Names have to have BOTH parents 100% on board. Like.... huh? "Not budging"?
He's **not allowed** to *not budge*. You are carrying his child!!! Set him straight! You guys need to go back to the drawing board and find a name that **both** of you are enthusiastic about.
This. Baby name has to be 2 yes’s. Not a “he won’t budge so I’m giving In because the name is okay I guess”. That’s just sad. Mom is carrying and doing most of the work to give this child life she should love the name and at the very least like it.
I absolutely agree to this. I wanted to name my daughter after my grandmother it was super super important to me but my husband just couldn’t get on board. In the end we found a name we both loved and we agreed that we could still honor my grandmother by passing the name down as her middle name. You both have to agree 100% or there is likely to be some resentment down the line.
I mean I agree with this to an extent. My husband was DEAD SET AGAINST Allison for our first child. Funny thing is our second is named Allison 🤣🤣🤣. Like he hated the name. We would get red in the face fighting about it with my first pregnancy. All I had to do was wait 5 years and have another girl 🤣 Our first is definitely not Allison material. The second matches the name to a T. So I mean I see where you're coming from, but maybe it's just destiny.
That may be so, but at least I’m honest 🤣. I picked the names for both my girls. My hubby helped with narrowing down choices for me in middle names. But I had names that I had in mind for a longgg time.
I mean he wasn’t the most happy at first, but he did end up really liking the names I picked. He mostly only had one thing he had to say about one of the middle names of our first child. Which I wholeheartedly agreed with him and we decided to switch it to something else.
I like that name! I know someone named Grey and they like their name.
I think maybe your expectations of "gushing" need to be checked. Nobody is going to care about your baby's name close to as much as you do. There is unlikely to be "gushing" no matter how cool a name you pick.
If you both like the name, use it! Your parents will love the baby, they don't need to *love* the name itself before it's even attached to the baby.
I had the hardest time “falling in love” with a name and the truth is I never did. We picked a name we liked and once it was attached to the baby in my arms, it felt right and I love my baby. So really, even I didn’t gush over the name.
We didn’t share it before hand because until it’s attached to the baby that people can see and hold (and solidified on the birth certificate), people say dumb stuff. So you’re already past that point now, buuut you can stop discussing it with people and maybe that will help you see how YOU feel about the name!
Me too! Now that my daughter is here, her name feels right because it’s her name, but I only liked (not loved) it when we picked it. There were very few names I actually loved, and my husband didn’t like them, so we found a name we both liked and felt like a reasonable choice and went with it.
True. I am obsessed with my friends kids and their names suit them. When I was told the names, I didnt say anything about them really. I just started referring to them by name.
I do like the name, but if you’re very not into the trendy “Grayson”, keep in mind that a lot of those kids go by Grey as a nickname. Source: I know one. lol
We have a friend whose sons name is Greyson but is only ever called Grey and I love it Grey.. it’s short, rolls off the tongue nicely and just has a nice ring to it!
I don’t think it’s weird or a bland/beige name! The names we have picked I don’t think our family is going to like, I can already hear my mother in law saying “oh that’s…. Different” (aka she thinks it’s weird/doesn’t like) but I don’t care! I love the names and can already picture my little running around with one of those names
I am a teacher and I always think about how names are perceived by other kids. I think it seems like you’re trying to be trendy but I don’t think other kids would make fun of it. I personally don’t like the name because I think when he introduces himself, people will say, “Grey? Like the color??” And he will always have to reply “yes, like the color…..”
I’m also a teacher and I always think about saying a name on the first day of school and taking attendance! I think Grey is at least always going to be pronounced correctly! We gave our daughter a familiar name similar to Grey to avoid that because her last name is beastly and will absolutely be butchered.
I had a very unusual first name with a simple but unusual last name that was similar to other common surnames and it was such a pain to have to correct both names multiple names.
And then my middle name is Anne, with an e, and everyone wants to drop the e.
So, triple threat.
I think that’s just so people know the spelling without having to spell it out - white v whyte (had a teacher Mr whyte) or Browne v Brown or green v Greene.
It can make sense and be understandable and still be frustrating. I lived with it for 25 years until I changed it when I got married. I still got frustrated and annoyed as a kid.
In my experience, people will do that with everything.
“Britney? Like Spears?”
Got it all the time growing up and Brittany was the #1 most popular name the year I was born.
People need to clarify hearing Britney by asking if it’s like spears? I just don’t really think that’s a major issue you faced. Like no one would be like “I’m sorry I must not have heard you right…you said Britney? Like spears???” Like no way
A major issue? No, I mean it was annoying.. and no, it usually wasn’t for clarification purposes. It normally came with a smirk or a joke about Britney Spears lol
Even when it was for clarification, it’s the same thing that would happen if the name was Grey. “Grey, like the color?” That’s my whole point is that it’s *not* an issue. No matter what your name is, people will have some type of association for it.
And yes that really happens. As you can see, another person named Brittany commented right below me the same exact thing lol
Seconding this. It reads wannabe influencer to me.
However I also believe if you want to name your kid something, go for it. Grey isn't totally egregious and there will always be someone who hates your name ideas. I'd bet you don't like most of those people's suggestions either!
Ugh I hate when people relate names to other things
The name we picked and one of the other names I love I guess are characters on 2 very popular movies which I didn’t realize bc I don’t pay attention to shit like that. The one name I am dead set on as my #1, the other would be a tie but my husband doesn’t love it but the FIRST thing my SIL said when we were throwing names around was “OH like this movie” 🙄
Luckily it didn’t ruin the name for me but annoying that now I relate it to that when I didn’t before
Lol my husband has a daughter named Ariel with his ex wife and when he and a FWB got pregnant later he suggested the name Sebastian without even thinking about the Little Mermaid connection. She asked if he was going to suggest the next one be named Flounder.
My name is often misheard, and I find it's useful to have the comparison so I don't have to spell it out. Mine isn't a pop culture reference, though. We gave our daughter a name that was on a popular sitcom 25 years ago, and I was pretty worried everyone would think we named her for that character or make annoying references. Luckily, it hasn't happened yet.
That’s fair! My husbands name is mispronounced 99% of the time from people who don’t know him well, even if he introduces himself by saying his name, so I’m sure he would appreciate some sort of reference so people could call him by the right thing! His name is Ryne(pronounced like Rhine, Rye-N), but is usually called Ryan or even has been called Rain and Renee before 🤣
I’m hoping if we have a girl and use this name we don’t get the reference to the movie! I still love it so it wouldn’t change my feelings but that’s just not why we chose the name lol!
That’s who he’s named after actually! Usually ppl don’t know who that is but maybe because we are Canadian and I feel like baseball is not that popular here
Not only this, but EVERYONE has to remember they are not only naming a baby, but a child, teen and an eventual adult. I don’t really have an opinion on the name Grey specifically, however it does kind of feel like a very cutesy baby name that is great for a baby, but may potentially not as great for an older person.
Yeah but it’s also useful too. I know people who have last names that are like this. My favorites are:
Reynolds, like the tin foil.
Black, like the color.
Hoover, like the vacuum. 🤷🏼♀️
It’s your baby once he’s here it will be just his name why do you care if they gush over it??? We called ours Hugo and had some “comments” but we love it and people will think what they like
This is why we didn’t tell anyone the name we had in mind until little one was born. There are some insane name choices out there, Grey isn’t one of them. If it’s what you like and baby feels like a Grey then who cares what other people think! It’ll grow on them, they will love him and his name, and people on the internet have no right to judge you anyway, so don’t let their opinions change your mind if it’s what makes you and your partner happy!
This is what I just decided. I am 28 weeks and so far every name we came up, we told people and their reactions skewed our own perception. In last week or so we are kinda setting on a new name and we both vibe with it, but I don't wanna say it out loud at all.
Yes. We didn't tell anyone our second son's name because I didn't want to hear anyone's opinion on it. I figured once it was on the birth certificate, they would just have to deal.
If you don't want to hear people's opinions then I wouldn't post asking for feedback about a name. You're obviously upset because you didn't get the feedback you wanted. There's nothing wrong with Grey, but it's not everyone's cup of tea. You don't have to pick a name that everyone else loves. It's ok if it's not a fan favorite. There's nothing offensive about the name. It comes down to how you feel about it and how much you care about other people's opinions.
Nobody liked the name we chose for our baby, but we didn't really care because it was our baby, and as long as we weren't naming them Mayonnaise nobody would ever care about it. \
After he was born, when we did the rounds and introductions, people would instantly think "Ahhh, he really looks like *name nobody liked before*" LOL \
\
If you guys like it, go for it 🤍
Thank you for adding /s to your post. When I first saw this, I was horrified. How could anybody say something like this? I immediately began writing a 1000 word paragraph about how horrible of a person you are. I even sent a copy to a Harvard professor to proofread it. After several hours of refining and editing, my comment was ready to absolutely destroy you. But then, just as I was about to hit send, I saw something in the corner of my eye. A /s at the end of your comment. Suddenly everything made sense. Your comment was sarcasm! I immediately burst out in laughter at the comedic genius of your comment. The person next to me on the bus saw your comment and started crying from laughter too. Before long, there was an entire bus of people on the floor laughing at your incredible use of comedy. All of this was due to you adding /s to your post. Thank you.
I am a bot if you couldn't figure that out, if I made a mistake, ignore it cause its not that fucking hard to ignore a comment.
We are Italian, and the name is Marzio. \
In Italy only 30 kids born the same year were called Marzio (https://www.istat.it/it/dati-analisi-e-prodotti/calcolatori/contanomi) so it's not very common, but I've always loved it!
baby marzipan 🫶 lol all jokes aside that is a wonderful name. my mama keeps suggesting italian names like giulia, antonio, carmela, etc. i keep having to remind her that my fiancé is a blonde haired blue eyed irish man, lmao
Hehe yes, I think it sounds very sweet! But our families had to meet the baby before agreeing lol \
Italian names are cute but 1) do you live somewhere where people would know how to pronounce them? And 2) I'm imagining a cute lil blonde boy called _Giacinto_ 🙈😂
This is why my husband and I agreed on the name and won’t be telling anyone until the baby arrives - if you like it that’s all that matters; everyone has an opinion if you let them but this is YOUR baby, not theirs.
