Looking For An Unusual Baby Name? Your Child's Grandparents Probably Won't Like It, Survey Finds | HuffPost Life

The names Aurora, Elijah and Tabitha didn't go down well.

By

Life editor at HuffPost UK

If you were hoping to choose an unusual name for your newborn, we’re sorry to break it to you, but your mum and dad might hate it.

A survey of more than 2,000 grandparents and parents, by Mumsnet and Gransnet, revealed a fifth of grandparents (19%) hate their grandchild’s name.

And the top reason to their objection was the fact it was “too odd” (28%). Some of the names hated by grandparents included Aurora, Elijah and Tabitha.

The second highest reason grandparents didn’t like their grandchild’s name was because their own suggestion hadn’t been used (20%).

Mumsnet founder, Justine Roberts, said: “Parenthood is one long object lesson in not pleasing everyone, and new parents should think of any naming tussles as preparation for coming battles over what constitutes an appropriate outdoor outfit, whether it’s alright to cut the cat’s hair, and whether two hours is enough time to revise for a GCSE.”

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Other reasons grandparents didn’t like their grandchild’s name included: The name was too ‘made up’ or unconventional (15%), the name was too old-fashioned (11%), the belief that the name would embarrass the child (10%), annoyance that a family name hadn’t been used (10%) or the name reminded them of someone they disliked (10%).

But it seems parents aren’t keen to take their mum and dad’s suggestions into account anyway, with more than a third of parents (38%) saying that when it comes to grandparents and choosing babies’ names, it’s none of their business.

Roberts added: “Choosing a baby name is fraught enough for parents if you’re only taking into account your own views.

“If you add grandparents’ biases to the mix it can become impossible, unless by some freakish chance you’re all in agreement that the baby has Cedric written all over him.”

Whether you’re looking for a name that is ‘cool’, ‘cute’, ‘pretty’, or ‘unique’, our Baby Name Generator is here to inspire you. Discover the meaning of your favourite name, browse the 100 most popular baby girl names and baby boy names in England and Wales, or let our Random Name Generator throw up an unusual suggestion.

Before You Go

Pride 2017: 13 Baby Names Inspired By The LGBT Community

1. Harvey(01 of13)

Harvey Milk was an American politician who became the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California, when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

2. Gilbert(02 of13)

Gilbert Baker, an openly gay artist and civil rights activist, designed the Rainbow Flag in 1978. The flag has since become a prominent symbol to the gay community around the world.

3. Sylvia(03 of13)

Sylvia Rivera was an American gay liberation and transgender activist and self-identified drag queen. She was a founding member of both the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance.

4. Ellen(04 of13)

Ellen Page is a Canadian actress who came out in 2014, and has since spoken openly about the double standards around LGBT actors in Hollywood, she said: "Now I’m gay, I can’t play a straight person?!”

5. Martina(05 of13)

Martina Navratilova is a Czech and American retired tennis player and coach. In 2005, Tennis magazine selected her as the greatest female tennis player for the years 1965 through 2005. In 2000, she was the recipient of National Equality Award from the USA's largest gay and lesbian activist/lobbying group for her campaigning.

6. Audre(06 of13)

Audre Lorde was a African-American writer, feminist, poet and civil-rights activist. She took part in the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1979 and used her theory of difference to establish the fight for gay rights. She quickly became the best known out-of-the-closet Black radical lesbian feminist.

7. Ian(07 of13)

Sir Ian McKellen is an actor and the recipient of six Laurence Olivier Awards, a Tony Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He is one of the founding members of Stonewall UK, along with John Miskelly and Michael Cashman.

8. Keegan(08 of13)

Keegan Hirst is Britain's first openly gay rugby player who came out in August 2015.

9. Laverne(09 of13)

Laverne Cox is an American actress on the hit Netflix series 'Orange is the New Black'. Cox has made history as being the first openly transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy award in an acting role and to be on the cover of Time magazine.

10. Edie(10 of13)

Edie Windsor is an American LGBT rights activist and former technology manager at IBM. She was the lead plaintiff in the Supreme Court of the United States, which successfully overturned Section 3 of the Defence of Marriage Act, considered a landmark legal victory for same-sex marriage.

11. Bayard(11 of13)

Bayard Rustin is best known for his work with Martin Luther King in the civil right's movement, but in the 1970s, he became a public advocate on behalf of gay and lesbian causes as well.

12. Ruby(12 of13)

Ruby Rose is an Australian model, DJ, recording artist, actress and television presenter. She has spoken openly, and extensively, about her sexuality and identifying as gender fluid.

13. Larry(13 of13)

Larry Kramer is an American playwright, author, public health advocate and LGBT rights activist.

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