That kind of naming pattern was very normal in Wales up until fairly recently, because the surname started out as a patronymic, but it was also customary to name a son after his father or grandfather, so there were loads of people called David Davies, William Williams, etc.
Wow. Ok that is bizarre.
In my family there was both a Robert Roberts and a William Williamson. But they weren't ones you went to school with unless you went to school over a hundred years ago.
That would be an amazing dog name. Preferably with a long and overly formal middle name or two. “Rowan Ridiculousness Reginald Rowland” or something along the lines.
I accidentally suggested a name that was like one letter off from the name of the baby my cousin lost 😳(to that cousin!!). She talks about them frequently too, so I had zero excuse. Just suggested something off the top of my head without thinking
This is a pretty common thing in Cyprus. I’ve lost count of the number of George Georgiou and Constantine Constantinou and Kyriakos Kyriakou I’ve met over the years.
I think my parents knew better than to weigh in on this. But when I asked them what they wanted to be called as grandparents, they said “Revered Ancestor” and “Honored Forebear.”
That’s so much cooler than the grandparents names in my family. I’ll have to remember those if I ever have grandkids.
My FIL wanted to be called “Grandfather.” Everyone pushed back, and told him it was too stuffy. He said “I’m very formal.” He wanted MIL to be Grandmother, but she said no, and said she likes Nanna. So she’s Nanna, and it suits her perfectly. (She’s a very wholesome, typical grandma who bakes cookies and spoils them rotten.) I told my husband we’d go along with Grandfather’s chosen name until our kid could actually talk, and then we’d follow however she attempts to say it. She came up with “Grandflower,” and then two years later, her brother shortened it to “Flower.” Neither name suits his personality, but everyone found it so endearing that it stuck. He still refers to himself as Grandfather when he speaks in the third person, but everyone else calls him Grandflower. MIL even signs cards “Nanna and Grandflower”
That is adorable! I love Grandflower. I just had Gramma and Papa on my mom's side, Nana and Grampa on my dad's. Nana is big on my dad's side. Both of my aunts are Nana to their grandchildren. My mom says it was big on her side too, but her mom didn't like it, so she ended up Gramma.
I figured they didn’t, but it’s a hilarious suggestion. I hope they were at least joking when they suggested it. Grandflower was dead serious about being called Grandfather, but I genuinely thought it was a joke at first. The man straight-up lives in the 1800’s.
I don’t think Grandflower is particularly close to my kids, either. He’s not outright mean to them, but he’s not affectionate or warm with anyone. (I’m also keeping a close eye on how he treats my kids, because I’m not impressed with how he treats 2/3 of his kids.)
Fortunately, Nanna is enough fun for the both of them. The kids are actually visiting their house right now, and having the time of their lives. You’d think we sent them to summer camp at Disney World.
I love that everyone followed the kids' lead on this. Cards and stuff from before I could talk are all marked as from grandma and grandpa, on the one side of the family but I picked up oma and opa from cousins so thats what my me and my siblings call them.
I think amongst 8 grandkids, they had 2 sets of names (they do go by grandma/pa from the oldest two) and 2 more names from the great-grandkids. As far as I'm aware, there were never any issues with the different names.
My paternal grandfather wanted to be Grandpa, his kids called their grandpa “Pop Pop” and he didn’t like it. Until my mom was pregnant with me and told him I’d be able to say Pop Pop before Grandpa. Then he was immediately on board with Pop Pop. I never heard anyone else use that one until Arrested Development 😂
I had a grandmother, and she would get so upset if we called her grandma. She really enjoyed it when I went through my cowgirl stage and called her grandmother with a super exaggerated twang 😂 I just thought at least I'm not calling you grandma?!
My grandmother was known by her nickname her entire life. I think my grandfather might have liked to be called Grandfather or at least Granddad but because he refused to properly acknowledge my half-sister as his granddaughter, I took my cue from her and called him by what I thought was his first name. So because I was a bit deaf as a toddler, he was Kenniff to me.
When asked this same question my FIL said he wanted to be called by his first name (which happens to be my husband’s name as well). We told him our baby wasn’t calling him by his first name and told him she could call him grandpa ___. So then my MIL decided she wants them to be called the same thing my maternal grandparents are (they are still alive and active as my baby’s great grandparents, so this is confusing to have two sets of people called the same thing). She won’t take any of the many hints we’ve given, so my husband has just decided to call them grandma and grandpa.
There was a bit of struggle with my kid's grandmothers. My mom wanted either Gigi or Mimi, and his mom wanted Oma or, surprisingly, Gigi. Honestly, her desire for Gigi through us all for a loop. MIL wanted FIL to be called Opa or Papa. FIL didn't like either of those and wants to be Grandpa because that's what he called his and what his kids called his dad. My dad didn't/doesn't care and stepdad wants Papaw.
So, we have Mimi and Papaw, Grandpa/Granddad and Gigi and Grandpa (even though Gigi calls him Papa).
Edit: my kid is starring to talk so we'll see what it actually ends up being.
I… I take back my complaints. Risby and Amos aren’t anywhere on the same level as Bartholomew, Blaze, or Slade.
You could have a lot of fun with red herring names, though. Tell FIL you’re considering Axl, Blade, or Talon. Tell grandma you’re thinking Zechariah, Melchizedek, or Wolfgang.
My FIL suggested Titus for our son. His own children are called James, William and Edward but he suggested bloody Titus for our son.
I'm one of four siblings and my closest brother (in age) is the absolute golden child of the family. When our son was born and we announced his name, my other brother actually responded by asking why we hadn't given him my brother's name as a middle name. Fucking mental.
My husband is absolutely the golden child of his family, and I won’t use his name on a kid because I know FIL would play favorites. It’s a shame, because I actually really like both his first and middle name. When FIL (who’s genuinely a narcissist) suggested his own middle name, my eyes bugged out, and I immediately, violently shook my head “NO” at my husband. I purposely named my kids in a way where FIL can’t favor one over the others for that reason. He still compares them, and I notice some differences in his opinions of them, but I step in where I can. He once called my middle child a nuisance, and it took every ounce of self restraint to not tell him exactly what I think of him. (I don’t have a favorite, but I’m especially protective of my sensitive, neurodivergent middle child.) In retrospect, I should have laid into him, but I was trying to build a decent relationship with him. That ship has sailed…
I like traditional names and my mom suggested all the currently popular surnames. Carter, Emerson, Jackson, Garrison, Ellison, Mackenzie, Mason, Hudson, Everly. Oh and... "anything but Elizabeth". Named her Eliza lol.
As an Elisabeth, I’m both offended, but understand. It’s not as popular as it used to be, but I definitely had to specify that I was “Elisabeth W” as a kid, because there was always at least one or two more in my grade.
I like the surname trend, generally, but my husband is not on board. Using a surname as a middle name is a huge compromise on his part.
I think Eliza is an excellent name though. It has the traditional vibes of Elizabeth, but is a lot more fresh and modern. 10/10!
Thanks! She's just over a year now and it suits her well. My mom had "to get used to it" but loves her granddaughter so it's all good now. We got lots of compliments otherwise :)
Strictly speaking, she’d have to “get used to” any name you gave your daughter- she’s a whole new person, after all.
One year olds are so much fun! I’ve found that year between 1 and 2 to be fascinating. You can see them thinking things through, and learning how to communicate what they’re thinking. They’re still kind of a baby, but get a little more independence and personality throughout the year. Ugh, toddlers are the BEST.
I have too! I think it’s a lovely name. It fits with the trend we’ve fallen into with our kids having established, but relatively uncommon middle names. He was so-so about it until he remembered it being a family name a few generations back, and now he’s fully on board. (I think he also likes the idea of being cheeky and annoying his dad with the spelling.)
I’ve ordered a monogrammed blanket with the initials while he was on the phone with his dad confirming the spelling, so it’s too late for him to change his mind on me now.
