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Baby names

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

Original poster

Thoughts on giving ds a foreign name and living in UK

35 replies

PinkApple86 · 07/05/2013 11:46

Hi ladies,
Just want to get some feedback (honest). I'm British but dh is Portuguese. Just found out were having a son. Dh is over the moon and wants him to have a Portuguese name. I think there are some lovely names and fit well with our Portuguese last name. I think we need a name that is used in both languages (spelling aside) so both families can say it etc. However I just suggested a few to my colleagues (male) and they laughed and said they are gay boy names and he will be bullied at school in the midlands. Female friends have said they're nice names but I think they just dont want to hurt my feelings or having images of some cristiano ronaldo type man! We have considered:
Hugo, Tiago, Marco, Marcos, Leo (short for Leonardo), Mateus, Miguel, Jorge.
Opinions greatly appreciated.
Thank you Brew

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Dilidali · 07/05/2013 12:09

My daughter has two names, one very very foreign, with a difficult spelling and one very very plain English. We figured: if she grows up and starts hating her name, she can either use her middle name or shorten her foreign one.
As it is, she absolutely loves her first name, loves it is different and insists to teach people to pronounce it correctly and her best friend is the only person allowed to shorten it, she declared, because of a quite pronounced speech impediment.
It is true what they say about people with 'funny' (unusual) names, she is quite aware of who she is, chats quite happily about why is she called that and from quite a young age she realised people find it difficult, so she helps them when they pause unsure of pronunciation.

Give your son the name you want, especially with a Portuguese surname as well, it won't sound odd.

dyslexicdespot · 07/05/2013 12:05

I hope you told your ignorant, homophobic colleagues to fuck the fuck off!

Jenny0505 · 07/05/2013 12:01

There are loads that would work very well in both countries. Eg Susana or Leo. I love Marcos/Marcus - good name

DonkeysDontRideBicycles · 07/05/2013 11:59

Your male colleagues sound thick, poor you.

Great names, (perhaps caution over Mateus as a first name, for reason stated) but for many years now even Brits have become used to hearing about sportsmen + women with international names, so unless you live somewhere very parochial it shouldn't pose a problem.

Original poster
PinkApple86 · 07/05/2013 11:57

oh yeah I forgot about the wine. Haven't drank it for so long Grin Miguel also reminds me of San Miguel beer. Marcos is the Portuguese spelling of Marcus. It's so hard to choose!

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exexpat · 07/05/2013 11:55

They all sound fine to me (and I'm a bit Hmm at your colleagues' 'gay boy' comments - ignore them). The only one I'd hesitate with is Jorge as a lot of people won't know how to spell or pronounce it.

MummyBurrows · 07/05/2013 11:52

I think Hugo,Marco,Leo and Jorge would work best :)

blueberryupsidedown · 07/05/2013 11:52

Oh yes, I didn't think about the wine... Avoid Mateus!

blueberryupsidedown · 07/05/2013 11:51

I am French speaking and this was also important to me, and we chose DSs names because they can be pronounced well in both languages. In all the names, I prefer Leo and Mateus, and I also like Louis (or Lewis). I don't really like Hugo but it's just my opinion. I would avoid Jorge as the name will be constantly misspelled people will asume it's George. I have a friend with a little Marco and it's a lovely name. I also like Marcus instead of Marcos, if it's a name in Portuguese.

AuntieStella · 07/05/2013 11:50

I think your list is fine.

I'd say the ones that work best are Hugo, Marco and Leo.

I wouldn't go for Mateus (as many people will think of the wine), but the others are OK.