Children's names: What to call the Apple of your eye?

[weezypops]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/80489 ... r-eye.html

Television chef Jamie Oliver and his wife Jools have named their longed-for son and fourth child Buddy Bear Maurice Oliver or – as no doubt he’ll soon be called – Buddy Oli. Cue lots of headline along the lines of “a new buddy for his sisters” (Poppy Honey, Daisy Boo and Petal Blossom Rainbow – the Olivers obviously enjoy baby naming). Maurice, it turns out, is the name of Jools’s late father, but what possessed them to call him Buddy Bear? Jools told reporters outside the hospital: “I just like the name Buddy. I thought it was sweet.” Yes, but what about the Bear bit?

Baby names are a contentious subject. You want to call your beloved offspring something sweet; your family and friends think your choices are crazy. Even before you start a family, chances are you’ll have squirrelled away some “perfect” names.

By the first scan, your bedside reading will include the endlessly fascinating Baby Names A–Z and your list will be ever lengthening. Sadly, there isn’t a formula that can be applied when making a final selection – and the list of possibilities grows longer by the day.

“Keep your names to yourself,” is the top tip from Justine Roberts, co-founder of the website Mumsnet. “It’s awful if you’ve set your heart on a name that’s then criticised. However odd or unusual, people are much more accepting of a beautiful baby who’s already been named than a bump with a prospective name,” she says.

Family and friends will also squash your best flights of fancy with a “you cannot be serious” look. I’m guilty of telling a friend that Dolly was a cow’s name. This is why I’m staying silent on my pregnant sister’s number one choice of Olive. She doesn’t share my visions of the gruesome Olive from On the Buses or Popeye’s stringy girlfriend.

Of course you do have to discuss names with your partner. Every new name will probably be greeted with snorts of derision, absolute refusals to contemplate anything so girly and revelations that the family tradition is to name every first child Malcolm (regardless of sex).

Names can be traditional, biblical, floral, plucked from Greek mythology or celebrity-land, in memory of a dream holiday destination, your favourite tipple or your grandmother.

“Mumsnetters are wary of fashionable names, frown on name creations and have a healthy scepticism of celebrity names,” Justine says. “If you call your baby Cheryl it suggests you’ve been watching The X Factor.” But then she admits that by her fourth child she had thrown caution to the wind and named her son Jesse Ambrose Issac. “I’d been slightly wary of him being called “you big Jesse”.

Joanne Mallon, agony aunt on the website parentdish.co.uk, says children’s names say a lot about the parent.

“Maybe you’re a traditionalist, or someone who prides themselves on being unique. Maybe you want to celebrate your cultural heritage, or remember a particular member of your family. But at the end of the day, children will carve their own path in life,” she says.

Joanne points out the true story of two sons called Winner and Loser who certainly didn’t live up to their names. Loser became a well-respected detective in the South Bronx, while his brother became a petty criminal.

She believes celebrities do have a trickle-down effect on what’s acceptable in the name game, such as Nicole Kidman’s Sunday Rose and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Apple.

“Even if people are not copying celebs, I think famous people who give their children unusual names have made it more acceptable to give your child a more unusual or even a made-up name,” Joanne says. “In total contrast there are many more children with a double-barrelled surname, so parents are choosing simpler, more classic names, like the most popular boy’s name: Jack.”

Judging by the current top baby names, tradition is back in favour, even though we can pick and mix from foreign and unusual names like never before. If you are inclined to look overseas, choose carefully. One of my son’s middle names is Misi, which is Hungarian for Michael and in honour of a much-loved great-grandfather. The only problem is that at any public event it’s read out as Missy and his friends collapse into hysterical laughter. Then again, one of them is called Thierry Henry, after the footballer.

Mumsnet has a fun baby name finder. Choose your baby’s future job, favourite shop and preferred biscuit and up pops a list of potential names. Nascent pest control officers with a taste for Garibaldi biscuits could be called Jayden or Mafalda, apparently

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[rachel jane]

I actually like the name Buddy and considered it for Gus but i thought of the baby all through life and thought no way, its also very American. I like names that people have heard of but aren't common. When i worked at the nursery there used to be so many children with the same names that we used to call them their name and surname and i never wanted that for my child. My friend has a little boy and he is one of 3 children in his class with the same name and that would really irritate me.
I've always been a bit obsessed with names though.

[weezypops]

I'm the same on all counts Rachel. We wanted a name for both of them that wasn't too common. Kester, having an odd name himself, went for slightly weirder ones than me (Thelonius and Quigley for example) for Felix yet was a little more restrained with Iris and vetoed my suggestions of things like Calanthe and Althea. Generally though we wanted names that would be familiar and not completely wacky, but would make people say 'oh, that's unusual', which they often do. We get a lot of compliments about the kids' names, which I'm glad about as we put a LOT of thought into them!

I have to say I'm not keen on Jamie Oliver's naming style though - I like a lot of the individual names but together they're a bit much - Petal Blossom Rainbow in particular! I think if you give your child a name that is really unusual it's a good idea to give them a more normal middle name they can fall back on, which they clearly haven't done!

