Advice, please! It's a grump too.
Some of you will know that I am hoping to be a grandmother in March. Do you think that if they choose a name that I really hate, it would be possible for me to say so, albeit in more tactful terms? At the moment this is what's happening. I feel very strongly indeed about names, to the extent that if I dislike a name I find it really hard to say it. Some people mind much less, I think. I'm quite upset about this, because I know I shouldn't interfere, but I very much want to say something.
Sorry if this isn't what you wanted to hear, Mary, but I'm afraid I think the answer is that you don't say anything. They haven't decided on a name because they don't like it very much themselves, and I'm sure they thought through the implications (in terms of what it might get shortened to, how it goes with the surname, and so on). If you disagree then you'll either lead to an argument between your son and his wife, or they'll both want to go ahead with the name despite your dislike of it and then you'll all be very self-conscious about it after the birth/christening/whatever. So I suggest you wait very quietly to see if they've really settled on it, be on hand to advise if they do happen to change their own minds, but if they don't, then take some time to yourself to get used to it. It would be much better if you could somehow find you'd grown to like it better by the time he's born.
For what it's worth, I wouldn't have chosen Zachary as a name myself but it doesn't bother me at all! Nor does its abbreviation (which if anything I like better: sticking to the long form probably would get him bullied at school).
I can't say I'm wild about my name but I can live with it. What
does make me wild (in a gritting my teeth manner) is when people shorten it. I made a point of asking that my full name be put on my badge at work. Waste of time. 'Oh hi, xxx!'.
That's funny - you seem (to me) so much like a [Morticia] that I would never have dreamed of calling you [Mort] (
mutatis mutandis, if you see what I mean)!