What was the name? Was it ethnic based? Sometimes names that seem strange to us, mean alot to the parents especially if they are of Native American or African American heritage. In this area we have a lot of Norweigen names and in Minn they have alot of Swedish and German. On the border of Mexico there is alot of Hispanic names, so it may be the area you live in, or they want to just be different.
Marie

No, it is not ethnic. The first name altho a bit unusual, is sentimental. Venice. That is where her husband to be proposed to her. It's the middle name that seemed so odd to me..Wanted.

Our Daughter is not known as a subtle person

Pat

I know someone that named their kids Dane, a boy and Atiya, a girl.
Then there is me with my old fashioned names, Isabel Theresa, Gregory Harry, and Clara Grace.
Maybe they want to have their child have a unique name? I think it is harder when no one knows how to say your name or you are always correcting them. My maiden name is Italian (Baggiani) and no one ever knew how to say it, let alone spell it, so I know how it is. Maybe that is why we chose such common, old fashioned names.

Yes, put me down as old fashioned when it comes to names. I spent so much time thinking about a name for her before she was born.
Some names were discarded after I thought about the nick names for it, some discarded because they just didn't "sound right" etc.
I wanted it to be just right because a name follows you for eternity. The name I chose for her was Maureen Kelly.
I loved it then and I still love it!

Pat,

The Venice I can understand, but why Wanted?
Jerri

I don't understand middle name Wanted? I would ask her why and let her know I don't think it was apporate.
Marie

I think my Daughter wants the child to know it was very much "Wanted". As I have said, our Daughter has never been a subtle person.

I hesitate to ask the name they have chosen if it is a boy. I dare not think of it. Oy vey.

Perhaps if I keep quiet about it she will not feel that she now MUST name the baby Wanted because she has a point to make..that of being in total control.

I remain an interested observer. They can and will do as they please, so I don't get too involved in any of their decisions unless our Daughter asks for my advice, and I intend to continue on this path.

Thanks everyone,
Pat

I wouldn't worry one little bit about the baby's name. The parents are every bit as concerned as any other parents. They want the "perfect" name just as you did. Whatever the parents choose, you'll ADORE the name within just a few weeks because it will be the name of your WONDERFUL grandchild! I would certainly NEVER tell someone the name they'd chosen isn't "appropriate." That's a HUGE insult and not worth it. I still bristle because my mother made fun of the name I'd chosen for a boy when I was pregnant with my third child. It was a girl who is now 31 years old but I STILL feel hurt about it. Middle names don't matter in the least. Lots of people have ugly middle names. I have a terrible middle name because it was a family name. She'll go by Venice W. and that will be that.

When we picked Rowan for our daughter, my mom nearly had a fit, phoning me to tell me it was a boys name every time someone else confirmed her opinion. When we named our next daughter Cedar it was almost too much for her! It did not bother me in the slightest that she did not like the names, she loves them very much and is a fabulous grandmother.

I agree that the middle name is often forgotten, and mention that your grandchild will grow up with a roomful of kids with stupid and kooky names, like Cedar.

signed, someone with a stupid middle name.

People should still be careful when they name a human being. It's not a puppy! Also, in the job market, strange or unusual names on a resume can sometimes prejudice the person reading the resume against the applicant. Unusual names work well in the entertainment industry and a few other fields. I went to school with a guy named Ocean. He hated it. Hmmm... now that I think about it, I wonder what ever happened to him?

We had a neighbor once, that named her daughter Miracle, since they had a hard time conceiving. One of my daughters works in a hospital, and she was telling me of some of the crazy names parents come up with. Some of the ones I can remember are: Price Iz Wright, Peg Board, Vagina (the mother liked the way it sounded, and all I could think of were the school yard taunts that you know will happen) among others. I named my oldest daughter Deona (pronounced like Leona) and she has gripped at me about that for a long time, as she can't find any 'personalized' items with her name.

