I've made a faux pas!

Galen,mine is called Merryn too.

When I told my mum what we had chosen for my daughters name she said "Oh dear I had an aunt called that and I did not like her at all."
That name was an very much older version of one quite popular during the mid 90s.

I kiled them But then, I called darling daughter Venetia.
Expecting new dgs any day now. Name Unknown
'We'll see what he looks like!'
What do you think of 'Red and bawling' for a name?

I LIKED! B iPad!

grannyben perhaps Ezra is popular now because of the singer George Ezra. I like it too.

BTW, you have now got your daughter's name and other identifiable info on this public forum, just now it ends up on the GN Face Fussbook page or in an article in the Daily Wail! Beware.

How about Erik Galen?
(after Erik the Red - I expect he bawled at everyone a lot too!)

Grannyben I think Ezra is more common in the US. I first came across it in an Anne Tyler novel - Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant

A friend called her daughter Hazel . When she told her dad his remark was " Just as well could have called her gooseberry "

I now don't like either of the two girl's names we'd chosen for DC3. Thank goodness he was our DS1!

I do like Ezra, though

The twin grandsons of one of our friends were called Darius and Hector, and they seemed to fit them like a glove somehow. I loved both names - very classical. I wanted GS to be Alexander! He isn't.

I still love the names we chose for our C and fortunately so do they. My youngest GS is named after his dad( my son) so that is a plus. I also like my own name but not keen on DH's.

I tried to choose names that couldn't be shortened, however their friends have always had different ideas!

My DC obviously do not like their names, as soon as they could talk they shortened them. GC have traditional names but eldest has changed her name slightly and likes to be referred to by that name. Not happening with Grandma, she gets her full Sunday name.

I really wouldn't worry about him being bullied at school over whatever name they eventually chose Grannyben. My sister really wanted to call her eldest Harrison, but her MIL begged and pleased with her not to, saying he would be bullied at school. She eventually relented. By the time he got to school, there were so many children of all nationalities with unusual names (including a Chinese girl called Wai Ting!) - that nobody would have batted an eyelid at Harrison!

I remember doing the same Grannyben when my cousin announce her new baby boy was to be called Wayne and I said "Oh no, he'll be called Wayne Dwop"!

He wasn't and has grown into an incredibly handsome man who runs his own company.

Names are funny things, a lot of thought goes into the choice and you (as a parent) often find they are disliked by others. When we announced our youngest was to be Anais, both sets of grandparents found it strange and did not like it (my MIL still refuses to pronounce it the way we wanted to) but it has been shortened to Ani by most. I like both the full name and the short version, and it suits her. I know the name has grown on my mum, not so sure about MIL, but then we cant do much right in her eyes anyway.

Many of you have put such lovely names in your comments. Now I think about it, I received negative comments myself when I had my eldest DD. Five years later the school had numerous little girls running round the playground with the same name. Perhaps, if I am gifted with a second dgs I will also find that Ezra fits him like a glove.

Ezra Pound....poet
Ezra Jack Keats ...children's writer. I think it's a rather impressive name.

My great niece called her boy something unusual ( won't say in case. ) My sil calls him by a made up cuddly nick name to avoid using it. Not sure.I approve as names do grow with a child.

I don't mind Ezra as a name, and it it still used quite a lot by Jewish families, so never really gone away as a name.My DGC all have normal names, but I have a friend who has six DGD's and they all have the strangest names you ever heard!
No child will be bullied, as other posters say, the classrooms are stuffed with odd and unusual names.

I think it is important that they have names their teachers can pronounce and spell. I had a colleague in London who named his son something Welsh, unpronounceable and un-spellable!

Also perhaps think about how names will look written on Christmas cards. A couple we know have a son Samuel and a daughter Ella, nothing wrong with either until you get their Christmas card with love from Sam & Ella!

I think it's great that we have such a range of names these days. So much better than the eldest children being called after their parents, the younger ones after their grandparents, etc, as happened in my family (though we have kept some family names alive as middle names, and the DC now like a lot of the older ones). My sister inherited my DM's name and DM admitted she didn't even like it herself! I was named after my DGM even though we Margarets made up a good proportion of any class. Thank goodness for short forms, is all I can say!

I am waiting for Margaret to come back into fashion. Must be due a relaunch.

When she was small DD came back from visiting her little friend I said "What have they called the new baby?" and her reply was Fairytits! Turned out to be Verity!

Do you think, Lullydully? Meg and - ahem - Maggie seem to be on the up though. And Daisy, which is another variation.

DS aged 5 or 6 was amazed that a friend had called her baby Keyring (Kieran).