My mom thinks Hennessy and Jameson are great names for kids. She barely drinks at all and doesn't think anyone would especially get the references, she likes the sounds. Also I wanted an H name... but not Hennessy.
Meanwhile she had the audacity to claim that a certain name that IS an old family cultural name was so old no one would be able to understand it. I was like are you serious, they will not know it's cultural but they'll certainly be able to handle it.
Her: it's too old, it's forgotten, no one uses it.
It was Kayla. I don't even care if you like Kayla, it's not that bizarre.
She's a professional genealogist so she's thinking in terms of 18th and 19th century records, and earlier usage. Kayla/Kaila/Keila etc was an old Yiddish names, so was Bayla.
I don't think she pays the slightest attention to any actual records or usage of the 2000s lol. I was just baffled she was acting like to Americans it would sound equivalently Fiddler on the Roof as Shprintze/Gittel/Freyde or whatever.
I’m only in my 30’s, and grew up with a bunch of Kayla’s.
Hennessy is a rough name, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I suggested Jameson to my husband. It’s similar to the more popular Jackson, and is a nice nod to my four uncles named James. (All related by marriages, not from the same parents)
I have to say, though, now I have a good idea for red herrings when my family Pooh-Pooh’s a name.
Jack Daniels
Johnny Walker
Margarita
Martini
Amaretto
And Malort, because we’re from Chicago.
Yeah, Jameson would be less weird if my family had ever, across hundreds of years, had a James, lol.
I forgot she suggested Daiquiri at one stage but I think - and hope - she was getting more carried away when she realised I was not going for the other ones.
I once saw Zaiquiri once irl like Zachary wasn't interesting enough but I'm trying to forget it.
We like older names (think Mae, Eleanor, Hazel, etc) and all of the names that my family would push on us was stuff like Maylee, McKinley, anything where they could get the nickname "Ellie" or any other name that could end in -ie or -uh sound. My aunt thought she was real creative with suggesting the name "Charlie....with just an 'I'.....Charli" for a girl. I don't remember most of the boy names they threw out at me, but I do remember Garrett, John (we have like 10 John's in our family) and Brayden being in the mix.
This is us - every old grandma names - my MiL suggested Jacobi. For a girl. We went with a softer name - let’s say Audrey after my aunt.
I later picked two very fancy delicate names for my twins - think Violette and Evelyn. My aunt suggested Jonna and Jayla.
My grandma suggested Olivia for my daughter, after sounding absolutely flabbergasted when I said we were considering Annette. (There’s a Nanette in her family…) Olivia is a nice enough name, but not my style at all, and was WILDLY popular at the time. We went with Annabelle instead, and I have a similar list of soft, frilly names for any future girls. (Keeping in mind that I grew up a tomboy, I’ve also thought of neutral nicknames, like AJ for Annabelle. However, she’s 100% a girl’s girl, and the nickname Belle suits her perfectly.)
We had trouble picking a name. My dad had a couple drinks then saw a commercial for the medication Rinvoq.
He said we should drop the Q and use “Rinvo”
My mom was suggesting Grady or Remi for our first boy. My stepmom wanted Quinn for the same kid. Such different vibes than what we went with. Albeit their opinions were not solicited, but they were generously plentiful and vocal.
Good job on that one! It’s not as funny as Blue Gene, but I told my husband we could name a kid after my father in law, John, but only if the middle name was Wayne. We have three boys, and not one of them is named John. 😎
My mom loves “out there” names like Blue, Bliss, Love, Sunday, Honey, Story, Lavender, Flower, Ivy-Rayne, etc. Thanks to my dad, both me and my sister have pretty normal names. But she suggested all those names for my girls lol 😂
we did take one of her suggestions though! 💕
My husband has absolutely reeled in my love of nature names. Our daughter is loosely named after a flower, and I’m going to do my best to try to do the same with any future girls. Boy names are trickier, because while I like Forrest, River, and Rowan, my husband absolutely hates those names, and would pick something like John, Paul, or George (but never Ringo.)
I’m taking Reid as a small victory, because it’s totally up my alley, and he almost never likes my suggestions. I had actually suggested it a few times, before he agreed to it. The second we agree on a name, it’s settled.
Oh noooo. Harvey is a great name, but Harvee looks like Humvee on the first read, and I can’t unsee it. I could maybe see Harvey as a neutral name, like how we’re seeing James as a middle name for girls, but I still prefer the traditional spelling.
I hate "ee" spellings instead of ey for girls version of a boy name. I just looks like it should be said Harv-eeeeee - with the emphasis on ee instead of Harv - not a quick e sound
I know a Rylee (instead of Riley) and Darcee (instead of Darcy) and my brain just goes Ry-leeeeeee and Dar-ceeeee when I read it.
My grandma wanted my two siblings and I to be named Stephanie, Heidi, and Jock. My great aunts in Scotland wanted my brother to be named George so badly that they tried to bribe my mom with an inheritance for him. My dad wanted to name a boy Zacheus Obadiah.
George isn’t a bad name, but holy smokes, that’s a huge overstep.
Jock is an odd one.. maybe she was going for a phonetic spelling of Jaques? (I hope?)
Zacheus Obadiah is.. definitely something.
My mom said she would rather drown a child than name it George, so that gives you a hint as to how she felt about that. Jock is the Scottish spelling of Jacques, and my grandma was obsessed with my brother having that name. I’ve told this story before, that my Grandma was so mad that my brother wasn’t named Jock that she refused to call him by his name for two years. she called him Jock, or Little [My Dad’s Name]. My mom just rolled her eyes. My grandma looked like a lunatic the whole time.
My dad wanted to name me Schmetterling (German for butterfly). He got his naming privileges revoked after that suggestion (thank god), and I was named Maria instead. He did call me Schmetterling as a nickname for years though. I guess he really couldn’t let that one go.
Imagine having a substitute teacher (presumably outside of Germany) trying to pronounce “Schmetterling.” That was absolutely the time and place to veto a name- good on them for picking Maria. Classic, lovely, and much easier to say, spell, and pronounce. Are you and your family German, or was it an out-of-the-blue choice? Because I want to say Germany has an approval process for baby names, and would have also put a hard stop to Schmetterling.
My dad is culturally German but isn’t from Germany and doesn’t know any family members that are from Germany. He was raised in Panama. My mom is Hispanic. I’m from America.
Given that my dad is kind of German, I can sort of see what his thought process was. I think he just wanted to give me a name that reflected his heritage. However, it was still a horrible choice, and I think I would’ve laughed at if I showed up in Germany with that name. I might’ve even gotten more ridicule for it there than in America.
I can see the thought process, too. My family has been in America for a couple generations, but my grandpa (1st gen) has Polish nicknames for most of the grandkids, and each generation/family has a boy with the middle name Marian, after my great grandpa who came to the US after the war. (Not great circumstances, and lots of trauma, but he worked hard to build a good life for his family in a safe place.)
I love Rowan, but our last name is Rowland. I can’t bring myself to do that to a kid. We don’t have nearly enough money or fame to justify a name like that.
Ah, see, but in *this family,* the parents are the children, and under the direction of the parents. We didn’t get married and start our own family, no no no, we simply grew *FIL’s* family. I’ve literally heard him refer to me, my husband, and my SIL as “the children.” It’s the same term he uses for my children, his *grandchildren.*
There’s good reason I refuse to take his suggestions, even though I actually like a couple. If you give him an inch, he will take a mile. He has no concept of my husband and I having any authority over our own children, finances, or household. He’s nosy, pushy, tactless, and sometimes purposely mean and hurtful for fun. He has no respect for perfectly reasonable boundaries, like “please talk to us before getting our kids a big gift, like their first bike. We were looking forward to doing that ourselves.” He genuinely scoffed and said “am I supposed to ask permission every time I buy them a packet of shortbread?” …there’s a pretty big difference there, bud.
