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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?

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Hullygully · 06/10/2011 13:19

oh all right they aren't their real names

ivorytowers · 06/10/2011 12:59

Great thread. I'm in Ireland and there are loads of great names beyond the cool but very popular Fionans and Oisins.

Some of the below are popular here, and some I haven't come across since I was in school.

Girls
Aifric (pron. Afrik), Róise (Irish for Rosa), Róisín (Little Rose), Ailbhe (for a boy or a girl but to me it'll always be a girl's name), Aisling, Tara, Aoibheann (pron. A-veen or E-veen), Ciara, Caolfhoinn (Pron. and sometimes spelled Keelin), Méabh (also spelled Medhbh or Maeve)

Boys
Cian, Cillian, Cuan, Enda (name of our revered leader ..my kids won't believe he's a man), Macdara, Tomás, Tiernan (it's a good solid name but a bit Ross O'Carroll-Kelly ifykwim)

Hullygully · 06/10/2011 12:55

Doesn't anyone like my dcs names?

Tortoise · 06/10/2011 12:50

Smearedinfood I wanted Malachy for my 4th but no one liked it and then I had a girl so couldn't use it.

Psammead · 06/10/2011 12:50

Wow, Hully! Brian really is unusual. Wink

smearedinfood · 06/10/2011 12:46

I have a Malachy, at first I thought I cursed him as people were like "whah" but now they all love it like me.. tee hee

Origins are Hebrew from Malachi but the irish take on it is Malachy pronounced Ma La Key.

DawnOfTheDeementedDead · 06/10/2011 12:34

sheepgomeep DS1 was a Ciaran Smile

Hullygully · 06/10/2011 12:34

My dsis has triplets: Aramis, Dartagnan and Brian (for her dfil)

sheepgomeep · 06/10/2011 12:32

by that I meant spelling.. its pronounced Kieran

sheepgomeep · 06/10/2011 12:31

my ds has an Irish name. 'Ciaran' No other child in his school has his name and I only know one other child with the same name in our towm (could be more I dont know) He gets fed up because people pronounce it kyron or worse klaron Hmm

TooManyBlossoms · 06/10/2011 12:24

When picking a name for DD(13) I chose what I thought was a lovely, unusual name. Unfortunately so did everyone else, and Olivia hasn't moved far off the number 1 position since...

seeker if I ever have another child, I'm so going to call him/her Vlad the Impaler. Great choice of name.

BurningBridges · 06/10/2011 12:21

If I was to be able to produce a smattering of children now, apart from existing DDs who have fairly unusual names, I would knock myself out with one more girl - Violet Electra (no I am not kidding) and a couple of boys - Aneurin (Nye for short - Nye Bevan) and Lemuel - Gullivers Travels. Originally I was after a Denzil (character from Only Fools and Horses) and a Niles (from Frasier - was the brother character name). I really really like Violet Electra!!

Erica1001 · 06/10/2011 12:19

Xander 95 in UK and wales (Xander Heath not to so many Heath only 36)
Jessica lots (Jessica Darla not so many Darla only had 6 in uk and wales)

seeker · 06/10/2011 12:19

Don't think so, not the one I have in mind anyway. It's an adult book. Or series of books. The Impy isn't a main character.

Hullygully · 06/10/2011 12:10

Oo oo oo was there one in Enid?

seeker · 06/10/2011 12:07

Not many people know that my ds's full name is Vlad the Impaler. We call him Impy for short.

10 points, by the way, to anyone who can remember an Impy in literature. Well, I say literature- maybe in fiction would be more accurate.

Hullygully · 06/10/2011 11:59

My ds is called Buckminster Pantacrator but not many people seem to like it.

My dd is Hypatia Agatha

AlmaMartyr · 06/10/2011 11:57

I might have to have another baby just to use Sexwolf.

LindsayWagner · 06/10/2011 11:47

Sexwolf is litcherly the best name I've ever heard.
I have a Romy, only heard of one other.

kenobi · 06/10/2011 11:20

Well is you fancy going biblical like ShowofHands, you could try Shagpat or Sexwolf - both good saints names and strangely underused Grin

bex2011 · 06/10/2011 11:09

My Ds's name is on your list as are 2 potential names for any future DS! Great taste! I chose the name (Gus) because we both loved it, but nearly chickened out because it is unusual. It really suits him and we have had great comments from others about his name.

Nefret · 06/10/2011 11:08

My youngest has an unusual name and I haven't heard anyone else with it. It isn't an English name though, it is Kurdish and it is quite common in Eastern Turkey.

bigbluebump · 06/10/2011 11:03

And to answer the OP: have a look at last year's ONS statistics. There is a list showing ALL baby names given last year (all first names used at least twice, I think), and look at the list outside the top 250 or so - some lovely names there!

bigbluebump · 06/10/2011 11:02

I agree with ShowOFHands - the names I love tend to be the less popular, classic ones. I don't consciuosly discard names just because they are popular but find myself less keen on a name if it is used very frequently - it loses some of its 'beauty' if it is overused.

Some cool names on here - love Linus, Quentin, Amos and Aphra for example.

Wouldn't it be great if we were all a little 'braver' in our name choices - life would be much more fun, interesting and easier (to remember names) Smile.

tummytickler · 06/10/2011 11:00

ShowofHands - all of ours dc's were very nearly Abraham! And Raphael was on our list too, but I worked with a weird one and it put me off using it! We are clearly women of great taste Grin