(no subject)

[willsjoy.livejournal.com]

How do you handle people (especially family) that really dislike the name you love for your baby and like to constantly bitch about it? We had our ultrasound yesterday, and it's another girl, which means we are heavily considering Moira (Moy-rah). My husband and I both love it, it comes from the Greek word Moirae, which means "fate," which is oh so perfect for our completely unplanned surprise baby. Her middle name might be June or Josephine or something else I guess, those are the two we have now. And no, there aren't many nickname possibilities, but my name is Erin - try to think of a decent nickname for that! :)

Very very few people like it. I know it's unique and different (that's part of it's charm), but I'm so sick of hearing people complain about how hard it is to say, how odd it is, etc, ect. It's not like I'm naming the kid Sunshine Rainbow Moonbeam (apologies to those who are considering those names :) ). The person that bothers me the most about it is my sister, who I am very close to, because she just keeps sending me other names, as if she's not going to accept that we're almost dead set. Now, we're not 100% on it yet, so I told her we would still consider other names, but at the sono yesterday, after they said it was a girl, I just looked at her and thought, "That's Moira." It just feels like her name, do you know what I mean? That's hard to explain to people who have never felt that way I guess. My first daughter is Madeleine, and I never felt that strongly about that being her name, but I liked it enough to use it, and my husband loved it.

I know it's our kid. I know we should name it what we like, and not what other people like, I'm just really sick of the bitching from people, especially people I'm close to. I know some of you named your kids very unique names; how did you deal with the criticism?

Comments

[retrodancekitty.livejournal.com]

Stick to your guns, mama :)
That's a beautiful name, and I love it together with Madeleine!

[kort-ni.livejournal.com]

I have a friend named Moira (but she pronounces it more like Mo-rah) and we call her Mo.

We haven't yet run into this, but I think our boy's front runner name is one that my parents don't love. I think you just have to hold your ground (but this is one of the main reasons we won't tell our names until there is a child attached to them, it's easier for the family to say stuff about your name right now than when they are talking about their grandchild (or whatever relation it is)

[sweetest-asylum.livejournal.com]

ah. mo is such a cute nickname!

[beepandetch.livejournal.com]

They'll get over it once the baby is born. If it bothers you that much, send an e-mail saying the name has been finalized. That's it. End of story.

Sidenote: I always thought Moira was pronounced Maur-ah?

[willsjoy.livejournal.com]

I hope so.

Hm, IDK. There aren't that many of them in the US apparently. The SSA list says that name hasn't been in the top 1000 for the last 10 years. I only know one and she pronounces it Moy-rah. Maybe it's like Madeleine with the Mad-a-lin and Mad-a-line thing.

[coquine.livejournal.com]

I love it and it goes with Madeline without being overly matchy.

I love the 'ring' of Moira Josephine, but I have a feeling her nickname, later on down the road, could turn into 'Mo-Jo', since that's the first thing that came to my mind.

As for your sister, ignore her. Just tell her that you and husband have decided on Moira and that you'll take her names into consideration for a middle name.

[willsjoy.livejournal.com]

That's just what my nanny said this morning, that we could call her Mojo! LOL. She was kidding. :)

With either Moira Josephine or Moira June, people could call her MJ if they really just can't get over it. I wouldn't mind that. My parents love Molly and said they were just gonna call her Molly, which kinda pissed me off. That's not her name, goddamnit.

[ohhowlovely.livejournal.com]

We made the mistake of telling people the name we picked for our son and heard everyone's opinion on it.. so we decided we're keeping it to ourselves with this baby so we don't have to hear it.

[zaggytiddies.livejournal.com]

This. With our second no one new the names we really had picked until she was born.

[harinakshi.livejournal.com]

It's different, but pretty. I think Moira June sounds wonderful:)

My mom didn't like our first name choice. She expressed her displeasure with a look of disgust on her face and "she's going to hate you" The name was Colette Isabel Viola. The middle names being family namesakes. And then my SIL who HATED Colette and told me so every time I talked to her. We ended up naming her Esme Genevieve Colette. My SIL is happy with it because at least Colette isn't her first name. But my mom gave me another look that said "seriously?" and told me "she's going to hate you once she's in school" And even a lady at the airport asked me why I gave her such a long name (double middle names is a family trend) although she did say it nicely.

