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Baby names

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

Original poster

Wren for a girl?

60 replies

TheGirlWhoPlayedWithFire · 01/02/2015 14:38

This could be a futile thread as I'm newly pregnant and it could be either sex but I'm mulling over girls names and struggling.

I had this problem with DD1&2 and and DH effectively named them as I was dithering.

However I came across Wren for a girl and I love it. DH thinks I'm mad.

Is it hormones messing with my head? Or is it a perfectly acceptable name?

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Hakluyt · 02/02/2015 11:54

Do people know what Serendipity means?

Hakluyt · 02/02/2015 11:52

I just think- imagine being a self conscious, chubby spotty teenager having to introduce yoursek as Lark. I suppose Wren would be all right because people would think it was short for Lauren......

isitsnowingyet · 02/02/2015 11:42

Sorry Squoosh - missed that - Blush

BobbyGentry · 02/02/2015 11:39

Love the name Wren :)

squoosh · 02/02/2015 11:37

I was joking about Heron and Flamingo obviously.

isitsnowingyet · 02/02/2015 11:36

Sparrow, Lark, Wren, Heron, Flamingo - no, no and no again. These are names of birds and sound silly+++

However, Linnet

OnceUponATimeAgain · 02/02/2015 11:25

"wouldnt cause offense but would look a bit odd"

thats daft - most of the people here (me included) thought the bird

and WHY cant you call a child Senedipity?

I personally like it

squoosh · 02/02/2015 11:22

Wrens are quite small and rotund though. Heron or Flamingo would better suit a willowy girl I think.

seaoflove · 02/02/2015 11:17

I know a Wren and I'm not sure it suits her. It's quite an evocative name - suiting a delicate, willowy kind of girl - and if the girl ends up not fitting that kind of image I feel like the name might jar a little?

squoosh · 02/02/2015 11:06

I'm sure it's painfully hipsterish but I absolutely love the name Wren.

If you don't like the bird association you could call her Renée/Ren instead. Personally I never think of the military link.

MabelSideswipe · 02/02/2015 08:33

Lark is nicer.

Blahia · 02/02/2015 08:07

I think is lovely! And definitely works on both a child and an adult (with any occupation if that matters to you!)

SoupDragon · 02/02/2015 07:21

So it would look as if you were honouring that whole branch of the Armed Forces.

It really wouldn't!

TwoAndTwoEqualsChaos · 01/02/2015 22:57

I know a Wren and she does sort-of fit it, as she is dinky. However, she is also babied and it's all a bit arch and PFB, which is much less attractive and colours it for me.

meditrina · 01/02/2015 22:53

It wouldn't cause offence, but would look odd.

It's the long-standing ordinary spoken version of the acronym for the Women's Royal Naval Service, and a female matelot was a Wren. (Not just British, other Commonwealth countries had same official acronym, so known internationally).

So it would look as if you were honouring that whole branch of the Armed Forces. Since amalgamation, it's less in day to day use, but it's not really died out yet.

But possibly a fantastic way of honouring any female sailors in your family tree. Especially with all the military anniversaries keeping it all rather to the forefront of public occasion.

Tisiphone · 01/02/2015 22:52

I definitely wouldn't discount it it because of the navy (WRENs, for those asking the naval connection - Women's Royal Naval Service until it was disbanded in the 90s, I think?) but in my head it always hear it as 'Ren or 'Wren, as if it's short for Lauren - is/was there someone vaguely in the public eye called L'Wren Something?

MairzyDoats · 01/02/2015 22:19

Wren is sweet. I also like Linnet. It's the name of the little ghost girl in The Children of Green Knowe.

Original poster
TheGirlWhoPlayedWithFire · 01/02/2015 22:16

Meditrina - I'm completely ignorant on naval customs, I apologise but why would wren cause offence in naval circles?

No navvies in our family so I don't think it would cause too many difficulties.

Soup - I like Wren as an adult name, think it would fit far better than some of the cutesy girls names which are regularly recommended.

It's grown on me even more since I started this thread. Plus DH said it's growing on him too.

We did do this with a previous DD though - we had a name picked right up to birth. Then she just didn't fit the name.

But anyway, it's definitely in the short list now

Hak - that's exactly what DH said, before he decided Wren on it's own was ok.

OP posts:
butterfliesinmytummy · 01/02/2015 16:11

I like Wren but I use a lot of Ren skincare and it's too close for me. I really like Rae though......

cosmicglittergirl · 01/02/2015 16:10

I like it. It's unusual.

Hakluyt · 01/02/2015 16:09

Oh don't be silly- you can't call a child Serendipity!

HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 01/02/2015 16:06

Yes I like it. Very much.

Sophronia · 01/02/2015 16:01

Wren / Ren as a nickname for Kerensa?

IsadoraQuagmire · 01/02/2015 15:37

I like it. Though if someone told me their name was Wren, I'd initially hear "Ren" in my head ( and think it was probably short for Renee)
The last person named Wren I heard of was male, but I like it better for a girl.

SoupDragon · 01/02/2015 15:31

I can honestly say that the navy has never popped into my mind when hearing Wren, it is always the bird. Maybe you have to have some connection to the navy.

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