Disappointment when people I know announce their baby names.

[kungfualex]

Someone I know announced the birth of a little Caden today. Honestly, at one point I wouldn't have hated the name, but now it (and all its rhyming cousins) just feel so trendy and I'm sure will one day feel very dated.

Another was going to name her baby Jobe and I kind of cringed. She added the -e so people would pronounce it correctly, but I felt it took something away from the name. By the time the baby come, she'd changed her mind to Jesse. It's not as adventurous, but I think it will be a lot easier name to live with.

The other ones recently have been nms but nothing all that bad: Kara, Raina, Amelie and Melanie, although that last one was a little surprising for 2012. There is one more little boy I know born recently, but I can't for the life of me remember his name.

Of course, these same people may be shaking their heads at me when mine is announced.

[newyorkdads]

Oh god, ever since I (recently) discovered my interest in names, I'm the absolute worst when it comes to judging people's choices. I never know what to say to hide my disappointment, but I'm horrible at lying so it always ends up really awkward. I'm trying to stop doing this because I know some people probably do the same at my kids' names (they're super popular right now), but ugh, I can't help it. The two most recent name disappointments for me were my cousin's daughter's name, Mariel, and my close friend's baby (girl) Taylor.

[kungfualex]

Well, my middle name is Taylor, so I'm biased on that one, but it's a family name so had personal meaning to my mom.

My poker face is pretty bad as well. I'm really kind of grateful for facebook, so I know everyone's baby names ahead of time instead of hearing them for the first time in person.

[ottilie]

I know what you mean. I was talking to my sister the other day (we're both pretty into names, although me more than her), and we obviously talked about what Little Monkey's name will be, but since she and her hubby are thinking about having another one at the moment, we talked a bit about names for that as well. I love the name she gave my nephew, but the names on her list now are almost identical! Don't want to say the names here, but it was basically like having one called Emma and considering Emmett/Emory and Emily/Gemma for the next one.

[newyorkdads]

Ah, no offense intended! It's just that it feels dated/trendy and just a weird choice for 2012. If it's a family name, I don't mind it at all!

Yeah, facebook is a lifesaver for that reason. Usually what I do is ask around and find out the new baby's name from friends/family/whoever. It usually works pretty nicely. The one thing, though, is that I'm kind of the only person I know who actually cares about names to this extent. So if I complain about a name choice to my husband, he'll just shrug and say "Oh, I thought it was a nice name"...so I joined Nameberry. :P

[grecianern]

I feel the same way sometimes. Especially when friends get my hopes up for an awesome name.
for instance...
My close friend chose to have the gender reveal as the big surprise, and then they also kept the name secret.
We all have common last names, and we all seem to want normal but uncommon names.
She and I like many of the same names, but for the opposite genders - I like Harper for a boy, she likes Harper for a girl, etc.
Once they picked a girls name, the best I got was, "You'll love it. It's on the Social Security list, #50-100." I scoured that list, and never found a name that screamed my name.
The baby girl was born 2 days ago... and her name is not something that would every scream my name. It is the name of someone I went to high school with... and I would describe her as sickly, dowdy, quiet, old - and that was years ago! I'd still describe her that way.
I am having a hard time saying it as a baby name... it seems like a withering heights (yes, I said withering, not wuthering) name.

I am in love with this baby... but I think her mn is much more suitable. But since I heard the name via text... it was so much easier to be excited about it.

I have another gender surprise niece/nephew arriving in a few weeks - but they've shared the name options, and it's easier that way.

[grecianern]

Adam - your husband and my husband should be friends.

My hubby doesn't get serious until he gets a (+) on the test. Thank Goodness for Nameberry.

[uselesskitty]

I know what you mean. My one co-worker named her son Jayden, my other co-worker named her son Braden and then my sister in law named her son Aiden... There are so many great names out there that don't get used it makes me sad.

[klcalder2]

I can't hate a name once its given to a kid I know, but I've been sorely underwhelmed quite a few times. Then again, I've been highly impressed with some of my friends' taste in names. In the end, I'm ok with boring picks from friends and family if it means a name can stay on my list . For instance, a close friend named her daughter Evelyn and now it just feels weird considering Ev- names.

[trillium]

I know it's terrible, but when someone close to me names a baby and it's something like Graedon, Jayden, Emersyn or Anistyn I feel equal parts annoyed and relieved. As much as I'd love to run into more tastefully named children and not another creative variation of Aiden, I would be sad if the names I love became overused or boring. I've also had my lifelong favourite name napped by a close family member after my husband and I shared it with them, so I've kind of lost the ability to be annoyed by bad naming :/