Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
BaggedandTagged · 20/08/2010 12:16

Ruth, Claire or Helen. Any would have been fine tbh although I prefer my actual name

James or Robert if I'd been a boy.

My mum used all the slightly "out there" names that she liked on our pets to spare us the embarassment.

becaroo · 20/08/2010 12:15

Was nearly called Naomi.

In the end my aunt named me...don think my parents culd be bothered! Hmm

ElephantsAndMiasmas · 20/08/2010 12:14

I was going to be Josephine or Susannah. Both awful IMO. My parents wanted to name me after some of their favourite cows (were farmers). They returned to sanity thank god.

Maisiethemorningsidecat · 20/08/2010 12:07

Gillian (until someone pointed out to my mother that as it rhymed with my surname, it was probably not the best choice) or Derek. My parents can be very odd at times.

BuntyPenfold · 20/08/2010 12:04

I was Poppy up until my actual christening, when a last minute panic changed me to Bridget - YUK YUK YUK

YellowDaffodil · 20/08/2010 12:02

Ian - they thought I would be a boy. Then after I arrived Jill, fortunately an older cousin objected to that and chose my name which I like!

My younger cousin is Ian - Aunt and Uncle only had girls names!

janajos · 20/08/2010 11:57

I was nearly Morag, imagine the fun that could have been had at school (by others) with a name like that!! Very glad I got what I ended up with....

kreecherlivesupstairs · 20/08/2010 11:53

Wilhelmena (not sure of the spelling), she was my dad's first girlfriend. Luckily my mum put her foot down and I ended up with a unisex name that traditionally has been given to the first born of the family. Tragically for me it has always been boys, so dad, grandad, great grandad, great great grandad etc.

Psammead · 20/08/2010 11:52

I think I was always going to be a Victoria.

Unless I was a boy in which case I would have been Christopher.

ethelina · 20/08/2010 11:42

Joanna or Julian (she went with Sarah) THANK GOD.

FlyMeToDunoon · 20/08/2010 11:40

Morgan as in Morgan le Fay from Arthurian legend. She was a sorceress.
I think it would have suited me.

Raahh · 20/08/2010 11:27

I hate my name (Joanne), but think the alternative is actually worse.
Vanessa.
or Gary.

SaorAlba · 20/08/2010 06:14

I was going to be Briany. Spelt like that. My name is much better and I like it :)

CheerfulYank · 20/08/2010 05:58

I was very nearly Brynn Elizabeth. (yes yes I know, but Brynn is a girl's name here you see :) ) My great grandmother could never remember it though, so I'm a Megan. One of three in my class.

It'd have been Brandon or Ian if I'd been a boy...Ian's ok but Brandon? No thanks!

mathanxiety · 20/08/2010 05:18

Robert.

I was supposed to be a boy and they didn't have any girl's names at all. Nothing, even though I was late. My aunt intervened and named me. Very grateful to her for her good sense.

prozacfairy · 20/08/2010 04:10

Sarah or Sophie. Got another S name instead, less common and I dont like it or the shortened version.

Think it was robert for a boy.

arsesandoldlace · 20/08/2010 04:09

I would have been Gregory if I had been a boy. Glad to have been female really, any name with 'egg' in gives me the boak.

serenity · 20/08/2010 02:40

Quentin if I'd been a boy, and my Dad wanted to call me Arabella, but Mum managed to negotiate it down to middle name. I bloody hate it - I have two, pretty pretty multi-syllable girls names and they have never suited me. I have a nice unisex nickname instead Grin

singsinthebath · 20/08/2010 01:25

I would have be Martin if a boy.

Luckily no penis then....

Nyx · 20/08/2010 00:37

My Mum wanted to call her first daughter Eilidh (gaelic for Helen); Dad said he didn't want a name he couldn't spell. He wanted to call me Barbara-Ann, after the song - cringe. Luckily they couldn't agree and my twin and I were both called completely different names.

Binkster · 20/08/2010 00:36

Apparently my mum decided on my name (Victoria) when she was 11, so there was no chance of ever being called anything else! Or my dad having a say..... The alternative for a boy was Patrick, which is top of our list as well.

ablemable · 20/08/2010 00:31

My dad wanted me to be called Nyrie-Dawn (sorry not sure the correct spelling!!)

My mum wanted me to be called Heidi or Wendy.

My lovely Nanna stepped in and said that none off those names were suitable and that I should be called Karen - both parents instantly agreed and so thats it basically - think I got let off lightly! Grin

Raeven · 20/08/2010 00:27

Felicity-Jayne.
Kendal if I had been a boy. Think my father may have had a crush :)
If they had known back then that Kendal was also a girls name that would have definately been my name.

proudfoot · 20/08/2010 00:26

Anne-Marie, Catherine or Carina

If I was a boy I would have been Liam or Rory

helenwombat · 20/08/2010 00:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.