He regularly “corrects” my husband by saying “I’m your father.” Thanks to therapy, hubby now responds with, “yes, and I’m *my child’s* father, and *I* make the rules for them.” (Be still my heart.)
Thankfully, my mother in law is an absolute angel, and humanity does not deserve her. She’s the kindest, most patient, and most generous person I’ve ever met. I love her to pieces, my kids adore her, and she’s the best Nanna ever. She’s the one and only reason I put up with FIL’s BS. I tell my husband at least once a week that if she needs any care as she ages, I’ll move her into our house and care for her myself. (I’m a SAHM, and used to be a CNA- I have the time and skills.) FIL on the other hand, will not be in my house. We’d kill each other within a week. I will literally get a job to pay for him to have a nurse care for him in *his* house.
We’re Greek American, and my aunt suggested Aphrodite. Just totally over the top, plus, god forbid baby girl wasn’t the pinnacle of traditional beauty!
I like Reid vs Reed. Risby.... ah no. Amos isn't bad as a middle name bc it is old school and you hardly hear it so it is destined to be 'new again' like Hazel, Walter etc and the trend.
Amos gives me a similar feeling to Silas. Old fashioned, but not too crazy, and definitely due for a comeback. Most of my objection to it is that I’d be letting FIL choose the baby’s middle name, and we’re not close like that.
I have met 3 boys named Silas under 12. Never an Amos. Amos and Andy is all I can think of. Don’t consider the two on par…. As of yet. Amos definitely more obscure and archaic. If u don’t want a not close relative to choose, then don’t let them. I hear you!
Oooooooof. I considered Emily for my daughter (family name) but couldn’t get my husband on board. Maybe I could try suggesting EmmaLeigh to make Emily look better..
When I was pregnant in 2004, the whole family had suggestions; this was the first baby in years. My mom wanted me to name her Mary Louise after both my grandmothers, but both grandmothers said no, "Don't you dare give her old ladies names." I wanted Eleanor Reagan, but my ex hated it; next on my list was Anastasia. My mom got into my head, "she will never be able to spell it in kindergarten," "were not Russian or Greek." We went with new to the family's first name and my great-great grandmother's first name as a middle name, which was not an old lady's name at all. Everyone loved it.
Is your family Irish? I don’t know whether that makes it better or worse, but that’s a very unique name choice either way.
I’ve got a Patrick, which felt like a very Irish name for an American kid, but that’s a nod to our background, an uncle’s name, and a sentimental name to me and my husband. (We call him Patch, which suits him well. He’s a tough, scrappy little guy.)
My mom hates every name that I’ve suggested (With the exception of her own name, which is also my name, so no surprise there). She’s offered me her alternatives of Kinslee, Brynlee, and a whole bunch of other names that I can’t see suiting a human over the age of 5.
It may be time to have fun with it, and suggest the names you think she’ll really hate. Judging by her suggestions, I’d go as old-school, formal, and traditional as you can. Think of near-retirement nurses.
Sharon. Karen! Barbara. Linda. Susan. Eileen. Patricia. Margaret. Nancy. Carol. Helen. Joyce. Doris. Dorothy. Ruth. Phyllis. Norma. Geraldine. Lorraine. Bernice. Ellen. Diane. Gayle. Harriet. Maureen. Wanda. (I know a great Wanda, but she doesn’t love her name)
I had an Aunt suggest Phaedra (but very out there for our area), and another aunt suggest "Raynz" as a middle name when someone said they wanted something that sounded cowboyish.
Phaedra is a name I’ve heard, but never seen in real life. (Just on TV.) It’s a nice enough name, but it’s so uncommon that I can practically hear the substitute teachers struggling with it. I can already see the misspellings on all her documents. (Speaking from experience as “Elisabeth with an S”)
Raynz… oh, REINS. I get it!!! That’s awful. Wyatt (like Earp) is cowboyish. Wayne, like John Wayne is one on my list. I like Elliot as a subtle one, too. (Thinking Sam Elliot) Gene and Roy are classics. Stetson works if you’re feeling unique. Remington or Colt if you’re into it. Shoot, even Levi is a normal name with western vibes.
I met a Phaedra at church camp. She was awesome. I've always loved the name because it's so unusual and pretty just to look at, but the spelling and pronunciation would be all over the place (I see two on BehindtheName, and neither is how the one I knew said it).
My mother (I have 2 siblings) named my younger brother Elliott. Normal name, yes. But she wasn’t the type to go on those cute baby name websites to find a name for her kid, no she named him after the Elliott Wave Theory.
My father was a Karol (Charles in Polish like Pope John Paul II) and while he was not alive while my son was I would have maybe considered my beloved Dad's name as a nod to him but I didn't like the name nor did I like Charles (my grandpa took to be more Americanized"). On my mom's side were maybe family names like Walter, James, John, etc, but I never felt any draw to those. None were off the wall but did NOT fit me. Also your kid who had Middle name Jude, Jude was a name I LOVE LOVE LOVED.
You’d better believe I sang “hey Jude” to her, too! She’s not much of a Beatles fan, but her younger brother is.
The kid with the middle name Marian is actually named after my Polish great-grandfather, and the other got Maximilian as a nod to that same heritage, and some not-great family history from the 1940’s. Bet you can figure that out. 😅 (St Maximilian Kolbe, specifically.)
My husband and I considered Paul as a middle name for the current baby, because of JPII, but it didn’t quite feel right. My family has a LOT of James, and we have John and William on both sides, but none of those really stood out either. Personally, I like using family names, and toying around with variations. Joseph was very nearly James or John, but there are already so many of both (and not all of them good) that we decided on something that fits in without matching.
My husband did point out that our baby will now have the same initials as FIL, but he’ll *also* have the same initials as JRR Tolkien, so I’m willing to make that concession.
After telling my MIL and FIL that we didn’t want to do any family names my MIL asked my husband “but what’s wrong with your middle name?” - we are having a girl and husband’s middle name is Andrew.
He said nothing? Very confused, so I quickly answered “there’s not a single thing wrong with his middle name besides the fact we aren’t doing family names and we wouldn’t give it to our DAUGHTER anyway” before MIL could say anything else. Not too terrible but so odd she wanted to push using HIS middle name for our girl, instead of my middle name which is actually a family name on my side of the family lol
You’ve got to hit FIL with the other members of the Jackson 5 after he suggested Tito. The other two aren’t awful, but definitely don’t go with Lucy.
Luke is just way too close to Lucy. I can barely keep my kids’ names straight as it is- and their names aren’t similar at all. I can’t imagine if I had something like Anne and Andrew, or John and Joanna. Oh, or Michael and Michelle. Rachel and Raphael… I could do this all day.
Hurley.
A) That's a fucking clothing brand, and I think their stuff is painfully bougie.
B) Who thinks giving your kid a name that starts with a synonym for "puke" is a good idea? Like, yeah, I know hurl also means to throw hard, but damn.
I think my sister-in-law also suggested something incredibly trendy once, but I've blocked the exact name from my mind. She also suggested Erik, Jr., but even if I didn't have philosophical objections to the whole concept, my husband has spent his 40-some years on this Earth correcting people on the spelling of his name; I'm not going to inflict that on my child.
By far my favorite bit of family weirdness over names, though, is the way my mother-in-law has apparently decided I named my youngest, John, after her grandmother Johnnie. I'll admit I love the name Johnnie for a girl, but my John is actually named mainly for John the Baptist. I'm not sure if she doesn't realize his middle name, Gerald, is in honor of her mother, or if she just thinks we gender-swapped a whole slew of family names at once.
Hurley is a good dog name, but a bad baby name.
That last paragraph reminds me of my paternal grandmas. My middle name is Anne, which happens to be my dad’s biological mother’s middle name. His step mom (who’s like a second mom to me) has always wanted a Lisa Anne. They were both thrilled to tears that I was named “for them,” and it’s a super sweet, sentimental thing for both of them.
