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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Can anyone help whittle down my big fat highly specific list?

106 replies

SSLYBY · 05/12/2011 11:53

Just found out that DC1 is a boy, which is great, but my name taste is quite unorthodox for most. So, I've decided to have an underused, historic but legitimate name for a first name and reel out the more fanciful choices for the middle names. Any suggestions/combos would be helpful. Slaps in the face also welcome.

First names:
Alec
Basil
Rupert
Edwin
Lucian
Kenelm
Leopold (Leo)
Gilbert

Middles:
Caius
Alaric
Augustine
Ferdinand
Valerian
Constant
Aloysius
Ulysses
Aurelian

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said · 05/12/2011 15:52

I prefer Fernando as well but it'll still possibly be seen as a football name

said · 05/12/2011 15:47

First names:
Alec - neutral
Basil - Brave choice but like it.
Rupert - No
Edwin - Will just be Ed/Eddie
Lucian - really like this
Kenelm - ??
Leopold (Leo) - Like, don't love
Gilbert - No, no, no

Middles:
Caius - quietly quite trendy
Alaric - reminds me of celariac
Augustine - great, love it
Ferdinand - ditto
Valerian - no opinion
Constant - would add an ine at the end
Aloysius - no, bad association
Ulysses - why not?
Aurelian - no opinion

PercyFilth · 05/12/2011 15:36

Can see you are partial to early saints and bishops :) Anselm is a fine name. and Kenelm can easily become Ken for everyday use. Alaric is another that can easily slip into something more conventional if required - Alec, Alan, Rick, even Larry. Very versatile.

Original poster
SSLYBY · 05/12/2011 15:34

seeker - Blimey! We have a short, though quite vampish surname - Strang. Makes everything you put in front of it sound a bit sinister.

mopsyflopsy - I myself have 2 MNs, it's just deciding which gets prime position that's difficult. And then they have to run together nicely and suddenly syllables and vowels start mattering...phew.

OP posts:
seeker · 05/12/2011 15:17

My children both have 3 first names, if that helps. And a double barrelled last name as well!

mopsyflopsy · 05/12/2011 15:11

Imo you can easily have two middle names. Any more become a hassle when filling out forms etc (although I do know people with up to 4 middle names...).

Original poster
SSLYBY · 05/12/2011 15:10

Stupid line-crossing-out didn't work Xmas Angry

OP posts:
Original poster
SSLYBY · 05/12/2011 15:09

Thanks everyone, this is so helpful! I had a chat with DP over lunch (we're lazy we work from home) and he says we should have two MNs, one from the dotty list and the other one of the first names we didn't use. I'm not sure if this is pushing it a bit, and it might be hard to find a synchronicity between say, Rupert and Valerian. Thoughts?

OP posts:
DingDongDialsMavislyOnHigh · 05/12/2011 14:49

First names:
Alec like
Basil like
Rupert OK
Edwin OK
Lucian Love
Kenelm not sure
Leopold (Leo) OK
Gilbert Love

Middles:
Caius not sure
Alaric not sure
Augustine Love
Ferdinand Love
Valerian Like
Constant not sure
Aloysius not sure
Ulysses not sure
Aurelian like
Xmas Smile

phlossie · 05/12/2011 14:47

Ferdinand is a lovely name - we had that one. Also love Rupert and like Alaric too.

I had a thing about Gil in Anne of Green Gables when I was little, but a gilbert is a bogey round these parts!

EdithWeston · 05/12/2011 14:42

I see you've added Bartholomew - I thinkit's a lovely name, but I wouldn't choose it because the Bart Simpson association is to strong.

(I think Tolly is a good nn, though, but would put it with Ptolemy).

seeker · 05/12/2011 14:40

Not everyone is football obsessed- but sadly the majority of small boys are!

mopsyflopsy · 05/12/2011 14:38

See, I regard Ferdinand as a classic old fashioned German name (and have a lovely uncle named this) and hadn't even realised that Ferdinand is a football player - don't assume that everyone is so football obsessed.

CuppaTeaJanice · 05/12/2011 14:35

I like Edwyn best, but with a y instead of an i.

Def not Ferdinand. People will assume you're some football obsessed pratt. Almost like calling your child Rooney or Beckham.

mopsyflopsy · 05/12/2011 14:35

"How can a name be boring?"

Seeker, names are so personal and subjective and thank god we all have different tastes - wouldn't it be dull if we all had the same ones... Just as some of us find certain names too 'out there' others find other names 'too boring'. (I could give you a long list of names that I'd find boring). What is so odd about that?

seeker · 05/12/2011 14:28
Grin
Blu · 05/12/2011 14:18

Seeker - The Hice, surely?

Kveta · 05/12/2011 14:16

ok, have met at least 2 dogs and horse called Caius and all were 'keys'. It's still not a name I'd give to a child, but each to their own.

seeker · 05/12/2011 14:10

Only if you think "Christ Church" is pronounced "The House"

Original poster
SSLYBY · 05/12/2011 14:09

Kveta - Nope, Gonville and Caius college is pronounced Gonville and Keys because the founder was John Keys, a humanist who Latinicized his name to Caius but kept the English pronunciation just to be difficult. The original name is pronounced "Ky-us".

OP posts:
Kveta · 05/12/2011 14:06

isn't Caius pronounced 'keys'?

seeker · 05/12/2011 14:04

How can a name be boring?

Just remember that you are doing something really important to another human being without their consent. And maybe look at some your choices again?

ShowOfHands · 05/12/2011 13:47

Love Bartholomew with Tolly for a nn.

hohohoshedittant · 05/12/2011 13:47

I think Caius is probably the most mainstream actually becuase Kai is very popular and Casper/Caspar and Cassius are fairly common/not unheard of.

Original poster
SSLYBY · 05/12/2011 13:40

Seeker - Sorry, not a fan of Aidan. It's a bit boring.

hohohoshedittant - Yes, Caius is "ky-us". Lovely, isn't it? I think it might be a bit hard to wear as a first name though. Ooh, Fernando!

OP posts: