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Baby names

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Original poster

Naming a child from a country you have no links with

62 replies

TripTheLightFanjotastic · 01/12/2014 20:53

So in the running are Douglas if a boy and Ingrid if a girl, but both myself and DH are English. There are no Scottish links and no Scandinavian links, we just like the names.

Would this be a bit weird? It doesn't help our surname sort of sounds a little Scottish.

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Mintyy · 01/12/2014 22:13

It is something I just couldn't bring myself to do - for eg. I loved Angus for a boy - but I do accept that's probably because I'm a bit uptight.

StuffedOwl · 01/12/2014 22:04

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Pico2 · 01/12/2014 21:50

Douglas seems pretty mainstream. Ingrid is still pretty Scandi.

We have some names from other countries that we like but won't use because it doesn't feel quite right - Astrid and Seren. I was particularly concerned with Seren that it might just sound a bit crap to a Welsh person pronounced in our accent.

My DM even vetoed names from her home country for my DD as we aren't sufficiently related to the country, which I though was a bit harsh.

I think that names with Latin and Greek origins are a bit different to obviously foreign names as much of English is derived from Latin and Greek. And of course, other names from different countries do seem to have "gone native" in England.

BikeRunSki · 01/12/2014 21:21

Douglas and Ingrid are pretty mainstream names now though aren't they?

My dd is called Amy but we're not French, and none of the Zoe s I know are Greek.

noisytoys · 01/12/2014 21:20

DD has a Japanese middle name - Chihiro. She's very much English but it's a lovely name.

queenofthepirates · 01/12/2014 21:16

Not at all but be prepared to explain it a few times a month. My DD has a Spanish name and I recount the story regularly. I don't mind though, it's nice that folk take an interest.

Seriouslyffs · 01/12/2014 21:13

Not wierd at all- I know what you mean about very exotic names and I can't quite out my finger in why it is 'wrong'.

Coyoacan · 01/12/2014 21:04

Well I did that and though I still love the name I gave my daughter I am a bit sorry that it does not reflect her cultural heritage.

Macloveswill · 01/12/2014 21:04

No, can't imagine you'll come across anyone being precious about that.

DramaAlpaca · 01/12/2014 21:02

Not weird at all.

AnythingNotEverything · 01/12/2014 21:00

I think it's be different if you were talking about Gustav or Anders, but Douglas and Ingrid won't raise any eyebrows.

FelixFelix · 01/12/2014 20:55

I don't think it's weird at all. Dd has a french name and we are not remotely french. My own name is Greek and I am extremely English Grin