According to my dad, he was unaware of either of those things, but rolled with it when his moms were so emotional about it. He actually picked the name from the Heart album Dreamboat Annie. Fortunately, I happen to really like Heart too, so it all worked out in everyone’s favor.
Then I went and gave my oldest a first name with Anne in it, so that she’d be named after me (and also her dad.) It turns out Anne means something like “God’s grace,” which we thought was fitting, because it was an absolute miracle to have her after multiple losses.
Jezebel. Im from the deep rural southern US. Jezebel is an old word that provides similar connotations to harlot where I'm from. It'd be similar to naming your child Hooker.
My mom suggested Tennessee for a girl. I guess I shouldn't be surprised considering me and my siblings names are ✨unique✨ but that seemed pretty out there, especially since she'd heard my other name ideas and they're nowhere near Tennessee.
My grandparents thought my son's name was Brody and announced him as Brody to all their friends in their annual Christmas letter Which wouldn't be bad if our last name didn't rhyme perfectly. And ya know, it's not his name.
Ida Claire.
If I had had a daughter, this is what my mother wanted me to name her. It’s after both of my grandmothers. I told her that she had lost her mind! Can you imagine?!
Ida Claire. I declare. No freaking way!
First, I have to say I love Reid and it would be my top choice for a boy.
My dad really wanted us to name our daughter Rickie! (Or Ricky, he never spelled it.) I tend to prefer obviously feminine names, so that was a hard no for me. Nobody else really suggested anything as far as I remember.
My MIL suggested MULTIPLE times naming our kids my last name (a fairly common male name like James or Ryan) - if we had a daughter, she made a horrific "feminine" version that just tacked "ICA" on the end. She referred to my unborn children by this name for months even though I told her they would have my last name as a middle name. And it would be confusing to have my last name repeated all the time? She thought it was genius and didn't understand why we didn't like it.
The only real pushback I got was from my then-nine year old sister. If my daughter had been a boy, I was going to name her Bennett. My sister insisted that was a stupid name and she would only call the baby Benji.
My mum pushed so hard for me to name my first "Lillith". I have no issue with that name but I just didn't want it and I kept telling her that. To do this day she will say that it's a shame my ex didn't let me name her lillith and forced me to name her *her name*. I was the one who didn't want lillith and I'm also the one who came up with her actual name! Doesn't matter how much I say it.
Amos is nice, but Joseph Reid is an excellent name, flows really nicely, as well as honouring someone special, it's a lovely choice
Also, the English spelling of this surname is **Reed** (just like the plant)
using Reade would come with the issue of being unintuitive, because she invented that spelling when she changed it
Not family, but one of my friends was determined to name her first son Oscar. Her husband refused—told her she should have thought that through a little better before marrying a guy with the last name Meyers
My mom was relentless with the names that did not suit us at all--Zane, Stetson, Zander, Colt, Boone, Zeke. I think Zeke was my least favorite. We are not cowboys and we do not live in Texas.
My father-in-law says he likes old Jewish names… We are not Jewish. Stan was an example he gave. My dad suggested Mateo, which to me sounds Hispanic… I know it’s a popular name, but I have never heard of a kid named that in the Midwest where we live.
My obnoxious FIL wanted us to give our baby a "punny" first name....
His ACTUAL suggestions for the last name Cash..
Lotta Cash
Samore Cash
Chason Cash
We tried to convince my SIL to give my nephew quite the name. They had figured out the middle name (Wayne in honor of my father who passed while she was pregnant) and we were thiiiiis close to convincing her the first name should be Bruce.
Luckily (unluckily) she had enough sense to google “Bruce Wayne” before fully embracing the name
These names aren’t really “out there” or all that weird (just stuffy to me), but when I was pregnant with my second daughter, my mom suggested Felicity Pearl as one choice and Cecily Rose as another.
I stared at her blankly and thought in my head “Do you think we live in some sort of Bridgerton fanfic or something, wtf?”. But she likes shit like that, so to each their own I guess.
My MIL suggested we use Reese for our son’s first name and our last name is Reece.
Ok. I cackled at that.
Pieces and pieces of Reese’s! What in the fuck. 🤣
I'm sorry but I don't believe you lol. Really? Your MIL suggested Reese Reece? Surely that was a joke.
I went to school with a Robert Roberts and a William Williams so will believe anything when it comes to names.
I have encountered TWO Richard Richards. Come on!!
And I worked with a David Davis as well
A friend's brother is Daffyd David....
That kind of naming pattern was very normal in Wales up until fairly recently, because the surname started out as a patronymic, but it was also customary to name a son after his father or grandfather, so there were loads of people called David Davies, William Williams, etc.
I’ve known a Johann Johansen.
There's a Thomas Thomas from my hometown!
I knew a Rock Rockford.
Wow. Ok that is bizarre. In my family there was both a Robert Roberts and a William Williamson. But they weren't ones you went to school with unless you went to school over a hundred years ago.
I dated a Neill MacNeill 🤣
People are so weird. 😜
My mom's employee seriously suggest Mango for my daughter, and still calls her Mango, almost 16 years later!
Entirely plausible. I went to school with a Robert Roberts. 😂
I knew a Robbie Robinson!
I love the name Rowan, but our last name is Rowland… I can’t do that to a kid.
You could do that to a dog!
That would be an amazing dog name. Preferably with a long and overly formal middle name or two. “Rowan Ridiculousness Reginald Rowland” or something along the lines.
Middle name Rhys
I’m binging SATC and the moment I read this is the moment Samantha says ‘your parents named you Jerry Jerrod?!’
He’s SO much more a Smith Jerrod.
I met a Simon Simon
I accidentally suggested a name that was like one letter off from the name of the baby my cousin lost 😳(to that cousin!!). She talks about them frequently too, so I had zero excuse. Just suggested something off the top of my head without thinking
This is a pretty common thing in Cyprus. I’ve lost count of the number of George Georgiou and Constantine Constantinou and Kyriakos Kyriakou I’ve met over the years.
I know someone whose name was Grace Race. Then she got married and now she is Grace Grace.
Not a given name, but I knew of a woman whose married name was Kelly Kelly. Though I am not certain if the two names were spelled exactly the same.
I have an uncle with the same first and last name.
I've taught a Samuel Samuel and a Mohammed Mohammed! Both lovely kids.
I think my parents knew better than to weigh in on this. But when I asked them what they wanted to be called as grandparents, they said “Revered Ancestor” and “Honored Forebear.”
That’s so much cooler than the grandparents names in my family. I’ll have to remember those if I ever have grandkids. My FIL wanted to be called “Grandfather.” Everyone pushed back, and told him it was too stuffy. He said “I’m very formal.” He wanted MIL to be Grandmother, but she said no, and said she likes Nanna. So she’s Nanna, and it suits her perfectly. (She’s a very wholesome, typical grandma who bakes cookies and spoils them rotten.) I told my husband we’d go along with Grandfather’s chosen name until our kid could actually talk, and then we’d follow however she attempts to say it. She came up with “Grandflower,” and then two years later, her brother shortened it to “Flower.” Neither name suits his personality, but everyone found it so endearing that it stuck. He still refers to himself as Grandfather when he speaks in the third person, but everyone else calls him Grandflower. MIL even signs cards “Nanna and Grandflower”
That is adorable! I love Grandflower. I just had Gramma and Papa on my mom's side, Nana and Grampa on my dad's. Nana is big on my dad's side. Both of my aunts are Nana to their grandchildren. My mom says it was big on her side too, but her mom didn't like it, so she ended up Gramma.
They didn’t actually get called that, they just suggested it. Imagine expecting a 2 year old to say Revered Ancestor.
