A recent survey reveals that many grandparents hold strong opinions about the names chosen for their grandchildren, with nearly one in three expressing concerns about their uniqueness. The academic research exposes the secret baby names war between old and young. There’s the factoid that 28% of grandparents think certain names are ugly, 11% call them old-fashioned and 17% say they’re weird.
It’s hard to trust a survey that claims 4% of grandparents still hate their grandchild’s name. Yet, 15% of people come around to the names as time passes. Surprisingly, 69% of grandparents think it’s perfectly fine to express their reservations about a grandchild’s name if solicited. A rising trend among today’s parents is serving up some out-of-left-field names. Wheatberry, Dusty, Mushroom and Candle are already generating some pretty awesome buzz.
Grandparents have been shown to be especially unhappy with some names. Deep in the mix though are Aurora, Charlotte, Elijah, Finn, Jack, Lindsay, Noah, Sally and Tabitha. Data vampires, evil corporations — these descriptors have turned into popular laments from the older generation. One grandparent noted the absurdity of the trend: “Your bespoke grandchild names are Wheatberry, Dusty, Mushroom and Candle. That will be £800 please.”
Some have begun to get used to their children’s unexpected choices, much to the grandparents’ chagrin. The poll discovered that just 31% of grandparents would be willing to allow a grandchild to have a non-traditional name such as Olaf. On the other hand, they raise alarm when names honor other grandparents. No matter how much people dislike a child’s name, those perceptions tend to go away with age. Most grandparents find that their qualms evaporate come age three or four.
Sometimes, the choice of name appears to be especially contentious. On the other end of the spectrum, one in five grandparents admit that they’ve hated at least one of their grandchildren’s names. A lot folks are passionate when it comes to the spelling of particular names! In fact, 6% are worried about the way names are spelled, worrying about the spelling instead of the pronunciation or meaning.
Generational divides when it comes to baby names can create some funny moments, and this is an adorable example. “Sorry, I sent you the wrong list. I do names for white paint,” joked one parent when addressing the topic of unique baby naming.