Getting grief for baby name

megs12914 · November 2013

Has anyone gotten any negative comments about their LO's name? I can't please everyone (even though I try) and I'm kinda wishing DH and I had just kept it to ourselves.

We are still planning on using Noah.

BuckeyeANG · November 2013

We haven't gotten any negative comments. What on earth do people have to say about Noah? That's a perfectly lovely name.

MiaMyPuggle · November 2013

I did with my son. As far as everyone knows, we are "narrowing it down". We pretty much knew the name since September. I'm not going thru feeling like shit bc people were judging my son's name before he was born.
When I explained why he is named that, they thought it was so sweet and personal. Well, F them...they had already insulted me!

Kismc · November 2013

I think Noah is adorable! And I can't imagine what negative comments could be said about that name?

megs12914 · November 2013

@BuckeyeANG-- My mom wanted me to use Jack (her father's name) and I am still keeping it on the table. The in-laws don't love it. I just keep getting friends telling me it's too popular (my only concern) or suggesting other one because they don't like it.

I guess that's part of the problem when you tell people because then you get their feedback!

MamaP19 · November 2013

We told a few people names that we were considering for DD, but almost everyone had something negative to say. The name was too old sounding, too unique, reminded them of someone they hate, or they just didn't like it. We learned our lesson and kept the final two choices to ourselves. People hated that we wouldn't share but we knew that their negativity would sway us from a name we really loved.

H can't keep a secret for anything so he has shared a couple of names we've talked about for DS with his mom. Fortunately she's been really nice about all of them. If anyone else asks I just say that we haven't found "the one" yet and are open to suggestions. That usually gets them off of my case..

If you and YH love it, that's all that really matters.

jgraham80 · November 2013

I've found you can't please everyone and people should really just shut up

I can't imagine why they would have an issue with Noah! It's a great name!

RedSaffron · November 2013

Why are people being such butthurts.. its not their baby so why does it matter. Noah is a beautiful name.

peanutmuse · November 2013

megs12914 said:

I guess that's part of the problem when you tell people because then you get their feedback!

This is exactly why we didn't tell anyone. But to be honest, I wouldn't care what other people even if we told them. It's hard enough to pick a name that both parents like. Why bother caring what other people think?

Cara1024 · November 2013

I can't believe you are getting complaints about Noah. I thought you were going to say you were using something contemporary but Noah is a classic. FWIW it was one of our top contenders and I love the name!

I already know alot of our family won't like our baby's name and thats why they won't know what it is until its already on her birth certificate.

Her name will be Holland.

BABYROSEJEANS17 · November 2013

We've pretty much known for a month now, but like the saying goes, opinions are like... So when we're asked we just say we're "narrowing our choices." No one needs to like the baby's name other than the parents.

MamaP19 · November 2013

BMReid said:

Another fun story regarding my ILs-- at our shower yesterday, the 1st words out of my GMIL's mouth were "He's going to hate his name. It sounds like a pickaninny* name." I just walked away. When I told H, he was livid. Said he was going to go talk to her, but I don't see what good that will do. *For those of you who don't know, pickaninny is a derogatory term for a black person. *edit- spelling error

@BMReid - She and my grandma could be BFFs. I was dumbfounded the first time my gma used that word around me.

Morenajuliet · November 2013

We've pretty much known for a month now, but like the saying goes, opinions are like... So when we're asked we just say we're "narrowing our choices." No one needs to like the baby's name other than the parents.

AGREED!

marydlim · November 2013

We met this woman at a friend's birthday party. She asked us if we had a name yet so we told her that our baby's name was Keilani. My boyfriend prefaced it with "let me know what you think". After a long pause, she said in a nasty voice with stink eye - "I don't like it but it's your baby! I just don't like the 'Kay' part. Why Keilani?!?" Granted my boyfriend did ask for her opinion but we never expected such a strong negative reaction from someone we don't know. Then she proceeded to give us parenting advice like "tell your little girl that she's beautiful". Uhm - do you think we'd tell her otherwise?!?

megngregk · November 2013

Not really, most people either like the name or luckily haven't said otherwise. Not that we would change it, anyway. We chose the name because it's what DH and I could agree on. LO will be our son, nobody needs to concern themselves with his name but us.

Only issue, which isn't that big of a thing, is that people have called him Nathan. His name is going to be Nathaniel, nn Nate. I smile and correct them.

Kbrittonhart · November 2013

It's easier said than done but embrace your right as a parent to name your child what you want and be happy with it! My usual responses are "I am glad it's my child and not yours so that I can name her what I want" and "If you like that name then you should have a child and name her that." I never hear another word on it from that individual

I love the name and if you love it then that settles it.