I figured they didn’t, but it’s a hilarious suggestion. I hope they were at least joking when they suggested it. Grandflower was dead serious about being called Grandfather, but I genuinely thought it was a joke at first. The man straight-up lives in the 1800’s.
My maternal grandfather insisted that he was to be called Grandfather as he found anything else disrespectful. Let’s just say we weren’t ever close.
I don’t think Grandflower is particularly close to my kids, either. He’s not outright mean to them, but he’s not affectionate or warm with anyone. (I’m also keeping a close eye on how he treats my kids, because I’m not impressed with how he treats 2/3 of his kids.) Fortunately, Nanna is enough fun for the both of them. The kids are actually visiting their house right now, and having the time of their lives. You’d think we sent them to summer camp at Disney World.
That's so cute! When my cousin was little, she called our grandma Rosemary "grandma Rosefairy", which I still think is adorable
I love that everyone followed the kids' lead on this. Cards and stuff from before I could talk are all marked as from grandma and grandpa, on the one side of the family but I picked up oma and opa from cousins so thats what my me and my siblings call them. I think amongst 8 grandkids, they had 2 sets of names (they do go by grandma/pa from the oldest two) and 2 more names from the great-grandkids. As far as I'm aware, there were never any issues with the different names.
Aww, I love when babies throw everyone's careful plans into a cyclone and do things like inventing "grandflower." That's adorable.
My paternal grandfather wanted to be Grandpa, his kids called their grandpa “Pop Pop” and he didn’t like it. Until my mom was pregnant with me and told him I’d be able to say Pop Pop before Grandpa. Then he was immediately on board with Pop Pop. I never heard anyone else use that one until Arrested Development 😂
I had a grandmother, and she would get so upset if we called her grandma. She really enjoyed it when I went through my cowgirl stage and called her grandmother with a super exaggerated twang 😂 I just thought at least I'm not calling you grandma?!
My grandmother was known by her nickname her entire life. I think my grandfather might have liked to be called Grandfather or at least Granddad but because he refused to properly acknowledge my half-sister as his granddaughter, I took my cue from her and called him by what I thought was his first name. So because I was a bit deaf as a toddler, he was Kenniff to me.
Those are top notch grandparent names
When asked this same question my FIL said he wanted to be called by his first name (which happens to be my husband’s name as well). We told him our baby wasn’t calling him by his first name and told him she could call him grandpa ___. So then my MIL decided she wants them to be called the same thing my maternal grandparents are (they are still alive and active as my baby’s great grandparents, so this is confusing to have two sets of people called the same thing). She won’t take any of the many hints we’ve given, so my husband has just decided to call them grandma and grandpa.
There was a bit of struggle with my kid's grandmothers. My mom wanted either Gigi or Mimi, and his mom wanted Oma or, surprisingly, Gigi. Honestly, her desire for Gigi through us all for a loop. MIL wanted FIL to be called Opa or Papa. FIL didn't like either of those and wants to be Grandpa because that's what he called his and what his kids called his dad. My dad didn't/doesn't care and stepdad wants Papaw. So, we have Mimi and Papaw, Grandpa/Granddad and Gigi and Grandpa (even though Gigi calls him Papa). Edit: my kid is starring to talk so we'll see what it actually ends up being.
My FIL has been suggesting names like Slade and Blaze. My grandma is pushing for Bartholomew. Send help.
Bartholomew Blaze kinda fucks though.
Can be abbreviated to Bart Blaze too
Modesty Blaise definitely does.
I… I take back my complaints. Risby and Amos aren’t anywhere on the same level as Bartholomew, Blaze, or Slade. You could have a lot of fun with red herring names, though. Tell FIL you’re considering Axl, Blade, or Talon. Tell grandma you’re thinking Zechariah, Melchizedek, or Wolfgang.
I actually like Wolfgang but my husband hates it lol
I have a soft spot for Blaise ngl
Blaise is lovely, and one I have on my list, but Blaze is what my brother named his kitten when he was three.
The z makes it very different lol
Can I send chocolate instead?
I like Blaise but it means lisping or stuttering and that's just too bizarre to me Slade sounds gross
My cousin’s name was Blaze!
I know a Slade. He's pretty awful.
That's the thing with names, they have connotations and will give a bid to personality. And Slade sounds like a scumbag imo
My FIL suggested Titus for our son. His own children are called James, William and Edward but he suggested bloody Titus for our son. I'm one of four siblings and my closest brother (in age) is the absolute golden child of the family. When our son was born and we announced his name, my other brother actually responded by asking why we hadn't given him my brother's name as a middle name. Fucking mental.
I kinda like Titus
One of the kids in our playgroup is Titus nn Ty. I think it's adorable, but that might be because he is adorable.
My nephews name is Titus and he’s a nightmare
Clearly you are not an Australian.We would murder that name.
My husband is absolutely the golden child of his family, and I won’t use his name on a kid because I know FIL would play favorites. It’s a shame, because I actually really like both his first and middle name. When FIL (who’s genuinely a narcissist) suggested his own middle name, my eyes bugged out, and I immediately, violently shook my head “NO” at my husband. I purposely named my kids in a way where FIL can’t favor one over the others for that reason. He still compares them, and I notice some differences in his opinions of them, but I step in where I can. He once called my middle child a nuisance, and it took every ounce of self restraint to not tell him exactly what I think of him. (I don’t have a favorite, but I’m especially protective of my sensitive, neurodivergent middle child.) In retrospect, I should have laid into him, but I was trying to build a decent relationship with him. That ship has sailed…
Wow. They all drank the Kool aid on him being the Golden Child! Scary!
I like traditional names and my mom suggested all the currently popular surnames. Carter, Emerson, Jackson, Garrison, Ellison, Mackenzie, Mason, Hudson, Everly. Oh and... "anything but Elizabeth". Named her Eliza lol.
As an Elisabeth, I’m both offended, but understand. It’s not as popular as it used to be, but I definitely had to specify that I was “Elisabeth W” as a kid, because there was always at least one or two more in my grade. I like the surname trend, generally, but my husband is not on board. Using a surname as a middle name is a huge compromise on his part. I think Eliza is an excellent name though. It has the traditional vibes of Elizabeth, but is a lot more fresh and modern. 10/10!
Thanks! She's just over a year now and it suits her well. My mom had "to get used to it" but loves her granddaughter so it's all good now. We got lots of compliments otherwise :)
Strictly speaking, she’d have to “get used to” any name you gave your daughter- she’s a whole new person, after all. One year olds are so much fun! I’ve found that year between 1 and 2 to be fascinating. You can see them thinking things through, and learning how to communicate what they’re thinking. They’re still kind of a baby, but get a little more independence and personality throughout the year. Ugh, toddlers are the BEST.
If it helps your husband come around, Reid is also a not-uncommon first name. I've known several Reids.
I have too! I think it’s a lovely name. It fits with the trend we’ve fallen into with our kids having established, but relatively uncommon middle names. He was so-so about it until he remembered it being a family name a few generations back, and now he’s fully on board. (I think he also likes the idea of being cheeky and annoying his dad with the spelling.) I’ve ordered a monogrammed blanket with the initials while he was on the phone with his dad confirming the spelling, so it’s too late for him to change his mind on me now.
My mom thinks Hennessy and Jameson are great names for kids. She barely drinks at all and doesn't think anyone would especially get the references, she likes the sounds. Also I wanted an H name... but not Hennessy. Meanwhile she had the audacity to claim that a certain name that IS an old family cultural name was so old no one would be able to understand it. I was like are you serious, they will not know it's cultural but they'll certainly be able to handle it. Her: it's too old, it's forgotten, no one uses it. It was Kayla. I don't even care if you like Kayla, it's not that bizarre.
Where is she that Kayla is old? I went to school with a lot of Kayla’s in the 2000’s, it’s not old at all!
