Lola, Chloe, Felix and Harrison: The 'controversial' baby names dividing parents

It’s hard enough agreeing on a baby name with your other half, let alone trying to pick something that is going to please everyone else.

But turns out some monikers are more divisive than others and while some will no doubt love your pick, others could well loathe it.

According to new research, two-thirds (67%) of parents say they shortlisted a 'marmite baby name', which provoked extremely positive or negative reactions from friends and family.

And almost half (46%) of new mums and dads have faced rude comments about their baby names choices.

The poll, by ChannelMum.com, found that Chloe, Jaxxon, Lola, Felix and Harrison are among the most divisive name choices.

READ MORE: Gray, Everlyn, Quinn: Gender-neutral baby name ideas

Despite being the UK's 36th most popular girls name, Chloe is considered to be the most controversial choice for girls.

Parents were split between describing it as “sophisticated and upmarket” after the high-end fashion brand, or “downmarket and too Essex.”

Lola ranked second for the most divisive girls moniker, with parents viewing it as either as “pretty and feminine” or “a lap-dancer's name”.

Stella provoked an equally expansive range of reactions with some seeing it as “stylish and unusual” and others claiming the moniker was “trying too hard to be different.”

Other feminine names which split opinion include Olive, and hipster moniker Agnes, with some saying it was “cool and trendy” and others terming it “ugly.”

Scarlett also proved opinion splitting, with some claiming it to be “strong and elegant” while critics viewing it as “tacky and dated.”

For boys, Jaxon or Jaxxon, ranked at the 46th most popular name, divided parents the most.

Fans backed the moniker as being “sharp and contemporary” while detractors mocked the name as “not spelled properly.”

While the surname as a first name is a popular baby naming trend, over a quarter of parents loathed Harrison and Mackenzie for exactly that reason.

Fox and Eden were equally as divisive, seen by some parents as “cool and modern” and others as “wacky and showing off.”

READ MORE: Britain's most unpopular baby names revealed

Some parents said Felix reminded them of the heavily advertised cat food brand, while other disputed traditionally male names included Leonard, which was seen as either “unusual and classic” or “taking the old-fashioned names trend too far.”

Surprisingly Henry was also considered a divisive choice. Despite being the 13th most popular boys name in the UK, some parents described it as “too posh” or “better suited to a Labrador dog.”

Of those directing criticism mother-in-laws are most likely to diss chosen baby monikers, while one-in-five father-in-laws also let their feelings known by making negative comments too.

One in five parents had their name pulled apart by work colleagues while 15% found themselves on the receiving end of nasty name comments from complete strangers.

Unsurprisingly choosing a baby name caused one in nine couples to row between themselves, but just 7% said their siblings or own parents tried to actually ban a potential name being used.

On the upside it seems that negativity directed towards a proposed name didn’t put parents-to-be off, with 94% of the 2,000 parents polled going on to give their offspring the name they loved.

Commenting on the findings ChannelMum.com Baby Names Expert SJ Strum said: “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and a name which delights one person won't work for another.

“The days of having a few safe – and dull – baby names to choose from are long gone. There are over 60,000 baby names in use in the UK and this number is ballooning year-on-year as parents seek unique monikers, so it's likely even more names will be added to the Marmite list.

“But the best name rule is if you love it, go for it, but do check that the child's full name initials don't spell something silly, and, of course make sure it won't open up your child to ridicule.”

TOP 10 BOYS CONTROVERSIAL NAMES

Jaxon / Jaxxon

Felix

Harrison

Oscar

Alfie

Henry

Leonard

Fox

Eden

Mackenzie

TOP 10 GIRLS CONTROVERSIAL NAMES

Chloe

Lola

Stella

Winter

Margot

Agnes

Megan / Meghan

Scarlett

Emmie

Olive