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Baby names

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

Original poster

What were you almost named?

159 replies

KittyTwoShoes · 19/08/2010 22:35

Just thinking about how on earth anyone ever decides on a name for their child and wondered if anyone knows their parents' shortlists? I'm interested to see how they differ from the shortlists on here today.

I'm Katherine, but was almost Anastasia... DP was almost Morris(!).

So what were you nearly called?

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Marjee · 20/08/2010 21:49

I was going to be called Claire but my mum said all the baby girls on the pn ward were called Claire so they had to think up something else! If I was a boy I'd have been called Digby Shock

mrstimlovejoy · 20/08/2010 19:34

i was going to be saffron but my dad changed his mind when he went to register me my mum was most put out as she loved the name.daniel if i was a boy

expatinscotland · 20/08/2010 19:28

Roberta.

If I were a boy I'd have been David.

HecateQueenOfWitches · 20/08/2010 19:27

my middle name was supposed to be naomi. But when my mum got to the registry thingie, her mind went blank and she couldn't for the life of her remember what my middle name was Hmm - despite the fact I was about 6 weeks old or something! Grin

So she said the only name that came into her mind.

Maria.

I think Salome was on their short list. And psephone (or however you spell it!) and selina and lots of other terrible things to inflict on a poor child Grin

JamieJay · 20/08/2010 19:23

I'm Cathryn but was almost Victoria or Charlotte.

Have actualy gone with Charlotte for DD but only discovered the name was on my mum's shortlist after we told her DD's name.

PutThatDownNow · 20/08/2010 19:18

I was due around the time of the moon landings. If I'd been a boy I'd have been Apollo.Shock

bluebump · 20/08/2010 19:06

I was going to be called Martha but my dad said no. Ben if I was a boy. Neither are bad but I prefer my name.

takingtheplunge · 20/08/2010 19:02

If I'd been a boy I'd have been Christopher. My parents liked Susannah before they decided on my name. My brother was born 3 years later but they'd gone off Christopher by then. He would have been Susannah if he'd been a girl.

meadowlarks · 20/08/2010 18:58

I find it even weirder that my parents DIDN'T have a shortlist. They literally just went "I've always wanted a daughter called x" and agreed in about 5 minutes. It was the same with my brother. Not that I like their choice, however.

addictedisgettingexcited · 20/08/2010 18:58

i was going to be called Blue. i kid you not, my mum thought it was a lovley name for a little girl. Hmm

but then when i was born i wasnt breathing and they had to resussatate me so for a few hours after i started breathing my skin was blue and my mum thought it was too cruel to call me blue. so had to go back to the drawing board.

my granddad wanted to call my mum Ragina (as in rhyming with vagina) my grandma put her foot down there said no was not going to happen. when my mum was in her 30's she found out she had a half sister (from my granddads previous marriage no one, apart from my grandma, knew about!) and it turns out her middle name is Ragina and her sirname (and she only has herself to blame for this one as she married and changed it!) is Bottomly Grin i may be a child but it makes me giggle

seaturtle · 20/08/2010 18:47

Carmina or Gino.

My father wanted to call me my entire date of birth- day, month and year. Seriously! My mum thankfully put her foot down and stop at just the month.

collision · 20/08/2010 18:27

LOL! at Granny name of Lesbia!

My greatgrandma was called Hephzibah Michellemoth which is a bit of a mouthful too!

Linnet · 20/08/2010 18:09

I was almost Debbie or Caroline,ended up with neither of those names.

My brother was almost Mark but again ended up with another name.

thisisyesterday · 20/08/2010 17:44

my mum wanted to call me Lucy Claire and my Dad wanted to call me Laura Jane

I got one of those names!

thereisalightanditnevergoesout · 20/08/2010 17:33

The same as Eightieschick - Richard, if I'd been a boy.

sedgiebaby · 20/08/2010 16:36

Sydney, or Sian

spiritmum · 20/08/2010 16:34

fluffyandpink I love Dicken and it was on my list for ds. Think I read the Secret Garden to much.

Dh put his foot down. Ds is called Fred.

wigglesrock · 20/08/2010 16:23

My parents had decided on Grainne, my dad had went back to work, the registrar came arond the ward to register the births and my mum promptly changed her mind!! Caused huge confusion as my dad had told a lot of people, 36 years later its still their favourite story!!!

mathanxiety · 20/08/2010 15:27

Collision, that's one granny name that won't be making a comeback...

Shock
rubbersoul · 20/08/2010 14:59

I was nearly a Phoebe- would have been much less 'common' than the name they gave me!

Maisiethemorningsidecat · 20/08/2010 14:41

Lesbia???? WTF???!!!

MyMamaToldMe · 20/08/2010 14:13

I was almost Blanche! Shock

PaulineCampbellJones · 20/08/2010 14:05

Rebecca so a good second choice but I prefer my actual name.

FellatioNelson · 20/08/2010 14:01

Apparently my dad wanted to call me Joy or Barabara. I am 15-20 years too young for either of those names.Angry, so they wwere deeply uninspired choices. Luckily my mum put her foot down and I am something equally uninspiring but at least it's more appropriate for my age and not overly ubiquitous.

collision · 20/08/2010 13:58

Sarah

or

Philip

My Mum's 'almost name' is the best. Beats Hedwig too I think..................

LESBIA

Lesbia! come on Granny...what were you thinking?

they went for Anne instead when someone pointed it out to them!