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Baby names

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

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Original poster

What do you think of Zephaniah?

36 replies

tvmum1976 · 16/03/2013 15:15

I honestly could never understand baby name threads, until nowI have a dilemma of my own! We are thinking about the name zephaniah- zephy for short (for a boy, as I have heard of some female zephys recently- think Chuggington...)

Please give an honest opinion. Is it too much? Is it ridiculous? Would he be laughed out of town?

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Original poster

tvmum1976 · 18/03/2013 18:21

wow! a late rush of positivity! thanks so much! I like zach/ zachary too but it is much more common and close friends have just used it, so we can't. This is my first time on the baby name threads as we had DS1's name from before I was even pregnant and it's so hard to tell whether things are just a difference in style/tastes or whether it is somehow the worst name in the world and I'm the only person who hasn't realised! Thanks again everyone.

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poppydaisy · 18/03/2013 12:45

Sorry, meant to spell it correctly, Zephaniah.

poppydaisy · 18/03/2013 12:44

I lOVE Zephania and Zeph or Zephy is a cool nickname. I much prefer it to the overused Zachary/Zachariahs. And Zeph/y is cooler than Zac/Zaccy imo!

NeverBeenToMe · 18/03/2013 10:37

I like it - and know one who also has a brother called Zac!

Your baby - your choice of name

StandbyForNothing · 18/03/2013 10:18

I love it. It's certainly on my list for any future children.

Jojobump1986 · 17/03/2013 17:59

I like it, but I'd never be bold enough to use it! We do know a little Zephaniah (Zeph for short) now so it doesn't seem as unusual as it did when we briefly discussed it for DS1. His parents are a lot more... unique(!) than us so it fits with their family. We're just boring!

AKissIsNotAContract · 17/03/2013 17:18

TBH you could start the same thread next week and get totally different responses. That's mumsnet for you.

Original poster

tvmum1976 · 17/03/2013 15:29

Thanks for the input. We live in the US so the Benjamin Zephaniah thing is not really an issue. I like Ezekiel too but worry that he might get called Zeke the freak/ geek unless he is super cool and can carry it off?

Weirdly just saw an old thread on zephaniah and everyone loved it. Wonder what has happened since!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/baby_names/730483-Zebediah-Zephaniah-Zacchaeus-Zacharius-list-in-order-of-preference-pls/AllOnOnePage

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Bessie123 · 17/03/2013 04:47

Completely off the point, my very sane, accommodating friend went out with Benjamin Zephaniah a few years ago and said he is a self obsessed mummy's boy.

nooka · 17/03/2013 04:43

We were going to call our second child Ezra so I've no objection to interesting biblical names, but I think that Zephaniah might be a step too far. Plus I'm sorry but Zephy for short is not good, just sounds wet really.

Much prefer Zachariah (Zach), Ezechiel (Zeke), Elijah (Eli), Solomon (Sol)

AKissIsNotAContract · 17/03/2013 02:31

The other names I really like are Ezekiel (Nn Zeke) and Jeremiah. DP likes even more unusual biblical names - Hezekiah for example.

Damash12 · 16/03/2013 22:29

Erm I like unusual names but this is too much imop. Think about the number of times you and he (when older) will hear "huh?" followed by "can you spell it for me?"

Original poster

tvmum1976 · 16/03/2013 22:17

thanks everyone and especially for humouring me with your name choices. Starlightloz- i think we have similar taste in names- I like your choices too. like the biblical stuff and have an older DS with a slightly 'extreme' biblical name too.

alwayslateforwork- love the idea that Z is the kylie or Jason of the radio 4 set! ha!

youllneedatray- I also knew a xenny in childhood- wonder if it's the same one!

thanks again to all.

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FriggFRIGG · 16/03/2013 21:56

There's also Zephyrus or zephyr that have a similar sound...
these two are on my list.

YoullNeedATray · 16/03/2013 21:37

If you like the sound of it, I used to know a Xenophon, known as 'Zenny' or 'Zen' (but spelled Xenny and Xen of course!).

He'd be mid-forties now - wonder what he's up to?

FriggFRIGG · 16/03/2013 21:34

I really like Zephaniah,and I love zephy!

CecyHall · 16/03/2013 21:05

I immediately thought of Benjamin Zephaniah too!

starlightloz · 16/03/2013 21:04

I think Zephaniah is lovely. My own son is set upon calling his future twins Zephaniah and Leviticus, clearly he is quite biblically influenced!
I love the names Sebastian, Boaz, Josiah and Nathaniel.
I really really love Elias but can't use it for my unborn unfortunately because I already have an Eli and Tobias so would look very unimaginative!

Whydobabiescry · 16/03/2013 21:01

I know a Zephaniah, shortened to Zephan or Zeph it suits him.

alwayslateforwork · 16/03/2013 20:44

I love Bartholomew, but loathe Bart or barty.

I like Sebastian, but loathe Seb or Baz.

I'm not telling you ds's name - but we did in the end go for one where I don't like the diminutive, and it has taken 11 years for anyone to use it.

I suspect we do have different tastes though, as I like Zephaniah (without the. Poet connotations) but Zephy makes my skin crawl. I'd have to just call him 'zee'. Zephy sounds... A bit like something a three yo would call a teddy, not a person.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 16/03/2013 20:38

Forgot Edward/Teddy/Ned and Edmund - but they are likely to be far too boring for you!

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 16/03/2013 20:37

Boys' names I've liked for at least 20 years -
Thaddeus
Barnaby
Benedict
Rowan
Laurence
Luke/Lucas
Asher

Boys' names I'd also consider were I to have a ds now -
Bartholomew
Roland
Bram/Bramwell
Vincent
Simon
Wilfred

alwayslateforwork · 16/03/2013 20:28

I don't mind it as a word/ name, but it's the associations with the poet that I think make it a bit 'trying-too-hard'.

It would be fine without that association.

(Not that there's anything wrong with BZ per se, just that it's the cultural equivalent of trying to find a name with only one possible sleb connotation, for the grauniad classes...)

Kinda like Kylie or Jason in 1985, or Shania a few years later. But with a twist that says 'I'm clever, and jolly right-on, me.'

The name itself is fine. And I quite like BZ. But I wouldn't name my child after him.

Original poster

tvmum1976 · 16/03/2013 20:20

thanks everyone. Now kind of more confused than ever. Because I don't know what names the people who hate it do like, I can't work out if we just have different tastes/ styles of name or whether it is truly objectively terrible! If anyone reads this and can bear to- if you hate it, can you say another name or couple of names that you do like, for reference. Or is that ridiculous?

Thanks again!

OP posts:

blueshoes · 16/03/2013 20:18

What ... why?

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