Sorry, but I think that’s ridiculous.
I’d have to agree with Noelq. My name isn’t even all that unusual, it just happens to have an unfortunate rhyming word that goes with it. (And no, my name isn’t “Delores,” for all you Seinfeld fans 
)
The teasing was non-stop throughout elementary school and junior high, tapered off in high school, but even now, at age 39, there is still the occasional half-wit who thinks it’s funny to rhyme my name with that word. One of these days I’m going to snap and wring their neck.
Do I follow your logic here? Since every child is bullied parents don’t have to give any thought to names or anything else that would attract bullying. So call the kid Dogturd and dress her in a potato sack.
Are the parent’s of your third niece of Welsh descent at all?
Rhian (same pronunciation) is a somewhat common and IMHO a very beautiful Welsh girl’s name.
Echo is a fine name. Unusual, yes, but very pretty. Easy to pronounce and spell…kind of poetic.
I also have a slightly weird first name and Marie as a middle. I’m perfectly happy with my name. If I were to change anything about my name, I’d want a slightly less common middle name.
Parents: If you’re thinking of using Marie as a middle name, I’d suggest considering some slightly less common variation like Maria, Miriam, or Marianne. Names like Marie, Lynn, or Ann are sooooo over-used as middle names to the point that they’re just meaningless “filler”.
I’m just glad my first name is meaningful and unique. If I had a generic first name AND Marie as a middle it’d be a lot worse.
I rather like Echo, for no apparent reason. Though I might use it as a middle name instead.
However, in my little universe, grandparents are entitled to perhaps one, “That’s really unusual, are you sure?” and then required to butt out.
You can go wrong using common names as well, as has been pointed out. My poor cousin Jenny. Do you know how many early-twentyish Jenny/Jenifer/Jennifers are out there?
People can’t spell my name right, which bugs me. Rachel. NO EXTRA A. Especially no extra A in the wrong place! Yet I’ve run into Rachaels who say they can’t get people to spell it WITH the A. I wish I knew those people. I like the name, though. People screw up EVERY name out there, I think.
I like Echo.
I don’t like Marie. Too common.
Echo Maria, sounds cool.
Echo Foxtrot Zulu even better. 
Echo Location most bestest. Hee.
Ok, seriously, elementary school is not so much about learning books, it is learning life coping skills with the herd.
Regardless of what she is called ( Echo or Jane) teasing will happen. First name. Last name. Middle name. Nick name. Skirt in underwear moment. Teasing is inevitable. It is what crushes our spirit and helps us become stronger and not do it to other people.
How the adults help her coping skills will help her either rise about the buffoonery of her youth or sink below. Teaching her to be proud, stand tall and that she was given such a name because we knew she was a special little girl of exceptional talents and inner fortitude.
It will probably end up making her very witty and fast with the comebacks. And probably a semi-expert on Greek Myths, which is far better than Pokemon.
Kids tease because they are jealous or envious. Naturally, this little lesson doesn’t sink in until about 25 or later. In a world flooded with Taylors, Ambers, Britney’s, Kelsey’s, Sara/Hannah/Emily/Dakota, Echo to me, is a welcome change.
Don’t worry, you have a few more weeks for those pregnancy hormones to make your daughter change the name 600 times and before you know it, your grand daughter could be a Beulah.
BTW, what is your unusual first name?
I don’t think the point is whether other people like the name or not.
It’s her child to name, and unless she has asked for your opinion, it’s not for you to say, IMO.
I wouldn’t name a child Echo, or a lot of other things people name their kids, but it’s none of my business to criticize. It’s a personal choice. If she has decided on the name, criticizing it is not going to help, and may well turn into hurt feelings. For everyone saying she should change it to this or that, it doesn’t matter - it’s not the OP’s child.
…Mulva?
(snicker)
No, of course “it” won’t stop, whatever in each person’s case “it” may be. There are a lot of idiots in the world.
Yes, an unusual name allows those that want to behave stupidly a ready excuse, but they’d find SOMETHING to hang their “I’m insecure and goofy” hat on whether it’s a name, where the “victim” works, etc.
If someone told me that their name was Echo, MY reacton would be “wow, how pretty and unusual”. IMHO, person with an unusual name (provided it’s not something really ugly sounding), will get more positive or neutral reactions than negative ones.
