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

If you heard a baby was called Benedict...

86 replies

noeyedear · 31/01/2011 11:07

would you think 'Pope'?

I like Benedict and Ben as a nickname. Like Benjamin, but DH thought Benedict was a bit more unusual.

I'm Catholic, but don't really approve of the Pope! I'm thinking he's well into his '80's so probably won't be a problem for long, but it's putting me off a bit!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
SameOldJollster · 31/01/2011 12:22

no

am lapsed Catholic but still wouldn't immediately think of the pontiff...

I like the fact Benedict means blessed and if I'm lucky enough to have another DS it's very high up on my list. I would prefer Ned as a NN though personally, though Ben's ok too. (disclaimer, I already have a Billy (William), and can't quite get over the Bill and Ben possibility... [showing age emoticon] Hmm)

PorkChopSter · 31/01/2011 12:06

Like it, Bendy is a cool nickname Smile

vintageteacups · 31/01/2011 12:01

I know one who is 4 and is almost always known as Ben.

MrsAlanKey · 31/01/2011 11:59

I'm Catholic and I thought eggs too. It wouldn't put me off but I would draw the line at Florentine.

beijingaling · 31/01/2011 11:56

I'd think Shakespeare too even though it's Benedick.

SevenAgainstThebes · 31/01/2011 11:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Fink · 31/01/2011 11:54

Wouldn't think pope, would definitely think Catholic, or Shakespeare (although that's Benedick, not a name I'd suggest resurrecting).

sweetandtenderhooligan · 31/01/2011 11:54

Yep, I thought of the Pope as soon as I read your post!

seeker · 31/01/2011 11:52

I love the name, but I find the current pope so distasteful that it has ruined it for me.

Same with Margaret and Nicholas!

LilQueenie · 31/01/2011 11:51

reminds me of a characther from much ado about nothing.

GooseyLoosey · 31/01/2011 11:51

I would have vaguely regligious thoughts, but that might be more to do with the Saint. Wouldn't immediately bring "pope" to mind.

notquitenormal · 31/01/2011 11:49

I don't think 'pope', but I do think 'religious', not that it matters really.

I met a female Benedict once (she was French) and it actually really suited her.

NicolaMarlow · 31/01/2011 11:47

I'd think someone being more original than using Benjamin

tbh if he does end up as a Ben then probably not many people will know he is a Benedict anyway.

sethstarkaddersmackerel · 31/01/2011 11:47

I love it. When I had an American boyfriend he said 'You realise we could never call a baby Benedict because of Benedict Arnold?' (betrayed Americans to British in Revolutionary War).

the man I married in the end also didn't like the name so I had to settle for using it as a middle name.

I love the Latin-ness of it. And no I wouldn't think 'pope'.

PlanetLizard · 31/01/2011 11:44

I didn't think "Pope". But I do think of Benedict as a name popular with Catholics.

Original poster
noeyedear · 31/01/2011 11:29

EEK! Sophiesmummy, Didnt think of that!

OP posts:
Original poster
noeyedear · 31/01/2011 11:28

Glad no one thinking Pope. DH and all his family are atheist, so maybe concentrating too much on the religious side of it. I did think of the Sherlock Benedict too. It took me a while to get the eggs association, but maybe that's because Eggs Benedict have never really appealed to me!

Kenny Me, DH and DS have really irritating on form names- may as well make a family trend of it! Maybe it won't matter if he's only ever called Ben. We're really finding boys names a problem. Maybe it will be a girl and we're just wasting our evenings! Poor thing- either no name or being dressed in beige for a few days because no clothes!

OP posts:
Hedwig3 · 31/01/2011 11:26

No, I like it.

sophiesmummie · 31/01/2011 11:25

Unfortunately I know a Benedict who gets teased Bendy-dick a lot Blush.

Nice name otherwise though.

Sidge · 31/01/2011 11:19

I really like it - not papal to me and nicer than Benjamin.

Hmm, would that mean he was a Bendy instead of a Benjy?

NoWayNoHow · 31/01/2011 11:19

I'd also think Benedict from Sherlock Holmes.

My FIRST thought though (please don't be cross Grin) was eggs!

thumbdabwitch · 31/01/2011 11:18

nope. But then I lived next door to a Benedict growing up so that's who I think of, not some cleric.

kennythekangaroo · 31/01/2011 11:18

I love the name too but I wish I hadn't bothered with the long version, we only ever call DS Ben and it gets to be a pain on forms etc.

TrillianAstra · 31/01/2011 11:17

I would think of the actor who was in the recent Sherlock Holmes.

pinkhebe · 31/01/2011 11:16

love it Grin

Swipe left for the next trending thread