KatelynEA90 · November 2013

Noah is a great name.

You can't please everyone and you shouldn't be trying to. It doesn't matter if your ILs don't love it. He isn't their baby.

I got some flack for DD1's name being too common. It's Alyssa, which isn't even top 20. I started telling people that they got to name their children and I get to name my children, the end.

ac1259 · November 2013

Yeah I really like Noah as a name...I don't think anyone outside of your family would have an issue with it! We've told everyone our name plan but our name is fairly mainstream so we haven't had a lot of backlash (Hannah Grace). It's your child's name, it's really no one else's business!

casholmes · November 2013

BMReid said:

Another fun story regarding my ILs-- at our shower yesterday, the 1st words out of my GMIL's mouth were "He's going to hate his name. It sounds like a pickaninny* name." I just walked away. When I told H, he was livid. Said he was going to go talk to her, but I don't see what good that will do. *For those of you who don't know, pickaninny is a derogatory term for a black person. *edit- spelling error

That's what my grandparents said about my name! 21 years later and they still have something to say about it

bellamatson · November 2013

All the people close to us don't like it. They think it's too close to my husbands name, and that it's too matchy with our last name.

We love the meaning of "Maddox" because it means fortunate. After losing our son Nash in 2010, we are so blessed to be having another baby boy.

ach298 · November 2013

I got one comment from my sister about our name choice being popular, but it wasn't in a mean way or anything. No one else has said anything to us and I think that is because it's a pretty normal name and we announced it as "his name is going to be Connor Langdon" and didn't really give any room for others to have opinions about it.

thegosiers · November 2013

I just make a joke, like "oh you know my husband won't talk seriously about names!" (He's a comedy writer) because I don't want comments.

I have shared with my closest friends what my top 2 are. My least fave comment was from my sister "it sounds kind of soft" in reference to Owen. Um, I could name him Thor instead to be more masculine???

:-@ FWIW I think Noah is cool, classic, and a lovely name.

nolagal79 · November 2013

Oohhhh yea we have gotten negative feedback! Mainly - "why are you giving your daughter a boy name," "where on Earth did you come up with that from," and "I could see the name on a boy, but that poor girl." None of these comments have been from family - we have even gotten lots of compliments on the name. It honestly doesn't phase me. Can't make everyone happy.

So long as you and your DH love it, use it! For what it's worth I think the name Noah is awesome!

megs12914 · November 2013

I feel like naming a baby is such a big responsibility. It's their name forever so I wanted something that was classic but good for any age, really. It's also hard to find something that fits with our last name and that my DH will get enthusiastic about.

Dear DH, "That's fine" as a response will piss me off 99% of the time!

aessary03 · November 2013

Oh yes, ma'am! lol, our baby's Ozzy!!! hahahahaha. People either love it or absolutely hate it. Don't let it bother you. If you LOVE it, no one else and their opinions matter!

waterlily2k2 · November 2013

We've caught crap from a lot of people about the names we liked for DS, as well as the names we like for this LO. We had originally wanted to keep our list secret this time, but I leaked it to my sisters and mom for opinions because I really am not sure at all. Big mistake.

I really like Noah. I wanted that to be on our list, but DH isn't a fan. Boo.

OSUWifey09 · November 2013

Noah is a great name; I'm sorry you're getting flack for it. Boo.

My mom hasn't liked any names I've picked out for my children, but she gets over it. I don't think my MIL and SIL love the name Mia, but they are the absolute last people on the planet whose opinion would matter to me, so they can hate if they want. As long as you love the name you guys picked out, that's all that matters!

kiki1978 · November 2013

We've decided we won't tell anyone the name until he's born. It's our choice and we don't want to hear people's comments forever before he's born. People just amaze me how they think they get to make the choice about YOUR baby's name.

cja06 · November 2013

That's why we won't be sharing it with anyone until she's born. People are rude. I love Noah.

slmille4 · November 2013

We were advised to never tell till the baby is born. But DH got tipsy at dinner with friends and told them. But they're really good friends and were just happy for us.

BlissfulBlessed · November 2013

We truly haven't finalized our son's name yet (and may not until after he's born), but I haven't even shared the names we're considering with people. By the way, Noah is a beautiful name.

Siblynika · November 2013

I love Noah and am having a hard time imagining anyone having an issue with it; I guess someone is always going to have an issue with a name you choose for YOUR child.