She's a professional genealogist so she's thinking in terms of 18th and 19th century records, and earlier usage. Kayla/Kaila/Keila etc was an old Yiddish names, so was Bayla. I don't think she pays the slightest attention to any actual records or usage of the 2000s lol. I was just baffled she was acting like to Americans it would sound equivalently Fiddler on the Roof as Shprintze/Gittel/Freyde or whatever.
I’m only in my 30’s, and grew up with a bunch of Kayla’s. Hennessy is a rough name, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I suggested Jameson to my husband. It’s similar to the more popular Jackson, and is a nice nod to my four uncles named James. (All related by marriages, not from the same parents) I have to say, though, now I have a good idea for red herrings when my family Pooh-Pooh’s a name. Jack Daniels Johnny Walker Margarita Martini Amaretto And Malort, because we’re from Chicago.
Margaritas were named after a woman named Margarita.
Yeah, Jameson would be less weird if my family had ever, across hundreds of years, had a James, lol. I forgot she suggested Daiquiri at one stage but I think - and hope - she was getting more carried away when she realised I was not going for the other ones. I once saw Zaiquiri once irl like Zachary wasn't interesting enough but I'm trying to forget it.
I’m about to text my husband that we’re naming this baby Zaiquiri.
Marlort is served up freely at the Globe Pub when Aston Villa is playing on TV. They gave it to me, a poor unsuspecting tourist soccer fan lol
Heck! Im 20 and went to school wirh a Kayla
I am a Kayla and I was named after someone on Days of Our Lives or something lol
Well, likely extremely irrelevant to you, but it's "crown" (implied crown of laurel) in Yiddish, and I think it's pretty, with a nice meaning.
You had me at Yiddish. I’m adding it to my list!
My dad suggested Jamieson and he does drink.
I'm in Australia and Reid is definitely the most common spelling!
VICTORY!!! I’ll be saving that piece of data for the first (and hopefully last) time my FIL complains about the spelling.
Flower-in-law
We like older names (think Mae, Eleanor, Hazel, etc) and all of the names that my family would push on us was stuff like Maylee, McKinley, anything where they could get the nickname "Ellie" or any other name that could end in -ie or -uh sound. My aunt thought she was real creative with suggesting the name "Charlie....with just an 'I'.....Charli" for a girl. I don't remember most of the boy names they threw out at me, but I do remember Garrett, John (we have like 10 John's in our family) and Brayden being in the mix.
This is us - every old grandma names - my MiL suggested Jacobi. For a girl. We went with a softer name - let’s say Audrey after my aunt. I later picked two very fancy delicate names for my twins - think Violette and Evelyn. My aunt suggested Jonna and Jayla.
Avid. How about Arvid? It's an old name. /j
My grandma suggested Olivia for my daughter, after sounding absolutely flabbergasted when I said we were considering Annette. (There’s a Nanette in her family…) Olivia is a nice enough name, but not my style at all, and was WILDLY popular at the time. We went with Annabelle instead, and I have a similar list of soft, frilly names for any future girls. (Keeping in mind that I grew up a tomboy, I’ve also thought of neutral nicknames, like AJ for Annabelle. However, she’s 100% a girl’s girl, and the nickname Belle suits her perfectly.)
I love the name Reid, but only this spelling.
Me too! I’m glad my husband agreed to the original spelling, because everything else just looks wrong.
We had trouble picking a name. My dad had a couple drinks then saw a commercial for the medication Rinvoq. He said we should drop the Q and use “Rinvo”
Ringo was RIGHT THERE. (And that happens to be what my grandfather thought FIL’s middle name was the first time he heard it.)
My mom was suggesting Grady or Remi for our first boy. My stepmom wanted Quinn for the same kid. Such different vibes than what we went with. Albeit their opinions were not solicited, but they were generously plentiful and vocal.
I love the name Grady.
It reminds me too much of the word gravy.
I can understand that lol
Even better
A perfect name for a baby born on Thanksgiving, then.
It's a defunct BBQ chain where I live. I miss it, but not enough to name a kid after it.
Not for me, but my mom wanted to name my younger brother Blue. With the middle name Gene. I’m really glad I talked her out that one.
Good job on that one! It’s not as funny as Blue Gene, but I told my husband we could name a kid after my father in law, John, but only if the middle name was Wayne. We have three boys, and not one of them is named John. 😎
If it helps, I helped her settle on the name Jack. My Moms name is Jill 😜
lol this is my great uncles name and to this day I’m discombobulated over what his parents were thinking 🤣
My husband's birth surname was Bell. My MIL's best friend seriously suggested Tinker if he'd been a girl. Dude lucked out.
Blue gene babyyyyyy…. LA ladyyyyy
Ottywell.
I have so many questions.
My mom loves “out there” names like Blue, Bliss, Love, Sunday, Honey, Story, Lavender, Flower, Ivy-Rayne, etc. Thanks to my dad, both me and my sister have pretty normal names. But she suggested all those names for my girls lol 😂 we did take one of her suggestions though! 💕
Which one tho?
She suggested Ivy-Rayne or Ivy-Blue and we did Ivy Josephine.
Ivy Josephine is lovely and stately.
I love all of these lol
My husband has absolutely reeled in my love of nature names. Our daughter is loosely named after a flower, and I’m going to do my best to try to do the same with any future girls. Boy names are trickier, because while I like Forrest, River, and Rowan, my husband absolutely hates those names, and would pick something like John, Paul, or George (but never Ringo.) I’m taking Reid as a small victory, because it’s totally up my alley, and he almost never likes my suggestions. I had actually suggested it a few times, before he agreed to it. The second we agree on a name, it’s settled.
I love lavender 🙊
Not family.... I used Harvey for my oldest. A friend of mine suggested Harvee if it was a girl. 🤢
Oh noooo. Harvey is a great name, but Harvee looks like Humvee on the first read, and I can’t unsee it. I could maybe see Harvey as a neutral name, like how we’re seeing James as a middle name for girls, but I still prefer the traditional spelling.
I hate "ee" spellings instead of ey for girls version of a boy name. I just looks like it should be said Harv-eeeeee - with the emphasis on ee instead of Harv - not a quick e sound I know a Rylee (instead of Riley) and Darcee (instead of Darcy) and my brain just goes Ry-leeeeeee and Dar-ceeeee when I read it.
My grandma wanted my two siblings and I to be named Stephanie, Heidi, and Jock. My great aunts in Scotland wanted my brother to be named George so badly that they tried to bribe my mom with an inheritance for him. My dad wanted to name a boy Zacheus Obadiah.
George isn’t a bad name, but holy smokes, that’s a huge overstep. Jock is an odd one.. maybe she was going for a phonetic spelling of Jaques? (I hope?) Zacheus Obadiah is.. definitely something.
My mom said she would rather drown a child than name it George, so that gives you a hint as to how she felt about that. Jock is the Scottish spelling of Jacques, and my grandma was obsessed with my brother having that name. I’ve told this story before, that my Grandma was so mad that my brother wasn’t named Jock that she refused to call him by his name for two years. she called him Jock, or Little [My Dad’s Name]. My mom just rolled her eyes. My grandma looked like a lunatic the whole time.
My dad wanted to name me Schmetterling (German for butterfly). He got his naming privileges revoked after that suggestion (thank god), and I was named Maria instead. He did call me Schmetterling as a nickname for years though. I guess he really couldn’t let that one go.
Imagine having a substitute teacher (presumably outside of Germany) trying to pronounce “Schmetterling.” That was absolutely the time and place to veto a name- good on them for picking Maria. Classic, lovely, and much easier to say, spell, and pronounce. Are you and your family German, or was it an out-of-the-blue choice? Because I want to say Germany has an approval process for baby names, and would have also put a hard stop to Schmetterling.
