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
Original poster
Carlitawantsababy · 05/10/2011 20:51

I like Eric - reminds me of bananaman! Rowen is good too, adding both to list!

OP posts:
thisisyesterday · 05/10/2011 20:50

agree that Astrid is a lovely name! had it on my girl list for ds2 and ds3 but alas it was not to be

PPT · 05/10/2011 20:50

Please can someone call their baby boy Rowen. I love it, and don't think it is hugely over used is it....?

ditavonteesed · 05/10/2011 20:49

basking my puppy is called eric, tis a good name.
my dd's are unusual, tabitha and genevieve, problem is dd2 still wont write her full name and most adults spell it wrong, she was on the standard setters letter and they even spelt it wrong on that. my bad.

nomorethefool · 05/10/2011 20:47

my son is called Lowen, its cornish for happy. don't know any others.

Original poster
Carlitawantsababy · 05/10/2011 20:47

My DH loves Finn but yes, i was one I feared was getting too popular, thanks for the confirmation on that. I'm not going to be totally reliant on the stats, I just think they are helpful for getting some names off the list, it's a start!

OP posts:
emsyj · 05/10/2011 20:47

DD is called Ruth, which falls into the 'everyone's heard it but nobody uses it' category. Hope people don't think it's ugly. It was the only name DH and I could agree on. I know a few Ruths of my age but not met any baby Ruths so far.

Really wanted to call her Cressida but clashes with our surname unfortunately.

Jojay · 05/10/2011 20:45

Lockets - I love your names too Smile

baskingseals · 05/10/2011 20:43

my friend suggested Eric when i had dc3. i mocked her then. but i have to say it has grown on me. think blond surfer dude.

mousymouse · 05/10/2011 20:42

oh lockets, my dc have the same name as yours (not saying which Wink )
love your dc names, lovely, rare and no weird spellings :)

LifeOfKate · 05/10/2011 20:42

thisisyesterday Envy I love the name Linus, it was on my list for DC2 but DH vetoed and then we had DD anyway. Gorgeous name.
I have nothing useful to add to the thread though, sorry, DS is nearly 2 and DD is 6 weeks so not old enough to see if their names are unusual. Well, DS's name isn't unusual, it's fairly high up in the charts and DD's is around 200 odd, so hard to judge yet.

ChuffMuffin · 05/10/2011 20:41

Oh I love Astrid, it's such a pretty name :)

I also love Naima but I've never met anyone with the name.

thisisyesterday · 05/10/2011 20:41

it's pronounced A-ser

Xavielli · 05/10/2011 20:39

Linus is lovely! The only one I've met was Swedish.

Glad Im not the only one who thought peppa was being catty.

FWIW- I never set out to give my kids 'unusual' names. My 1st two have a long Greek surname so we chose names that we liked that rolled off the tongue with the last name.

DS2 has an Irish surname and is named Finn, can't throw a stone at the mo without hitting a baby Finn!

TeamEdward · 05/10/2011 20:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

YankNCock · 05/10/2011 20:38

I thought I'd picked a not-too-common name for DS (it was my great-grandfather's), and 10 years ago it wasn't in the top 100. The year he was born it was about 40 (but I didn't realise!), and it's getting more popular. So far I know one other boy his age and two dogs, one of which lives across the road from us. Hmm

PeppaPigandGeorge · 05/10/2011 20:37

Also agree that it is down to luck and where you live. I don't know any children names some of the really "popular" names. And remember the stats really only show last year's trends, not what people are calling their children now!

PorkChopSter · 05/10/2011 20:37

Linus is cool Grin

Dc4 has a very unusual but very traditional name, one of those only 38 in 2010 type names.

Saying that, DC3 has a top 20 name and despite knowing a lot of them, he's the only one in his class.

baskingseals · 05/10/2011 20:36

i only know one Xavier.

absolutely lovely name imho.
just wish dh was a little bit more adventurous on the name front.

TastyMuffins · 05/10/2011 20:36

I've not met anyone with DS's name but many friends say they know someone with that name. There is another boy with the same name (about 2 years younger) who lives about 2 miles away who we have never met but have been told about. I searched mumsnet for that name and she's on here too!

I looked over the top 100 list and decided I didn't want anything from there if I wanted an unusual name.

PeppaPigandGeorge · 05/10/2011 20:35

I don't think the stats are helpful. Be careful of different spellings if you want to avoid "popular". Isobel / Isabelle / Isabella etc etc - essentially the same name but won't appear to be as popular in the stats.

I wasn't trying to pick on Xavier in particular, but it is one of the names I know of where several sets of parents have been self-congratulatory about their originality. I have also found this with Beatrix, and nobody has mentioned that on this thread!

thisisyesterday · 05/10/2011 20:35

I also have a Gabriel, which is getting quite popular now. and an Asa (I've met one person who has a grandson called Asa)

lockets · 05/10/2011 20:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Camerondiazepam · 05/10/2011 20:31

X-posts Carlita

wigglesrock · 05/10/2011 20:31

Oh I love Linus btw, I think to be honest its all down to luck as well and where you live. My dd2 has the most popular name eveeer Grin and she has just started nursery school and no-one else has her name, there is also no-one else with her name in dd1 primary school class. Although we are in NI, and most of the repeated names are Irishy ones.