If you think an idea for a baby name is just awful do you come out and tell the parents-to-be?

What I would say would depend on how well I knew the couple. If naming their kid “Garden” seems to fit them and their lifestyle, I would probably keep my mouth shut. If I know them well and can think of a hundred reasons why “Garden” is a lousy name for their unborn son, I would probably say something along the lines of “that could be a really interesting name for a kid, but I am not sure how it would work for an adult” or “Garden Alexander Smith, hmmm, you could have a challenge with his initials if he ever wants a monogram on something.”

You say, “Gee, that’s an interesting choice” with a smile. Count on the fact that the person’s family will have lots to say that is negative, and whatever you say will not be evaluated objectively. You don’t have to lie and gush, but if you are blunt with your negative opinion, unless the person is your best friend whom you have known forever, s/he will not appreciate your honesty. Maybe at a later date you steer a conversation towards kids you knew with funny names when you were younger and they got teased…

No. It’s the parents choice at the end of the day. I’d find it hard to conceal my horror(facial expression wise) if the proposed name was off the wall though. I’d run along and pray for the kid.

When I ask for an opinion, I actually want to hear it. Apparently most people don’t work that way. I would find a non-hurtful way to let them know that it’s not a name I would ever pick but I would love and support them, their choice and their baby. I think a constructive comment about potential nicknames/initials/etc. would be appropriate. But make your comment and then move on.

Being in my 3rd trimester, I have started telling some people the name we are thinking of. It’s a pain to try to read people’s faces when they mildly cringe and say “ohhh… um, that’s nice”. But like I said, I actually wanted to hear their opinion.

It’s their choice. The most I would ask: “Is there a specific meaning or lineage to that name”?

Well, no. I mean, it’s just etiquette like in many other circumstances.

If the parent introduces him as Rumpelstitskin, with a serious face, I might burst out laughing – but otherwise I would just say hmmm, nice name. Or, interesting – how did you choose it?

As always, it is situational. However, if they are just kicking around names and have not already actually bestowed a horrific moniker on their little bundle of joy, I might make light of the situation by saying something like.

Yikes… doesn’t that name roughly translate to “one who gets ass kicked in locker room on a daily basis”?

No. Not your business even if you have a strong opinion.

Heh..I remember having so much fun with my ultra snobby ex MIL.
Told her if it was a girl I was going to name her “Beaulah Lou” and a boy because her son, my ex was an avid fly fisherman ” Brooke Trout” lolol

I’ll never forget her face and her stunned and stammering ” uh, uh, oh!” haha

Only if they ask my opinion directly, otherwise it’s really none of my business. Though in the case of the something like this I might feel obliged to gently point out the potential for pitfalls in their consideration. >.>

If they ask what I think, then I’d tell them what I thought. If they are simply stating the names they are thinking about.. I’m sure I can come with some non committal sound and facial expression. I don’t have a very good ‘poker face’ though, so I’m sure they’d come to understand how I felt about it, regardless.

I was just thinking that I like the sound of some of the old fashioned names that aren’t in the bible, like Pearl or Ruby, Fleur or Daisy. The only thing I’ll be naming in the future are pets, though. Watching Downton Abby, there is a woman named Lavinia. I think that rocks (but I love a good ‘classical’ name.)

(Norwegian people don’t have to worry too much about this. There is a ‘naming standards board’ that the submitted names get approved through. Naming your kid ‘Asshole’ or ‘Hitler’ or ‘Backseat’ or some such horrible thing is considered abuse here.)

Dart is the new John.

Someone I know (not well enough to have warned them before the birth that their name choice was hideous) has just given their new baby boy THREE of the worst names I have ever heard in my life. These names are so posh that even the Royal family aren’t quite so blazingly obvious!! I just hope that this kid goes to a school where the other children come from equally as posh backgrounds otherwise he will be bullied so badly!!!

If I knew the couple well enough I would advise them to think about what their childs school days wil be like with the name they choose.

@Leanne1986, come on, don’t leave us hanging!!! What were they?

I don’t think so. To me it is kinda like saying “Gee your kid’s ugly”. Even if it is true there are just some things that are better left unsaid.

@nikipedia I have PM’d you. If anyone else wants to know, let me know and I will PM you!

We did threaten to name our daughter “Strawberry Pitaya” but did not give it serious thought. It is in her baby book however (just as a note) and I still take great delight in pointing out to her how lucky she is that we wised up.

No, I’ve thought some names were horrible. However, when my daughter was pregnant, she mentioned a name I thought was horrible and I told her. She ended up naming her son “Chance”, which I love.

Haha! YES I have.

Once a couple said to me: “We’ve come up with the perfect name!” Then they said it. The initials spelled out a nasty word. I told them I liked the name, but that no kid in school would ever call him by his given name once they knew his initials…They said “I ruined the name for them.” :( I said…“Change the middle name” :) They didn’t. To each his/her own.

If someone asks me, I tell them. Period. I’m unable to politely lie when it comes to a lifelong commitment.

I’d say ‘how come that name?’ or something but no, it’s their choice.

These are friends or relatives?

In which case I would not be able to hold in the smiles and I’d have to make some kind of wisecrack about the name.

“Please don’t take your Friendship away from me” as I’m laughing.

I can’t help it. sorry.

If they are acquaintances..I’d most definitely have a big grin and ask what is behind that name.

After that maybe they will realize that naming a child does not have to be like personalizing your dog’s character.

This question made my day!!!

To a name like Dart I may not say to them that I think it is not a great idea, I would plant a seed. I would tell them about a kid I went to Jr. high named Egbert. I would say along the lines, “Kids being how they are, I hope they don’t treat Dart, like they treated this kid Egbert, I went to school with. The poor guy got it everyday, ”Eggy”, “Egghead”, “Eggwhite”, “Eggbutt”, etc. I would hope no one took an easy shot at your kid and call him Fart, or something’ kids being kids, you know.” Maybe that might give them pause.

That depends on who’s asking..
I told my sister not to name her kid a lot of things. Like Kristen Virginia Josephine. Or Virginia Kristen Josephine. Because then her child would grow up to be a b..bad word. So she went ahead and named her Jasmine Jade Josephine. We just call her Jade or Triple J.
She’s 3 now, and she doesn’t talk. She used to, when she was like 6 months old. Now she just grunts and slaps people. :D

You mean like if someone told me they were going to name their daughter “Nevaeh”?

Let’s just say I don’t know if I’d come out and say it but I’d tell the truth if they asked me what I thought of it…

My husbands cousins all name their children extremely overly trendy names to the point of ridiculousness. Not only do they pick these gawd awful names, they make the spellings “unique”. Whenever one is pregnant, my husband and I make little cracks about what the name will be. Whatever they pick is always worse than the worst one we come up with.

One of the cousins is pregnant now, and our current guesses for the names are

Brogan Masonry for a boy and Keekee Aynslee for a girl.

I can’t remember what our last guess was but the REAL name was “Brinklee Keegann” for that poor baby.

We think the names are terrible. But obviously that whole side of the family likes them so who are we to judge.

I don’t understand peoples’ fascination with “Y” names (Brayden, Jayden, etc)

You could give them examples of how people encounter problems with names down the line, like this guy that gave his son a name from a racist religion.

Also, remind them how the child will have to go through K-12 and beyond having to correct teachers during roll call… and how they won’t be able to find their name on personalized mugs or keychains ;)