[Jenn]

I know what you mean about children in the class with same name. I was very worried about it too but. There is another William in William's nursery but he is in one of the classes at the other end of the room so I don't think they get confused by it. 2 out of 70 is a lot better than it could be.

I knew someone who called their child April SHower! And read an article by someone who named their daughter 'Green'.

I think we have decided on baby's name and I can say now that with names like Michael, Jennifer and William we are also going quite traditional again! Although part of me would love to go for something different.

Louise - I love the name Iris - I have a Great AUnt called Iris but for some reason we all call her Joan???? All my Great aunts (and Nan) were named after flowers.

Rachel - I am presuming Gus is a Gus? We have a Scout called Gus but his real name is Angus.

[weezypops]

Ooh, are you going to share Jenn?

[Jenn]

Ooh, are you going to share Jenn?

We'll probably start calling the baby by its name closer to the time - to get William used to it so maybe you'll all find out early too.

[Schmushe]

When we decided on the kids names, I knew from Day 1 that Josh was going to be Joshua - I loved the name and it was something I had thought long and hard about and although Paul wasnt happy he gre to like it.
With Alexa - (this was also a name of a child I used to look after in the nursery I ran) - she initially was either going to be Leah or Ashleigh, but a week before she was born I couldnt imagine it - we had previously discussed Alexa but Paul had veto'd it, but it was when she was born she looked like an Alexa if that makes sense!!

This time, Bob has a potential 3 names, I know too many people that are having boys so not mentioning any of them - I would hate someone else to use one of them - so thats why Bob has stuck!! But could imagine this one wont be officially named until he is here.

I personally dont like the name Buddy.

It is hard because you try not to pick names which other kids can use to pick on them, and make sure the initials dont spell something too - its hard work choosing a name. I always think about what my nan always said (whos name was Edris) - that imagine they are in a public place / old peoples home and they are being called....could you imagine shouting 'I have a phone call for Apple' - the winner of this years noble prize goes to 'Buddy bear'

[weezypops]

It is hard because you try not to pick names which other kids can use to pick on them, and make sure the initials dont spell something too - its hard work choosing a name. I always think about what my nan always said (whos name was Edris) - that imagine they are in a public place / old peoples home and they are being called....could you imagine shouting 'I have a phone call for Apple' - the winner of this years noble prize goes to 'Buddy bear'

I think this is something a lot of people don't think of - they go for really cutesy baby names and don't think of how it will look on a CV, or as you say when they are an old man or woman. It's a name for life!

[Jenn]

I also know a lot of people who are pregnant too but luckily none of them are family or people I see very often so it will not bother me if I call my child the same as they call theirs especially when we only have one girls name we like and one boys name that we like. Unfortunately they are all due before me tho but oh well

I always say the name out as if it were their wedding day 'do you william john take Petal Blossom?'

My first name used to rhyme with my surname! I hated it at times but also loved it at other times. My parents just didn't realise it would rhyme.

[rachel jane]

Generally though we wanted names that would be familiar and not completely wacky, but would make people say 'oh, that's unusual', which they often do. We get a lot of compliments about the kids' names, which I'm glad about as we put a LOT of thought into them!

Same here Louise.

[Schmushe]

I often get people pronouncing alexa wrong or they say 'oh that's ......unusual'. Which means they don't like it.
At the end of the day it's your choice and more often than not it suits the child iykwim. I couldn't imagine aldxa or josh being anything other than what they are called.

[sheeina]

I don't like buddy! I can't get past the film buddy the elf "BURP did you just hear that" classic! Lol!

We did family thing with George named him after both our dead grandfathers and I'm so glad we did. I feel as if they will never be forgotten and George I think will be grateful in years to cone to have a name that stands for something.
I have a uncommon name Spelt strange and my surname is Lowden so ice spent my whole life answering she-I-na low-den I don't anymore correct people so much so a girl at work calls me serena
I can't be bothered another thing I get is "sheeina oh as in sheena easten" NO!!!! Why would you I would be named after a singer who was only around for a little while??? She wasn't a classic long standing performer!!!

I'm loving freya and darcy for girlsbut boys I like the common Archie but I can't even see us having another one at moment so names are pointless unless I'm going to teddy factory lol

[weezypops]

I often get people pronouncing alexa wrong or they say 'oh that's ......unusual'. Which means they don't like it.

It's funny, normally when people say my kids' names are unusual it seems like they are being complimentary but I have had a few with iris where there's a certain pause before they say 'unusual' that definitely suggests they're not keen. SOmetimes though a particular child can really make you warm to a name - I wouldn't say Alexa is my 'style' at all but it suits her so much and she's such a great kid that I'm now quite fond of it.

[rachel jane]

Jenn, Gus is just a Gus, Ted is just a Ted but Connie is a Constance!

[sheeina]

i was thinking of this while out shopping this morning as i heard one of those names.
i once had a customer in basildon (i know) who naed her daught London????
i also knew someone who named her twin daughters Tia and Maria???
and i knew a boy whos sister had a son and called him Jack nice i hear you say but she then wanted to name him after my frined (her brother) who was called Daniel YEP you guessed it Jack Daniel????
shocking really im sure ill remember lots more but these are the ones that srping to mind.