BTW, your daughter in law, is her given name “Jude” or is it short for Judy or Judith?
BTW, slight hijack.
People who attempt to make a silly joke (whether it be someone’s name, or where they work, or whatever), are not ALWAYS “thinking they’re funny” or stupid people.
Sometimes people just look for an “icebreaker” so to speak. An unusual name provides one. I’m NOT saying that this means it’s a free for all, or “correct” for people to do this. I’m just saying that otherwise reasonable people can occasionally fall into this trap.
My first name is Laura, not unusual in itself, but when I’m introduced to someone named Rob, the hilarity ensues (this will only make sense to people of the baby boom, or those who love TVLand). I’ve even been known to come out with a goofy “Oh Roooob” once in a while myself. And I’ve another very close friend who has a name not unusual, but one made popular by a long running sitcom.
This guy hears “NORM!!!” several times a week. And when he was a kid, he outright refused to go by that name, using his middle name instead because he didn’t want to be compared to another famous Norman, the one from"Psycho".
The height of silliness? Oh hell yes. Done to death? Oh yeah, of course. Makes everyone laugh and say sarcastically, in making fun of THEMSELVES, “oh yeah, like we’re the first to ever do THAT”??? Yes.
Lasting harm factor? zero.
I’d call you a Smart-Ass, but we’re not in The Pit.
No, it’s not even dirty. It’s just dumb. My name’s Betsey, so I get Betsey-Wetsy, after the doll. It (the teasing) was unbearable in elementary school.
“Betsey-Wetsy need a diaper?”
Betsey-Wetsy wet her pants?"
And on and on, ad nauseum.
Even now, when I’m nearly 40 years old, every so often I run into some nimrod who thinks he’s so funny and so original to it point out. “You name’s Betsey? Like Betsey-Wetsy?!? Do you need a diaper, Betsey-Wetsy? Ha-ha, that’s so funny!”
No, it’s not funny, moron. :rolleyes:
Its actually my middle name which I was called from day one…Banks.
I was named after my Uncle Fairbanks.
My first name is Randal…so I switched to Randy.
I like it, and I don’t usually like offbeat names. “Echo” is classical enough not to be totally out there, and if she doesn’t like it, she can always go by “Marie,” which is also pretty and classic, and completely normal. By the way, I wouldn’t worry too much about teasing from other kids. About a quarter of my students go by their middle names, which means their first names get mentioned exactly once on the first day of class and nobody remembers them a week later. Her classmates are only going to think of her as “Echo” if she wants them to.
Oh I just love how all the parents in this thread are projecting like crazy and going ‘waaah you shouldn’t criticise her choice of name waaah waah’ (just ‘cos he doesn’t like his granddaughter’s name is not a personal attack on your widdle pweshuses’ names right? defensive much? jeez) who are defending this person’s right to the death to give her daughter (who is a human being not a pet or a fashion accessory) a godawful bully-magnet downright stupid name, because it’s her right to name it whatever she likes and everyone else should butt out. Excuse me??? The parent’s right to be kweea9tive outweighs the fact that this human being (not an extension of the parent’s kre8tivity) is going to have to live with said godawful bully magnet name every damn day of her life???not the mother!
I Do. Not. Get. This. Yes a parent has the privilege of naming a child. But get this-naming a child is not a happy happy fun ooo I’m so kre8tive happy fun oooo loook how imaginative at naming I am! funfest-it’s a responsibility and a damn serious one You are naming the child FOR THEM not for YOU. they are the ones who will live with it not you. Too many parents seem to bestow names too lightly and thoughtlessly. It’s all about the parent’s ego, not the actual human being who has to pay for it. WTF? There’s a lot more to a name to consider than whether you like it or not . A hell of a lot more
Keep the kre8tive names for pets. Give human beings sensible names. They will thank you for it.
(note sorry if this is more like a Pit post, but I feel very strongly about this-can you tell?)
:rolleyes: with a cherry on top. With mayo. And sprinkles. Bah.
My mother’s middle name and last name both started with a P. So every day at school she would hear her name followed by “PeePee! Haw haw haw!”