I'm really close to my mom and while I know she's a bit crazy her opinion still matters a lot to me so it's hard knowing she hates the name, but I don't care. I say you just have to ignore it. It's your baby and you're choice and if they don't like it, well, at least you don't have to worry about anyone "stealing" it!

Also, I totally know that feeling. I had that feeling with all three. Once we came across the name, that was it, nothing else was right or good enough. And you shouldn't compromise that for anything. I know one girl on here said she changed her baby's name out of peer pressure of sorts and she completely regrets it:(

[willsjoy.livejournal.com]

My mom actually hasn't said much, which I think she's done on purpose. She said to me over the weekend, "I haven't said much about your names, you name the baby what you want," which is nice of her, though I know she's not crazy about it.

My sister just texted me and said Moira was growing on her, but that it's such a big name for a little girl. I told her they don't stay little for long. :)

And what French names you have! It is a long name, but when are you ever calling her all four of her names, ya know? My daughter has two middle names too (Madeleine Allison Mae) and people said the same thing. I was like, "um, I was only called Erin Victoria when I was in trouble and when I graduated." :)

[ber-waves-of.livejournal.com]

I like Moira! Good choice!

I got some flack from family (actually, only my MIL, who was a major b*tch about it) when we named our son Lennon. But that name suits him PERFECTLY. If you think your girl is a Moira, go for it! :)

[http://users.livejournal.com/___heyvanity/]

My parents instantly like Neva, because it's a family name, but everyone else is like WTF? Any boy name we suggest, they usually dislike. It's like, you really want me to name my kid James or Matthew when they have a sister named Neva? No, I want two names that relate to one another (and are my ~style~) so obviously, I'm going to pick a unique, old-fashioned name, (like Neva) for a boy.

I think Moira is nice. I actually really like the sound of that name, but never knew the spelling... same with the name that's pronounce "Lie-rah." Moira Josephine is beautiful! Just go with what you want. Like everyone else said, once the baby is here, they won't complain at all. They can always have their own little nicknames for the baby.

[morphinae.livejournal.com]

I refuse to talk names with family. I just don't want to hear it. Plus I think it sets the tone for how I feel about unsolicited advice. I don't want to hear that either!

[arrien.livejournal.com]

Say something if it's bothering you so much.

[eicnan.livejournal.com]

Stand your ground and remind people that it is your child and you're the one who will be funding the bill and losing sleep. Usually once a child is born the name really is owned by them and everyone who was opposed doesn't even recall (I have a friend who named her son Homer and as you can imagine got major flack for it but now at 3 he's Homer, you don't even associate the Simpsons with him though he was named after Homer, Alaska). And for the record I think Moira is a beautiful name. I had a friend from school with that name and I always liked it.

[ee-eye.livejournal.com]

I love the name Moira!

Also, my name is Erin and it totally sucks not having a nickname. My cousins and siblings call me "E" which is totally shitty as nicknames go.

[ee-eye.livejournal.com]

Oh and to actually be helpful, I named my daughter Vara and a few people in my family hated it and called her by her middle name (Ann) for a few months. I just ignored them for the most part, until I was particularly sleep deprived one day and I told them "My daughter's name is Vara, and I'd hope you'd have enough respect for her and for me to call her by her proper name." That shut them up.

[cremepuff.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear that. I'm surprised too, because I don't see Moira as a weird name or difficult to pronounce! What would they rather have her be named, MacKenzie?? I say stick to your guns on this one.

[joereaves.livejournal.com]

I was thinking that! I didn't think Moira was unique or different lol. Not trendy but not incredibly uncommon but maybe it's more common in the UK, where I'm from. we have a newsreader called Moira Stewart over here definitely.

[invisiblepet.livejournal.com]

Erin Alison is our girl's pick. We also considered Erin Mackenzie since both my husband and I have "M" middle names.

But I think we're having a boy, so the girl's name will just be kept on the name-shelf so to speak.

[willsjoy.livejournal.com]

That is my name and my sisters' name! Except she spells it Allison. They do sound good together, it just odd for me to see it like that, lol.

Yeah, everyone liked most of our boy names (Elijah was at the top, followed by Liam and Dalton)

[spaceandclouds.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately I can't offer much advice as I don't have kids, but stick with it. Moira June/Josephine is a beautiful name. And who knows, once your daugther is born your sister/family will soon start to associate the name with that little girl...and may grow to like it after all =).