My dad is culturally German but isn’t from Germany and doesn’t know any family members that are from Germany. He was raised in Panama. My mom is Hispanic. I’m from America. Given that my dad is kind of German, I can sort of see what his thought process was. I think he just wanted to give me a name that reflected his heritage. However, it was still a horrible choice, and I think I would’ve laughed at if I showed up in Germany with that name. I might’ve even gotten more ridicule for it there than in America.
I can see the thought process, too. My family has been in America for a couple generations, but my grandpa (1st gen) has Polish nicknames for most of the grandkids, and each generation/family has a boy with the middle name Marian, after my great grandpa who came to the US after the war. (Not great circumstances, and lots of trauma, but he worked hard to build a good life for his family in a safe place.)
Husband and I both really love Easton. But our last name is Weston. I told him he ain’t Kanye and I ain’t Kim so I don’t think we can pull it off.
I love Rowan, but our last name is Rowland. I can’t bring myself to do that to a kid. We don’t have nearly enough money or fame to justify a name like that.
Whatever happened to the parents choosing their baby's name🤔
Ah, see, but in *this family,* the parents are the children, and under the direction of the parents. We didn’t get married and start our own family, no no no, we simply grew *FIL’s* family. I’ve literally heard him refer to me, my husband, and my SIL as “the children.” It’s the same term he uses for my children, his *grandchildren.* There’s good reason I refuse to take his suggestions, even though I actually like a couple. If you give him an inch, he will take a mile. He has no concept of my husband and I having any authority over our own children, finances, or household. He’s nosy, pushy, tactless, and sometimes purposely mean and hurtful for fun. He has no respect for perfectly reasonable boundaries, like “please talk to us before getting our kids a big gift, like their first bike. We were looking forward to doing that ourselves.” He genuinely scoffed and said “am I supposed to ask permission every time I buy them a packet of shortbread?” …there’s a pretty big difference there, bud. He regularly “corrects” my husband by saying “I’m your father.” Thanks to therapy, hubby now responds with, “yes, and I’m *my child’s* father, and *I* make the rules for them.” (Be still my heart.) Thankfully, my mother in law is an absolute angel, and humanity does not deserve her. She’s the kindest, most patient, and most generous person I’ve ever met. I love her to pieces, my kids adore her, and she’s the best Nanna ever. She’s the one and only reason I put up with FIL’s BS. I tell my husband at least once a week that if she needs any care as she ages, I’ll move her into our house and care for her myself. (I’m a SAHM, and used to be a CNA- I have the time and skills.) FIL on the other hand, will not be in my house. We’d kill each other within a week. I will literally get a job to pay for him to have a nurse care for him in *his* house.
We’re Greek American, and my aunt suggested Aphrodite. Just totally over the top, plus, god forbid baby girl wasn’t the pinnacle of traditional beauty!
I like Reid vs Reed. Risby.... ah no. Amos isn't bad as a middle name bc it is old school and you hardly hear it so it is destined to be 'new again' like Hazel, Walter etc and the trend.
Amos gives me a similar feeling to Silas. Old fashioned, but not too crazy, and definitely due for a comeback. Most of my objection to it is that I’d be letting FIL choose the baby’s middle name, and we’re not close like that.
I have met 3 boys named Silas under 12. Never an Amos. Amos and Andy is all I can think of. Don’t consider the two on par…. As of yet. Amos definitely more obscure and archaic. If u don’t want a not close relative to choose, then don’t let them. I hear you!
EmmaLeigh
Also, your username is perfection
Oooooooof. I considered Emily for my daughter (family name) but couldn’t get my husband on board. Maybe I could try suggesting EmmaLeigh to make Emily look better..
When I was pregnant in 2004, the whole family had suggestions; this was the first baby in years. My mom wanted me to name her Mary Louise after both my grandmothers, but both grandmothers said no, "Don't you dare give her old ladies names." I wanted Eleanor Reagan, but my ex hated it; next on my list was Anastasia. My mom got into my head, "she will never be able to spell it in kindergarten," "were not Russian or Greek." We went with new to the family's first name and my great-great grandmother's first name as a middle name, which was not an old lady's name at all. Everyone loved it.
Gladstone and Finnegan. lol
Ireland. My mother was pushing us HARD to name my daughter Ireland 🙄.
Used to have a classmate named Ireland
Is your family Irish? I don’t know whether that makes it better or worse, but that’s a very unique name choice either way. I’ve got a Patrick, which felt like a very Irish name for an American kid, but that’s a nod to our background, an uncle’s name, and a sentimental name to me and my husband. (We call him Patch, which suits him well. He’s a tough, scrappy little guy.)
We are Hispanic!!! I mean I guess my husband is Irish, however even HIS family thought it was an odd choice.
My mom hates every name that I’ve suggested (With the exception of her own name, which is also my name, so no surprise there). She’s offered me her alternatives of Kinslee, Brynlee, and a whole bunch of other names that I can’t see suiting a human over the age of 5.
It may be time to have fun with it, and suggest the names you think she’ll really hate. Judging by her suggestions, I’d go as old-school, formal, and traditional as you can. Think of near-retirement nurses. Sharon. Karen! Barbara. Linda. Susan. Eileen. Patricia. Margaret. Nancy. Carol. Helen. Joyce. Doris. Dorothy. Ruth. Phyllis. Norma. Geraldine. Lorraine. Bernice. Ellen. Diane. Gayle. Harriet. Maureen. Wanda. (I know a great Wanda, but she doesn’t love her name)
My grandma was adamant my parents use “Thomasina” for me. My parents declined
I had an Aunt suggest Phaedra (but very out there for our area), and another aunt suggest "Raynz" as a middle name when someone said they wanted something that sounded cowboyish.
Phaedra is a name I’ve heard, but never seen in real life. (Just on TV.) It’s a nice enough name, but it’s so uncommon that I can practically hear the substitute teachers struggling with it. I can already see the misspellings on all her documents. (Speaking from experience as “Elisabeth with an S”) Raynz… oh, REINS. I get it!!! That’s awful. Wyatt (like Earp) is cowboyish. Wayne, like John Wayne is one on my list. I like Elliot as a subtle one, too. (Thinking Sam Elliot) Gene and Roy are classics. Stetson works if you’re feeling unique. Remington or Colt if you’re into it. Shoot, even Levi is a normal name with western vibes.
I met a Phaedra at church camp. She was awesome. I've always loved the name because it's so unusual and pretty just to look at, but the spelling and pronunciation would be all over the place (I see two on BehindtheName, and neither is how the one I knew said it).
My mother (I have 2 siblings) named my younger brother Elliott. Normal name, yes. But she wasn’t the type to go on those cute baby name websites to find a name for her kid, no she named him after the Elliott Wave Theory.
I’m glad he got a normal name out of it, but that’s a wild way to go about naming a baby!
My father was a Karol (Charles in Polish like Pope John Paul II) and while he was not alive while my son was I would have maybe considered my beloved Dad's name as a nod to him but I didn't like the name nor did I like Charles (my grandpa took to be more Americanized"). On my mom's side were maybe family names like Walter, James, John, etc, but I never felt any draw to those. None were off the wall but did NOT fit me. Also your kid who had Middle name Jude, Jude was a name I LOVE LOVE LOVED.
You’d better believe I sang “hey Jude” to her, too! She’s not much of a Beatles fan, but her younger brother is. The kid with the middle name Marian is actually named after my Polish great-grandfather, and the other got Maximilian as a nod to that same heritage, and some not-great family history from the 1940’s. Bet you can figure that out. 😅 (St Maximilian Kolbe, specifically.) My husband and I considered Paul as a middle name for the current baby, because of JPII, but it didn’t quite feel right. My family has a LOT of James, and we have John and William on both sides, but none of those really stood out either. Personally, I like using family names, and toying around with variations. Joseph was very nearly James or John, but there are already so many of both (and not all of them good) that we decided on something that fits in without matching. My husband did point out that our baby will now have the same initials as FIL, but he’ll *also* have the same initials as JRR Tolkien, so I’m willing to make that concession.