I think parents should keep in mind how cruel kids can be in the junior grades, where they will use silly rhymes or anything degrading about a name to make another kid feel bad. Some names stay with them right through school. One little girl I know has the name "Marley" and was called "Marley's Ghost" for the longest time. Seems to me that Venice is pretty, but "Wanted" lends itself to all sorts of unfortunate things, like "Wanted, Dead or Alive" etc. Hope they change their mind.

Well, there isn't anything I can or would do about our dd naming the baby, but I sure hope they change their mind. By the way,I like the names Cedar and Rowan. Unusual but not weird at all!

A rose by any other name smells just as sweet. You had your say for naming a child, now it is your daughters turn. What you think of the name should never be voiced to anyone. It could some day get back to the child.
The child might not be able to distinguish between a dislike in the name and a dislike of them. By the way, there isn't a name that exists that children can't find something to tease about. Can you imagine a child with the name Bessie Canary? THAT was my grandmothers name.

"I think parents should keep in mind how cruel kids can be in the junior grades, where they will use silly rhymes or anything degrading about a name to make another kid feel bad." Like "Henny Penny," or "Carolyn the Barrel-lyn," or "Suzie Schmoozie" or "Jill the Pill?" Those were some of the teasing names in my classes in the 1950s. If a kid wants to tease, he or she will tease and it won't matter in the least what the name is. Believe it or not, the most popular girl in school was named GUNA (she was Latvian) and she never got teased about her name!

This has nothing to do with a strange name, but just at how reactions to a name can be...when I was born my mom told her mother that she was naming me Michelle. My mom describes the almost horrified look and complaints from my grandma when she said that Michelle was a middle name not a first name! Isn't that goofy! lol I happen to really like my name and I am glad my mom picked it as the first name.

So, keep in mind how a bad reaction could hurt your daughter. :) I think Venice is a pretty name, but the other could use a little work, lol!

I'm constantly amazed at what parents do to their kids with the names they pick out. Sometimes the names are so bad (rhyming or meaning something else - like Chris Cross or, as above, Peg Board) that it seems as though the parents are intentionally setting the kid up for teasing. How can they do that? I sometimes wonder if the parents are taking parenthood seriously if they're playing games like that with the name.

You're not naming a pet - you're naming a child who will grow up to be an adult and live a long life - with that name. It would be good to think of an adult (which the kid will be for a lot longer than it'll be a kid) and see if the name fits.

I agree that Venice is kind of nice. Wanted??? Wow. Poor kid. But, as others have said, it's the middle name. She won't use it and likely won't admit it. I had a friend who hated her middle name so bad that she had it legally changed to just the initial so that she'd never have to write it. That's a little severe, but I get the idea.

My sil loved Lonesome Dove so he named their first child 'Augustus.' Can you imagine him learning how to write his name in school? My dd actually doesn't believe everyone will call him Gus.
I try not to but love to call him Gus when she's not around. binkie

Kids are cruel, and unless you have the same name as them they will turn yours into something you won't like. Every person I grew up with that had a unusal name whined about it until they were around 20. Then they loved the fact they were different. If your daughter can't name HER children the names she likes without upsetting you????? Come on drop it. just love and enjoy the kids. Naming is not your job any longer.

To all the posters who had interesting comments, I thank you. For the few nasty, and one REAL nasty reply, just get a grip on your self.
Must be some underlying cause of your hostility, but unfortunately, I don't do on line therapy.
You came unglued, unnecessarily.
Calm down!

Now Pat, you asked for everyones opinions and included yours on a mothers choice in naming her child. I didn't see any nasty replys??? I am assuming the replys suggesting you to drop the subject, let your daughter have her turn and just enjoy your grandchild or that lifes is too short to worry about such things, must have been the replys you considered nasty. Right? They were not intended to be in anyway or form.
Sometimes I think people who get so offended by the answers they get back after asking others their opinion on a public forum. Maybe should include in their message, PLEASE no posts that don't agree with me.I'm maybe feeling a bit uneasy about what I am doing because I know it could be considered disrespectfull by the parents,because it really is not bussiness.I just want to read posts that will justify my actions.
Good luck with your endevor to rename your grandchild, I hope it doesn't come between you and the babys parents. You must have some reservation about bringing it up to the parents or you wouldn't have felt the need to ask a bunch of strangers first. I bet you have a good idea how they may feel about you interfering in the first place.

