Long Names

Don't sweat the small stuff.
Their names are their names.
If someone doesn't like it - that's just too bad. I think they are jealous.
They might end up with nick names - a friend of mine is Elizabeth Ann and they call her BA for short. It fits.
Relax... I wouldn't change my kids' names for anyone or anything.
YMMV
LBC

The girls names are beautiful. Even more so, because they are so special. My only question is what are they actually "called" by playmates, etc. It would be a mouthful for a 6 or 7 year old to use their full names, is it okay with you if they are only called by "Aiden" and "Elizabeth"?

They are beautiful names and even more so because they have such a meaning for you and your family.
What an awful thing for your family member to say to you, to just blatantly cuss your daughters names like that, how utterly rude!!
You can well and truely ignore those comments and you give your children the names you love!
It's not like you called her some of these strange celebrity names so there is utterly no need for anyone to mock you or your daughter! xx

if you give them short names someone will hate it. if you give them original names someone will criticize it. if you give them traditional names you'll be told they're boring.
if you love your daughters' names, does it really matter if you have a nasty family member who doesn't?
khairete
S.

Who uses "retarded" anyhow! Ridiculous and I would not even listen to anyone or even associate with anyone who would use this slur on people with disabilities. Your kid's names are beautiful (Elizabeth was my girl's name if I had one). I am just hoping that they go by one easy name for day-to-day use.

Long names are only a problem when filling out forms. My grandson's name is Chase Joseph Melvin named after grandfathers on both sides. I've noticed that even tho my daughter squeezes both names into the middle name space on forms that sometimes the printed list does not include his third name but this has not been a problem. We don't call him by all 3 names except for once in awhile when we're feeling irritated. You know, "Chase, Joseph Melvin, cut that out right now." It gets his attention. lol

I don't see how it will cause your daughters any trouble. If you're proud of their names, they will be proud too. And don't let anyone get to you by telling you your daughters' names are retarded and stupid. I like both girls' names and I feel some anger at your family member for saying that. No one has the right to belittle another person's choices and try to attach a stigma to a child's name. Do not let him change your own good feelings about giving your girls these names! They are beautiful!

I like that my grandson has 3 names. His one grandfather who is still alive likes that he has his name and I know my father would be glad too. And I like the rhythm of saying them all together and out loud.

wow! I would choose to not surround myself with that person. Anyone who uses the word "retarded" is not someone I would want to take advice from, and preferably I would like to live a completely opposite lifestyle. Your daughter's names are just beautiful. I mean, they are really lovely and meaningful. You caused no issues for your girls, just pride for their heritage and their beautiful names. I don't even see a long name as any sort of an issue, so just shrug off that terribly rude comment....you made wonderful choices!

The names are beautiful, and it is great that they are meaningful to you and will be meaningful to your daughters as they eventually learn why they have those names. When you register for school, put both middle names where one would go. The schools won't care a bit and will use whatever name your daughters would like to be called by.

As far as your family member that is giving you problems. Please point out to them that it is very offensive to use the word retarded to refer to anything. They may be trying to offend just you, but the use of the word is offensive to an entire group of people with intellectual disabilities, their families, and their friends. Many advocates for people with intellectual disabilities are working very hard right now to get this word out of circulation.

Your family member is an ignorant person on a few levels! Pity her and her lack of manners.

You chose beautiful names for your daughters! Both you and your girls can be proud of their names and your family members can stuff a sock in it! ;)

FYI, "Retarded" is now considered like the "N" word.. Not acceptable.
In school, children that use this term are corrected the first time and punished there after.

How rude. Who asked for their opinion?
They are magnificent names!
I love when a name has specific significance and brings up great memories as well as the idea of honoring a very special person or persons.

The only thing I think you and your daughter may need to decide is what she will use for her first and middle name.. on forms from now on. There is not always a place for 3 names and a last name on state and federal forms.. I am thinking about this because our daughter applied to 9 colleges and we needed to decide if she was going to use her full middle name or just the initial. Now that she decided, we always use the same name on all financial aide forms, medical forms.. etc.. so that there is no confusion..