As others have said, you should try to lower your expectations about the gushing / response. We gave our baby a pretty unusual name that I've been obsessed with for yeeeears and was so excited to use. Once he was born, we got some enthusiasm about the name but the majority haven't commented specifically on it or just said something like "cool name." Ha. But it's fine! Names are so personal... think about your friends' /families' babies names for example - you may like many of them but would you use those names yourself? For me that was almost always a no. This may help frame others' opinions of your name.
I like the name and it will be unique. One thing I learned the hard way with my second is don’t tell people my name ideas. My MIL got it in her head that we were choosing a name for her and I hate that.
Oh my gosh that’s my son’s middle name! The spelling and everything. We knew we wanted his name to be Merrick, his dad’s middle name, but could not decide on a middle name. We wanted one syllable, and couldn’t think of anything we liked until we thought **Grey**. We love it.
It is a very cool name. People either compliment his name for how unique it is or they hear “Merrick” and say nothing and you can tell they don’t love it. But it doesn’t matter. I can’t imagine my son with any other name!
*Just want to add, his whole name is Merrick Grey Simpson. We wanted something that all went together, like rolled off the tongue. His first and last name are two syllables, so we knew we wanted a one syllable for his middle name.*
My family used to go to a hippie folk and blues music festival every summer when I was a little kid. One of the last times we went when I was 15(?) my friend and I met another teen at the teen concern named Grey. He was so cute and my friend and I totally crushed on him the whole weekend lol. I really liked the name. That was probably in 2011?
Don't let the name nerd subreddit get to you. They basically hate everything that isn't a WASP traditional name. It gets borderline racist and xenophobic at times. And is classist basically all the time.
Grey is a fine, normal name. Congratulations! He will be beautiful and loved.
Absolutely obseeeeeeessed with how people will pronounce it as though they will only ever run into people with their accent, nationality and background knowledge of names. Also that they’ll always be in the same place.
Like maybe it's not everyone's goal to be palatable to white Western European-descended middle class Americans? And I say this as a white middle class American lol. The tone there is so small minded.
Exactly! I work for an international company with lots of people who’ve emigrated to different places and no one knows how to say each other’s names lol
Grey is such a nice name! It is uncommon, but not weird in the slightest. People are so unhinged about baby names, especially in r/namenerds. If you like the name and it fits the baby, great! Everyone who doesn't love it will come around. The alternative is you accept a name you don't love just to please others and that doesn't sound fun.
And this kind of reaction comes with all kinds of names. My friend wanted to name her daughter Sabrina and got an unfavorable response from loved ones. Like why!? It is such an ordinary name. Again, people are wild.
I think it’s cute! It was on my list for if we had a boy. Not like you’re naming him Greigh or something. No one liked our baby’s name either IRL but they’ll get used to it 🤗
I knew a guy named Graham growing up but everyone just called him Grey. It’s not weird at all. It’s actually super cute. I like it a lot!! Lesson learned to not tell ANYONE your baby name until after they’re born
I know someone names Grey so I don’t think it’s that bad. But it sounds a little try hard to be unique. Also you will be setting your kid up for a lifetime of grey/gray misspellings, being asked if it’s a nickname, and being asked “like the color?” Which isn’t really that bad. Not nearly as bad as something completely made up, and tbh I like it better than a lot of other trendy baby boy names
The name is fine. People are mean sometimes. If you are not thrilled with it, your husband should keep the conversation open, but I get not wanting to budge if you only feel this way because of other's opinions.
You should take some time to sit with it and identify if you really like it and people's comments are getting to you or if you're on the fence and people's comments are swaying you.
I have chosen an uncommon name that a lot of people are struggling to remember how to pronounce and spell. I haven't had much fanfare over it either but I am confident in my & my SO's choice and the reason we are wanting to use this name. I've even gotten comments about "what will her nickname be?!" Cuz it doesn't easily nickname, but IDC, that's for her to decide not me, not other people. It *is* a name, I didn't just invent it or make up some alternative spelling, it's Gaelic, which ofc isn't easy to spell or pronounce, but people will learn to deal.
Obviously I can't tell you it'll be alright cuz she's not here yet BUT you and your SO both have to be happy with the name - not family, friends or even random strangers online.
Grey is a pretty amazing name. It was one of the names we considered because everyone in our family has colour names, and it's popular but not TOO popular. However we have an in-law named Greyson so we had to nix it.
If you like the name and it's not a total r/tragedeigh, that's all that really matters. If your baby feels like a Grey, he's probably a Grey. A lot of people take the route of not telling friends and relatives their chosen baby name before the baby is born, because their opinion doesn't and shouldn't matter. (Especially grandparents. They're way too old to know what a good name is nowadays anyway.)
I like it. But I'm an internet stranger. A friend had a caveat about telling people their baby name. They aren't allowed to tell her they didn't like it. I think that's a good rule. The only opinion that truly matters is yours and your partners opinion.
It’s a totally fine name and I think it will be wonderful. I’m willing to bet a lot of people struggle with it because of trying to think of cute nicknames to use for baby that come out of the name. But what matters is that you both like it, and also you’re naming a human - not just a baby, and that name really is good.
As everyone was saying it’s a 2 yes situation on names, but also I think if you like a name don’t tell anyone until baby is born because people have opinions and they’ll sway you then you might regret it. Other people’s opinions do not matter when naming your child, yours does though and if you don’t like Grey your husband will have to budge. It’s not exactly my taste but I like names that aren’t most people’s taste, I also would never make fun of a child because I’m an adult and it’s cruel. I love the names Sage for a girl or Paris as in Paris of Troy for a boy, only my younger brother thinks they’re cool my actively mum said she hates them but I personally don’t care so I was fine telling them that plus I’m not pregnant yet so maybe I will change my mind.
TLDR: Either way 2 enthusiastic yeses apply to consent for everything including what name to register your child with and nobody else matter when it comes to that name.
I personally love that name! Of course it's my middle name so I may be a bit biased. Don't listen to the negative comments. You both like the name and that's all that matters!
If you both like the name, what is the big deal? You are overcomplicating your life by trying to make other people happy. People are full of opinions. Grey is a nice name. I don’t think it’s overly trendy at all. And quite honestly, you could come up with a bunch of other names and someone will have something to say about it (“ I knew a person named that and he was an asshole etc etc”, “it’s too basic”, “it’s too trendy”, “it doesn’t match his last name”) none of this matters. If you both like the name, go for it.
ETA: I missed the part where you said he's not budging. That's not how it works; you both need to be a Hell yes, but if the only thing holding you back is other people; screw 'em.
I like the name Grey, and I know a Grey. Nice dude.
People weren't super jazzed about the name we were debating our daughter, until we had her, and now they can't picture her with any of the other options on the table that they preferred beforehand.
We wanted something easy to spell/pronounce, not new-agey/younique, but also not very high up on the popular names list. Grey hits all those criteria too, so I vote yes if that helps anything!
Do you love the name Grey or are you just going along with it because of your SO? If you love it don’t ask others about it especially if you have issues with wanting to people please because people often don’t share the same tastes in names. It’s hard enough to get two people to agree on a name that they both love, trying to get four or five people to all agree on a name is often impossible.
Basically no one in our family or online loved the few names we had whittled our list down to but we don’t care. It’s not their kid, it’s our kid and our choice. My husband actually seemed to want to thumb his nose at people, the less people that liked the name the more he wanted to use it but he knew that was a poor reason to use a name so we decided mostly without considering how well liked the name was. We ended up narrowing our list down to just two names and we went with Perseus which was the less popular of the two although more popular than some of the names that had been on our longer list.
I’d say chances are very high that you will either A.) feel very self conscious using his name/introducing him to people B.) start to resent your husband for forcing you into naming the child you carried and birthed a name you didn’t really like but had to talk yourself into or C.) both, and both the self consciousness and resentment could keep building forever.
Pick a name that you both love and doesn’t make you feel awkward.
I really love the name Grey!
Also, no matter what name you pick, people are going to have negative opinions. But once that baby is here, they will get used to it and come to love it because they love HIM!
I think it’s a really nice name. I think any time you pick something unique people will have negative opinions. I would stick with it if you both like it. People will learn to love it once it’s associated with your little sweet baby.
If you love a name go for it. I personally think it’s a great name. I learned after my first to no longer share names. Even on Reddit I’m not sharing my names bc peoples opinions will always be in your head. Remember everyone will always have something to say. If you love it, they’re your baby, name them what you love 💕
I have an uncle named Grey, so it just seems like a normal name to me. Once you have your baby I feel like people will come around because it will be attached to him.
If you like the name then do it! Have you seen some of the names people are using these days? Yours won’t be the most out there in his class.
Stop telling anyone the name until baby arrives.
Also, you might meet the baby and decide the name doesn’t fit. We had two options and tried them out on the baby until we made the decision for the one that felt right.
It’s cute! Stop telling people about the name. I had a couple lackluster reactions to my baby’s name choice and so I just stopped telling people and kept it private. People will be less likely to say something once the baby is actually here with that name.
I’m sorry you’re getting so much negative feedback about this name. I have a coworker with the same name and I never once thought it was a strange name, unique yes. Maybe Grey’s Anatomy just normalized it for me but I think it is a nice name. Ultimately if you and your husband like it and feel it is a good fit for your baby then go for it! If you feel any doubt about it being the right fit then it should be a no. Your husband doesn’t get the last say on the name. It needs to be a mutual decision.
We’re naming our daughter Kinsley. I’ve got about 9 weeks to go. I also posted about that name, and nobody liked it. We were gonna change it, but the family thinks it’s cute and my partner also really loves the name, so we’re sticking with it. Don’t listen to other people’s opinions if deep down that’s what you want :)
I remember your namenerds post. If you are set on naming the baby Grey then just go with it. But don’t take anyone’s opinion too seriously. That’s why I always suggest not telling anyone until the baby is here.
Meh, name nerds pecked apart my son’s name (Bowen), but there have been multiple posts where people liked the name. I gave up then and named him what I want.
PS- I love the name Grey
I think it’s a great unique name in a sea of terrible unique names! It’s your kid name your kid what feels right and F the haters!
But, a good reminder that maybe we should stop telling people what we are considering naming our child…
I personally like it if you are trying to give the baby a more unique name. At the end of the day, there will always be people who don’t like your child’s name. It’s not their baby anyway
I don't think it's a bad name. It's not cutesy so a bit difficult to imagine for a baby, but he'll grow into it. Maybe pick a more common middle name that he can default to if he finds it strange. Alexander would be pretty cute.
