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

Anyone actually managed to pick an unusual name?

382 replies

Carlitawantsababy · 05/10/2011 18:44

I'd really love my DC to have an unusual name and personally wouldn't like it if there ended up being 4 others in his/her class at school etc. I gathered together a list of names I like bit looking on here loads of other people like them too so I've clearly, subconsciously, picked up a penchant for fashionable names. So..I was wondering, did you pick an unusual name for your DC which is actually still unusual now they are at school? How did you do it and have you got any tips for avoiding the latest trends?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Tortoise · 05/10/2011 21:41

My DD is Xantia. Never heard of anyone with the same name (other than a car!).
Closest name would be Xanthe I guess.

Original poster
Carlitawantsababy · 05/10/2011 21:40

showofhands Betsy? Rhonda?

OP posts:
DeeScent · 05/10/2011 21:39

Raphael is utterly gorgeous.

Original poster
Carlitawantsababy · 05/10/2011 21:37

Thanks wiggles names in NI are very different though, all my friends there have very different names to my friends here (and most of them are not Irish names) Still, I am concerned about Cillian's popularity and Caoimhe is out from the total number of comments here so far about it!

OP posts:
ElephantsAndMiasmas · 05/10/2011 21:36

Enjoying the Cornish names although I'm also keen to know if Scones's DC is called Grumbla.

Actually there are quite a few Cornish places that would make good names, on top of those (like Lamorna and Sennen and Morvah) that are already used. Gwithian would be quite nice and is similar to some Welsh names.

Original poster
Carlitawantsababy · 05/10/2011 21:32

Thanks, Lilah has been struck, I love Angus and Gus, it's one of my favourites but DH is now going off it as we called the bump that for ages, thanks for the votes for Peggy and Otto!

OP posts:
ShowOfHands · 05/10/2011 21:31

DS is Raphael which is fairly underused.

I've never met anybody with my name. It's a Beach Boys song.

wigglesrock · 05/10/2011 21:30

Caoimhe, Aoife, Aoibhe, Eoin, Cillian, Caolan, Conall are the most repeated names that I've come across where I am in NI in dd1 primary school and dd2 nursery.

emsyj · 05/10/2011 21:29

Love love love Otto - our neighbour's grandson is called Otto and he is gorgeous. Best name ever.

baskingseals · 05/10/2011 21:29

Angus.
but he's called Gus.

I was beyond desperate to call him Gabriel.
the most perfect name imho

SamsGoldilocks · 05/10/2011 21:28

I know several Stanleys one Angus one Rufus, many Lilah's and umpteen spellings of the name- my favourite is Caiomhe - although one of my neighbours daughter's has this name. I'm rather fond of Peggy too and have only met one under the age of 35.

I live in the south east and there are also lots of Kitty's and Mabel's around as mentioned earlier.

Otis is great.

TheLaineyWayIsEssex · 05/10/2011 21:26

I used an unusual name for ds (ds) when checked ONS report only 4 others named that in. 2010 so satisfied unlikely to be another that he meets. Although NN/short version is much more common

Catsu · 05/10/2011 21:25

Ds's have both got pretty popular names but dd is philippa which I think is one of those 'well known but not used any more' names so I doubt she will have another philippa in her class at school!

Original poster
Carlitawantsababy · 05/10/2011 21:23

and they're all adults!

OP posts:
Original poster
Carlitawantsababy · 05/10/2011 21:22

I know 3 Aoifes but DH is from NI

OP posts:
Original poster
Carlitawantsababy · 05/10/2011 21:22

Caoimhe - Keeva

OP posts:
Original poster
Carlitawantsababy · 05/10/2011 21:20

baskingseals Otis is nice. So one of them was not unusual enough for you to mention...do tell
Thanks peppa, useful info and yes, popularity really does bother me so Stanley and Finn - gone!

OP posts:
Xavielli · 05/10/2011 21:19

Just one of each and they are all younger siblings in buggies.

Keeva is lovely if spelled properly (not going to attempt it!) but getting quite popular. I'll be calling this one Aoife if it's a girl which is also on the rise.

TheOldestCat · 05/10/2011 21:17

My son has a fairly usual name by sound, but the spelling is unusual round these parts (it's Irish - Eoin - but we live in SE England).

baskingseals · 05/10/2011 21:17

gosh one of the names on your list is actually dc3's name

feel a bit better now.
don't know any children with the other names.

what about Otis?
now that's a nice name

Original poster
Carlitawantsababy · 05/10/2011 21:16

X posts xavielli pmsl

OP posts:
deemented · 05/10/2011 21:16

Xavielli - he wasn't supposed to be a Brennan, he was going to be a Brendan, but when he was born - 12 weeks prem and so small and tiny - Brendan just seemed far too big of a name for him, so we tweaked it a bit and came up with Brennan.

Brennan Doherty is fab!!

PeppaPigandGeorge · 05/10/2011 21:16

None of your names are really really common. Cillian, Oisin, Otto and Alvah are more unusual, if that's what you're after. I love Felix and Nate. I know of a couple of Stanleys; it's "grandad chic". It's still lovely though. I think Rufus is the most popular of the names on your list. If popularity really bothers you, Finlay / Finn / (and other variations of the spelling) is quote popular, so there could be quite a few Fin... type names

Original poster
Carlitawantsababy · 05/10/2011 21:15

Mmm...feared as much with Stanley. That's it, struck off! Xavielli many?

OP posts:
Xavielli · 05/10/2011 21:14

Erm.... No no, I've just made all that up! I'm a 57 year old bloke named Roger!