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1 in 5 grandparents hate their grandchild's name, survey says

Survey conducted by Mumsnet and Gransnet
Posted at 10:38 AM, Sep 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-23 15:21:50-04

A new survey finds 20 percent of grandparents hate their grandchild's name.

Online British parenting websites Mumsnet and Gransnet surveyed 2,000 parents and grandparents to learn just how closely grandparents are involved in the naming of a baby.

Thirty-eight percent of parents responded saying it is none of the grandparents' business when it comes to choosing babies’ names. Just 31 percent of grandparents agree with that.

Fifteen percent of parents say they have a parent or in-law who hates their baby’s name.

The disagreement over a baby's name can have long-lasting effects. Six percent of parents say they have fallen out with their parents or in-laws because of the name they gave their son or daughter.

"Choosing a baby name is fraught enough for parents when you’re only taking into account your own views," said Mumsnet Founder Justine Roberts. "If you add grandparents’ biases to the mix, it can become impossible, unless by some freakish chance you all agree that the baby has 'Cedric' written all over him."

Parents overwhelmingly said objections on a baby's name came more from their own mom or their mother-in-law than their dad or father-in-law.

Reasons given for grandparents disagreeing over a name choice include the name being too odd, too made up, too old fashioned, too hard to pronounce or not a family name.

Names hated the most by grandparents include: Aurora, Charlotte, Elijah, Finn, Jack, Lindsay, Noah, Sally and Tabitha.

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Full survey results: