Is the baby names thread a good reflection of real life name choices??

I would go for an unusual name but one which is read as it is written. I love Ethne, was on the list for DD2+3 but everyone hated it. Pleased i didn't use it as when i told dd 2+3 they both said urrrgghh mam that is horrible. ATM i love Thomasina. I nearly called DD3 Bo but then realised at the last minute if written with the first letter of her surname is spelled Bo G

Everyone we know has gone for incredibly dull traditional names which are very popular. I would say most of them are "typical MN demographic".

We are going to go down the unusual route. Its going to raise eyebrows and probably make other think we are pretentious twats. I am obviously very bothered by this...

Curiousgeorgie Ptolemy is 'Tollamy' - silent P. It's a bit out there even for me, though!

I'm in suburban North London. Many of my friends' DC and the children I teach have very ordinary names: Lily, Emily, Amelia, Joseph, Harry, Thomas and so on. However, it's a very multicultural area, so there are also lots of non-English names, names that aren't pronounced as they're written etc (can be a minefield when you're taking the register for the first time!). Some of the names don't seem to 'work' in English at first - for example one child I came across had a name that was pronounced 'Shoe-Hole'; another Turkish child was called Bilge (it's pronounced 'Bil-gay'). The children here tend to be very accepting of difference and don't bat an eyelid - can see that this might not be the case everywhere though. Have come across my fair share of more 'out there' names - Indigo, Tallulah, Princess, Arlo, Digby, Orlando etc. and haven't encountered any problems that I'm aware of.

For what it's worth, I'm a fan of more unusual names, and actually love Xanthe. I see it as similar to Phoebe, Chloe and my own name, Zoe. Would definitely be on the shortlist for any future DC. I can see why many people end up plumping for 'safe', mainstream names, but having taught classes that contain e.g. three Ellies and four Thomases, I think I've been overexposed to the most popular names and personally would aim for something slightly off the beaten track.

ILoveCoreyHaim - Ruaridh is the Irish/Scottish Gaelic version of Rory (which is basically the anglicised version). Can be pronounced either the same way as Rory, or more like 'Roo-ry'.

How in earth is Ptolemy pronounced?

Everytime I read it on here my brain says 'p'tollomy'

I read and loved Seraphina on here and gave it to DD2...

Everyone in RL hates it

Oopsie.

I must admit that's why I liked dds name, I liked it written down.

I know how she feel's, it drives me daft as well having to explain it which happened till she was about 7. From about 7 she had to explain it which she has done a lot over the years. It usually means correcting them when they get it wrong and when asked telling people its Irish through gritted teeth.

I live in Yorkshire, and the Stanly/Maude trend hasn't made it round my circle. There are a reasonable number of unusual mythological/ historical names for the girls, but the most unusual names among the boys are probably Ivo and Japhet, which don't seem particularly odd.

Just googled Ruaridh, says Rooree, is that right. First time i have ever heard it.

My dd whos 10 has 5 Ellie's in her class, they get called Ellie H with the initial of their surname. I also know a load of Alfie's and Archie's all under 3.

Ruaridh - never heard that before and how do you pronounce it?

I wouldn't give my dcs any names which are not pronounced as they are written if i had any more. I feel guilty my dd hates her Irish name which draws attention to her when she doesn't want it. DD2 and 3 are pronounced as they are written. I feel awful she loves the other name i had picked for her but didnt use which is pronounced as it is written and Irish.

I thought she might grow to like her name as she got older but she just grows to hate it a bit more each year even though it appears to be pretty popular elsewhere.

She has only met one other who is in her year group at senior school. She has the american spelling which is written as pronounced so she wasn't too impressed asking me why i didn't do it like that. Its a traditional Irish name picked due to me having Irish ancestors so using an American spelling wasn't something i thought about. At the end of the day its the kids who have to live with the name regardless of how much their dps like it.

Only ever seen Xanthe on MN but i would imagine a kid named with it would spend their life being called the wrong name and correcting people if in an area its not popular in. I guess there are many in the South as it seemed fashionable for a while.

Tea your baby, your choice, of course, but Ptolemy would indeed be a pearl-clutching choice of first name for a girl. Though it might be inspirational as a middle name, especially if she grew up to be keen on science or maths.

Ptolemy is an ancient Greek name. And for thousands of years it's been given to men.

It was the name of pharaohs, originally from Macedonia/Greece, who ruled Egypt from around 305 BC up to the Roman Conquest of 30 BC. All the male rulers of the dynasty were called Ptolemy (sometimes with a nickname added); the females were usually called Cleopatra or Berenike or Arsinoe. The famous Cleopatra was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty.

Claudius Ptolemy was also the name of a brilliant Roman-era geographer/astronomer/mathematician from Alexandria in Egypt en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptolemy

thanks to the thread i am obsessed with Ptolemy for a girl !! OH loves it too but i dont usually go for modern names clutches pearls

Oh yes two Eve's and a few Ava too

I haven't heard any unusual names at all and know several people with new borns

Ruby
Thomas
Emma
Anna
Katie

Thanks Alisvol. Not particularly attractive, is it?

Zan-thee.

Well I knew a girl at school who had it as a middle name (was very embarrassed about it actually) and that was how she said it was pronounced, the one time she ever admitted to it.

How is Xanthe pronounced? It looks awful written down; I can't imagine it sounds any better...

burgatroyd I think Milky's pretty unusual

I agree with you though - I think people suggest more unusual names on here than they'd use for their own DCs. It's a place to play out naming fantasies that we wouldn't be brave enough for in RL or which have been vetod by our partners.

Interesting point re demographics of Mumsnet. Popular names definitely do vary from place to place. For example, for Scotland, here are top 10 baby names 2013 by region:

www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files2/stats/popular-forenames/2013/babiesnames-2013-t3.pdf

There are lots of names here that I haven't heard in real life.

babies I know who have been born recently ( I live in Scotland)

James
Logan
Brodie
Jessica
Connor
Sarah
Alexander

All quite traditional.

Im in a Northern City and i haven't heard any of the names some people have put on here. Dd2 has an unusual name. Its not way out there but was 980 on the popular list the day she was born. Ive yet to meet another on and shes 10. Dd1 has an Irish name which is popualar now but wasnt then and she hates it as no on can pronounce it. Dd2 has a popular MN name but ive used the NN as her name and havent met any others although i know its popular further south. I love Ethne and Thomasina but got vetoed on all 3 lists