Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Fleur or Olwyn

40 replies

SleeptightDaisy · 24/06/2014 21:48

Just that really Fleur or Olwyn. Months until we need to decide but these were our girl choices when we had our little boy. What do people think?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
LaydeeC · 27/06/2014 10:32

definitely Olwen
definitely not Fleeeeuuuuurrrrr

Sidthesausage · 26/06/2014 19:03

Fleur

whotheduckisalice · 26/06/2014 19:00

Love both!

Original poster
SleeptightDaisy · 25/06/2014 21:05

Thanks for all responses last time I checked I'd only had one.
I have a lovely, very pretty and confident friend of a friend called Olwyn (spelt with a y) so we've pinched it from her. Definitely not a battleaxe Smile

Although dh does have some distant welsh genes. So if we did go for it we would use the Olwen spelling.

Fleur is just a name we both liked we're not sure about Flora as it just brings to mind butter.

OP posts:
Alisvolatpropiis · 25/06/2014 16:48

I do think Elwen, which is not one of your options, is nicer again though

Guin1 · 25/06/2014 16:44

Definitely Olwen.

NigellasDealer · 25/06/2014 11:11

Fleur sounds like Cilla Black mispronouncing something tbh.
Olwen is nice

MsVanRein · 25/06/2014 11:09

My Olwen is about as far away from a battleaxe, strict teacher type as you can get! Has totally different connotations for me - funny, open, easy-going, generous, kind and creative.

MsVanRein · 25/06/2014 11:08

My Olwen is about as far away from a battleaxe, strict teacher type as you can get! Has totally different connotations for me - funny, open, easy-going, generous, kind and creative.

picnicbasketcase · 25/06/2014 10:50

Squoosh has just said what I was thinking, tbh. Olwen sounds like a really angry strict piano teacher. I would go for Fleur if I had to choose one, but I'm not really keen on either.

squoosh · 25/06/2014 10:45

Fleur sounds like 'bleurgh' and Olwyn/Olwen sounds like the name of a battleaxe.

whattheseithakasmean · 25/06/2014 10:13

Sorry, I meant 'non-traditional' woman

whattheseithakasmean · 25/06/2014 10:13

I love Fleur - and she was the spiky, clever heroine of the Muriel Spark novel 'Loitering with Intent', so an extra reason to like it. A very sharp, traditional woman.

Stargirl7 · 25/06/2014 10:10

Love Welsh names...have you considered names like:

Arianwen
Bronwen
Tanwen

All beautiful and you may avoid the wheel connotation?

MaloryArcher · 25/06/2014 09:47

They both bloody awful in very different ways.

burgatroyd · 25/06/2014 09:38

Neither to my taste. Agree with poster above.

burgatroyd · 25/06/2014 09:34

Neither to my taste. Agree with poster above.

peppinagiro · 25/06/2014 09:25

Oh I don't like Olwen at all. It was a real old lady name when I grew up, and it sounds really drab and dowdy to me. I don't think old lady Welsh names have had the same granny chic revival! But then, despite being Welsh, I don't like any Welsh names. I think they all sound a bit ugly, with a few exceptions like Seren and Eleri

Don't like Fleur because it sounds like bleuuuuggghhhh.

So feel free to ignore me as our tastes are clearly polar opposites!

BeckaH123 · 25/06/2014 09:21

Olwen / Olwyn. It's really lovely. Not a fan of Fleur at all.

ViviPru · 25/06/2014 08:17

Olwen is great! Would add to my shortlist were it not so similar to my dog's name (no offence, my dog is wonderful)

Nereida · 24/06/2014 23:51

Definitely Olwen, and spelt this way. -wyn is a masculine ending, -wen is feminine.

Leeds2 · 24/06/2014 23:30

Fleur.

Alisvolatpropiis · 24/06/2014 23:13

Olwen

Notso · 24/06/2014 22:55

I don't like Fleur, it sounds like something you say when you taste something unpleasant.

Olwen isn't my favourite welsh name but I quite like it. I prefer Anwen or Arwen but not sure if Arwen is actually a welsh name or just from LOTR.

MissYamabuki · 24/06/2014 22:36

OP, do you mean Olwen? Olwyn means "wheel" in.Welsh. But I think Olwyn can be an Irish name for a boy?

Love Olwen, on the Mabinogion she was supposed to be amazingly beautiful( whoever saw her would be filled with love for her etc).