Advice needed on boys name - Malachy

[SatHereSitting]

Would you choose a name you love or something more main stream that is less likely to raise eyebrows but you don't 'love' IYKWIM

Both myself and dp love the name Malachy for a boy, but we are both worried we would be saddling him with something too unusual.

Also although dp has distant Irish roots we are not really very Irish and a couple of people have commented that it is a really Irish name and people may comment on this all his life.

So what do you think? The other names we like but don't love are also Irish but more common, I.E Connor and Kieran.

Help

[lastboxoftampons]

Funny - I just mentioned to DH the other night that I like the name Malachy. I don't think it's too unusual - and I'm American (cue the Americans name their children stupid things, etc, etc! ). I personally don't have any issues with naming your child a name from a culture you don't necessarily identify with - how else would names like Francesca, Sofia, Isabella etc be so common nowadays? - but I know that some people do.

The only caution - Malachy makes me think mostly of Angela's Ashes, which may just be the most depressing book/film ever. And DH, who is English, said he felt the name had devious/malicious connotations for some reason (I think it was a literary reference that I was not familiar with).

Hope that helps!

[bluebump]

It makes me think of Hollyoaks...but I don't hate it!

[Orangutan]

Stick with what you love! We did (Jethro) and still get raised eyebrows but we love it & love the fact that there aren't too many (or any) around. The name Malachy is lovely. Connor & Kieran way too common these days.

[PuppyMonkeyNuts]

Tis nice and if people say are you Irish, you could just say: "No."

[CuppaTeaJanice]

Great if he grows up as an emo or goth....harder to carry off if he's more of a townie!!!

[VivaLaPotPourri]

It's Malachi - I love it (pre-hollyoaks, but he's gone so that'll fade) and we nearly called DS2 it, but it's now one of his middle names.

[bronze]

Its in the old testament. I like it. I wouldnt say Irish straight away

[JackieNoCribForABed]

Malachi makes me think of the Old Testament prophet. But presumably the Irish connection is because of Saint Malachy, who I'd never heard of until I googled .

[SatHereSitting]

Thanks for your quick replies I'm becoming a tad obbsessed about it, (I'm only 21 weeks so a while to go yet but you have made me feel better )

Interesting you should say that cuppateajanice- a couple of people have said it's (and i hate to use the word) abit 'pikey' and people will think he's a trouble maker!!

And Viva i thought Malachi was a different sound, I.e 'Mal a kai' and we like the 'Mal a kee' version, correct me if I'm wrong.

[Sonnet]

Fab name!

[Sonnet]

Fab name!

[maretta]

I don't think you need to worry about it being too unusual. There's a few about, there's one at ds's nursery.

[BikeRunSki]

I know a 4 year old a Malachy of Anglicised Irish origin parents IYSWIM. I have always liked his name. It was not the firts time I had come across it. It is one of those names that is unusual, but not odd.

[salvadory]

I LOVE this name, I have a much older Irish relative Malachy and have always loved his name, in Ireland they tend not to shorten names so he alsways gets called Malachy, here I fear he may get, Mal which i do NOT like. Go for it.

[RachieB]

i like it

[SarahMadu]

I am naming my son Malachi because it isn't to common. It is Irish orgin, but also biblical and my DH grandfather is in nigeria and that is also his first name! I love it and def wouldn't change it, good luck. I know you are doing Malachy but they are both unique! But i like unique names. I named my daughter Harmony

[Majeika]

Trouble is it looks to me like you have spelt it wrong and that it should be Malachi.

It is a minefield of a name as you will get so many different spellings and pronunciations of it that it could drive you crazy and wish you hadnt given it to your son.

I do like it but you will get

Malarchy

Mal-a-kee

Malachi

Malarky

[hatwoman]

I know a Malachy and have always thought it's nice. I think one of the parents has Irish gps.

[hatwoman]

are the two spellings pronounced differently? the Malachy I know is pronounced mal-a-key. is the other one mal-a-kai?. much prefer the former.