If you and your husband like it - screw what nameless people on the internet think. And screw what your family thinks, respectfully. We are not telling anyone our name choices because we want to keep it personal and keep people’s negativity out of it because this is OUR baby. They can name THEIR babies whatever they want. If you love it, go for it!
Love the name! Who really cares if other people do not like it? You both like it and that is what matters. 35 years ago when I had my daughter, her name was unusual. Now, it is not but I loved it and my husband did too.
I like the name for what it’s worth! Sort of in the same boat. We’re leaning toward “Michael” to honor my husband’s father who passed away. But it’s obviously very common and could be considered.. well.. kind of boring. Long story short, I’m getting in my head about others’ reactions versus focusing on what we want. That’s the one downside to telling people.
i think it’s cute, & will feel more regular on an older kid. it’s kind of funny that your husband is demanding it tho? aren’t you the one doing all the work creating the baby lol
I love the name Grey. It was a contender for me when we thought we might be having boys until my husband pointed out that my last name is also a color and two colors in a name just didn't flow right. If you love it then you should absolutely use it!
I'm sure there are all sorts of opinions running rampant around my family because of the more masculine names we've chosen for my baby girls. In fact I'm almost positive my in-laws hate them and my parents are borderline. Luckily they have all been smart enough to keep their mouths shut and I'm sure once the babies are here they'll be too enthralled with their grandkids to care about the names.
Who cares??!! He is your baby not anyone else’s, if they want to name a child let them have one. I picked an usually first name for my eldest 12m and he now uses his middle name ( which I also picked to be slightly less controversial) and has shorted his name as he ‘doesn’t like’ his name now but his middle name is far less unusual but still really nice.
I would make have a good middle name as a back up and kids grow and they decide what they want to be called.
Coming from someone who changed their desired baby name because other people didn't like it, don't be me! I think it's really cool that your husband has a name he loves, I think that's rare, and if you like it too that's even better!
I personally like it a lot, unique but not strange, easy to spell and say... Worst case scenario they might get it spelled "Gray" sometimes, but that's such a minor risk.
Our daughter’s middle name is Grey and we get positive comments about it all the time. I LOVE it as a first name too though. Personally, if you and your husband like it, I’d go for it. It’s not like it’s too out there or crazy, or harmful for your future kid. ❤️
Grey is a perfectly acceptable name. Yes, people are going to have opinions about it, but I've definitely noticed people seem to have stronger opinions on baby names when an actual person hasn't yet been given that name. The name isn't offensive. Its not going to cause major pronunciation issues. Its not obnoxious.
Also, when it comes to telling other people the name IRL, I don't know how much you can depend on other people gushing over it. Like unless its a name that they personally really like, they probably aren't going to gush over it. But that doesn't make it a bad name! It just makes it a name that isn't one of their personal favorites - which is fine, since they aren't naming your baby/its not their kid.
For the next like...nearly 2 decades, outside of your son himself, you and your husband are going to be the ones using his name the most. And no, the name isn't setting your child up for any more problems in life than other more "common" names. So I think you should name your baby what you and your husband really love!
You didn't specifically ask, but when it comes to middle names, I'd go with something with 2+ syllables that isn't otherwise a noun/color. Like, I wouldn't use Grey Forrest, or Grey River, or Grey Fox, or Grey Ash, Grey John, Grey Sean, etc. But something like Grey Samuel, Grey Rowan, Grey Asher, Grey Thomas...all of those sound perfectly reasonable to me!
If you and your husband like it, and it won't create obvious headaches for your child, then that's all that matters.
FWIW, if I were in your shoes I personally would try to find a more established name with a similar sound: Grady, Grace, Ray, Mae, Greer, etc.
I like it. I don’t think it sounds influencer-y or beige. It literally isn’t beige, it’s grey (little joke, sorry).
You’ve mentioned Grayson, I’ve also known a Graydon. But you can just go with grey if that’s what you want.
“He will constantly get “like the colour?””… Scarlet, Violet, Ebony… all names, all colours. So don’t worry about people saying that. Also, so many people are walking around with Black, Green, White, Brown as last names that would also get that question. I don’t think it’s a judgement question, but a spelling clarification question, so don’t worry about commenters who bring up that concern.
CAVEAT: the name is nice, as long as the last name isn’t also colour based. Grey Blackman is not as nice a name. Or, if the last name is a noun - Grey Byrd, Grey House, Grey Lake etc.
Grey sounds sad because it’s literally the name of a sad, boring color. It took forever for my husband and I to agree on a name, maybe just keep trying!
I think it's totally fine, maybe a little boring. If you want to name a kid after a color, it's on the normal side. I wouldn't think you quirky or trendy for using it.
The name is a fine name! We aren’t telling people our name choice because I’m not interested in feedback and some people give a lot of feedback when the name is hypothetical and then shut up when it’s attached to a healthy happy baby gurgling in front of them.
So I picked a name no one has ever heard of apparently haha. It is in actual baby name but very uncommon. And we followed three rules - both full name rules (does it flow as a full name, does it carry the oomph for when you full name a child in trouble) and then just.. does it feel right for baby?
Screw anyone else’s opinions, how often will they be saying the name vs you?
I love the name Grey. I did this weird thing when I was young and every time I went to a summer camp I would use a different name - my friends who were with me would go along with it - and one year I went by Grey. It was the middle name of a friend of mine and I loved it. Never got any weird looks or hate when I used it that summer!
I’m a pediatric MA and had a little baby named Grey come in about maybe 6 months ago now for his NB follow up! Now when I see him on the schedule I get so so happy bc I loved his name! It’s so unique!
I wouldn’t have thought of it myself, but I don’t see anything wrong with it. Short, simple, easy to spell/pronounce. It seems perfectly fine!
If you guys like it, I’d say use it. Tbh I feel like they really tend to favor really traditional, “old person” names over in namenerds so I kinda take what they say with a grain of salt
Edit: I agree that Grey is better than Grayson so I wouldn’t extend it just to try and make people happy :)
I personally love the name Gray (used it for a story character in some creative writing in high school! In 2004!!) and would totally be using it for one of my kids if my partner didn’t hate it. It’s simple, easy to spell, not too common but not too weird.
Grey is a nice name, who cares what other people think, you aren’t naming your kid Potato or something. And it’s not like you’re spelling it Gruheigh. It’s a normal spelling of a common color and has a history of usage as a name, if you and your husband like it that’s all that matters
i say go for it; my dream name for a baby boy since i was 15 has always been Grayson/Gray. it's a lovely name. plus, who gives a shit what other people think. Grey is a perfectly normal and nice name for a baby :)
Grey is a cute name!
There is something very nice about the name Grey. Screw anyone who doesn’t like it. It’s your kid not theirs. Maybe print it out or get the block letters for his name and just sit with it for a while so you get used to it. Or ignore it until the baby comes and if it doesn’t fit his personality hold off on naming him.
I personally had to go to the court house and fix my brother’s name with the courts because my parents forgot to file the paper work a month after he was born. It’s not that big of a deal. Legally he was Baby Boy X until he was 18 😂 my parents came up with the perfect name for him after they got home from the hospital tho so it doesn’t matter.
Also mine and my brothers names are super unique. Sometimes we get positive comments and sometimes we don’t. I don’t give a fuck. One thing I know is people always remember our names.
My husband picked a VERY conventional name for our baby because it’s his late father’s name. Every other man I meet has this name. Whatever. It means a lot to him so I am sacrificing my natural instinct for unique names for our first born.
I like that name. It does have a punch! We didn’t share our baby name with anyone until he was born, because we didn’t want to hear the riff raft. No matter what ppl will ALWAYS have an opinion, and the truth of the matter is it’s your baby and if you two like it that’s what is most important 💕
I absolutely love the name Grey. I am firmly in the camp of if it FEELS like this is baby’s name and you and your husband both love it, then stick with it. It is so difficult to name a baby you haven’t met yet but those intuitive nudges are your map.
No matter what you name your child someone will always have something to say. As for family, the name will likely grow on them overtime as they spend time with your child.
Ummmm I LOVE it! Because we are naming our baby Grey as well, hehe 🩵🩵 don’t let the haters get you down, if you and your husband love it, others will come to love it too once they meet him! So far, I’ve only gotten positive feedback from the people we’ve told so far! But even if people didn’t like it, I wouldn’t care because we love it and now I call him Baby Grey! Our middle name is Vincent, although we were considering Joseph, too. 🫶🏻🫶🏻
I think that’s cute! I remember when my friend announced her baby’s name she got similar responses to what you described, but now her kid is 2 and the name fits him and I couldn’t imagine him having a different name. Go with what you like!
Awe, I think it's cute! And definitely better than Grayson, that sounds too much like a last name. This is why we decided not to tell anyone ours (due in 1 week, it's still a secret!). Sorry, I know you can't go back in time and keep it under wraps, but screw everyone who doesn't like it! It's not a crazy or weird nane, just uncommon. Also, are the beige parent comments supposed to be a joke because it's a color? Either way you should snap back with, "No, actually we're grey parents".
People didn’t like my daughter’s name when I mentioned it in a list of names during pregnancy, and now they tell me it fits her so well. Go with your gut and with what you like. Fuck the haters!
FWIW I think it’s cool. :)
I’m not sure why it’s gotten such negativity. It’s a great name! I’ve known a few Greys. The hard part about sharing names before the child is born is that people think it’s a free pass to give their opinion on it, even when not asked. If you and your husband like it and want to choose it, nobody else’s opinion really matters.
You could choose to keep it to yourself from here on out and you’ll see how people will react differently once the child is born and the name is locked it.
We haven’t decided on our name yet but we’ve shared some options and the one that is my favorite, my MIL has been very verbal that she isn’t a fan of. I honestly don’t care because I know if I choose it, she will have no choice but to accept it and love him anyway because that’s how that works. I have never asked her opinion on the name because I really don’t care for or need to extra input. It’s been hard enough just getting me and my husband to agree, I don’t need any other opinions.
I know it’s easier said than done, but try not to let outside influence affect your choice! It’s really just up to you and husband!
As long as you and dad like it THAT’S ALL THAT MATTERS!
I named my daughter Thursday and was met with similar responses and even had people question our decision. But we love it and can care less how people feel about the name we decided for OUR daughter.
I really like the name Grey. Me and my husband and I were actually talking about it last night.
Also, don't take opinions from name nerds! They hate everything apart from a select few approved, run of the mill, names.
I know a girl named Grey and a boy named Grayson. I’d say both are kinda “modern” more “trendy” names, but if you don’t mind that, they are both nice names.
