How to tell brother I don't like his name choice
raefre
member
My little brother and his wife are TTC and, if they have a little girl, they want to name her Kaelyn (or some deviation of that particular spelling) Rae. Kaelyn is my brother's feminization of a character (Kalam) from Steve Erickson's Malazan Book of the Fallen and Rae is my middle name and in line with family tradition.
As much as I'm touched that my brother would want to use my middle name (and not some other R name), I also find Kaelyn to be really really nauseating--it is trashy, trendy, and juvenile. My mother absolutely loves it, and it really isn't as bad as some of the other name choices he's thrown out there for boys or girls.
During our conversation at dinner, he had indicated other people at work had expressed
dislike for some of his other names but that this was one name no one
had disliked.
Is there a tactful way to tell my brother that I really do not like his name choice? Or should I keep my mouth shut knowing 1) they aren't pregnant, or, even if they were, 2) it may not be a girl and, even if it was, 3) it is not my child?
Re: How to tell brother I don't like his name choice
I haven't had a problem with it before. In fact, some of the names we liked were vetoed, because of people sharing their opinions and associations.
EDIT: And I do believe he'd consider changing it, as he has decided not to go ahead and use Kalam for a boy's name due to people's dislike.
I know two women that named their girls Kaelyn. Not sure if they're spelled the same way. While it's NMS, I think it's a decent name, and I do like how it sounds with Rae.
I think you should leave it alone. If it was Kaiyelynne Raigh, then I'd consider speaking up.
It’s not that I don’t like you, it’s that I don’t know you. Stranger Danger.
I wouldn't say anything. I like Kayla, but I was considering Kaelyn ( but since I wanted the middle name to be Lynn, I decided against it)
I don't like that my Dad already said he didn't like the name I picked... and my sister is already annoying me that I want to raise my kids my way (meaning, she's always picked on me for being a geek... I married a geek... our kids will probably be geeks too)
Since you say that he may change it, I would be careful how you phrase it... you don't want to insult him, but also you never know if when they get pg if they will still like the name
It's absolutely none of your business what name he and his wife choose for your niece, and as PP already said, no good can come of telling him you don't like it.
My stepmother is not the biggest fan of the name I am going to name my daughter which is Sophie. Idk why she doesn't like it she just doesn't. Anyway, she kept trying to make other recommendations for names. It started when we went to dinner where she threw out 20 names all of which I didn't like. She then proceeded to text me names randomly after we had explained at dinner that we were pretty sure we were going to name her Sophie. I entertained her during dinner but she just got annoying. I had to finally say point blank, this is the name we like and the name we are going to use and so it is not changing.
I personally didn't care that she didn't like it. It didn't change my opinion on the name. It just aggravated me that she kept pushing the point. I don't think it matters if you like it or not. Unless he asks for your opinion on the name I would leave it alone.
Agreed. I don't think any good will come out of dissing a name they love and at the end of the day, any potential daughter they have will be your niece and you'll love her regardless of her name.
(That said, I hate the name Kaelyn but if they like it, more power to them).
For some reason it's the emphasis on the "I" in this that bugs me. it boils down to semantics, but your emphasis on how YOU don't like this name, it doesn't sit right w/ me. It's very clear that you expect him to change it if you tell him you don't like it.
He hasn't asked, for one. They aren't PG, for two. And they may never have a girl. Or if they do - by the time it happens, they may change their mind. Who knows.
But you SO do not have a say in this. And your emphasis on the "i" in this - you seem to think you do. You don't.
Sit back and be quiet.
~Benjamin Franklin
DS dx with celiac disease 5/28/10
You don't tell him. It's none of your business.
Are you new? lol.
Evelyn (3.24.10), Graham (5.30.13) & Miles (8.28.16)
its not your kid. keep your mouth shut.
I don't like my sisters' kids name choices but I've never told her. there is nothing good that comes out of that. ever.