ACCORDING to a new survey, one in five grandparents "hate" their grandchild's name, with two per cent even falling out with their family over a moniker.
In a joint Mumsnet and Gransnet survey of 2000 mothers and grandparents, 15 per cent of grandparents admitted to hating one or more of their grandkids' names, but had "accepted" it over time, while four per cent hated the name straight away - and still do.
And the reasons for "hating" names are many and varied:
- For 28 per cent the name was "ugly"
- 17 per cent felt it was "too weird"
- For 11 per cent the moniker was too old-fashioned
- They wanted to use a name from the other side of the family (11 per cent)
Grandparents aren't great at hiding when they don't love a name, either. When introduced to their new grandbaby, grandma and grandpa responded in a number of ways:
- Nine per cent said: "What?"
- 4 per cent were completely silent.
- Two per cent admitted laughing. (Ouch)
- And eight per cent simply lied, saying they "loved" the name, but secretly believing otherwise.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, grandmothers had the strongest opinions - forty-four per cent of parents said it was their mum who took issue with bub's name, while 42 per cent pointed their fingers at their mother-in-law. And for six per cent of those surveyed, naming disagreements took a heavy toll, leading to temporary falling outs with family members.
When they're not fond of baby's name, six per cent of grandparents simply avoid using it at all, while 17 per cent admit to using it "begrudgingly". Only 39 per cent shared that they'd come to terms with it over time.
Issues with grandparents, however, are only part of the challenge. Almost half of Mumsnet users shared that they argued with their partner as they tried to choose a name. And while 20 per cent of mamas said they "won" the naming war, (and their partner now likes the name), a whopping 73 per cent had to compromise - going with a name they both agreed on.
"Choosing a baby name is fraught enough for parents when you're only taking into account your own views," said Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts. "If you add grandparents' biases to the mix, it can become impossible, unless by some freakish chance you all agree that the baby has 'Cedric' written all over him."