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Baby names

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

OK, everybody. Time for a public service thread. Post real names that are unusual but not so bonkers that the poor child will have 80 years of explaining, spelling and justifying to deal with.

144 replies

seeker · 16/03/2013 00:35

Clemency
Timothy
Edith

are my first 3.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
ItsallisnowaFeegle · 19/03/2013 10:12

I love Valentine. Has nothing to do with having a massive crush on Valentine Warner!

shoobidoo · 19/03/2013 09:45

And there is a Timmy in ds's class. Seems to be accepted by the kids. Is there any negative association that we're not aware Confused?

shoobidoo · 19/03/2013 09:44

But even some of the most popular, mumsnet approved names have to be spellt out:

Is it Katharine, Catherine, Kathryn, Cathryn, Katherine etc.?
Is it Clare or Claire?
Is it Stephen or Steven?

And when I hear Roger, I think of Roger Federer! Never had any associations with anything else, tbh.

Caladria · 19/03/2013 09:28

Joan, Jane, Ann, Mary, Peter, David, John.

LineRunner · 18/03/2013 23:52

Sherbert

BreasticlesNTesticles · 18/03/2013 22:29

Valentyne! Been in the family 4 generations but dh will not be convinced if we have a boy. Spoilsport Grin

soontobeslendergirl · 18/03/2013 22:00

Maurice
Winston
Lyall
Keith
Douglas
Martin
Lester
Crispin

Geraldine
Christina
Gail
Maureen
Susan

Laquila · 18/03/2013 21:44

Breasticles are you pronouncing Valentine as Valenteen or Valentyne? I love both - I'm just interested!

MortifiedAdams · 18/03/2013 21:33

Georgia

BriAndLottie · 18/03/2013 21:29

Salome
Errol
Briar
Marta
Celeste
Gwyn
Carenza
Bridget
Edmund
Celine
Maxine
Flavia

One of those is mine, one is DDs, both of us are yet to meet someone with the same name.

Chubfuddler · 18/03/2013 20:46
BreasticlesNTesticles · 18/03/2013 20:39

Valentine (old family name)
Graham

Lucretia (old family name)
Jacqueline
Jemima
Claudia

FreedomOfTheTess · 18/03/2013 20:33

I do like Helen nn 'Nell'.

My sister is just Nell, like I'm just Tess, and our big brother is Chad.

My parents liked short, simple and no fuss names!

silverfrog · 18/03/2013 19:34

Philip
Leo
Miles
Luke
Matthew (I know, hardly unusual, but there are none in YR-Yr3 at dd2's school!)

Antonia
Victoria

thegreylady · 18/03/2013 19:32

Guy
Miles
Giles

Elfrida
Clarissa
Dorothea

Rowlers · 18/03/2013 19:23

Interesting! I have seen my own name a few times on this thread. I've never thought it unusual although it's not one of the current trends and, come to think if it, in almost 20 years of teaching, only taught one child with my name.

Rusulka · 18/03/2013 19:01

I too have a reasonably normal name (for the 80s) with an unusual spelling. Never could get anything with my name on, which was at times frustrating, so I only ever had a big blue marble with my name specially engraved on it. Now I'm kind of pleased, as all the other trinkety things you normally get your name on just wouldn't be as special as that blue marble. Still have it!

Seeker ...why not something Addams family inspired? ... Dementia? Lol.

I think a lot of the more old fashioned names are after plants, so why not choose a favourite plant or flower? It doesn't have to be an obvious one. I used to know a girl called Hebe, or there's always Hydrangea- harder to spell maybe.

Peony
Heliotrope
Violet
Dahlia
Hyacinth (hee)
Muscari
Wisteria
Honeysuckle
Magnolia
Snowdrop
Bluebell
Crocus...

next time you're in a book shop, grab one on bulbs, or flowers for the garden- I bet there's loads of ideas. I'm not saying they'll all be relevant (Hyacinth, hee) but you never know!

Or what about Shakespearean names?

Ophelia
Perdita
Portia
Cordelia
Goneril (DH accidentaly said Gonnorhea, maybe not!)
Regan
Desdemona
Titania
Hermia
Helena
Viola
Bianca
Dorcas
Francisca
Lavinia
Miranda
Nerissa
Mariana
Rosalind(e)
Adriana
Luciana
Luce
Emilia
Celia
Rosaline
(DH just suggested Lady Macbeth, I'm guessing that's a no)

or Isolde? Not Shakespearean, but still nice in a kind of antiquey way.

Someone I know named their son Otto because it was a palindrome- always thought that was kind of cool.

seeker · 18/03/2013 18:45

I met a baby Nell today. Short for Helen.

I just think that is the most wonderful name. And I only know one other Helen- so it ticks the unusual box too!

OP posts:
SanityClause · 18/03/2013 17:57

And I agree with the sentiment of this thread.

I have a very normal name with an unusual spelling. There is a good reason for the spelling - my parents weren't trying to be different. But it's still a PITA!

SanityClause · 18/03/2013 17:55

Sylvia
Maude
Ruth
Esther

Nicholas
Edmund
Wilbur
Hugh

One of my DC's names is on this thread. The others are slightly more popular, though just as "solid".

WormCanner · 18/03/2013 17:44

Jesus

mirry2 · 18/03/2013 13:13

sorry but to me, Timothy will always be Tim, nice but dim

ItsallisnowaFeegle · 18/03/2013 13:11

I have a Jude. It's obviously my favourite name for a boy but I also like Hugo. My neighbour's DS is Dexter.

Aphra is gorgeous! I love Bo for a girl and DS would have been Bo if he were a girl.

emsyj · 18/03/2013 13:04

We wanted names that everyone would be able to spell and would have heard of, but that weren't currently popular. We've ended up with a Ruth and a Hazel.

My favourite girl name is Cressida, but it clashes with our surname Sad.

Peter is lovely for a boy, I can't understand why it isn't more popular. Also love Timothy.

MortifiedAdams · 18/03/2013 10:49

Meg
Innes
Faye

Travis
Jonty
Rufus

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