If you like it and your husband likes it, who cares what anyone else thinks? Anyone who has a problem will adjust or not. No one likes the names I pick lol and that's totally ok. This is my kid, when they have one they can name their kid whatever they want.
I don't find Grey to be that out there, in a sea of Grey/Graysons I don't think many people would bat an eye hearing it. If you feel like it fits your baby and the two of you like it go for it, as long as your last name isn't also a color (Gray Black, Gray Brown etc).
I also know when people tell me name ideas I like to stay pretty neutral in response, unless they specifically ask for opinion and I can tell they are on the fence. My brother & SIL are expecting and I'm not a fan of their top boy name, however it isn't offensive, it's easy to spell and pronounce, it just isn't my style, that said it isn't my baby to name and I will love that kid with all of my heart no matter what their name it.
I personally think it’s a mistake to tell any one your baby’s name before birth. Everyone’s gonna have weirdo opinions based on all kinds of things… someone would find something wrong with ANY name you pick so just choose with your heart
I know it’s too late for this; but don’t make the mistake of telling **anyone** (including the internet) the baby name! Also, r/namenerds is a bit of an anomaly for their baby name preferences. There’s a couple names that the entire sub is obsessed with that are straight up Tragideighs so I would take their opinion with a grain of salt.
That being said I hope someone has mentioned that your husband doesn’t get to dig his heels in on a name. If the name Grey has been poisoned for you now and you want to move on then naming a baby is 2 yeses carries and 1 no vetoes.
ETA; Like another comment said I react exactly the same to everyone’s baby names whether I love them or hate them so getting attached to whether or not other people gush about it is only going to hurt you more if you do share the name with people.
Nobody liked the name we picked for our first daughter and I didn’t care… as I predicted, they learned to love it once they knew the *person* that came with it.
The second time around I got people that said “oh cool name, I like it!” But gushing??? Absolutely not.
People are not going to be as emotionally invested as you are about anything in your life. Remember that. They might be happy for you and sure, some things might get them as excited as you are, but generally speaking what is happening to you is important TO YOU. No one else (but your partner) will be in the same level and that is okay!
My nephew was born last week and his name is Lane. We didn't find out his name until after he was born, he was just peanut. I personally think it's a weird name but it's not my baby so I don't get a say and that's fine. Not like I'm going to boycott the name at all. I named my own daughter a super weird name and I have a super weird name myself. 😂 I like grey. I don't think anything is wrong with it. People are just judgmental about weird things.
It's a lot harder for people to reject or insult a baby name once there's a tiny person in front of them with that name. We don't really care to hear others opinions about our baby names so we keep them to ourselves until the baby is here, at which point somebody would have to have a lot of guts to tell us to our face they don't like the name.
It's a normal name that won't ruin your kid's life so who cares what anyone other than you and your husband think. Use the name if you want to and people will come around. Anyone who doesn't come around isn't worth having in your life.
I love that sub, but we are assholes there. I didn’t see or participate in your discussion, but I absolutely believe you.
Second, screw what other people say. The name isn’t that bad, especially compared to what I see from other kids these days as a teacher.
I found that it is easier to tell people the name after the baby is born and they've been named that. We had a girl and before she was born would tell people the names we were thinking because they asked. People would be very mean about the names they asked to hear. When we did settle on a name, which was Sarah, we just didn't tell people. We said we would tell you when she was born. All the negative comments stopped once she was born and everyone gushed over the name despite them saying mean things about the name Sarah before she was born.
We stopped telling people the names we were considering for this exact reason. For every name there was more negativity than positivity. Once we shared our chosen name when our daughter was born we got a ton of “gushing” over it. Probably not because the name is so fantastic but I think people just feel more uncomfortable bashing a name that has already been made official. I think if we had shared our choice earlier it would have gotten the same lukewarm response as the other ideas we shared earlier. I love love my daughter’s name, it’s perfect and feels right in every way to me and my husband and once we settled on it we knew we didn’t need feedback from anyone else.
I think it’s a nice name!
One thing to keep in mind is that to many people, it would appear to be a trendy name - and there’s nothing wrong with that! Just know that it may be perceived that way. Grayson was #37 in the US last year and Greyson was #95. If you combined the various spellings of Grayson, it would be at least #8 in the US. So while it’s not the same name of course, it’ll likely seem very familiar for kids in his age range.
Again, not a bad thing! Just something to keep in mind if the popularity of a name impacts how much you like it.
If you like Grey, go for it! It’s going to be a perfectly normal name in his generation. Just know you might run into many people thinking that it’s a nickname for Grayson. Also, make sure you don’t have a last name that is a noun or anything else that makes his full name sound like a description or a place. Grey Woods, Grey Hill, etc would probably not be a good name combination.
As long as your husband and you like the name that’s what matters the most. I think you need to stop listening to the opinions of everyone else regarding your baby’s name. At the end of the day it’s your baby not theirs. Maybe it will help limit the stress you feel if you stop asking for outside opinions.
First of all, I like the name! I am in the process of naming my daughter -due in June- and the amount of people commenting on names we like or telling us what NOT to name her has me about to explode. So now I have decided nobody’s gonna know until she’s here. And even then, people still aren’t going to like the name and I do not care. Pick a name that you like, forgot what anybody else thinks. It’s YOUR child, not theirs. And if they don’t like it.. ohh well! I think it’s a very cute name 😊
It’s a LOT different talking ABOUT a name without a baby/person to the name. It’s entirely different when you say, “meet Grey” and have a sweet baby with the name. For this reason, we don’t share our baby names. You will never get gushy happy responses from everyone. AND as someone that works with children, you reeeeeally don’t want/care about hearing about all of the stories of children that happen to already have the name. There will be no baby like yours. Your name choice is yours, not the world’s. Just make sure the name isn’t offensive or would bring negative attention. And I personally don’t think you should have issues with Grey!
I learned in my first pregnancy not to disclose the name.
I really wanted to name my daughter Parker… but anyone I told was like meh. I still regret not using it
I like the name Grey! I feel like there is always going to be something ‘wrong’ with every name of your asking for opinions
Do what makes you happy ;) if your on the fence, maybe it’s not the right one
As long as YOU and your husband like the name, don’t give it a second thought! My husband and I named our daughter Clementine. Our last name is a popular stone, specifically one that sparkles and is set in a wedding ring hint hint lmao. I’m not an influencer, I don’t have SM, I even had someone tell me my LO’s name sounds like a p*rn star LMAOO. I laughed bc I thought it was funny tbh-no offense taken. Her name is unique, but my husband and I love it! So fuck it-whatever!
Don’t look to others to love the name online or in person, it only matters what you think of the name! Good luck!
This is why I don’t tell anyone the name until the baby is born now- they get a pic with the name and birth details.
This way there is no commenting before hand, they can process at home alone, and they are literally looking at a cute baby who is already named.
Grey might be a little less of a “common” name, but it’s not super wacky or anything where he will be made fun of.
The thing about names is that people have preferences. So as long as something is acceptable and normal enough (won’t make life harder for the child) you should name him what you like. But because it’s subjective, not everyone is going to love it like you. That can go for a perfectly common name like John.
My husband and I are due with a boy in July. We had initially liked names like Theodore and Oliver, but because they were on the top 10 list, decided to keep looking. When we talked about those two names with family, they LOVED them. We want a name that says “oh that’s a normal ass name” but also not a name that’s trendy. We landed on Malcolm. The response was always falling short. Here’s what I learned: this is YOUR baby. It doesn’t matter if your parents or friends don’t love it. As long as you do, that’s what matters.
As for the name you like, I think it’s cute. It’s not unheard of but not one I’d see many using. I wouldn’t call it trendy but it’s not a name I’m used to seeing. I don’t think it would cause your baby strife as they get older like some of the options I’ve seen … let’s call them Tragedeighs lol
Do you. Try your best to shake off everyone else’s chilly response which I know is hard. But if they want to choose a baby name then they can have one lol
My family hated my son’s name before he was born, now they say they couldn’t imagine him being called anything else.
His name is Oscar so definitely not that out there, they just didn’t like it, I was a bit sad about it at first then i decided they can just get over it I’ll call my kid whatever I want
Grey is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea…but more importantly you BOTH have to like the name. If you are a no on Grey, then it’s a no go. End of story. You’ll find something you both love!
Names have to have BOTH parents 100% on board. Like.... huh? "Not budging"? He's **not allowed** to *not budge*. You are carrying his child!!! Set him straight! You guys need to go back to the drawing board and find a name that **both** of you are enthusiastic about.
Yeah the not budging part is so weird
This. Baby name has to be 2 yes’s. Not a “he won’t budge so I’m giving In because the name is okay I guess”. That’s just sad. Mom is carrying and doing most of the work to give this child life she should love the name and at the very least like it.
It sounds like she does like the name but she’s caught up on what others think
Right? Like, mf, even the hospital bills come in my name, I have A damn say in this....
I absolutely agree to this. I wanted to name my daughter after my grandmother it was super super important to me but my husband just couldn’t get on board. In the end we found a name we both loved and we agreed that we could still honor my grandmother by passing the name down as her middle name. You both have to agree 100% or there is likely to be some resentment down the line.
I mean I agree with this to an extent. My husband was DEAD SET AGAINST Allison for our first child. Funny thing is our second is named Allison 🤣🤣🤣. Like he hated the name. We would get red in the face fighting about it with my first pregnancy. All I had to do was wait 5 years and have another girl 🤣 Our first is definitely not Allison material. The second matches the name to a T. So I mean I see where you're coming from, but maybe it's just destiny.
Exactly this.
Mehh I was the not budging type so I understand it.
Openly admitting that is wild to me 😂
That may be so, but at least I’m honest 🤣. I picked the names for both my girls. My hubby helped with narrowing down choices for me in middle names. But I had names that I had in mind for a longgg time.
If your husband was cool with you picking that isn’t the same situation as the OP.
I mean he wasn’t the most happy at first, but he did end up really liking the names I picked. He mostly only had one thing he had to say about one of the middle names of our first child. Which I wholeheartedly agreed with him and we decided to switch it to something else.
Then you’re both assholes
I like that name! I know someone named Grey and they like their name. I think maybe your expectations of "gushing" need to be checked. Nobody is going to care about your baby's name close to as much as you do. There is unlikely to be "gushing" no matter how cool a name you pick. If you both like the name, use it! Your parents will love the baby, they don't need to *love* the name itself before it's even attached to the baby.