Our family loves Nova's name, it's only been this one older gal I used to work with who, every time she sees me, HAS to make some asinine comment: "Haven't you changed that poor baby's name yet?" "It's such a disgusting name, why didn't you go with the beautiful name I told you to use?" (BTW, she wanted us to name her Ryleigh, spelled that way).

tahloulah10 · November 2013

Noah is a great name, I'm very surprised you're getting negative feedback!

We were planning on keeping it a secret, but ended up telling people as they ask. Everyone so far has had positive feedback, or they just don't say anything negative. Stay strong, Noah is a wonderful name for a boy!

RobynLovesDano · November 2013

Oh man we get ALL kinds of grief! People don't know how to pronounce it, or how to spell it, or ask 'how on EARTH did you come up with that?!' For every person I meet who actually recognizes the name and likes it, I instantly think more highly of them lol.

On the flip side of that, we've had tons of people say they think it's beautiful, and that they absolutely love it. But we like unique names, so I expected some unfavorable opinions. (DD name will be Persephone, and DS is Gage) DH and I love it, which is all that matters. Anybody who doesn't like it can suck it, or go have their own baby and go through the stress of trying to pick the perfect name.

I don't understand why people feel like they have a right to suggest names to every pregnant person they meet. It is something I will be mindful of not doing to pregnant women in the future! And I think Noah is a great classic name!

sugarland726 · November 2013

megs12914 said:

@BuckeyeANG-- My mom wanted me to use Jack (her father's name) and I am still keeping it on the table. The in-laws don't love it. I just keep getting friends telling me it's too popular (my only concern) or suggesting other one because they don't like it. I guess that's part of the problem when you tell people because then you get their feedback!

If you feel you need to cave to your mother, can you use Jack as a middle name? I've got to be honest, I opened this post expecting something awful, like Linzie. I was shocked to see an utterly normal and properly spelled name. But you are right, when you tell people the name, they feel welcome to offer their opinion. That's par for the course.

brideandbreve · November 2013

My mom's long-time boyfriend commented to her (and she later repeated it to me), "Scarlett? Really? I just don't like that name." When pushed why, he said, "I don't know. Scarlett just sounds.. off-putting. I don't think that little girl's gonna like being named Scarlett when she grows up."

I told my mother to please let him know, should he comment again on my daughter's name, that his granddaughter (just born in July) is named Madison, so if he wants to go in on my baby name, his daughter's choice is fair game. Otherwise, STFU.

angiek1 · November 2013

Go with a name you and YH love. Then don't worry about other people. The name is just the first part of many things people will have opinions about your baby and how you raise him. Don't give an inch now b/c in my experience it just opens the flood gates to letting other people tell you how to parent your child.

It is really tough for parents, siblings, grandparents to view their child (grandchild, sibling) as a parent and it takes a while for them to transition to seeing you in a new light. If you stand up for the things that you and YH agree on and believe in the transition will be easier.

With that said, I think Noah is a great name. If you are worried about popularity of the name, I believe Jack is also pretty popular so that kind of squashes that point. Go with your gut and the name that you and YH love. Everyone will deal once he is born.

hopeful808 · November 2013

@megs12914

I have nothing new to add, but the dogs in your siggy are adorable. Are they English bulldogs?

Edit to fix formatting.

CanadianGamerMom · November 2013

This is the exact reason we aren't telling anyone the name we chose until LO is born. We chose his/her name for a reason (family names) and it really doesn't matter to me if people don't like what we've chosen. It isn't their child to name. The names are non negotiable, so I'm not going to put myself in a position to potentially get negative feedback which will only stress me out.

I don't see the issue with Noah, it's a nice name. Sometimes people just like to complain about things with no real reason to complain about them.

Nviener28 · November 2013

People will always have something negative to say if you reveal the name before he's born. I also had issues because we were going to name our son after my husbands father who passed away 6 years ago out of respect, and I actually liked the name. Somehow my mother Inlaw figured out we were going to name the baby after him and she cried to EVERYBODY in the family about it and got so emotional...of course everybody had some kind of negative comment about it. It was terrible for about two weeks. We finally decided on another first name. It really sucked. But we have a really beautiful name now that we are keeping to ourselves. Not even my mom knows!

daltosostarby · November 2013

DHs family wanted us to reverse the first and middle name in the beginning (Aeneas Markus to Markus Aeneas). However, recently they've come around to it. MIL told us now that she calls him Aeneas when talking about him that it's grown on her.

We wouldn't have changed it anyway, but it's nice to know family is coming around.

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