‘I found the perfect name for my baby – but people say it’s ugly and unpleasant’

A mum asked the internet for opinions on her baby name choice after her friend called it ‘ugly’ – but is now reconsidering after others called it ‘unpleasant’

Choosing a baby name isn’t always easy, and while it can be tempting as parents to ask for a second opinion about the names you pick, you should also trust your own judgement, as we all have our own tastes and not everyone will be a fan of the monikers you like the most.

And one mum-to-be has been left unsure about the baby name she wants to use for her daughter, after she asked for advice and found that many people thought her choice was “unpleasant”.

The woman said she wants to name her daughter Renata, but when she told her friend about her choice, she was told the moniker was “ugly and harsh” – so she turned to the internet for more opinions.

In a post on Reddit, she said: “Told a friend I like the name Renata, they said it was an old fashioned and out of date name. She also said it’s an ugly and harsh-sounding name.

“I never felt the name was an ugly name. I always thought it sounded pretty and feminine.

“Curious of what other people thought of Renata.”

And commenters didn’t hold back, with one person even claiming the name was “not pleasant to their ears” – although they did admit they loved the meaning of the name, and disagreed with the claim it was “old fashioned”.

They said: “I can see how it might appeal to some people, but it’s not pleasant to my ears. I can’t even explain why, I just don’t like the combination of sounds.

“I do like the meaning, though, and I don’t think it sounds old-fashioned. It’s one of those names that could be from any era. I’ve only met one person with the name and she was lovely – humble and sweet.”

While another commenter wrote: “I don’t care for it but there’s nothing inherently wrong with it, it’s a fine name, I just personally don’t like the way it sounds.”

And a third posted: “I don’t like the sound of it but that’s totally a personal preference, I’ve heard it maybe once in my life prior to this. I don’t find it feminine but I also don’t find it harsh or old-fashioned.”

However, there were also plenty of commenters who reassured the mum-to-be that Renata is a “beautiful” name, and told her not to listen to the people who disapprove.

Someone said: “Renata is a beautiful name. I think it’s too rare to have age stereotypes.”

“Who cares what people think of a name if YOU like it?”, someone else added, “you can’t please everyone, and everyone has their own taste.

“If you like the name Renata, that’s enough. You don’t need to explain it or justify it or question it; you like it and that’s all you need to know. I also like ‘unusual’ names, and Renata is cute to me.”

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