Baby Names: Best Ways to Handle People Who Don't Like What You Named Your Child

No matter how trivial it can be, debates on baby names among family members or groups of friends are happening all the time. Some people may respond with such a dislike, leading the parents to feel the need to defend the name they picked out.

Moms and dads choose baby names based on personal reasons and it could sting and hurt if their choice draws some raised eyebrows. One mom shared that her mother-in-law took it against her and her husband when they named their daughter Wilhelmina, for her grandmother. Her mother-in-law thought they picked this name just to "wind her up."

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Here are some of the best ways parents should handle the people who do not like their baby's name:

1. Bear in mind, it's just someone's opinion.

Sure, it will hurt to hear or see the reactions even after the parents have spent hours or even days coming with the perfect baby's name. But moms and dads should bear in mind that if they receive a negative reaction, it's only because other people have different opinions or a preference. 

Parents should never aim to pick baby names just to please other people. However, it could help to be prepared with the negative feedback so parents won't have to be defensive about it.

2. Maintain perspective and stick with your choice.

Psychologist and relationship expert Dale Atkins said that parents must never forget the special reasons why they chose a particular baby name. This way, they won't be affected by the negative reactions. Atkins said that parents who fully embrace and become attached to their name choice will never be bothered with the criticisms. 

There's also no reason to convince people of the parent's choice because, in the end, it is the mother and father's decision, which the rest of the family members have to respect. While the parents may acknowledge the opinion of others, fighting over this trivial issue will just pile on the unnecessary stress and tension in the family.

3. It's going to grow on them anyway.

Sometimes, all that's needed is for the rest of the family members to get used to the baby's name. Once they associate this with the cuddly newborn, then the name choice will eventually grow on them.

For this reason, some parents may prefer not to share their baby names choices in advance because the tendency is for other people to be less critical if the baby is already there, cooing and reacting to the sound of his or her name.

4. Popular Baby Names of 2021

Meanwhile, some of the most popular baby names for 2021 are Eloise for girls and Arlo for boys, according to Today. Eloise is rooted in French, which means "healthy or wide." Arlo is said to be a "multicultural name" that means "between two hills."

Other top baby names pick for the year include Aurelia, Ava, Rose, Imogen, Finn, Soren, Kai, and Rowan. The list was generated by Nameberry.

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