[name]How[/name] often do you allow the opinions of others effect the names you love?
[name]Do[/name] the opinions of other Berries matter a lot?
[name]Do[/name] the opinions of close friends or family matter more?
[name]Do[/name] you just keel your mouth shut and not let anyone know?
Has anyone ruined a name for you? Stories?
I didn’t let anyone’s opinions affect my choices [name]IRL[/name]. I used name boards to help get a feel for people’s reactions to names and possible problems with them before I made my end decisions. But I didn’t let family or friends’ opinions sway me once i had chosen.
I haven’t decided yet if I’ll reveal (or even decide on) names before my kids are born. I like the idea of waiting until I meet the baby. I’m also not sure how much discussion I’ll have with friends and family. I’ll probably take some of their suggestions, but in the end it’s our choice. Honestly, I can’t see anyone having a huge issue with any of my favorite names. All the names I like are pretty normal and spelled correctly. They may not be someone else’s style, but that doesn’t bother me. As for people online, I care even less. People here on Nameberry tend to have a more exotic taste in names than I do. Some of my picks may be too boring for some (though they’re aren’t super common, just not completely unique). As PP said I like to see if there are any big issues with the name, but other than that it doesn’t matter too much. The opinion I care about most is my fiance’s since it will obviously be his kid too 
I like seeing what other Berries think of my favorite names, but I don’t consider that “real life”. Nameberry seems a bit more ‘out there’ than most people at home. (Though, I’m one to talk. [name]Even[/name] most berries think my names are too ‘out there’ even for Nameberry.) My immediate family’s opinions mean most to me but I think that when I do have a child, I’ll bounce ideas off of family but never reveal my final choice until the name is on the birth certificate.
As for names being ruined for me, if you watch USA’s The Office, I think you’ll understand. [name]One[/name] of the characters had a baby and named her [name]Astrid[/name]. Well, another character misspelled it as Astird and pronounced it like ASS-turd. I’ve never been able to look at that gorgeous name the same way again.
[name]How[/name] often do you allow the opinions of others effect the names you love? – Hardly ever. I love the names I love. Usually, I pick names because they mean something to me, even if they don’t mean something to other people. If I love them, I don’t care if some other people love them or not, and since every name is going to be mispronounce (my name [name]Angel[/name] was just pronounced ahn-gel today and i get [name]Angela[/name] all the time. I even had some tell me once I had my own name wrong >.<) I don’t really care if it gets mispronounced if I love it and it’s special. The only time opinions mater to me is if someone tells me something like “Aurelie, that sounds like orally” then I get weird about it.
Do the opinions of other Berries matter a lot? – Not too much. I come on here when I need help, and it’s nice to hear the criticism and the compliments together. If someone on here doesn’t like a name I do just because they don’t like the sound or don’t know how to say it, I don’t care. If they have had a personal, bad experience, that’s their experience with the name. I care about the criticism when it gets overwhelming or when someone brings up an actual negative point other than “It’s not my style” “It looks weird written” or “I don’t pronounce it like you so I don’t like it” I do listen though, and recently I went back to a name I love for a middle name because a ton of people told me they loved it on here and that the others had various things wrong with them. They were right too.
Do the opinions of close friends or family matter more? – Not much. I want to hear their opinions, but I don’t usually care. It’s my baby and not theirs. My mother had a chance to name 3 children, now it’s my turn and if she doesn’t like my names, tough. Again though, if there’s something actually negative then I listen, but if it’s just “That’s not really my style” then I don’t care. They’ll learn to love it when there’s a loveable baby attached to it.
Do you just keel your mouth shut and not let anyone know? – Not always. I keep my mouth shut if it’s important to. For example, there’s a woman I know who I try to be civilized with because she wants me to, we used to be friends, and she asks for my names sometimes. I know if I tell her my names, she’ll take them. Even if she doesn’t like them, she’ll take them anyway because she’s that kind of spiteful person. I don’t tell her my names. I don’t tell family members that I know are going to be negative about anything I say my names. My grandmother hates everything I tell her so I don’t tell her my names. I tell my mother though, she’ll tell me she doesn’t like a name and why (and there’s usually a real reason) and I tell my husband and my close friends.
Has anyone ruined a name for you? Stories? – The only 2 names that have every been “ruined” for me are Caleb and Amelia Faelyn. Those were both ruined by my mother. Caleb was the only time I’ve every let someone talk me out of a name because they didn’t like it. She has this irrational hatred for the name Caleb and she won’t tell me why. With Amelia Faelyn she said “I’ll call her Amy Fay” And I said NO! I don’t want Amelia called Amy and I definitely don’t want Amy Fay. So I changed Faelyn to a new middle name.
I 100% agree with everything dantea said. Summed it up for me perfectly. Except the name ruining stories of course. 
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I don’t know that I ever let anyone’s opinion change how I feel about a name! I ask others about names because I want to avoid something glaringly awful that I might have overlooked. But just like my family can’t make me not love a name, no one on a name site has ever ruined my love for a name, unless there was horrible teasing potential or something. And that’s the teasing potential, not the actual name itself.
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The opinion of other Berries matters more to me than most people. I respect their naming knowledge and they think of a lot that most family and friends don’t think of! In the end, though, I’ll use the names that I choose.