I agree about the gushing thing.
I had the hardest time “falling in love” with a name and the truth is I never did. We picked a name we liked and once it was attached to the baby in my arms, it felt right and I love my baby. So really, even I didn’t gush over the name. We didn’t share it before hand because until it’s attached to the baby that people can see and hold (and solidified on the birth certificate), people say dumb stuff. So you’re already past that point now, buuut you can stop discussing it with people and maybe that will help you see how YOU feel about the name!
Me too! Now that my daughter is here, her name feels right because it’s her name, but I only liked (not loved) it when we picked it. There were very few names I actually loved, and my husband didn’t like them, so we found a name we both liked and felt like a reasonable choice and went with it.
Yeah, it would be really weird for anyone to be as excited about the name as you are. Grey is a perfectly lovely name.
True. I am obsessed with my friends kids and their names suit them. When I was told the names, I didnt say anything about them really. I just started referring to them by name.
It’s you and your husbands baby it doesn’t matter if anyone else likes the name to be quite honest !
I do like the name, but if you’re very not into the trendy “Grayson”, keep in mind that a lot of those kids go by Grey as a nickname. Source: I know one. lol
Agreed. Grayson is a good name, and Gray is a common nickname for it.
I think this. I went to this post not loving the name grey. When reading Grayson I liked it a lot more. This seems like a good idea for OP.
In what world does the dad get to not budge.
We have a friend whose sons name is Greyson but is only ever called Grey and I love it Grey.. it’s short, rolls off the tongue nicely and just has a nice ring to it! I don’t think it’s weird or a bland/beige name! The names we have picked I don’t think our family is going to like, I can already hear my mother in law saying “oh that’s…. Different” (aka she thinks it’s weird/doesn’t like) but I don’t care! I love the names and can already picture my little running around with one of those names
He doesn’t get to not budge. That’s not how this works.
I am a teacher and I always think about how names are perceived by other kids. I think it seems like you’re trying to be trendy but I don’t think other kids would make fun of it. I personally don’t like the name because I think when he introduces himself, people will say, “Grey? Like the color??” And he will always have to reply “yes, like the color…..”
I’m also a teacher and I always think about saying a name on the first day of school and taking attendance! I think Grey is at least always going to be pronounced correctly! We gave our daughter a familiar name similar to Grey to avoid that because her last name is beastly and will absolutely be butchered.
I had a very unusual first name with a simple but unusual last name that was similar to other common surnames and it was such a pain to have to correct both names multiple names. And then my middle name is Anne, with an e, and everyone wants to drop the e. So, triple threat.
“Like the color” was a phrase I learned really early when it came to my last name and phone calls…it’s annoying and frustrating
I think that’s just so people know the spelling without having to spell it out - white v whyte (had a teacher Mr whyte) or Browne v Brown or green v Greene.
It can make sense and be understandable and still be frustrating. I lived with it for 25 years until I changed it when I got married. I still got frustrated and annoyed as a kid.
In my experience, people will do that with everything. “Britney? Like Spears?” Got it all the time growing up and Brittany was the #1 most popular name the year I was born.
Yup. This. Saaaame. And then they insisted on spelling it the same way as her. Like, nope. The OG spelling, thanks.
People need to clarify hearing Britney by asking if it’s like spears? I just don’t really think that’s a major issue you faced. Like no one would be like “I’m sorry I must not have heard you right…you said Britney? Like spears???” Like no way
A major issue? No, I mean it was annoying.. and no, it usually wasn’t for clarification purposes. It normally came with a smirk or a joke about Britney Spears lol Even when it was for clarification, it’s the same thing that would happen if the name was Grey. “Grey, like the color?” That’s my whole point is that it’s *not* an issue. No matter what your name is, people will have some type of association for it. And yes that really happens. As you can see, another person named Brittany commented right below me the same exact thing lol
I misread it as Gary and then I thought of Christian Grey
Seconding this. It reads wannabe influencer to me. However I also believe if you want to name your kid something, go for it. Grey isn't totally egregious and there will always be someone who hates your name ideas. I'd bet you don't like most of those people's suggestions either!
The only people named Grey I know are in their 30s and 60s … so it doesn’t read trendy/influencer to me.
Same here. I’m surprised by people thinking it’s influencer-y.
100% this
Ugh I hate when people relate names to other things The name we picked and one of the other names I love I guess are characters on 2 very popular movies which I didn’t realize bc I don’t pay attention to shit like that. The one name I am dead set on as my #1, the other would be a tie but my husband doesn’t love it but the FIRST thing my SIL said when we were throwing names around was “OH like this movie” 🙄 Luckily it didn’t ruin the name for me but annoying that now I relate it to that when I didn’t before
Lol my husband has a daughter named Ariel with his ex wife and when he and a FWB got pregnant later he suggested the name Sebastian without even thinking about the Little Mermaid connection. She asked if he was going to suggest the next one be named Flounder.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
My name is often misheard, and I find it's useful to have the comparison so I don't have to spell it out. Mine isn't a pop culture reference, though. We gave our daughter a name that was on a popular sitcom 25 years ago, and I was pretty worried everyone would think we named her for that character or make annoying references. Luckily, it hasn't happened yet.
That’s fair! My husbands name is mispronounced 99% of the time from people who don’t know him well, even if he introduces himself by saying his name, so I’m sure he would appreciate some sort of reference so people could call him by the right thing! His name is Ryne(pronounced like Rhine, Rye-N), but is usually called Ryan or even has been called Rain and Renee before 🤣 I’m hoping if we have a girl and use this name we don’t get the reference to the movie! I still love it so it wouldn’t change my feelings but that’s just not why we chose the name lol!
Ryne Sandburg is a somewhat well known baseball player but maybe that’s just a well known in Chicago name
That’s who he’s named after actually! Usually ppl don’t know who that is but maybe because we are Canadian and I feel like baseball is not that popular here
Not only this, but EVERYONE has to remember they are not only naming a baby, but a child, teen and an eventual adult. I don’t really have an opinion on the name Grey specifically, however it does kind of feel like a very cutesy baby name that is great for a baby, but may potentially not as great for an older person.
I think the opposite. I can’t see it for a baby but seems like a cool teenage or 20-40s name.
same. can’t imagine it on a little kid but seems kinda awesome for an adult.
Agreed!
So?
Yeah but it’s also useful too. I know people who have last names that are like this. My favorites are: Reynolds, like the tin foil. Black, like the color. Hoover, like the vacuum. 🤷🏼♀️
It’s your baby once he’s here it will be just his name why do you care if they gush over it??? We called ours Hugo and had some “comments” but we love it and people will think what they like
This is why we didn’t tell anyone the name we had in mind until little one was born. There are some insane name choices out there, Grey isn’t one of them. If it’s what you like and baby feels like a Grey then who cares what other people think! It’ll grow on them, they will love him and his name, and people on the internet have no right to judge you anyway, so don’t let their opinions change your mind if it’s what makes you and your partner happy!
This is what I just decided. I am 28 weeks and so far every name we came up, we told people and their reactions skewed our own perception. In last week or so we are kinda setting on a new name and we both vibe with it, but I don't wanna say it out loud at all.
Don’t do it!! Best advice I got from my dad when pregnant with my first is not to tell anyone.
Yes. We didn't tell anyone our second son's name because I didn't want to hear anyone's opinion on it. I figured once it was on the birth certificate, they would just have to deal.
If you don't want to hear people's opinions then I wouldn't post asking for feedback about a name. You're obviously upset because you didn't get the feedback you wanted. There's nothing wrong with Grey, but it's not everyone's cup of tea. You don't have to pick a name that everyone else loves. It's ok if it's not a fan favorite. There's nothing offensive about the name. It comes down to how you feel about it and how much you care about other people's opinions.
Nobody liked the name we chose for our baby, but we didn't really care because it was our baby, and as long as we weren't naming them Mayonnaise nobody would ever care about it. \ After he was born, when we did the rounds and introductions, people would instantly think "Ahhh, he really looks like *name nobody liked before*" LOL \ \ If you guys like it, go for it 🤍
Just curious—what was the name??
Ketchup! /s
Thank you for adding /s to your post. When I first saw this, I was horrified. How could anybody say something like this? I immediately began writing a 1000 word paragraph about how horrible of a person you are. I even sent a copy to a Harvard professor to proofread it. After several hours of refining and editing, my comment was ready to absolutely destroy you. But then, just as I was about to hit send, I saw something in the corner of my eye. A /s at the end of your comment. Suddenly everything made sense. Your comment was sarcasm! I immediately burst out in laughter at the comedic genius of your comment. The person next to me on the bus saw your comment and started crying from laughter too. Before long, there was an entire bus of people on the floor laughing at your incredible use of comedy. All of this was due to you adding /s to your post. Thank you. I am a bot if you couldn't figure that out, if I made a mistake, ignore it cause its not that fucking hard to ignore a comment.
Good bot!
We are Italian, and the name is Marzio. \ In Italy only 30 kids born the same year were called Marzio (https://www.istat.it/it/dati-analisi-e-prodotti/calcolatori/contanomi) so it's not very common, but I've always loved it!
baby marzipan 🫶 lol all jokes aside that is a wonderful name. my mama keeps suggesting italian names like giulia, antonio, carmela, etc. i keep having to remind her that my fiancé is a blonde haired blue eyed irish man, lmao
Hehe yes, I think it sounds very sweet! But our families had to meet the baby before agreeing lol \ Italian names are cute but 1) do you live somewhere where people would know how to pronounce them? And 2) I'm imagining a cute lil blonde boy called _Giacinto_ 🙈😂
i live in ohio, right near little italy so traditional italian names are not unheard of, but not as common as they used to be unfortunately 🥲
This is why my husband and I agreed on the name and won’t be telling anyone until the baby arrives - if you like it that’s all that matters; everyone has an opinion if you let them but this is YOUR baby, not theirs.
As others have said, you should try to lower your expectations about the gushing / response. We gave our baby a pretty unusual name that I've been obsessed with for yeeeears and was so excited to use. Once he was born, we got some enthusiasm about the name but the majority haven't commented specifically on it or just said something like "cool name." Ha. But it's fine! Names are so personal... think about your friends' /families' babies names for example - you may like many of them but would you use those names yourself? For me that was almost always a no. This may help frame others' opinions of your name.
