i should keep my mouth shut about friend's choice for baby name...right?

[Anonymous]

There should be a service that you can pay to anonymously tell your loved ones that their baby names are reprehensible.

[Anonymous]

In all the years I've been on DCUM I don't think I've ever been in the "Mind your own business" camp on any important issue. And this is not that important, and I'm firmly in the "Mind your own business" camp on this. If ever there was something that is only the business of the parents, it's their baby's name. Well, except crazy parents who name their kids totally insane things that you know the child will think "WTF? Where my parents on PCP when they named me??" when they get older....

There was an actual case in New Zealand where parents named their DD "Mary Who Does the Hula From Hawaii", like, all 7 words were her first name. She got old enough to be mortified and tired of being teased, tried to emancipate herself from her parents so she could change her name (at like 12 yrs old or something), and then finally the court threatened to take her into foster care long enough to change her name if her parents didn't, and they finally did.

The same article I read on this mentioned lists of other names that had been brought to court and the court had allowed the parents to keep (they were still totally awful, like kids named after alcohol brands), and also some that the court made the parents change (not kidding you, one child was named "Number 61 Bus Shelter" and another pair of twins were named "Fish" and "Chips" - they had to change). Maybe some of you think a court shouldn't have that kind of influence, but I like it, I think those kids need a break and they should get to have their names changed if they're ready to cut themselves from being sick of the teasing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Pps are getting close and I'm getting close to going to bed so here goes:

Mahdulynn

Seriously? I'm usually a live-and-let-live type, but this is practically child abuse!!

Tell her it's a great name, but people will always misspell and mispronounce it, which will probably make DD sad and annoyed. Plus, boys will likely tease her on the playground (DUH!!) from ages 4-14, perhaps more. Better to go with a more traditional spelling of a beautiful name.

P.S. DUH!!!

[Anonymous]

i told a very close friend that I was worried the name she chose for her son was going to get him teased in school.... it was an ethnic name. she appreciated it, took it very well, said she would discuss with her husband and in the end ended up staying with the name... i was relieved i told her. on the record. we handled it in a mature way. depends on how u think your friend might take it, i think...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am pregnant with DC2 and was tossing around name ideas and some friends were violently opposed to some of them, which I found a bit surprising. I am going to use a "normal," traditional name with a normal spelling, but it was interesting to hear my friends' opinions and I wasn't offended because I am not wed to any of the potential names. But I know some people are really attached to a certain name so it's nice that you want to tread softly. Perhaps just say something like Madelyn is a nice name, but maybe spell it the traditional way to avoid having to correct spellings a lot?

I chose a name that I've never before or since (DD is still young) met anyone else named, and I love her name. I love that it's unusual too, but it's also pronounced just as it's spelled and hardly anyone should have to look at it too long to figure it out, so I'm glad we went with an unusual name. We get almost uniformly positive feedback on it, but I never asked anyone before she was born because I knew it was right when I found it.

That's all to say... people shouldn't be afraid to pick unusual names. Crazy spellings of traditional names is more iffy, because that can come back to bite your child when they're old enough to be sending out resumes. But unusual that isn't, well, like Mahduhlynn, unusual that's still got a nice ring to it should be ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am pregnant with DC2 and was tossing around name ideas and some friends were violently opposed to some of them, which I found a bit surprising. I am going to use a "normal," traditional name with a normal spelling, but it was interesting to hear my friends' opinions and I wasn't offended because I am not wed to any of the potential names. But I know some people are really attached to a certain name so it's nice that you want to tread softly. Perhaps just say something like Madelyn is a nice name, but maybe spell it the traditional way to avoid having to correct spellings a lot?

I chose a name that I've never before or since (DD is still young) met anyone else named, and I love her name. I love that it's unusual too, but it's also pronounced just as it's spelled and hardly anyone should have to look at it too long to figure it out, so I'm glad we went with an unusual name. We get almost uniformly positive feedback on it, but I never asked anyone before she was born because I knew it was right when I found it.

That's all to say... people shouldn't be afraid to pick unusual names. Crazy spellings of traditional names is more iffy, because that can come back to bite your child when they're old enough to be sending out resumes. But unusual that isn't, well, like Mahduhlynn, unusual that's still got a nice ring to it should be ok.

Unusual is fine. Taking a common name and making it unusually spelled in a way that is likely to cause the child ridicule is not.

[Anonymous]

Ask her how do you pronounce that? She'll get it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless it was a silly name and she didn't realize it i.e. Seymour Butts, you say NOTHING!

We aren't in DC but Harry Butts is a local who gets lots of razors in his mailbox on Halloween. Parents should think ahead.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like your friend is testing you on how good a friend you are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Pps are getting close and I'm getting close to going to bed so here goes:

Mahdulynn

Huh...I would think that people would pronounce that Maudlin rather than Madeline/Madelyn.

I'm the one that suggested

Anonymous wrote:Text her back: What a nice name for your child. But I do prefer the traditional spelling. I'm so happy for you and looking forward to meeting the baby.

and I might change it to:

Is that a typo? Madelyn is such a nice name for your child. I'm so happy for you and looking forward to meeting the baby.

[Anonymous]

Yes. It'd not your kid.

[Anonymous]

Maybe, "I haven't seen that before. is it pronounced the same as Madeline? Madeline is a beautiful name."

[Anonymous]

OP, where did you meet such a stupid friend anyway?

[Anonymous]

Ok, that is worse than I was expecting OP!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you even have to ask?

+1.