[sal_amanda]

I think Moira is a great name. And you are pronouncing it the way I've always heard it pronounced, though I had for some reason thought it was Irish. Maybe because it's always been Irish women I've heard it on. I don't think it's a "big" name or really even crazy unique or any other such nonsense.

I learned quickly with my first to stop telling people our choices because I got sick of hearing their opinions. Once a child has a name already, there's not much to do about it, and I would absolutely not allow someone to call my child by a name that wasn't their name just because they didn't like it. It's disrespectful.

[willsjoy.livejournal.com]

I have found a lot of origins of the name. I've seen Scottish, Irish, English and Greek. I've seen it mean everything from "Mary" to "sea of bitterness" (lol), to "fate." I like fate best, haha.

[jordle.livejournal.com]

I don't get the hatred. I'd get it if you wanted to name her Nevvayharh or something made up but Moira is a real name and, while it isn't my style it's a perfectly acceptable name.

I agree with what most people have said, once everyone sees her for the first time it won't matter what her name is.

If you think she's a Moira, then she's a Moira - no one knows her better than you do :)

Good Luck.

[in_excelsis_dea.livejournal.com]

I just wanted to say that I adore the name. As for people not liking the name, well, tough luck. Hold to it, if you feel that strongly about it. Could you possibly, next time you see your sister, thank her for the other names, but that you're definitely going to go with Moira and maybe ask for middle name suggestions? That way she'll still feel involved and since you're not totally sold on middle names yet, she might actually be a help. And I dunno, maybe once she sees the ultra sound she'll agree with the name? Do the people who are against the name know why you chose it? What the history behind it is? They might feel better when they know your reasoning.

[silentyrs.livejournal.com]

I went to school with a Moira. It really fit her, especially since she had such a creative style. Brightly colored hair, piercings... I always assumed it was Irish. Don't worry about your family. They'll probably knock it off when the baby is born anyway.

[buttonmoulder.livejournal.com]

My name is Erin too and my parents and husband call me "Ennie". When I was a kid, my parents used to call me "Ennie J. McTuttlenuts" :/

[ee-eye.livejournal.com]

McTuttlenuts is amazing!

I call my daughter so many ridiculous things: Vee-vers, Vee-varino, Veev-sters, Vara Ann Chicken Butt, Vee-Ann, Vee-vers McStinkybutt, etc... I'm a horrible mother.

[lind-saay.livejournal.com]

It's a beautiful name. Use it! Moira Josephine is gorgeous.

(FYI - I have a friend named Moira [but she says the first syllable like "more"] and she's never had a problem with her name. So whatever.)

[schexyschteve.livejournal.com]

You don't tell them the name before.

[bandnerd88.livejournal.com]

I know for sure I won't tell anyone the name I've picked until the baby's born. I won't be having kids for another four years or so, but when the time comes I'm going to keep the name secret. It's just easier. People are less inclined to say mean things about a name when it's attached to a baby - and it might even grow on them if there's a cute baby to go with it. My high school band director named her daughter Clementine, and I was really iffy on it until I actually met the baby. Now I really like it.

I really don't think there's anything wrong with Moira. Tell them you're going to use it, end of story, and don't allow any more discussion on it. Once the baby's born I'm sure they'll lay off.

[sarahness.livejournal.com]

My family did NOT like the name I had chosen for my daughter. She doesn't even have a crazy name (it's Amelia Marilyn), but they said it sounded old and tried to convince me that people would call her "meal worm" or say "Amelia I wanna feel ya" and said a bunch of other ridiculous things to get me to change my mind.

My mom especially hates her middle name and she says "I will not call her by that." Whatever crazy lady, you don't have to.

For what it's worth, I love Moira. It's classy and feminine without being overly popular or trendy. And my family has come around to liking my daughter's name (except for my mom with her middle name but whatever), and it suits her perfectly. I'm glad I wasn't pressured into re-naming her just because they didn't like it.

Once the baby is here, I don't think anyone will have the audacity to bitch about her name. If you love it, use it.

[becomingun.livejournal.com]

Love love LOVE Moira. It's the name of a close friend's mother, and it's SO lovely.