31 January 2024 , 11:53
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Choosing a unique moniker for your little one can be really tough, and one mum thought she'd nailed it - but then Molly-Mae used the same name as her and people assume she's the copycat.
Abby Williams' son is named Bambi and is one month older than Molly-Mae's daughter, but many think Abby nabbed the influencer's idea. Abby fell pregnant with her son, who is now one, while she was at university, and quickly began thinking about cute baby names. The mum from Dorset says she spent months coming up with an "unusual" title for her tot, and thought she'd cracked it when she decided on "Bambi."
Abby used the name a month before Molly-Mae (Jam Press/Abby Williams)
She's glad to see the name rise in popularity, though (Jam Press/@mollymae)But then, Abby was left disheartened one month later when Love Island star, Molly-Mae, revealed her daughter's matching name. Abby said, however, there are "no hard feelings", as it's nice to see a rise in popularity for the moniker - and she hopes people don't think that she's taken the name from the influencer.
She said: "I was shocked to begin with because I’d spent all these months trying to think of the most unique name possible so no one else would have the same. Then a month later, Molly-Mae used the same name. I couldn't believe it when she announced that her baby was called Bambi too.
"So many people think I copied the name from Molly-Mae, but they don't realise my baby is a month older than hers. It took me a while to come up with the name Bambi and I always knew I wanted something unusual - but found it really hard to think of something.
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"I eventually came up with the name Bambi from the Italian word 'Bambino' which means baby, although most people think the name comes from the Disney film Bambi. I've never actually seen the film, but I think the character is really cute."
Abby decided on the name because of 'Bambino', not the Disney character (Jam Press/Abby Williams)
She told people who have slated the name to 'get with the times' (Jam Press/Abby Williams)According to research from Ancestry.co.uk, even with an increase in names such as Bambi, Apple or River, Gen Z and young Millennials (18-34) are twice as likely to choose a name with a strong meaning. Also, 20% of parents admitted to being inspired by family or ancestors' names, fictional characters and celebrities when choosing a name for their bundle of joy.
But there are still some people who aren't fans of quirkier names and have criticised the choice. Abby said people need to "get with the times" and accept this era of unique monikers.
"I've personally had a lot of hate online and in person about my son's name, most of the comments saying that 'he'll be bullied' - but I think people need to move with the times", she shared. "People need to understand that unusual names are becoming more and more common and by the time my son is in school, most kids are going to have unusual names No one will think anything of it."