaha
We got a few Pierce Brosnan comments when DS#2 was born. I don't mind the association, but he isn't named after Pierce Brosnan.
Same here. Most people have never heard of Liam around here.
Evangeline is really pretty, I like that you gave her a masculine MN - I think it balances the full name really well.
I don't plan on sharing our baby name with anyone except a few close people when the time feels right. Everyone has different tastes in names & different reactions - a lot of people never learned the polite "if you don't have anything nice to say..." response.
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My daughter is now 8 but when we 1st named her everyone was like oh from Friends, understandably. But Phoebe was named from the Bible--and we have yet to meet any Phoebes in our area. We constantly recieve compliments, I only wihs I could find a good one to go with this little girl coming that can compare!
When we told my MIL Eloise's name - she didn't like it because she "once worked with an Eloise and she was older and she really smelled" and my reply was simply, "well it is good that we will havea cute sweet perfect baby to change your thoughts on that name!"
Usually people are sort of surprised with the name Eloise, but they generally 'say' they like it - I could care less if they do or not.
People love the name Anika - and we call her Ani (on-ee). I had a pregnant mother come up to me and ask about her name and I just wanted her to back-off!!!
If we have another girl I am SURE people will have some opinions about the name we choose (which is Geneva) but I love it and it is the name of my grandmother and it fits into the names I have choosen for my children (many different versions of a name to choose from when they are older).
I babysit for a little girl named Evangeline and we call her Evey. She is the sweetest little thing in the whole world and I LOVE her name!!! I love how you paired it with Ryan for the middle name - very very nice!!!
I LOVE Evangeline! I love the girly first name with a unisex middle name. My daughter is Giulia Cameron, so we have similar naming styles.
Giulia is the Italian spelling for Julia, and people side-eye it all the time. Or "Um...goo-lia?". No big deal as we expected it.
DH was raised in Europe (Germany), and my grandparents moved here from Italy. I'm proud to be Italian and miss my very Italian maiden name, so giving my daughter an Italian first name was something I felt strongly about. We could have chosen something way more familiar but DH & I both loved Julia.
I honestly don't care what people think of my daughters name. They can have and name their kids whatever they want. Its not a made-up/fake name.
Side note: Not long after my DD was born the French President named his daughter Giulia.
I've only had positive reactions to my sons' names. There was one potentially offensive comment that I just received about two weeks ago. A man asked my boys' names and when I told him, he looked shocked. When I asked why, he responded that he was surprised that I hadn't given my sons stereotypical 'ghetto' name. I can only assume this was based on my skin color and the fact that I look as young as I do. Regardless, I didn't let it phase me but I thought it was quite unnecessary.
I love Evangeline! Its so pretty!
DS is Alexander Tiberius (all family names). I've heard that its a big name for a little boy (to which i respond "Yes, but he'll be a big man one day and will need a solid name"), and also that Tiberius is "interesting " with several eye rolls. Well no shiit Sherlock. That's why we picked it. DH's grandfather had an interesting name. We could have gone with William, from my side of the family, but that's not nearly as unique.
DD is Cora
The only negative comment we've gotten was from a woman who said, "Well, at least it isn't Clara."
I'm guessing she wouldn't like any of the other "old lady" names I tend to love, but that wouldn't bother me one bit, even if she was family and not just a stranger.
When we get lukewarm responses from people who like the popular/trendy names like Madison, Isabella, etc. it actually makes me like DD's name even more.
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i love evangeline.
everyone that asks my son's name has given very positive (i'm surprised honestly) feedback. most people act like they've never heard it on a person before (which doesn't surprise me because it isn't popular around here at all) and those that have still seem to love it! his name is carter joseph.
DD's name is a Catholic name (Emelia) and her feast day is May 23rd.. It was in my book of Saints and Martyrs, and is very special to me. The only other people that I've met with this name have all been Catholic, as well.
It really bothers me when people side eye me like I named my child a youneek name. I don't really care if other people like her name, but I do wish that is was a little more common so that it doesn't get thrown in with all the Kaidens/Mukaylah/Amburrs/youneek names of the world.
When I read the title I was thinking that it would be funny if you were talking about Evangeline. Maybe I'm psychic. DD is Evangeline (nn Evie) and we've either gotten positive comments or people just don't say anything about it.
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We've gotten almost all positive reaction. People admire how strong his name is, how cute his nickname is, etc.
The only person that doesn't like his name is my MIL. She thinks that Charles is too "ordinary" a name. Her kids are named Jason & Lindsey.