Notice please:

This was an explanation of my post that caused a big reaction from you. Just as my first post,it is not intended to be rude or nasty.It was just a suggestion to think about what was said on those posts instead of Just getting upset that we didn't agree with you.It could save a bunch of hurt feelings down the line.A name isn't worth doing damage to your relationship with your family.

No, I never asked for advice, although I am not adverse to it. My original posting asked if anyone here had, "Grandchildren with weird first and middle names". That's all I wrote.

I repeatedly wrote throughout this thread that I had no intention of saying anything about it to my dd or sil.
I appreciated most of the responses, and even had a chuckle or two from them!

I'm not sure why some posters felt the need to admonish and scold me about saying anything about the naming of the baby. Frankly, I don't know how I could have made this point clearer than I did.

But you are right about a public forum, you post and get what you get. I NEVER had any intention of trying to name this baby or anyone else's for that matter.NEVER EVER. OK?

When you said I "was uneasy about what I am doing", I wondered what you thought I was doing, or what you thought I intended to do???

See, I think you mis read my postings.

In any case, thanks for responding so I could clarify this.

Pat

Hi Pat - Sorry you got nasty posts. I thought your email was straightforward and clear that you weren't going to interfere. Sheesh. Seems that some people are always looking to find fault or start something.

Have you ever been to The Kitchen Table forum? Those folks seem real nice and "chat" with each other, which is what I thought your post was intending - chatting about odd names. I don't think they'd have jumped on you and told you to mind your own business (which you were already doing!)

J

Joanne,

I will go to the Kitchen Table Forum, sound like it's congenial.

What do they discuss ? All and everything?
Like the "kitchen sink?"

Thanks, Joanie.

Pat

Pat - they talk about anything. It's sort of like "sitting around a kitchen table" with a cup of coffee and chatting.

I'm not registered there, but "lurk".

Jeez Kate. You really came unglued. I think you missed the point entirely. Take your Prozac, calm down, and start reading the posts from the beginning. Pat was just making an observation, she never said she was going to say anything to her daughter. Some of the posters (most notably YOU) made that assumption. This could have been a fun thread.

I agree with Dort, Kate. Your messages, the 2nd especially, make it seem like you didn't even read the original message. Look at the things you said, then look at the original post again.

Where do any of your accusations apply?

I think you'll see that you owe her an apology. Do you know how to apologize?

I just think it's a shame when people misread and then slam. You slammed, then slammed harder.

I, too, think it would've been a real fun thread. There are always some people who....well...never mind.

Well, at least the name "Wanted" is a middle name, not a first name, but they could also have chosen something with the same meaning, like Desiree ('wanted' in French).

I know a couple who named their first child, a boy, Frisco. I think this name came from a soap opera or something. Can you imagine an adult with this name....makes me think of a
stripper. (hehe)

I am new to this forum...just lurking! I have noticed the trend of people naming their children after inanimate objects...or parts of speech, in this case! I agree with CidaliaM, that Desiree would be better and still mean the same thing. I think I WOULD say something, maybe offhandedly and not in an overbearing way, maybe to hopefully talk some sense into them. If it doesn't work, then pray that she only goes by Venice W. Or, maybe it will be a boy...although that name might not be any better. Update us if you find out what they're thinking for a boy!!

Good luck!

Well, in less than three weeks I'll be traveling to see dd and hopefully, I will get there in time for the Baby's birth. Still don't know what the Baby's name will be, but dd asked me to send her a list of first names in the family and I did.I think they are still considering what to name the baby, but I won't know for sure til the Baby is born. I'll let you all know what the name is when I return home.
Gads, I never knew that I would be this excited !!
Thanks everyone for your input.