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Baby names

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

Original poster

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.

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Original poster
seeker · 18/03/2013 10:44

Rusulka- sorry, most of yours don't meet the criteria. And I'm afraid that you have been unilaterally banished to Outer Monglia for suggesting Luna. You only have to watch Harry Potter to see what her little friends would make of that!

OP posts:
Original poster
seeker · 18/03/2013 10:42

Tess is an excellent name. Tessa is good too.

OP posts:
FreedomOfTheTess · 18/03/2013 10:32

May I be so bold as to suggest my own name (Tess) fits this criteria?

Fairly unusual as a given name, definitely not bonkers and so easy to spell that I'd worry about anyone who couldn't spell it correctly first time!

Rusulka · 17/03/2013 14:12

My 6 month old is Phoebe Florence Echo
Florence after my paternal grandmother, who I never got to meet.

Other names we love to pieces include

Lyra
Elphaba (from Wicked!)
Wednesday
Paloma
Fae
Luna
Freya (but maybe too popular)
Delilah
Nemi

boys are harder. Hmm...

Luca (in evolutionary terms it stands for last universal common ancestor- always thought that was pretty cool!)
Milo (from the Phantom Tollbooth)
Ulysses
Hawel (after Howl's Moving Castle)

DH and I operate on the basis that we want a reasonably different first name, and they can get more outrageous from there. When they're teenagers and embarrassed by us, they can pretend their second middle name doesn't exist, and once they're grown up enough to appreciate it, it's there waiting, lol...

I too want to know what this unusual name is!!!

WormCanner · 17/03/2013 10:39

"My dd's doll is called Roger! I've no idea where she heard that name!"

Probably when the tennis was on.

Roger is a very old name, it cam over with the Normans Grin

Original poster
seeker · 17/03/2013 09:43

Sorry, Afra's out.

If a name has a "normal" spelling then choosing a spelling with means a child has to say "no, it's X, but spelled Y" means it doesn't make the cut.

OP posts:
AndFanjoWasHisNameO · 17/03/2013 09:40

I know an Afra rather than Aphra which I much prefer
I may die pretty soon if BoF doesn't tell me the wonderful name though..... Can anyone who knows it please let me know begs

Janni · 16/03/2013 21:25

Joel, Jude, Gabriel, Christian, Christopher, Andrew

Rebecca, Helena, Leah, Catherina, Marianne, Emilie, Emmeline

starlightloz · 16/03/2013 21:24

Eli
Tobias
Boaz
Elias
Josiah
Sebastian

Talitha
Elvina

Though people do manage to spell and pronounce the very simplest of names regardless. My baby is called Eli and I have numerous times sat in a doctor's surgery or at weigh in and taken a moment to realise that the 'Ellie' the staff are calling for is us. Two syllables, says on his medical records he is a boy I'd've thought and it would be a very bad spelling of Ellie if that's what it actually was!

iclaudius · 16/03/2013 21:19

lovely mrs mcenroe

Bearcrumble · 16/03/2013 21:17

haha @ "Roger is vigorous".

InvaderZim · 16/03/2013 21:09

I know an Aphra! :D

Also my daughter's name has appeared on this list. :)

MrsMcEnroe · 16/03/2013 20:41

My son is just Art on his birth certificate, not Arthur. OK or not OK? And I refuse to think of my dad's name in relation to vigorous sex .... I get what you're saying though!

Original poster
seeker · 16/03/2013 20:31

Art short for Arthur is a perfectly OK name. Roger is a slang name for vigorous sex, so is not a perfectly OK name........

OP posts:
MrsMcEnroe · 16/03/2013 20:28

Roger is a fab name!! It was my dad's name and it is my cousin's name.

My DS' name is Art

Original poster
seeker · 16/03/2013 20:21

Damon. Cressida. Agnes.

OP posts:
soontobeslendergirl · 16/03/2013 20:16

Jason?

Shr0edinger · 16/03/2013 20:16

Isnt it weird how barry is so different from harry. i know a fabulous barry. My age. not child. i like robert, richard, julian.

soontobeslendergirl · 16/03/2013 20:15

seeker i'm going to be sorely disappointed if there isn't a Kevin and a Daryl as well.

Original poster
seeker · 16/03/2013 20:10

Threre is a Trevor and a Barry in ds' year 7 class!

OP posts:
Minkus · 16/03/2013 20:07

Hahah seeker and Thisis!

Although dh is called Barry. I'm not impartial to a Barrying.

bigkidsdidit · 16/03/2013 19:56

I know loads of Davids but it is very very common in Scotland (always David not Dave). Also know 3 Marys

I have an Albert nn Bertie which fits I think :)

Thisisaeuphemism · 16/03/2013 19:54

Natalie - due a revival

At least roger is vigorous
Justin is unfortunate

MrsDeVere · 16/03/2013 19:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

vamosbebe · 16/03/2013 19:46

Lamorna (girl I went to school with, named after a Cornish town)
Audrey
Minette
Camilla
Angela

Can't think of any boys' names.

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