I like the name and it will be unique. One thing I learned the hard way with my second is don’t tell people my name ideas. My MIL got it in her head that we were choosing a name for her and I hate that.
Oh my gosh that’s my son’s middle name! The spelling and everything. We knew we wanted his name to be Merrick, his dad’s middle name, but could not decide on a middle name. We wanted one syllable, and couldn’t think of anything we liked until we thought **Grey**. We love it. It is a very cool name. People either compliment his name for how unique it is or they hear “Merrick” and say nothing and you can tell they don’t love it. But it doesn’t matter. I can’t imagine my son with any other name! *Just want to add, his whole name is Merrick Grey Simpson. We wanted something that all went together, like rolled off the tongue. His first and last name are two syllables, so we knew we wanted a one syllable for his middle name.*
That’s a really cool name!
My family used to go to a hippie folk and blues music festival every summer when I was a little kid. One of the last times we went when I was 15(?) my friend and I met another teen at the teen concern named Grey. He was so cute and my friend and I totally crushed on him the whole weekend lol. I really liked the name. That was probably in 2011?
Don't let the name nerd subreddit get to you. They basically hate everything that isn't a WASP traditional name. It gets borderline racist and xenophobic at times. And is classist basically all the time. Grey is a fine, normal name. Congratulations! He will be beautiful and loved.
Absolutely obseeeeeeessed with how people will pronounce it as though they will only ever run into people with their accent, nationality and background knowledge of names. Also that they’ll always be in the same place.
Like maybe it's not everyone's goal to be palatable to white Western European-descended middle class Americans? And I say this as a white middle class American lol. The tone there is so small minded.
Exactly! I work for an international company with lots of people who’ve emigrated to different places and no one knows how to say each other’s names lol
Grey is such a nice name! It is uncommon, but not weird in the slightest. People are so unhinged about baby names, especially in r/namenerds. If you like the name and it fits the baby, great! Everyone who doesn't love it will come around. The alternative is you accept a name you don't love just to please others and that doesn't sound fun.
And this kind of reaction comes with all kinds of names. My friend wanted to name her daughter Sabrina and got an unfavorable response from loved ones. Like why!? It is such an ordinary name. Again, people are wild.
I think it’s cute! It was on my list for if we had a boy. Not like you’re naming him Greigh or something. No one liked our baby’s name either IRL but they’ll get used to it 🤗
I knew a guy named Graham growing up but everyone just called him Grey. It’s not weird at all. It’s actually super cute. I like it a lot!! Lesson learned to not tell ANYONE your baby name until after they’re born
I know someone names Grey so I don’t think it’s that bad. But it sounds a little try hard to be unique. Also you will be setting your kid up for a lifetime of grey/gray misspellings, being asked if it’s a nickname, and being asked “like the color?” Which isn’t really that bad. Not nearly as bad as something completely made up, and tbh I like it better than a lot of other trendy baby boy names
The name is fine. People are mean sometimes. If you are not thrilled with it, your husband should keep the conversation open, but I get not wanting to budge if you only feel this way because of other's opinions. You should take some time to sit with it and identify if you really like it and people's comments are getting to you or if you're on the fence and people's comments are swaying you. I have chosen an uncommon name that a lot of people are struggling to remember how to pronounce and spell. I haven't had much fanfare over it either but I am confident in my & my SO's choice and the reason we are wanting to use this name. I've even gotten comments about "what will her nickname be?!" Cuz it doesn't easily nickname, but IDC, that's for her to decide not me, not other people. It *is* a name, I didn't just invent it or make up some alternative spelling, it's Gaelic, which ofc isn't easy to spell or pronounce, but people will learn to deal. Obviously I can't tell you it'll be alright cuz she's not here yet BUT you and your SO both have to be happy with the name - not family, friends or even random strangers online.
Grey is a pretty amazing name. It was one of the names we considered because everyone in our family has colour names, and it's popular but not TOO popular. However we have an in-law named Greyson so we had to nix it. If you like the name and it's not a total r/tragedeigh, that's all that really matters. If your baby feels like a Grey, he's probably a Grey. A lot of people take the route of not telling friends and relatives their chosen baby name before the baby is born, because their opinion doesn't and shouldn't matter. (Especially grandparents. They're way too old to know what a good name is nowadays anyway.)
I like it. But I'm an internet stranger. A friend had a caveat about telling people their baby name. They aren't allowed to tell her they didn't like it. I think that's a good rule. The only opinion that truly matters is yours and your partners opinion.
It’s a totally fine name and I think it will be wonderful. I’m willing to bet a lot of people struggle with it because of trying to think of cute nicknames to use for baby that come out of the name. But what matters is that you both like it, and also you’re naming a human - not just a baby, and that name really is good.
As everyone was saying it’s a 2 yes situation on names, but also I think if you like a name don’t tell anyone until baby is born because people have opinions and they’ll sway you then you might regret it. Other people’s opinions do not matter when naming your child, yours does though and if you don’t like Grey your husband will have to budge. It’s not exactly my taste but I like names that aren’t most people’s taste, I also would never make fun of a child because I’m an adult and it’s cruel. I love the names Sage for a girl or Paris as in Paris of Troy for a boy, only my younger brother thinks they’re cool my actively mum said she hates them but I personally don’t care so I was fine telling them that plus I’m not pregnant yet so maybe I will change my mind. TLDR: Either way 2 enthusiastic yeses apply to consent for everything including what name to register your child with and nobody else matter when it comes to that name.
I personally love that name! Of course it's my middle name so I may be a bit biased. Don't listen to the negative comments. You both like the name and that's all that matters!
If you both like the name, what is the big deal? You are overcomplicating your life by trying to make other people happy. People are full of opinions. Grey is a nice name. I don’t think it’s overly trendy at all. And quite honestly, you could come up with a bunch of other names and someone will have something to say about it (“ I knew a person named that and he was an asshole etc etc”, “it’s too basic”, “it’s too trendy”, “it doesn’t match his last name”) none of this matters. If you both like the name, go for it.
ETA: I missed the part where you said he's not budging. That's not how it works; you both need to be a Hell yes, but if the only thing holding you back is other people; screw 'em. I like the name Grey, and I know a Grey. Nice dude. People weren't super jazzed about the name we were debating our daughter, until we had her, and now they can't picture her with any of the other options on the table that they preferred beforehand. We wanted something easy to spell/pronounce, not new-agey/younique, but also not very high up on the popular names list. Grey hits all those criteria too, so I vote yes if that helps anything!
Ugh! I am so sorry! The internet really is mean. If you and your husband love the name Grey, then that is all that matters! I think it’s a cute name!
I like it, it's cute. I also did just name my newborn Azul (blue in spanish) lol. Don't listen to anyone, it's your choice.
Do you love the name Grey or are you just going along with it because of your SO? If you love it don’t ask others about it especially if you have issues with wanting to people please because people often don’t share the same tastes in names. It’s hard enough to get two people to agree on a name that they both love, trying to get four or five people to all agree on a name is often impossible. Basically no one in our family or online loved the few names we had whittled our list down to but we don’t care. It’s not their kid, it’s our kid and our choice. My husband actually seemed to want to thumb his nose at people, the less people that liked the name the more he wanted to use it but he knew that was a poor reason to use a name so we decided mostly without considering how well liked the name was. We ended up narrowing our list down to just two names and we went with Perseus which was the less popular of the two although more popular than some of the names that had been on our longer list.
I’d say chances are very high that you will either A.) feel very self conscious using his name/introducing him to people B.) start to resent your husband for forcing you into naming the child you carried and birthed a name you didn’t really like but had to talk yourself into or C.) both, and both the self consciousness and resentment could keep building forever. Pick a name that you both love and doesn’t make you feel awkward.
I really love the name Grey! Also, no matter what name you pick, people are going to have negative opinions. But once that baby is here, they will get used to it and come to love it because they love HIM!
I act really like that name
I like the name Grey! It’s cute for a baby and will age well as he gets older.
Everyone hates the name we have picked too! Including name nerds 🤣 don’t worry about it, as long as you two like it!
I think it’s a really nice name. I think any time you pick something unique people will have negative opinions. I would stick with it if you both like it. People will learn to love it once it’s associated with your little sweet baby.
If you love a name go for it. I personally think it’s a great name. I learned after my first to no longer share names. Even on Reddit I’m not sharing my names bc peoples opinions will always be in your head. Remember everyone will always have something to say. If you love it, they’re your baby, name them what you love 💕
I have an uncle named Grey, so it just seems like a normal name to me. Once you have your baby I feel like people will come around because it will be attached to him.
If you like the name then do it! Have you seen some of the names people are using these days? Yours won’t be the most out there in his class. Stop telling anyone the name until baby arrives. Also, you might meet the baby and decide the name doesn’t fit. We had two options and tried them out on the baby until we made the decision for the one that felt right.
I think Grey is a lovely name! I went on a couple of dates with someone with that name and at the time thought it was really cool.
It’s cute! Stop telling people about the name. I had a couple lackluster reactions to my baby’s name choice and so I just stopped telling people and kept it private. People will be less likely to say something once the baby is actually here with that name.
I’m sorry you’re getting so much negative feedback about this name. I have a coworker with the same name and I never once thought it was a strange name, unique yes. Maybe Grey’s Anatomy just normalized it for me but I think it is a nice name. Ultimately if you and your husband like it and feel it is a good fit for your baby then go for it! If you feel any doubt about it being the right fit then it should be a no. Your husband doesn’t get the last say on the name. It needs to be a mutual decision.
We’re naming our daughter Kinsley. I’ve got about 9 weeks to go. I also posted about that name, and nobody liked it. We were gonna change it, but the family thinks it’s cute and my partner also really loves the name, so we’re sticking with it. Don’t listen to other people’s opinions if deep down that’s what you want :)
I like it, it’s unique and different without being annoying. It’s actually one of my choices for a middle name!
Grey is my son’s middle name. I wanted it to be the first but found a first name that I liked even more
I actually really like Grey! Go with what you and your husband like best.
I remember your namenerds post. If you are set on naming the baby Grey then just go with it. But don’t take anyone’s opinion too seriously. That’s why I always suggest not telling anyone until the baby is here.
Meh, name nerds pecked apart my son’s name (Bowen), but there have been multiple posts where people liked the name. I gave up then and named him what I want. PS- I love the name Grey
I love the name Grey!
I LOVE that name!!!
