Mo

[CheshireSplat]

I'm really keen (tonight!) on the name Mo.

What could it be short for? Don't like Maurice. And Mohamed, Muhammad wouldn't be appropriate. (We're devout atheists.)

Maurice on birth certificate but never used?

I've always like it (since watching Mo Johnson play football) and Mo Farah is super-cool.

Help!

[Handbagsonnhold]

Morgan

[Rhubarbgarden]

Maureen.

[CheshireSplat]

Thanks both! Morgan is a bit modern for me. And Maureen made me laugh! Thanks!

[EdithWeston]

Why would it make you laugh? It's the traditional name from which Mo is the shortened form. And if you're set on what was, until recently, a girls nn, then to might find people do make assumptions about the sex of your baby.

For boys, I think it's only really short for Mohamed.

[TinyPop]

Moses
Moby
Monty

[CheshireSplat]

Sorry Edith. I thought it was pretty clear from the OP I was talking about a boy's name, so Maureen made me laugh.

Interesting to think people might think he's a girl though, so thanks very much for your thoughts.

[CheshireSplat]

Thanks Tiny. Some food for thought there....

[adaloveslace]

You could also give him the initials MO- eg Mark Oliver - and call him Mo. I think it's quite cool. (My granny was Maureen 'Mo' but with Mo Farah I'd say it's unisex leanings towards the masculine.)

[Middleagedmotheroftwo]

Montgomery?
Montmorency?

[Stat]

Maybe this is a bit of a stretch, but I could see Mo as a nickname for names that start with M and end with O, or names that end with mo. So things like,

Marco
Milo
Matteo

Cosmo
Maximo
Timo

[Bunbaker]

I thought Maureen as well, because I used to work with a Maureen and we all called her Mo.

[AnyFuckerWillDo]

Monty!!

[GrandstandingBlueTit]

I assumed, on opening the thread, that you meant a girl, too. Maureen is therefore the obvious (and let's face it, not great) choice.

[SS3J]

Yes, sorry, I would assume Mo was a girl.

[thistlelicker]

I thought mo Farrah was a Mohammed ???

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

I'll be honest and say Mo Farrah is the only time I have ever heard it used for a male.

[bex2011]

Murray. My dad is Murray and was called Mo by his family.

[Devora]

I know a Mo short for Morris. He's a cool dudey.

Morris nicer than Maurice.

I wouldn't assume a Mo was female.

[Mattissy]

I know a male Mo, short Maurice.
It's common for Morris/Maurice to be shortened to Mo, but because there's more Maureen's than Maurice's most people know it as feminine.

[SavoyCabbage]

I would definitely think his name was Mohammed. I've a friend called Mel and everyone thinks she's Melanie but she's not she's Melissa, I knew her at least five years before I found that out.

[squoosh]

I certainly wouldn't assume Mo was a girl, as I know a male Mo and a female Mo. Not sure what the male Mo's full name is, think the female Mo is Monica.

[squoosh]

And of course there's always the world famous Moe Szyslak.

[Lubiloo]

I would assume Mohammed for a boy and Maureen/Monica for a girl.

Sounds unisex to me, just like Jo.

[TheNunsOfGavarone]

Moacir - Brazilian name I rather like!