Everyone has preferences

People on this site only like names like John, James, Elizabeth, and Caroline.

Anonymous wrote:People have opinions, but usually you only hear the good ones when you are introducing an already named human. Just since I saw my daughter’s name on your list: we get a lot, a lot of compliments about Daphne. I’m sure there are those who dislike it, but they keep it to themselves.

OP here and I think Daphne is a really pretty name. I do not find it pretentious at all. I actually think the person who said it was pretentious did so specifically because it is a very pretty name, and they think giving a child a really pretty name is somehow putting on airs? I don't get it, and I don't agree. Good job with your baby's name.

Anonymous wrote:OP. You probably rejected most names for some reason or another, and people you talk with are the same.

The best strategy is to tell no one, then when the baby arrives, you say "here's Sybil", and they'll generally go "how lovely" (to your face anyway!)

OP here. I actually was pretty open minded about names and liked a lot of them. When I rejected names, it wasn't because I thought they were simply bad names. It was usually because it just didn't feel right for our family, didn't feel like it went with our last name, etc. Even when I rejected a name because I didn't like it, I usually recognized my distaste was generally due to an unfortunate association with a person I don't like, and not really a problem inherent to the name.

So it's been weird to encounter so many opinions during my sister's naming process that are extremely negative about names that established and inoffensive. It makes me wonder if the people who are so judgmental about names walk around judging the names of all the people they meet, too. Because the level of harshness seems to indicate a general dissatisfaction with most names.

And while I get why people might suggest telling no one your chosen name, I think it's sad that people are so unable to control their apparent hatred of most names to make it a more communal event. It seems functional and normal to me that you might discuss potential names with family and close friends, and unfortunate that apparently people can't handle their own judgment in a way to make that possible. It's sad, honestly.

You must be new here.

I think there are some people here who have limited experience with any names other than the ones right in their sphere-so that any name other than that is 'awful' or a 'tradgedeigh' .

OP. You probably rejected most names for some reason or another, and people you talk with are the same.

The best strategy is to tell no one, then when the baby arrives, you say "here's Sybil", and they'll generally go "how lovely" (to your face anyway!)

People have opinions, but usually you only hear the good ones when you are introducing an already named human. Just since I saw my daughter’s name on your list: we get a lot, a lot of compliments about Daphne. I’m sure there are those who dislike it, but they keep it to themselves.

Anonymous wrote:Is this online or in person?

Both. I have been talking about and looking at names online recently (sister is pregnant) and have heard and seen just incredibly harsh opinions about names I think are pretty inoffensive. Three of the quotes above are from relatives discussing names with my sister, including one my mom said about a name that is a "family name" I know my sister was enthusiastic about. When I asked my mom why she was so harsh, she didn't really have and answer, so I came here.

Is this online or in person?

OP here. I'm not looking for affirmation, I'm not even naming a baby right now and none of those are names on my list when I do. But I think they are all perfectly good names. Not for me, but solid names for someone else's kid.

Obviously everyone has opinions. I'm saying I don't understand the severity of opinions on baby names that are frankly run of the mill. I get why people have strong opinions on tragedeighs or really obscure names or certain unusual naming trends (masculine names on girls or feminine names on boys, etc.).

I do not understand why people seem to go out of their way to hate so many names. How do you function in life? Is this distaste for so many names limited to babies or do you also hate most of the names you encounter IRL?

Stop looking for affirmation.

If you need other people to "approve" of your name then you need to mature a little.

Everyone has opinions, and most believe it is their birthright to share them.

Like PP, we never shared our name choices, and I always give unsolicited advice for others to do the same. People feel like they can say whatever they want because the baby isn’t actually there. It’s harder to criticize when you’re holding little Pierpont right in front of them.

People have opinions. We never shared names we were considering.

Don't want to debate names, but want to understand the hyper-critical attitude some folks come to baby names. Stuff I've heard/seen lately?

"Fiona? People will make fun of her for being Shrek's wife."

"Charlotte? Way too popular, she'll be one of 10 in her grade."

"Victoria? People will call her Vicky, which is awful."

"Jessica? It just sounds so 80s."

"Daphne? That's kind of pretentious, don't you think?"

I could actually go on. I picked a series of names that I personally think are nice and would not even make me blink if someone I knew named their baby that, so it's odd to me to hear such negative things about them.

What is the mentality that criticizes names like this? I get if it's not a name you would personally choose, or if you have a specific, negative connotation with a name. But why knock an otherwise perfectly good name down in this way? I don't get it.