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Baby names

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

Can anybody help me find a boys name to fit my ridiculously specific criteria?

142 replies

CuppaTeaJanice · 21/09/2010 11:00

I'm really struggling to find any boys names that I like. I know what type of name I'd like but so far it's remained elusive so I'm hoping you mumsnetters can help me identify a really great name that I'll be happy to give to a son (or a future male cat if this baby is a girl)!

So my criteria for good names are...

  1. Not so long as to necessitate use of a nickname in everyday use, but long enough to have a bit of interest to it - so 4, 5 or 6 letters would be ideal.
  1. A good mixture of letter types so it looks interesting written down. Dots are good (i, j), tails (q, y, p, g) (also f and z as I write them with tails), although I'd prefer to avoid umlauts etc as I should imagine they'd be a pain!
  1. A name that doesn't shout a particular class - so Eton or asbos wouldn't spring to mind when he told you his name.
  1. Unusual but not wacky - something you've heard maybe once or twice in this country, although I don't mind if a name is more common abroad. I don't mind a foreign name - some scandinavian names in particular would possibly fit my criteria quite well, but not a name from a continent I have no link with, so not obviously asian (eg Sanjay), African or American. A non British, European name would be fine.
  1. Not a noun, especially obvious 'nature' names - so no River, Bracken, Dandelion, that sort of thing. Also not a 'Kre8iv' spelling of a more common name.
  1. Can't start with a B, as we have a double surname and the initials wouldn't be good!

I have some possibilities to start you off, but none of them are quite what I'm looking for...
Benji - Like the letter combination, but starts with a B and possibly a bit 'doggy'?
Nijah - Again, like the letters, but it's a girls name, and a bit too similar to Nigel!
Kajri - Possibly a bit feminine?
Alvir - Not sure
Majni - Too much like Armani

Is anybody up to the challenge?!!!!! Grin

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
skippingturtle · 21/09/2010 19:25

Like Elijah and Milo.

How about Jarlaith (Irish, pronounced Jar-leth)? It's one letter over your limit though... Wink

CuppaTeaJanice · 21/09/2010 19:18

Good point prof - let's change that criteria to 'Something you haven't heard more than two or three times in this country'.

Pronounciation isn't so important - after all, not many people knew how to pronounce Hermione before Harry Potter. Likewise spelling - people still spell DS1's simple, short, well known British name wrong, and spelling out a 4 or 5 letter name can't be so much of a PITA as having to spell a much longer name!

OP posts:
ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 21/09/2010 19:03

Yes, but you originally said "something you've heard maybe once or twice in this country" not "something you've never heard on anyone and wouldn't be sure how to pronounce".

CuppaTeaJanice · 21/09/2010 18:37

Wow, thanks for all the responses. Wasn't expecting this many!

Just to clarify, the names in the OP weren't a shortlist, they were just examples of types of letter combinations that I like. None of them are suitable, didn't realise they'd be classed as child abuse though!!

You really think they're wacky? See, to me, wacky names are things like Peaches, Sunshine, Moon Unit, Fanjolina, Atticus, Booboo, that kind of thing, not traditional European names that happen to not be widely used in the UK yet.

OP posts:
PutTheKettleOn · 21/09/2010 16:31

Caleb
Jarrod
Jonah
Elijah
Albin

LittleCheesyPineappleOne · 21/09/2010 15:48

I know a Zbigniew (z'BIG-nee-ev) who's known as Zed.

belgo · 21/09/2010 15:48

Stijn - pronounced a bit like Stan

Kathleen123 · 21/09/2010 15:47

Tavie

Xavier

Tobias

Elliot

CoteDAzur · 21/09/2010 15:46

Your list in OP is not even wacky, it's borderline child abuse. (Sorry) Seriously, ask someone in RL and see their face drop. Why would you want to do that to your child?

Even Benji should probably be Benjamin, nn Benji.

I agree with the suggestion to take your list a notch towards mainstream.

Micah is good.
How about Tristan?

belgo · 21/09/2010 15:44

Thijs itself is a short version of Mathijs

RunnerHasbeen · 21/09/2010 15:43

I've got it - Thijs - pronounced to rhyme with mice.

JFly · 21/09/2010 15:04

Apart from Benji, I also think your list veers towards "wacky". I don't think I've ever heard of the other names, and I wouldn't suspect they are familiar to most people.

Also, think of the poor child in school.
"How do you spell your name?"
"Um, I don't know."

Unusual is good, but difficult spellings may haunt your child. Especially if the name is not part of your cultural heritage. Meaning, your own family and friends will always get pronunciation and spelling wrong.

I like the suggestions of Micah, Arlo, Milo, Jonah. Not necessarily my preference, but they seem to meet some of your criteria of "unusualness" and aren't difficult to spell or say.

We have Augustus in our distant family and I am so tempted to use it. But, alas I think it might be a bit precious/pretentious.

eandz · 21/09/2010 14:31

Quintin
Quinn
Max
Issac

If I ever decide that pregnancy needs a revisit and I find I'm having a boy, his name will be Balthazar...so maybe I shouldn't be giving any name suggestions.

thereisalightanditnevergoesout · 21/09/2010 14:19

Pyramus
Ptolemy
Soren

I'm liking Orlando... Oh and I met a little boy named Eben only the other day.

sedgiebaby · 21/09/2010 12:51

goodness, this is difficult, I would be tempted to drop point 2 because you are going to be so limited, I have a specific criteria which is imposed more by circumstances than preference and that has made it more difficult then I'd like...discounting many names we'd otherwise like.
This might not help but how about: Kenan; Tay; Marlow; Troy

giddly · 21/09/2010 12:13

Teilo
Petroc

HalfCaff · 21/09/2010 12:13

Rowan
Jonah
Pietro/Pierro
Orlando

BikeRunSki · 21/09/2010 12:13

Thor
Isambard
Rhodri
Antonio
Patrice
Eben

ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 21/09/2010 12:12

Jago
Milan

Like many of those mentioned already.

I think your shortlist is tending more towards the wacky than the unusual at the moment (nothing wrong with wacky, if you like wacky, but from what you said you might want to reel back in another notch towards the mainstream).

GetOrfMoiLand · 21/09/2010 12:09

OOh I am glad you like some on my list - Inaki iirc is the basque/Catalunyan version of Inigo.

Nihal is the name of teh Radio 1 DJ Grin. I think he is Sri Lankan in origin (I may be making that up).

ChristianaTheSeventh · 21/09/2010 12:07

Dashel

domesticsluttery · 21/09/2010 12:05

Siôn (which can be spelt without the ^)

CaptainNancy · 21/09/2010 12:01

Heheh... I started an almost identical thread 2 years ago when pg with DS ... there were loads of good suggestions on it, and we did actually use a name suggested on there (though only by chance, as DH chose the name eventually)

Kester
Linus
Milo
Pierre
Duncan
Thorsten
Cosmo
Digory
Rufus
Carsten
Oscar
Gilbert
Etienne

telsa · 21/09/2010 11:38

Arlo
Stefan
Ingo
Johan
Juha
Ingar
Leif
Jarvis
Jervis
Jannik
Zelig

Fimbo · 21/09/2010 11:37

Odin