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Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Baby names

What do you think of Wilfred?

33 replies

cranmorefifi · 03/07/2008 22:21

I really quite like it. Looking for something a bit unusual without making him a target for bullying! Also like the old-fashioned/ historical connotations. Do you think it's a 'strong' name or a wuss's name? Imagine we'd probably call him Wil, Wilf or Fred...

OP posts:

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geekgirl · 03/07/2008 22:23

yes, I like it. Unusual and cool in an old-fashioned kind of way, and lots of nice abbreviations...

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Madlentileater · 03/07/2008 22:23

he's the boy with no neck in the Bash Street Kids!

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Ecmo · 03/07/2008 22:24

Fred is quite nice but IMO wilfred is a bit old fashioned, but all my children have really traditional names. If you like it then go for it.

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wotnopulling · 03/07/2008 22:24

wilf is v cool and fred is good too.

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SoupDragon · 03/07/2008 22:24

Personally I hate it. I find it an "ugly" name.

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3andnomore · 03/07/2008 22:25

DO NOT like it...and as for teh shortening of the name...only Wil would be a reasonable option, impo...
but like I said, don't like the name one bit anyway...(sorry to all the Wilfreds in this world...don't like the name Manfred neither...think there is a pattern there...

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seeker · 03/07/2008 22:33

For me it indicates someone incredibly "wet" - but that could just be my generation!

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Purplepillow · 03/07/2008 22:35

Sorry but makes me think of the old guy in steptoe and sons (and shows my age)

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southeastastra · 03/07/2008 22:36

it'll be shortened to will, which is nice, wilfred is kinda nice too imo

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MadBadandDangeroustoKnow · 03/07/2008 22:37

Was a Wilfred at pre-school. And a Manfred too. Nice boys. Nice names.

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fishie · 03/07/2008 22:38

fine name. wilfred owen.

don't worry about bullying, if children want to get at each other a name won't make much difference. on the other hand if you would like to be bullied yourself anything apart from peter and jane on this topic will cause all sorts of jeering.

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lostinfrance · 03/07/2008 22:39

This reply has been deleted

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Shitemum · 03/07/2008 22:39

good name for a cat, if you want him to be will or fred call him william or frederick.

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thumbwitch · 04/07/2008 00:17

It reminds me of cartoon characters Pip, Squeak and Wilfred, I think Wilfred was the rabbit but not sure - and I am not that old, they are from a cartoon book/comic of my Dad's.

Just checked and found this link - not sure how helpful that is going to be to you in deciding whether to use Wilfred or not! Fine old name, not sure I'd use it though

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thumbwitch · 04/07/2008 00:19

you could maybe go for Alfred instead?

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S1ur · 04/07/2008 00:25

Weeeeell I know a Wilf. very cool I think, lovely little boy, musical talent, probably end up in a band - all good.

But his parents named him Wilf, not WIlfred. Which I think was wise.. Cause my dd calls him Wolf but again not such a bad thing methinks

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cranmorefifi · 04/07/2008 08:10

thank you so much. lots to think about! dd is called Ellie and I get frustrated that I didn't call her something longer (like Isabella) that I could have shortened in different ways. Hence the reason maybe to christen him Wilfred but not really use it all in full!

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sophiewd · 04/07/2008 08:37

MY dad is Wilfrid, he is definitely not dweeby or wet, got up to some very interesting things in his yoof, Ds middle name is Wilfrid

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kateri · 04/07/2008 08:54

I really like it, but then I have a baby called Mervyn, so what do I know! :P

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constancereader · 04/07/2008 08:57

Excellent name imo.

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jamescagney · 04/07/2008 09:09

love it. Wasn't there the WW1 poet Wilfred Owens? romantic poet,died young, if I remember correctly? adore it

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MakemineaGandT · 04/07/2008 13:42

I like it. Not sure I'd ever go for it, but I do like it.

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PerseRaniSnape · 04/07/2008 13:54

i think it's a smashing name

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Sunshinemummy · 04/07/2008 13:54

Love it. Know a Wilf and a Freddie and both lovely kids.

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twosofar · 04/07/2008 21:21

My DS2 (nearly 10 months) is Wilfred, known as Wilf or Wilfie (at the moment but if he wants Wil when he is 16 then fine.) OP, it never occurred to me for a second that he would be bullied for his name, but then we live in London where I think just because of its international nature, different names are not such a focus. DS1 is at pre-school and his friends are called Otto, Polly, Xanthe, Loveday, Caspar, Solomon, Cosmo etc. Nobody bats an eye.

Personally I think there is more pressure to "fit in" in a smaller, possibly less cosmopolitan environment...if the classrooms are populated by Sophies/ Thomases/ Emilys (no offence,all lovely names, I am just giving an example)then a kid called Lucretia or Willoughby may sound a bit left-of-centre and be a focus for torment?

I went to school with a girl called Barbara which seemed ludicrous in the 80's when everyone else was called Sarah, Clare and Rachel, but it was funny for 5 minutes and that was that.

If you like a name then go for it... people get used to it sooner or later and it really does become irrelevant