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

I want to call my baby Avocado

113 replies

allhailtheaubergine · 23/09/2011 12:59

Not really.

Hear me out...

Okay, I like Persimmon (nn Persi) (which is still in the running) but everyone was horrified to the point where I have a seed of doubt sown in my mind.

So... my children have taken to calling the baby Avocado, and I was idly wondering if there was a nice Latin name for Avocado or an Avocado flower or something, and it turns out that the Avocado is of the genus Persea - do you reckon it's pronounced Percy or Persee-ay?

And, if you're feeling indulgent, can you think of anything else Avocado-y that might work? (But don't just be cutting and acerbic) (unless it's also funny).

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Original poster
allhailtheaubergine · 30/09/2011 19:28

Clemency. No. I don't like that there are so many girls names listing appropriately feminine attributes, though I'll grant you Clemency is not as bad as most of them.

Faith
Hope
Charity
Prudence
Chastity
Honour
Grace

No.

OP posts:
seeker · 30/09/2011 19:23

I SO want someone to call their baby Clemency. Any chance you might oblige?

Original poster
allhailtheaubergine · 30/09/2011 19:18

Perseum is good! Dh likes it too.

I still like Persea, but I don't like it pronounced Per-say-a. But if something is pronounced a right way you can't really change it. Oh well.

Persimmon is still hovering in top place.

Clementine is good but possibly too popular. Not so keen on Avoca (sounds like that horrid orange drink) or Ava - 50% of dd's friends are called Eva and Ava and Evie and Mia and Maia and so on.

Oooh, hang on, what about Ivy? Can Ivy be short for anything? Oh no, it sounds like I.V. (intravenous).

OP posts:
NotADudeExactly · 30/09/2011 19:09

It's pronounced per-SAY-ah if you want to go with the Latin.

I have not been able to find it in a dictionary. However, genus are usually plural (AFAIK no exceptions), which would make the singular "perseum" in this case. This would make this a neutral, gender wise. Not sure if you care (I wouldn't particularly) but I thought you might want to know.

It sounds pretty.

Grainger · 30/09/2011 18:56

Someone has already suggested avoca, and judging by their mumsnet name I'm guessing they are Irish. There is a chain of shops in Ireland called Avoca and they sell all sorts of lovely things. One of those posh gift shop type places. Do lovely food too.

www.avoca.ie/home/

exaltedwombat · 30/09/2011 18:03

A few years ago I worked with an accomplished young actor named Smedley. Because his scan looked like a bean. He seems to have survived very well.

LynnPW · 30/09/2011 17:12

It's Latin, so it would be per-say-ah. I'm not great on Latin, but do work with botanists.

voscar · 27/09/2011 21:04

What about Ava? Particularly where people have accents the o in avocado is pronounced as an a. I know in Scotland that's how we pronounce it

Original poster
allhailtheaubergine · 27/09/2011 06:19

Durian is terrible.

OP posts:
mumzy · 27/09/2011 00:24

Right, you want fruit names: Clementine, Guava, Pomelo, Morello, Durian, Lychee, Logan, Honeydew

MmeLindor. · 26/09/2011 10:21

Tamaris

Damaris

BarryShitpeas · 26/09/2011 10:09

Tamar means date in Arabic.

MmeLindor. · 26/09/2011 09:57

I just knew this would be you.

I knew a family who had fab unusual names.

Rebekha (ok, not so unusual, but it was in Germany)
Torben
Berenike
Vanessa

ShoutyHamster · 26/09/2011 09:50

Maybe move away from the Pers- sound and start all over again for a bit?

Do you have any other nationalities/ethnicities in your family that you could plunder for inspiration?

Some COMPLETELY random names:

Linnet
Olga
Heulwen
Georgina
Tamar
Juno

dottyT · 25/09/2011 23:17

have you read The Avocado Baby? highly recommend it. very relaxing for all parents. Your children might enjoy it too.

agree about Persis - a shame because the reference to her in the Bible which filters through into Anne of GG, is "the beloved Persis" - which is a lovely phrase and I don't think said about any other woman.

[if on culinary matters what about adding Marmite for the boy? has certain ring to it... could have Honey if a girl.. round us there was a fashion for derivatives of wine types: Merlot, Chardonay, ]

what sort of refs do you want?

Original poster
allhailtheaubergine · 25/09/2011 19:39

Lorelai came up on my last thread too. Funny - we've gone full circle.

I just know 100% that we have found the right boys name, and I want to feel as certain about a girls name. I feel as though I'm skirting around it but haven't found it yet.

OP posts:
TangerineQueen · 25/09/2011 19:13

Aw someone already had my Orchid idea. Quite nice actually!

So I present you with..... Asteridiella, a form of mildew which plagues the avocado. (Astrid?!)

Or more seriously Laura or Laurel or Lorelai or something pertaining to the order of the species.

Panzee · 24/09/2011 16:47

How about Lawyer? Abogado(s?) is lawyer in Spanish.

cat64 · 24/09/2011 16:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

ShoutyHamster · 24/09/2011 16:10

Hah I thought a quick exit best after Pingu, honeydragon Grin

I really, really like Persephone - said as a classics graduate. You could get her a puppy ok maybe just a gerbil called Cerberus!

Personally I think you could get away with Persimmon, so I'm not the best person to ask about anything.

Persephone Persimmon? Let's hope your surname isn't Phillips Grin

missmiss · 24/09/2011 13:23

Persephone probably means "sheaf-beater", hence her connection with Demeter and the harvest. She's pre-Greek. There's an interesting summary here if you're interested in historical linguistics and philology.

nevergoogle · 24/09/2011 13:03

what's wrong with just Percy. perfectly nice name.

Original poster
allhailtheaubergine · 24/09/2011 13:00

You put forward a good argument. But the myth is known as 'The Rape of Persephone' which is not brilliant. And isn't the etymology of her name supposed to be 'bringer of death'?

OP posts:
notnowImreading · 24/09/2011 11:40

I like the connotations of Persephone. Think about it: beautiful maiden - nice; adored by her mother - nice; abducted by the god of the dead - less nice, I admit; resourceful girl makes the best of a bad job, makes him fall utterly in love with her and becomes queen - reasonable outcome for tricky situation; returns every year to the world, bringing light, life and springtime - lovely; symbolises fertility, wealth and spiritual enlightenment - pretty great too. Plus she had Cerberus - best pet ever. The Persephone story is the origin of Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast and is all about growing up, so mostly positive.

plainwhitet · 24/09/2011 11:31

Person?
In supermarket: "Person! Person! get here right now" (crowd runs to you)

Swipe left for the next trending thread