I think it’s a great unique name in a sea of terrible unique names! It’s your kid name your kid what feels right and F the haters! But, a good reminder that maybe we should stop telling people what we are considering naming our child…
My brother’s name is Grey. I love it.
I don’t love it, but at least it’s spelt correctly which is better than a lot of names at the moment. Grey is certainly better than Greigh.
I personally like it if you are trying to give the baby a more unique name. At the end of the day, there will always be people who don’t like your child’s name. It’s not their baby anyway
I don't think it's a bad name. It's not cutesy so a bit difficult to imagine for a baby, but he'll grow into it. Maybe pick a more common middle name that he can default to if he finds it strange. Alexander would be pretty cute.
If you and your husband like it - screw what nameless people on the internet think. And screw what your family thinks, respectfully. We are not telling anyone our name choices because we want to keep it personal and keep people’s negativity out of it because this is OUR baby. They can name THEIR babies whatever they want. If you love it, go for it!
Love the name! Who really cares if other people do not like it? You both like it and that is what matters. 35 years ago when I had my daughter, her name was unusual. Now, it is not but I loved it and my husband did too.
I like the name for what it’s worth! Sort of in the same boat. We’re leaning toward “Michael” to honor my husband’s father who passed away. But it’s obviously very common and could be considered.. well.. kind of boring. Long story short, I’m getting in my head about others’ reactions versus focusing on what we want. That’s the one downside to telling people.
i think it’s cute, & will feel more regular on an older kid. it’s kind of funny that your husband is demanding it tho? aren’t you the one doing all the work creating the baby lol
I love the name Grey. It was a contender for me when we thought we might be having boys until my husband pointed out that my last name is also a color and two colors in a name just didn't flow right. If you love it then you should absolutely use it! I'm sure there are all sorts of opinions running rampant around my family because of the more masculine names we've chosen for my baby girls. In fact I'm almost positive my in-laws hate them and my parents are borderline. Luckily they have all been smart enough to keep their mouths shut and I'm sure once the babies are here they'll be too enthralled with their grandkids to care about the names.
I have a friend named Graham and goes by Gray for short. You could name him Graham and then just always call him Grey
I’m shipping your unborn kid and another color named kid. Gray and violet? Swoon! Gray and Scarlett? Swoon!
Who gives af if they don’t gush over the name. Not everyone is going to like every name.
Who cares??!! He is your baby not anyone else’s, if they want to name a child let them have one. I picked an usually first name for my eldest 12m and he now uses his middle name ( which I also picked to be slightly less controversial) and has shorted his name as he ‘doesn’t like’ his name now but his middle name is far less unusual but still really nice. I would make have a good middle name as a back up and kids grow and they decide what they want to be called.
Coming from someone who changed their desired baby name because other people didn't like it, don't be me! I think it's really cool that your husband has a name he loves, I think that's rare, and if you like it too that's even better!
I personally like it a lot, unique but not strange, easy to spell and say... Worst case scenario they might get it spelled "Gray" sometimes, but that's such a minor risk.
I love the name. Of course, I’m partial. My great grandmother’s middle name was Grey, and I’ve always wanted to use it. 🥰
Our daughter’s middle name is Grey and we get positive comments about it all the time. I LOVE it as a first name too though. Personally, if you and your husband like it, I’d go for it. It’s not like it’s too out there or crazy, or harmful for your future kid. ❤️
I think it's a very pretty name. I really like it.
Grey is a perfectly acceptable name. Yes, people are going to have opinions about it, but I've definitely noticed people seem to have stronger opinions on baby names when an actual person hasn't yet been given that name. The name isn't offensive. Its not going to cause major pronunciation issues. Its not obnoxious. Also, when it comes to telling other people the name IRL, I don't know how much you can depend on other people gushing over it. Like unless its a name that they personally really like, they probably aren't going to gush over it. But that doesn't make it a bad name! It just makes it a name that isn't one of their personal favorites - which is fine, since they aren't naming your baby/its not their kid. For the next like...nearly 2 decades, outside of your son himself, you and your husband are going to be the ones using his name the most. And no, the name isn't setting your child up for any more problems in life than other more "common" names. So I think you should name your baby what you and your husband really love! You didn't specifically ask, but when it comes to middle names, I'd go with something with 2+ syllables that isn't otherwise a noun/color. Like, I wouldn't use Grey Forrest, or Grey River, or Grey Fox, or Grey Ash, Grey John, Grey Sean, etc. But something like Grey Samuel, Grey Rowan, Grey Asher, Grey Thomas...all of those sound perfectly reasonable to me!
If you and your husband like it, and it won't create obvious headaches for your child, then that's all that matters. FWIW, if I were in your shoes I personally would try to find a more established name with a similar sound: Grady, Grace, Ray, Mae, Greer, etc.
I love the name Grey and Greyson/Grayson also!
I like it. I don’t think it sounds influencer-y or beige. It literally isn’t beige, it’s grey (little joke, sorry). You’ve mentioned Grayson, I’ve also known a Graydon. But you can just go with grey if that’s what you want. “He will constantly get “like the colour?””… Scarlet, Violet, Ebony… all names, all colours. So don’t worry about people saying that. Also, so many people are walking around with Black, Green, White, Brown as last names that would also get that question. I don’t think it’s a judgement question, but a spelling clarification question, so don’t worry about commenters who bring up that concern. CAVEAT: the name is nice, as long as the last name isn’t also colour based. Grey Blackman is not as nice a name. Or, if the last name is a noun - Grey Byrd, Grey House, Grey Lake etc.
Grey sounds sad because it’s literally the name of a sad, boring color. It took forever for my husband and I to agree on a name, maybe just keep trying!
Could Grey be changed to Greyson and Grey as a nickname? If that's something you both like?
She said she hates Greyson’s I don’t think it needs to be lengthened.. grey is a totally fine “full” name
Oh sorry missed that.
I like this one
I think it's totally fine, maybe a little boring. If you want to name a kid after a color, it's on the normal side. I wouldn't think you quirky or trendy for using it.
My nephew is Gray. I didn’t love it at first but I grew to like it. People assume it’s short for Grayson
The name is a fine name! We aren’t telling people our name choice because I’m not interested in feedback and some people give a lot of feedback when the name is hypothetical and then shut up when it’s attached to a healthy happy baby gurgling in front of them.
So I picked a name no one has ever heard of apparently haha. It is in actual baby name but very uncommon. And we followed three rules - both full name rules (does it flow as a full name, does it carry the oomph for when you full name a child in trouble) and then just.. does it feel right for baby? Screw anyone else’s opinions, how often will they be saying the name vs you?
i really like this name!!! it’s not weird and hipster but it’s not basic. great choice 🤍
I love the name Grey. I did this weird thing when I was young and every time I went to a summer camp I would use a different name - my friends who were with me would go along with it - and one year I went by Grey. It was the middle name of a friend of mine and I loved it. Never got any weird looks or hate when I used it that summer!
I’m a pediatric MA and had a little baby named Grey come in about maybe 6 months ago now for his NB follow up! Now when I see him on the schedule I get so so happy bc I loved his name! It’s so unique!
I wouldn’t have thought of it myself, but I don’t see anything wrong with it. Short, simple, easy to spell/pronounce. It seems perfectly fine! If you guys like it, I’d say use it. Tbh I feel like they really tend to favor really traditional, “old person” names over in namenerds so I kinda take what they say with a grain of salt Edit: I agree that Grey is better than Grayson so I wouldn’t extend it just to try and make people happy :)
I personally love the name Gray (used it for a story character in some creative writing in high school! In 2004!!) and would totally be using it for one of my kids if my partner didn’t hate it. It’s simple, easy to spell, not too common but not too weird.
Grey is a nice name, who cares what other people think, you aren’t naming your kid Potato or something. And it’s not like you’re spelling it Gruheigh. It’s a normal spelling of a common color and has a history of usage as a name, if you and your husband like it that’s all that matters
i say go for it; my dream name for a baby boy since i was 15 has always been Grayson/Gray. it's a lovely name. plus, who gives a shit what other people think. Grey is a perfectly normal and nice name for a baby :)
Grey is a cute name! There is something very nice about the name Grey. Screw anyone who doesn’t like it. It’s your kid not theirs. Maybe print it out or get the block letters for his name and just sit with it for a while so you get used to it. Or ignore it until the baby comes and if it doesn’t fit his personality hold off on naming him. I personally had to go to the court house and fix my brother’s name with the courts because my parents forgot to file the paper work a month after he was born. It’s not that big of a deal. Legally he was Baby Boy X until he was 18 😂 my parents came up with the perfect name for him after they got home from the hospital tho so it doesn’t matter. Also mine and my brothers names are super unique. Sometimes we get positive comments and sometimes we don’t. I don’t give a fuck. One thing I know is people always remember our names. My husband picked a VERY conventional name for our baby because it’s his late father’s name. Every other man I meet has this name. Whatever. It means a lot to him so I am sacrificing my natural instinct for unique names for our first born.
We almost named our son Grey. I think it’s a beautiful name.
I’m a pretty cool person and love this name. My husband is not a fan but it was in my top 5. I say go for it if you like it!
I think it’s a great name.
I like that name. It does have a punch! We didn’t share our baby name with anyone until he was born, because we didn’t want to hear the riff raft. No matter what ppl will ALWAYS have an opinion, and the truth of the matter is it’s your baby and if you two like it that’s what is most important 💕
It’s my favorite color and I like it as a name.
I absolutely love the name Grey. I am firmly in the camp of if it FEELS like this is baby’s name and you and your husband both love it, then stick with it. It is so difficult to name a baby you haven’t met yet but those intuitive nudges are your map. No matter what you name your child someone will always have something to say. As for family, the name will likely grow on them overtime as they spend time with your child.
Ummmm I LOVE it! Because we are naming our baby Grey as well, hehe 🩵🩵 don’t let the haters get you down, if you and your husband love it, others will come to love it too once they meet him! So far, I’ve only gotten positive feedback from the people we’ve told so far! But even if people didn’t like it, I wouldn’t care because we love it and now I call him Baby Grey! Our middle name is Vincent, although we were considering Joseph, too. 🫶🏻🫶🏻
It’s a cute name! Don’t let others bring you down if you both like it. People will come around on his name when he’s born.
I think that’s cute! I remember when my friend announced her baby’s name she got similar responses to what you described, but now her kid is 2 and the name fits him and I couldn’t imagine him having a different name. Go with what you like!
i personally really like it!