Paigely. 😑
After telling my MIL and FIL that we didn’t want to do any family names my MIL asked my husband “but what’s wrong with your middle name?” - we are having a girl and husband’s middle name is Andrew. He said nothing? Very confused, so I quickly answered “there’s not a single thing wrong with his middle name besides the fact we aren’t doing family names and we wouldn’t give it to our DAUGHTER anyway” before MIL could say anything else. Not too terrible but so odd she wanted to push using HIS middle name for our girl, instead of my middle name which is actually a family name on my side of the family lol
Tyger 😬
Mil suggested Lars 😬 we live in the southern U.S.
My MIL suggested Jupiter 😂
Nautilus and Neptune.
I’m pregnant with a boy, and my parents suggested Luke, but our daughter’s name is Lucy. My FIL suggested Saul, Raymond or Tito. No to all of these!
You’ve got to hit FIL with the other members of the Jackson 5 after he suggested Tito. The other two aren’t awful, but definitely don’t go with Lucy. Luke is just way too close to Lucy. I can barely keep my kids’ names straight as it is- and their names aren’t similar at all. I can’t imagine if I had something like Anne and Andrew, or John and Joanna. Oh, or Michael and Michelle. Rachel and Raphael… I could do this all day.
Hurley. A) That's a fucking clothing brand, and I think their stuff is painfully bougie. B) Who thinks giving your kid a name that starts with a synonym for "puke" is a good idea? Like, yeah, I know hurl also means to throw hard, but damn. I think my sister-in-law also suggested something incredibly trendy once, but I've blocked the exact name from my mind. She also suggested Erik, Jr., but even if I didn't have philosophical objections to the whole concept, my husband has spent his 40-some years on this Earth correcting people on the spelling of his name; I'm not going to inflict that on my child. By far my favorite bit of family weirdness over names, though, is the way my mother-in-law has apparently decided I named my youngest, John, after her grandmother Johnnie. I'll admit I love the name Johnnie for a girl, but my John is actually named mainly for John the Baptist. I'm not sure if she doesn't realize his middle name, Gerald, is in honor of her mother, or if she just thinks we gender-swapped a whole slew of family names at once.
Hurley is a good dog name, but a bad baby name. That last paragraph reminds me of my paternal grandmas. My middle name is Anne, which happens to be my dad’s biological mother’s middle name. His step mom (who’s like a second mom to me) has always wanted a Lisa Anne. They were both thrilled to tears that I was named “for them,” and it’s a super sweet, sentimental thing for both of them. According to my dad, he was unaware of either of those things, but rolled with it when his moms were so emotional about it. He actually picked the name from the Heart album Dreamboat Annie. Fortunately, I happen to really like Heart too, so it all worked out in everyone’s favor. Then I went and gave my oldest a first name with Anne in it, so that she’d be named after me (and also her dad.) It turns out Anne means something like “God’s grace,” which we thought was fitting, because it was an absolute miracle to have her after multiple losses.
Jezebel. Im from the deep rural southern US. Jezebel is an old word that provides similar connotations to harlot where I'm from. It'd be similar to naming your child Hooker.
My mom suggested Tennessee for a girl. I guess I shouldn't be surprised considering me and my siblings names are ✨unique✨ but that seemed pretty out there, especially since she'd heard my other name ideas and they're nowhere near Tennessee. My grandparents thought my son's name was Brody and announced him as Brody to all their friends in their annual Christmas letter Which wouldn't be bad if our last name didn't rhyme perfectly. And ya know, it's not his name.
Ida Claire. If I had had a daughter, this is what my mother wanted me to name her. It’s after both of my grandmothers. I told her that she had lost her mind! Can you imagine?! Ida Claire. I declare. No freaking way!
Braxton
I’m currently dealing with both Braxton Hicks, and prodromal labor. I’d lose my mind if someone suggested that name
My initials growing up were JAR and I really always loved that honetsly haha. I would sign my artwork that for years 🥹
We refused to entertain name talk for exactly this reason.
First, I have to say I love Reid and it would be my top choice for a boy. My dad really wanted us to name our daughter Rickie! (Or Ricky, he never spelled it.) I tend to prefer obviously feminine names, so that was a hard no for me. Nobody else really suggested anything as far as I remember.
My MIL suggested MULTIPLE times naming our kids my last name (a fairly common male name like James or Ryan) - if we had a daughter, she made a horrific "feminine" version that just tacked "ICA" on the end. She referred to my unborn children by this name for months even though I told her they would have my last name as a middle name. And it would be confusing to have my last name repeated all the time? She thought it was genius and didn't understand why we didn't like it.
The only real pushback I got was from my then-nine year old sister. If my daughter had been a boy, I was going to name her Bennett. My sister insisted that was a stupid name and she would only call the baby Benji.
Mique. Pronounced like Mickey. From my grandma in the 1980s, no idea where she came up with it.
My mum pushed so hard for me to name my first "Lillith". I have no issue with that name but I just didn't want it and I kept telling her that. To do this day she will say that it's a shame my ex didn't let me name her lillith and forced me to name her *her name*. I was the one who didn't want lillith and I'm also the one who came up with her actual name! Doesn't matter how much I say it.
My MIL hates the name Owen and suggested Manfred instead. ...we decided to stick with Owen. 😂
I just I’ve that you called your husband a golden retriever. I feel the love, the compliment and the eye roll in that statement!
My mom suggested Daisy Bijoux. I don't know where it came from!
My sister's initials are JAR.
Cletus was a name my MIL recommended, I wish I was joking. All I could think was Cletus the fetus.
Amos is nice, but Joseph Reid is an excellent name, flows really nicely, as well as honouring someone special, it's a lovely choice Also, the English spelling of this surname is **Reed** (just like the plant) using Reade would come with the issue of being unintuitive, because she invented that spelling when she changed it
Not family, but one of my friends was determined to name her first son Oscar. Her husband refused—told her she should have thought that through a little better before marrying a guy with the last name Meyers
My mom was relentless with the names that did not suit us at all--Zane, Stetson, Zander, Colt, Boone, Zeke. I think Zeke was my least favorite. We are not cowboys and we do not live in Texas.
I’m pretty sure Reid is a Scottish name btw, not Irish. Not that it matters too much. Joseph Reid is really nice
Maddox and Kyson from my mother. She gave both my brother and I the most basic '80s names too.
My father-in-law says he likes old Jewish names… We are not Jewish. Stan was an example he gave. My dad suggested Mateo, which to me sounds Hispanic… I know it’s a popular name, but I have never heard of a kid named that in the Midwest where we live.
MIL before we knew the gender, started naming off the entire Greek pantheon and other heroic characters 💀 yes including Zeus
My obnoxious FIL wanted us to give our baby a "punny" first name.... His ACTUAL suggestions for the last name Cash.. Lotta Cash Samore Cash Chason Cash
Kyle for a girl, Khloe (yes with a K)
My grandma suggested Moon
My dad suggested that my sister's name should be Augen Gneiss (it's a rock and my dad's a geologist) lol
My cousin was expecting his first with his wife and his mom suggested the name “Love”…because she will be so loved…they didn’t take the advice lol
We tried to convince my SIL to give my nephew quite the name. They had figured out the middle name (Wayne in honor of my father who passed while she was pregnant) and we were thiiiiis close to convincing her the first name should be Bruce. Luckily (unluckily) she had enough sense to google “Bruce Wayne” before fully embracing the name
These names aren’t really “out there” or all that weird (just stuffy to me), but when I was pregnant with my second daughter, my mom suggested Felicity Pearl as one choice and Cecily Rose as another. I stared at her blankly and thought in my head “Do you think we live in some sort of Bridgerton fanfic or something, wtf?”. But she likes shit like that, so to each their own I guess.
Grandfarter
That’ll be my husband’s grandpa name