When I was married I had to decide what 3 names to use. I had not even thought about it.. First, middle, and new last name? First, Maiden and new married last name? They would not let me use all 4.. Their system is not equipped for more than a certain number of names. It was rather stressful..

People still use the word "retarded"? Really?

Your girls have wonderful names. I love that you have paid tribute to your grandmothers. What greater compliment than to give your children a family name? Please do not let this person make you feel bad.

When I was pregnant, I quickly learned not to share my name ideas because people can be so opinionated about it. Even after they were born, I had to hear about it and I gave my children pretty traditional names.

Bottom line is that it's nobody's business but yours. They are your children and they have beautiful names!

First of all I wouldn't spend any time paying any attention to the opinion of someone so ignorant as to use those terms let alone to be so insensitive as to criticize a parent's name choice regardless of what they called their child.

That being said, your daughters have beautiful meaningful names. As others have said I'm assuming you don't actually call them by their full names. If by chance you do, you might want to decide (along with your daughters if they are old enough) what shortened name they'd like to be called in school because no one is going to stick with the full name. It's better that you choose the shortened name rather then letting the teacher or other students do it since they might pick one you don't like. Assuming you do just call them Elizabeth and Aiden those are great names.

I don't know who this family member is, but I would just laugh at him/her the next time they open their mouth and "stupidity" comes out.

Good luck,
K.

i think the names you picked are great.!
i also choose to give my son a long name. people gave me greif, but after i told them WHY we choose that name they let off.
my sons name is Damion Michael Scott (his father picked Damion, Michael is after a close friend of mine that had passed, Scott is after his fathers step-father that passed) sooo my son is 2 angels in his name! and my son loves it!

What a horrible thing to say! Your children have beautiful, classic names, and they honor people you love. Don't second guess yourself just because of this rude family member.

What an incredibly rude family member. The names were your choice and they are perfect. As for forms, when it comes time for filling them out the girls will probably need to choose one middle name over the other because the case is on most forms only one middle name is permitted. I have the same issue with my son's name.

Don't worry about their names. They will grow into them. I had to do the same with my name.

What a wonderful thing to have names with such meaning- well done, a nice connection for them
best, k

Who cares what everyone else thinks!! I like names that have meaning- my daughter is named after both my mom and my dad- Gianna (feminine Italian form of John) Barbara...

There is nothing wrong with you're girls' names. I would ignore anyone who tells you there's anything wrong with them. My son has two middle names and it does makevit hard to fit on forms sometimes, but no other issues have come up.

I am in shock that someone would say that! I would have had a few choice words for that person, and none of them would have been nice. Your daughters names seem like they were very carefully chosen. They are beautiful names with a lot of meaning behind them. You absolutely did NOT cause your daughters problems by giving them three names.

Let your daughter tell u if its a problem. The oldest can go by the first name at school to be like the other kids. My nephrew has as long name and the family calls him just Ty instead of Ty Bennet Micheal. or Ty Bennet. Let only family know the whole name to help protect their identies and everyone else can just have the abbrevated version

I loooove your daughters names! On top of that they have such lovely feelings attached to them, you could'n't have named them any thing else. No one has the right to tell you your your daughters names are stupid. Just ignore the thoughtless comments.
I have a friend who also has a long name, which not many people know about. When I call her by it, it just puts a wide smile on her face.

It's your child - your choice. You know why you names your children and you should tell them why you named them. They should pick a name that they want to be called in school like Elizabeth or Liz or Beth.

Your family member needs to mind their business!

Here is some wise advise my Grandmother gave me..First she said never name a child after someone else so they are not expected to live up to others expectations. The second thing she said was to give your children names that you yourself would want to have. To many people name their children after other people and give them names they theirselves would be embarrassed to have. If you are happy with those names and would want them as your own then good for you. If not then you made a wrong choice.
As far as school goes they only use the first and last name so it really doesn't matter how long the name is. I love the name my Mom and Dad gave me...That's all the really matters...is that your chldren like their names. I have heard so many people over the years say how much they hate their names and wonder what their parents were thinking. Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it.