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Baby names

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

Thoughts on Santiago, Leonardo, Rafael, Nicholas and Oliver

61 replies

Lucia2013 · 20/02/2013 11:07

What are your thoughts on those names???

Thanks x

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Lucia2013 · 21/02/2013 21:45

Me too... I love that Name and nn... My husband has told me he REALLY likes the name now :-))

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eachtigertires · 21/02/2013 15:30

Love Santiago with Santi for a nn.

Lucia2013 · 21/02/2013 13:57

Great thank you! So far it takes number one followed by Raphael or Rafael and then Leonardo. I think we are going for it! My husband told me he doesn't want very common names for him... Just wish he told me that before! Anyway we are here now :-). Thanks for everyone that helped !!

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LeoniPoni · 21/02/2013 12:25

Santiago is indeed "badass"! It's going to take big personality to pull it off. Santi is cute and Tiago is nice too. Go for it! And encourage little Santiago to have the attitude to match!

PurplePidjin · 21/02/2013 12:22

You said two syllables

Lucia2013 · 21/02/2013 12:22

Regadless I meant :-)

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Lucia2013 · 21/02/2013 12:20

I think two long names regarding of themes is a bit tacky! We will stick to a short one thanks ;-)

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PurplePidjin · 21/02/2013 12:15

Raphael Michael, to keep the angel theme?

Lucia2013 · 21/02/2013 10:58

Thank you again so much for the feedback! We have decided that we both like the three names, but specially Raphael or Rafael and Santiago. Now I need a two sillable English name that will go with the names and the surnames Bennett Rivera :-)

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3monkeys3 · 21/02/2013 10:54

Raphael is not foreign, it is Hebrew and therefore perfectly accessible to British people. It is my ds's middle name. I do concede that Rafael is the Spanish spelling though.

I like your first 3 choices very much. I like Nicholas too, with the nickname Nico - gorgeous! Oliver is a bit dull, but nice enough.

Bluebell99 · 21/02/2013 10:51

My Spanish friend has typical Spanish looks, dark brown hair, not sure of eye colour but her son is the spit of his English father, fair skin, mousy hair. Her dd however is like my Spanish friend though, dark hair and olive skin. So certainly in her case, he doesn't look Spanish. She chose names that she said would work well in both countries, but I don't really like her son's name, it isn't very well used in England and it doesnt sound at all Spanish to me!

Lucia2013 · 21/02/2013 10:01

to be honest im not bothered about the turtle ninjas. Right now I like Raphael and Santiago now for ds3! I'm excited to finally have two possible names and so is my husband I think after months and months of not getting anywhere. So much easier with girls . If it was a girl she woul ve Been named Sophia :-) ... I just love Italian or Spanish names!

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Bluebell99 · 21/02/2013 09:41

The problem is two of the names in the title list are names of ninja turtles, so people aren't being stupid to say it in this thread. It was my first thought. But presumably you aren't going to use two turtle names together so it won't look so turtle if you only use one of the names. But seriously better to see people find the idea of Leonardo Raphael funny before you use it on your child. And ninja mutant turtles are making a comeback so maybe will open your child up for teasing at school.

kelda · 21/02/2013 08:14

Much prefer Tiago to Santiago.

PurplePidjin · 21/02/2013 08:13

People will find something like that to associate with a name, often a song. Which they think they're the first person to sing to you Hmm

There'd be a lot more "yooneek" name spellings if parents could be bothered to avoid all pop culture references!

I might have to name ds's hypothetical future brother Santiago now...

Lucia2013 · 21/02/2013 07:31

Oops... Chipmunks to him! Arghh! I like longer names and as we don't like the same English names it just makes sense. What do you guys think I should go for middle names? Thanks :-)

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Lucia2013 · 21/02/2013 07:30

Those ninja turtle comments! People Are so stupid sometimes! When my husband liked Theodore right at the beginning they were singing the song of alvin and the chi

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CitizenOscar · 20/02/2013 23:07

Santiago reminds me of the Goal films (he's a south American footballer if I remember correctly). It's set mostly in Newcastle so I just hear "Santi! Santi!" in a Geordie accent when I think of it.

DH & I quite seriously considered Santiago but felt we couldn't pull it off so went for Rafael Grin nn Raf, Rafi or Raffles at the mo. Other people do sometimes call him Rafa, but we don't.

I also really like Leonardo but not sure I could have a Rafael AND a Leonardo. We've got mixed heritage but no Spanish/Italian really so think we would get Ninja turtle comments ;)

Lovely names anyway!

Lucia2013 · 20/02/2013 22:44

Oh really?? My husband and I like it a lot! In fact he likes the three names. Now that we have our short list and I am much happier I guess it comes to the surnames

Santiago Bennett Rivera
Leonardo Bennett Rivera
Raphael Bennett Rivera

And middle names? Maybe a short English one?

:-)

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MrsGP · 20/02/2013 22:11

If you knew my Santiago you'd definatley choose it. Leonardo might get Leo or Leon, both getting popular in my area.
I do like Raphael (checked spelling twice!!)

Lucia2013 · 20/02/2013 21:13

So... now I have three names:

Rafael or Raphael
Leonardo
Santiago

NO Oliver or NIcholas :-)

And my husband likes them!!! :-)

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PurplePidjin · 20/02/2013 20:12

Twas a tad daft, yes, considering the phonetic nature of the name. Mind you, I've seen Rachel/Rachael spelled Racheal Confused admittedly not often though!

Lucia2013 · 20/02/2013 19:53

Did they spell it Rapheal???? What a bunch of idiots!!!!!!

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PurplePidjin · 20/02/2013 18:36

I have a 3mo Raphael, nn Rafa. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, beyond the "what a nice name" standard reply. He's mixed white British and Jamaican, and named for his great grandfather

Imo it works well in England - easily pronounced and spelled apart from the twit in hospital who spelled it RaphEAl

Lucia2013 · 20/02/2013 18:34

Yes I am foreign, I am Peruvian and a Spanish descendant.. I have olive skin and dark brown eyes and hair and my husband has light brown hair and blue eyes so I think the baby will have dark hair and brown eyes...It will be obvious he has a latin side or at least a foreign side... Thanks for all the posts here... it has really helped me a lot!!! Carry on with the comments, the more the merrier :-)

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