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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

OP posts:
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Sibling4 · 05/12/2011 13:37

DD would've been Augustine (gus) if a boy

We also liked leonidas (leo)

But then it was an august baby

hohohoshedittant · 05/12/2011 13:36

I think I actually prefer the middle names tbh.

Is Caius pronouned 'ky-us'? If it is then that's my fave out of all the names. I quite like Ferdinand (prefer Fernando though), Aurelian and Alaric as well.

Don't like any of the first names. They all sound like elderly professors, cord jackets with elbow pads and chalk dust.

marthastew · 05/12/2011 13:36

Congratulations!

You have some lovely names on the list (but I know two people who were given unusual names and changed them. One stopped using their's in their teens because they were sick of the teasing and wanted to fit in. Another changed theirs when they entered a very conservative profession.)

Alaric would be good. I like Al as a nn.

picnicbasketcase · 05/12/2011 13:35

None of them are to my taste, I'm sorry. The best ones are Edwin and Lucian, possibly Leopold. But I don't think I could bring myself to saddle a child with any of those middle names. No offence meant.

seeker · 05/12/2011 13:31

How about Aidan? Seems to fit without being so...so.....um....

SoupDragon · 05/12/2011 13:23

Alaric sounds perfectly normal yet he will most likely be the only one in his school.

SoupDragon · 05/12/2011 13:22

Please remember that it is your child who has to live with a name, not you.

Original poster
SSLYBY · 05/12/2011 13:21

Hmm yes, I might upgrade Alaric to the first names list. I also meant to add Bartholomew to the MNs...can't believe I forgot it!

OP posts:
Mmmnotsure · 05/12/2011 13:16

Alaric

Original poster
SSLYBY · 05/12/2011 13:00

Blimey, I was not expecting any positive responses at all so this is a nice surprise! I just realised I made it sound like my DP has no input whatsoever (teehee) - that shortlist is his doing.

Oh and I forgot a name! - Anselm. Love that one.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 05/12/2011 12:59

Basil Brush. Boom! Boom!

He was in our local panto last year.

mopsyflopsy · 05/12/2011 12:29

I agree about Basil - I know a little 3 year old and associate the name with him, not some 30 year old tv series.

seeker · 05/12/2011 12:28

Find a 10 year old and ask him what he would think of being called Basil

Mine would think Fawlty Towers- but he is a bit of a comedy geek. And then tomato and basil pizza.

mopsyflopsy · 05/12/2011 12:27

Great names. I particularly like Lucian, Gilbert and Basil. Ed (Edwin) and Leo (Leopold) are very widely used already - this may or may not bother you.
Of the middle names I quite like Alaric and Aurelian.

thousandDenierStocking · 05/12/2011 12:23

I LOVE Basil. Please use Basil.

You'll get some Sybil Fawlty impressions from our generation and above, but his generation won't use it as a reference.

evamummy · 05/12/2011 12:21

The younger generation won't know Faulty Towers, will they? I assume that is where the Bas-illll pronunciation comes from, is it?

ChippingInNeedsSleep · 05/12/2011 12:21

Slap Grin None of them do it for me, but...

Alec if I had to choose one. Gil or Leo at a push but not the full monkier. Would you consider Edward rather than Edwin?

Alec - OK
Basil - herb
Rupert - bear
Edwin - just 'no'
Lucian - reminds me of lucifer and fire starters!
Kenelm - 'ken hell! (fucking hell)
Leopold (Leo)
Gilbert (Gil)

As for a middle name - all I can say is 'poor lad'

Middles:
Caius
Alaric
Augustine
Ferdinand
Valerian
Constant
Aloysius
Ulysses
Aurelian

evamummy · 05/12/2011 12:20

Rupert, Edwin and Basil are cool and underused (although Edwin could end up as Ed, which is quite common). I also find Alec too close to Alex. Never heard of Kenelm but I guess it sounds masculine and could shorten to Ken.

I would choose the middle name with the most meaning to YOU - it rarely gets used. We used family names that meant a lot to us.

seeker · 05/12/2011 12:19

Nobody can hear Basil any way but "BAS-IILL!!!!!!!!!!!!! can they?

RoughShooting · 05/12/2011 12:19

I reckon you've got all your names from various Jilly Cooper novels, I'm sure they are all there!

I like Basil and Gilbert, and Ferdinand and Augustine a lot. They go well together.

TheSecondComing · 05/12/2011 12:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Kveta · 05/12/2011 12:16

Alec, Edwin and Leo are great, the rest are not to my taste at all. Basil makes me think 'Brush' or 'the rat' (too many watchings of Fawlty Towers). The middle names are all a bit too unorthodox for me.

AvadventKalendar · 05/12/2011 12:15

Ferdinand would be a nice first name - Ferdie is very cute as a nn.

Other than that, only liking Alec, Gilbert and Edwin.

hulabula · 05/12/2011 12:13

I really like Rupert, Basil, Lucian and Leoplold. I don't like Alec - there are so many Alex's which sounds too similir imo, and I just don't like the sound of Gil or Gilbert, sorry.

Middle names - I love Aurelian, Ferdinand and how about Constantine?

Blu · 05/12/2011 12:13

Ferdinand is brilliant.

Please do not call your boy Valerian or Constant.