She scrutinized every one of her kids names, making sure their initials wouldn’t possibly be mocked, making sure the names couldn’t be shortened to something horrible. We all ended up with bland names, but I am SO GRATEFUL that we did.
I was made fun of a lot in school, but at least my name wasn’t one of those things!
Mom didn’t just stop there. She named us all with longer names that were common and could be shortened into several smaller names. She also made it a point of naming us something we could be comfortable with when we were 80.
My sister’s name is Rebecca. She goes by Becca now, but I’ve called her Becky and Beck. Echo is not something I thought of calling her, but it’s a lovely adaptation.
Perhaps you can point it out to your daughter? Once, politely?
I assume this is addressed to me, at least partially. And yes, this does seem like a pit post, but I am going to respond to it in a way appropriate for this forum, which I am able to do.
I really cannot fathom why you are so worked up over what another person would name their child. It is not going to ruin her life. It is not going to scar her forever. It is not child abuse, or bad parenting, or anything remotely close to that. It. Is. None. Of. Your. Business. I can laugh at a stupid name to myself as well as anyone, but I wouldn’t do it to a mother’s face. That’s all I am saying. Good grief, do you get this upset at everything other people do that you don’t approve of?
Also, please provide us all with a list of approved names that we can use to name our children that will not provoke your much-feared wrath. I would hate to annoy anyone else on the planet with the name I give my child, since that is clearly my first priority when coming up with a name.
Speaking of projecting…no one is taking his dislike of the name personally. And who is the one being defensive here? Whatever.
Speaking of projecting, what makes you think everyone advising Reeder to keep the name criticism to a minimum is a parent? Or even wants to be one?
I have two daughters (and a step-son) and am the (mostly) proud bearer of an unusual first name. Fortunately, my last name is common; however, my parents saddled me with a middle name that, in combination with my first name, makes me sound like a breakfast cereal. (Thank you, Mr. Noell, 9th grade English - everybody called me that name for the rest of the school year.) I give advice all the time to parents-to-be about the woes and benefits associated with an unusual name (with much behind-the-back eyerolling from said parents-to-be, I’m sure).
Of course, the first thing I do is suggest that they name the baby after me! I’ve never met anybody who has my first name. People tell me they know someone called my name, but it’s always been a nickname. I’ve only had one person even pretend that it would be considered, and she was grandma-to-be; the parents overrode that suggestion quickly.
I always remind them about the possibility of teasing. But kids (and many adults) always seem to find something to tease about; no matter how far they have to go to make a connection, there will be teasing. But I had it all—red hair, freckles, skinny (read bony & gawky), glasses, and a name that lends itself to being commented on to this day. Not only is my name unusual, but there’s a song! Whether people knew my name or not, I was teased pretty much everyday for something. Once people did know my name, that seemed to be what got the most play.
I don’t know if having an unusual name helped build my character or not. By nature I tend to be a little shy around people I’ve just met, but many people think I’m extroverted and outgoing because I make an impression and they remember me. I don’t think people necessarily always remember me for something I did, but because I have this name that sticks in their head (in my case, I think the redhair helps cement me in their minds). An unusual name can be a burden for a shy child so an alternative name should be available (Echo Marie provides a reasonable alternative; Echo Location–not so much ).
I’ve grown into my name. I like my name now. When I hear my name, I know you’re talking to or about me. But I named my daughters Terri and Cathy.
I agree with those who’ve said that a kid’s name isn’t necessarily a catalyst for teasing any more than general demeanor, manner of walking or color of socks are. Children will tease each other over everything you can possibly imagine.
Speaking as someone who’s grown up with a very unusual name, I can honestly say the name’s brought more good than bad. Sure, there was teasing, but that was because I was a shy and awkward kid, not because I had a funny name (the name was used, to be sure, but hey – in that situation, what name wouldn’t be?). After I hit 20 (I’m currently in my mid-twenties), I’ve never heard anything bad about my name. To those who know me, it’s just a name like any other. To those who meet me, it’s an intriguing peculiarity, something that, if anything, makes people more likely to remember me.
For my part, I’d be more interested in a girl with a funky name than a girl with a pretty face. And I know I’m not the only one.
I wouldn’t sweat the Echo thing.