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Not more, exactly. I mean, yeah, I would love it if my family loved my names but I know they don’t. There might be one name everyone agrees that they like on my girls’ list–[name]Olivia[/name]. But honestly, I could care less. They’ve made it clear that it’s my turn to choose a name I love and they’ll love my child regardless. Which is good, because I’m not just going to pick a name that everyone loves. That would be pretty impossible, haha.
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Not exactly, haha. I wish I could because I want my names to be a secret when I actually have a baby but I like to get opinions of non-Berries! I think Nameberry sometimes represents the name-elite, haha, and a lot of the people I know wouldn’t go near a name like [name]Tallulah[/name], [name]Clementine[/name], [name]Beatrix[/name], [name]Juniper[/name], or [name]August[/name]! [name]Every[/name] so often I ask about a new name to my family, just to see how a name like that would be received. I’m now finding that my sisters and I kind of share some of the same names in common, though… which I thought I would like, but now I’m just worried about stealing their favorites so I can use a name I love!
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Not really. I can’t think of anything off-hand, anyway! I mean, I never really loved [name]Eloise[/name], but then it had grown on me (so much that I had almost added it to my list!) and then I had a snooty Library [name]Science[/name] professor a couple years ago… she was just so prissy and stuck up and she just rubbed me the wrong way, haha. I was immediately turned off of it and I am just now starting to sort of warm up to it a [name]LITTLE[/name] bit. Not like I would use it or anything but I like it as a MN for some names. For somebody else. haha. [name]Even[/name] people I know/dislike usually don’t ruin names for me, though! I can usually see the appeal in any name… I love the name [name]Joshua[/name] (would seriously consider it as a mn, too), and that’s the name of my cousin who did something pretty awful to me, so, I guess that says something about how easily names are ruined for me, haha. I can really only think of two names that have been ruined for me by people I actually know–[name]Connor[/name] and [name]Eloise[/name].
[name]How[/name] often do you allow the opinions of others effect the names you love? Very rarely ever but my husband’s would be an exception
[name]Do[/name] the opinions of other Berries matter a lot? Not really, I get a better idea of how I feel about a name sometimes when I compare my opinions with theirs which is really helpful. I like getting the feedback whether its good or not because I know Berries care about names and put thought into it.
[name]Do[/name] the opinions of close friends or family matter more? Family matters more.
[name]Do[/name] you just keep your mouth shut and not let anyone know? In real life? I usually keep it shut unless someone asks what I think and in that case I try to be very polite. Online I dont keep my mouth shut IF someone asks for feedback, if they specifically ask that we not give feedback or the child is already names then there’s really no point in saying anything.
Has anyone ruined a name for you? Stories? [name]Vivienne[/name] [name]Marceline[/name] was my #1 ultimate going to use [name]IRL[/name] combo until [name]Angelina[/name] [name]Jolie[/name] used [name]Vivienne[/name] [name]Marcheline[/name], its just so close that it would seem like copying a celeb imo. Aside from that I have some bad name associations but [name]Ive[/name] never had a name ruined though I have been told things I didnt know about a name that then made me rethink it but thats not the persons fault if I asked for feedback.
I did have one experience where someone’s reaction to a name made me rethink it.
I told my mum we were considering [name]Louis[/name] (pronounced [name]Lewis[/name]) and she reeled back in horror and reminded me of a kid we used to live next door to named [name]Louis[/name] (pronounced Loo-ee) who was a rotten little brat. Hubby and I have so much trouble agreeing on names at the best of times, and it felt like we were finally halfway to choosing a boys name, and my mum hated it, so in my hormonal 7-months-pregnant state it did turn me off it.
But that’s my mum. For everyone else I’ll listen to their opinion, but I decide for myself.
I don’t really allow the opinions of others effect the names I love, but if it’s overwhelming bad, then I might reconsider the name.
The opinions of other Berries don’t matter that much either. I’ll ask for feedback, but it’s more when I’m stuck with combos or don’t know how well a name would wear in real life.
The opinions of family members or close friends matter a little more, but I’d make the decision no matter what.
I tend to keep my mouth shut, but I think when I’m closer to having kids, I might be more open.
Names just tend to get ruined for me by the people that wear them.
I don’t really allow the opinions of others effect the names I love, but if it’s overwhelming bad, then I might reconsider the name.
The opinions of other Berries don’t matter that much either. I’ll ask for feedback, but it’s more when I’m stuck with combos or don’t know how well a name would wear in real life.
The opinions of family members or close friends matter a little more, but I’d make the decision no matter what.
I tend to keep my mouth shut, but I think when I’m closer to having kids, I might be more open.
Names just tend to get ruined for me by the people that wear them.
My husband and I picked out all 5 of our kids’ names by ourselves and didn’t tell anyone until they were born. We each have big families (opinionated families!) and it’s a joyful/stressful time all on its own. I didn’t want the pressure of “what do you think of…?” looming over every family gathering.
We were constantly asked when I was pregnant with the twins because I think people were curious if we’d go matchy-matchy or not.
If I don’t like the name, I don’t give my opinion to the mother, but I’ll certainly discuss it with friends!!
[name]How[/name] often do you allow the opinions of others effect the names you love?
Rarely
[name]Do[/name] the opinions of other Berries matter a lot?
If i want them to.
[name]Do[/name] the opinions of close friends or family matter more?
Yes
[name]Do[/name] you just keel your mouth shut and not let anyone know?
No
Has anyone ruined a name for you? Stories?
No