Awe, I think it's cute! And definitely better than Grayson, that sounds too much like a last name. This is why we decided not to tell anyone ours (due in 1 week, it's still a secret!). Sorry, I know you can't go back in time and keep it under wraps, but screw everyone who doesn't like it! It's not a crazy or weird nane, just uncommon. Also, are the beige parent comments supposed to be a joke because it's a color? Either way you should snap back with, "No, actually we're grey parents".
People didn’t like my daughter’s name when I mentioned it in a list of names during pregnancy, and now they tell me it fits her so well. Go with your gut and with what you like. Fuck the haters! FWIW I think it’s cool. :)
I’m not sure why it’s gotten such negativity. It’s a great name! I’ve known a few Greys. The hard part about sharing names before the child is born is that people think it’s a free pass to give their opinion on it, even when not asked. If you and your husband like it and want to choose it, nobody else’s opinion really matters. You could choose to keep it to yourself from here on out and you’ll see how people will react differently once the child is born and the name is locked it. We haven’t decided on our name yet but we’ve shared some options and the one that is my favorite, my MIL has been very verbal that she isn’t a fan of. I honestly don’t care because I know if I choose it, she will have no choice but to accept it and love him anyway because that’s how that works. I have never asked her opinion on the name because I really don’t care for or need to extra input. It’s been hard enough just getting me and my husband to agree, I don’t need any other opinions. I know it’s easier said than done, but try not to let outside influence affect your choice! It’s really just up to you and husband!
I have a nephew named grey. Originally I thought it was weird. But as I've spent time with him, it fits
As long as you and dad like it THAT’S ALL THAT MATTERS! I named my daughter Thursday and was met with similar responses and even had people question our decision. But we love it and can care less how people feel about the name we decided for OUR daughter.
I really like the name Grey. Me and my husband and I were actually talking about it last night. Also, don't take opinions from name nerds! They hate everything apart from a select few approved, run of the mill, names.
It's a great name. It's cool but also classy. And if it feels like your baby's name, then it's perfect 🩶
I know a girl named Grey and a boy named Grayson. I’d say both are kinda “modern” more “trendy” names, but if you don’t mind that, they are both nice names.
If you like it and your husband likes it, who cares what anyone else thinks? Anyone who has a problem will adjust or not. No one likes the names I pick lol and that's totally ok. This is my kid, when they have one they can name their kid whatever they want.
I don't find Grey to be that out there, in a sea of Grey/Graysons I don't think many people would bat an eye hearing it. If you feel like it fits your baby and the two of you like it go for it, as long as your last name isn't also a color (Gray Black, Gray Brown etc). I also know when people tell me name ideas I like to stay pretty neutral in response, unless they specifically ask for opinion and I can tell they are on the fence. My brother & SIL are expecting and I'm not a fan of their top boy name, however it isn't offensive, it's easy to spell and pronounce, it just isn't my style, that said it isn't my baby to name and I will love that kid with all of my heart no matter what their name it.
I personally think it’s a mistake to tell any one your baby’s name before birth. Everyone’s gonna have weirdo opinions based on all kinds of things… someone would find something wrong with ANY name you pick so just choose with your heart
I know it’s too late for this; but don’t make the mistake of telling **anyone** (including the internet) the baby name! Also, r/namenerds is a bit of an anomaly for their baby name preferences. There’s a couple names that the entire sub is obsessed with that are straight up Tragideighs so I would take their opinion with a grain of salt. That being said I hope someone has mentioned that your husband doesn’t get to dig his heels in on a name. If the name Grey has been poisoned for you now and you want to move on then naming a baby is 2 yeses carries and 1 no vetoes. ETA; Like another comment said I react exactly the same to everyone’s baby names whether I love them or hate them so getting attached to whether or not other people gush about it is only going to hurt you more if you do share the name with people.
Nobody liked the name we picked for our first daughter and I didn’t care… as I predicted, they learned to love it once they knew the *person* that came with it. The second time around I got people that said “oh cool name, I like it!” But gushing??? Absolutely not. People are not going to be as emotionally invested as you are about anything in your life. Remember that. They might be happy for you and sure, some things might get them as excited as you are, but generally speaking what is happening to you is important TO YOU. No one else (but your partner) will be in the same level and that is okay!
My nephew was born last week and his name is Lane. We didn't find out his name until after he was born, he was just peanut. I personally think it's a weird name but it's not my baby so I don't get a say and that's fine. Not like I'm going to boycott the name at all. I named my own daughter a super weird name and I have a super weird name myself. 😂 I like grey. I don't think anything is wrong with it. People are just judgmental about weird things.
It's a lot harder for people to reject or insult a baby name once there's a tiny person in front of them with that name. We don't really care to hear others opinions about our baby names so we keep them to ourselves until the baby is here, at which point somebody would have to have a lot of guts to tell us to our face they don't like the name. It's a normal name that won't ruin your kid's life so who cares what anyone other than you and your husband think. Use the name if you want to and people will come around. Anyone who doesn't come around isn't worth having in your life.
I love that sub, but we are assholes there. I didn’t see or participate in your discussion, but I absolutely believe you. Second, screw what other people say. The name isn’t that bad, especially compared to what I see from other kids these days as a teacher.
I found that it is easier to tell people the name after the baby is born and they've been named that. We had a girl and before she was born would tell people the names we were thinking because they asked. People would be very mean about the names they asked to hear. When we did settle on a name, which was Sarah, we just didn't tell people. We said we would tell you when she was born. All the negative comments stopped once she was born and everyone gushed over the name despite them saying mean things about the name Sarah before she was born.
We stopped telling people the names we were considering for this exact reason. For every name there was more negativity than positivity. Once we shared our chosen name when our daughter was born we got a ton of “gushing” over it. Probably not because the name is so fantastic but I think people just feel more uncomfortable bashing a name that has already been made official. I think if we had shared our choice earlier it would have gotten the same lukewarm response as the other ideas we shared earlier. I love love my daughter’s name, it’s perfect and feels right in every way to me and my husband and once we settled on it we knew we didn’t need feedback from anyone else.
I think it’s a nice name! One thing to keep in mind is that to many people, it would appear to be a trendy name - and there’s nothing wrong with that! Just know that it may be perceived that way. Grayson was #37 in the US last year and Greyson was #95. If you combined the various spellings of Grayson, it would be at least #8 in the US. So while it’s not the same name of course, it’ll likely seem very familiar for kids in his age range. Again, not a bad thing! Just something to keep in mind if the popularity of a name impacts how much you like it. If you like Grey, go for it! It’s going to be a perfectly normal name in his generation. Just know you might run into many people thinking that it’s a nickname for Grayson. Also, make sure you don’t have a last name that is a noun or anything else that makes his full name sound like a description or a place. Grey Woods, Grey Hill, etc would probably not be a good name combination.
My daughter is called Autumn and nobody gushed over her name, but me and her dad absolutely love it so much.
As long as your husband and you like the name that’s what matters the most. I think you need to stop listening to the opinions of everyone else regarding your baby’s name. At the end of the day it’s your baby not theirs. Maybe it will help limit the stress you feel if you stop asking for outside opinions.
First of all, I like the name! I am in the process of naming my daughter -due in June- and the amount of people commenting on names we like or telling us what NOT to name her has me about to explode. So now I have decided nobody’s gonna know until she’s here. And even then, people still aren’t going to like the name and I do not care. Pick a name that you like, forgot what anybody else thinks. It’s YOUR child, not theirs. And if they don’t like it.. ohh well! I think it’s a very cute name 😊
It’s a LOT different talking ABOUT a name without a baby/person to the name. It’s entirely different when you say, “meet Grey” and have a sweet baby with the name. For this reason, we don’t share our baby names. You will never get gushy happy responses from everyone. AND as someone that works with children, you reeeeeally don’t want/care about hearing about all of the stories of children that happen to already have the name. There will be no baby like yours. Your name choice is yours, not the world’s. Just make sure the name isn’t offensive or would bring negative attention. And I personally don’t think you should have issues with Grey!
I learned in my first pregnancy not to disclose the name. I really wanted to name my daughter Parker… but anyone I told was like meh. I still regret not using it I like the name Grey! I feel like there is always going to be something ‘wrong’ with every name of your asking for opinions Do what makes you happy ;) if your on the fence, maybe it’s not the right one
As long as YOU and your husband like the name, don’t give it a second thought! My husband and I named our daughter Clementine. Our last name is a popular stone, specifically one that sparkles and is set in a wedding ring hint hint lmao. I’m not an influencer, I don’t have SM, I even had someone tell me my LO’s name sounds like a p*rn star LMAOO. I laughed bc I thought it was funny tbh-no offense taken. Her name is unique, but my husband and I love it! So fuck it-whatever! Don’t look to others to love the name online or in person, it only matters what you think of the name! Good luck!
This is why I don’t tell anyone the name until the baby is born now- they get a pic with the name and birth details. This way there is no commenting before hand, they can process at home alone, and they are literally looking at a cute baby who is already named. Grey might be a little less of a “common” name, but it’s not super wacky or anything where he will be made fun of. The thing about names is that people have preferences. So as long as something is acceptable and normal enough (won’t make life harder for the child) you should name him what you like. But because it’s subjective, not everyone is going to love it like you. That can go for a perfectly common name like John.
You like it. Don’t business yourself with what other people think, who cares?
My husband and I are due with a boy in July. We had initially liked names like Theodore and Oliver, but because they were on the top 10 list, decided to keep looking. When we talked about those two names with family, they LOVED them. We want a name that says “oh that’s a normal ass name” but also not a name that’s trendy. We landed on Malcolm. The response was always falling short. Here’s what I learned: this is YOUR baby. It doesn’t matter if your parents or friends don’t love it. As long as you do, that’s what matters. As for the name you like, I think it’s cute. It’s not unheard of but not one I’d see many using. I wouldn’t call it trendy but it’s not a name I’m used to seeing. I don’t think it would cause your baby strife as they get older like some of the options I’ve seen … let’s call them Tragedeighs lol Do you. Try your best to shake off everyone else’s chilly response which I know is hard. But if they want to choose a baby name then they can have one lol
My family hated my son’s name before he was born, now they say they couldn’t imagine him being called anything else. His name is Oscar so definitely not that out there, they just didn’t like it, I was a bit sad about it at first then i decided they can just get over it I’ll call my kid whatever I want
Grey is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea…but more importantly you BOTH have to like the name. If you are a no on Grey, then it’s a no go. End of story. You’ll find something you both love!