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Baby names

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

Glaswegian names

108 replies

GuatemalanRum · 03/05/2015 17:37

If you are Glaswegian & born in the 70s or 80s, what names did you hear growing up and what would you/have you named your dcs now?

Dp is Glaswegian which I had hoped would give me free rein to use lovely names such as Fergus, Euan, Douglas, Ishbel, Elspeth.. Sadly when I suggest these he looks at me like I've lost the plot (he claimed Ishbel is what a drunk Scot would say for Isobel Confused) and wants to call our dc John Hmm

I would be grateful for some cultural guidance!

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roughtyping · 04/05/2015 09:56

Grin love the name suggestions!

About 8 years ago I worked in RHSC Glasgow, we had multiple children named Pocahontas. Always with a very Scottish surname. There were also two sisters whose names I loved, won't post as it's obviously very identifying but they just 'went' with their surname. There were lots of babies named Kai, Lily-May etc at that time too.

AgentCooper · 03/05/2015 23:13

I know you, Calamitously, you're Marydoll Superally Jinky Weisfeld-Taggart, right? Wink

giraffesCantPluckTheirEyebrows · 03/05/2015 22:47

Ishbel is a proper name

squoosh · 03/05/2015 22:39

Oh yes, Kelly Marie is very 1970s Weeg.

FrSpodoKomodo · 03/05/2015 22:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SantanaLopez · 03/05/2015 22:28

I'm properly laughing at Fergoo Grin

Are you called Maggie May?

squoosh · 03/05/2015 22:26

Are you called Wee Shona McDonald?

CalamitouslyWrong · 03/05/2015 22:25

I can never decide if I dislike being called doll more than I dislike being called hen. Luckily having moved south (even if DH thinks we live in a freezing northern wasteland Hmm), I never have to worry about it any more.

There was a Fergus in my class at high school. A French visiting student teacher of some kind kept calling him 'Fergoo' much to our amusement.

I have a very Glaswegian name (the whole thing combined). If Google is to be believed no one outside the greater Glasgow area would inflict it on their daughter.

squoosh · 03/05/2015 22:23

Oh yes, all the Wee Mans and Big Mans!

I knew a man once whose name was Wee Man. I felt like such an idiot saying 'hello Wee Man, how are you?' in my non Weegie accent.

ClutterofStarlings · 03/05/2015 22:19

Senga=Agnes is at one level an insult name (the "Senga ned") but is reasonably frequent I have found. But it sure ain't a posh name. But has belonged to some perfectly respectable people I have met.
When went onto my first ward I was astonished by the number of Euphemias I looked after with various derivatives (Effie, phemie etc). But they were all 70+ then... So it would count as a granny name.
Would agree that current choices in Glasgow are more Scottish than the people I know born 70s/80s. Karen, Stacey, Julie, Marie/Maria, Rhona, Donna, Katrina, Stephanie, Gillian, Denise, Sharon
Stephen, John, Mark, Kevin, Robert, Graham, Gordon.
Have picked husband's brains a bit here. John would be fine.
I think the more 'Scottish' names have been an upward trend more recently.
Good luck convincing your husband Smile

SantanaLopez · 03/05/2015 22:19

I love being called Doll. And hen.

Wee Man for boys. DH is now chuffed to be referred to as Big Man Grin

GuatemalanRum · 03/05/2015 22:15

Oh and I did suggest Lennon (as a joke) - he said it was better than Stalin Hmm

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GuatemalanRum · 03/05/2015 22:14

Thanks all - really interesting reading.

Just to be clear - I'm not intent on giving dc a Glaswegian name, just trying to understand Dp's naming references. He moved to England aged 18 (and doesn't read mn baby name threads!) so I guess it is unsurprising that the more revivalist Scottish names sound a bit alien to him.

I'll work on him (or maybe John will grow on me!)

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squoosh · 03/05/2015 22:13

Doll.

All Glaswegian delivery men seem to think I'm called Doll.

FrSpodoKomodo · 03/05/2015 22:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SoldierBear · 03/05/2015 22:10

Dod. As in George.
Can't get more Scottish than that.

SantanaLopez · 03/05/2015 22:09

Another one who thought Ishbel was drunken slurring!

We need the Kevin Bridge's West End freshers sketch on here.

Lots of Irish-influence names over here too.

PMSL at Lennon. There was a wee Lennon born at the same time as DD.

Tattiesthroughthebree · 03/05/2015 22:07

Imagine you are in a Glasgow playpark and your child is misbehaving. You yell "Gaunnae nae do that (insert name here)!" Does it sound ridiculous with your chosen name? If so, it isn't a Glaswegian name.

DH is a Glaswegian. His name is John. DS is half-Glaswegian and his middle name is John.

CormoranStrike · 03/05/2015 22:05

Sorry, those are names I like now.

I grew up in the 70s and the boys in my street were Calum, Iain, Donald and Gary.

The boys in my class at school tended to be Aidens, Kevins, Thomas and, oddly, two Bernards.

Redhead11 · 03/05/2015 22:04

I know an Ishbel now! And Senga is just Agnes backwards. If you don't have a relative called Agnes or Senga then you aren't really Scottish! And Glasgow and Edinburgh are very different, even though they aren't that far away from each other.

CormoranStrike · 03/05/2015 22:04

Jamie
Gregor

HowlyBabblyBansheeeeeee · 03/05/2015 22:00

Ishbel isn't a name, but the rest are popular.

I knew an Ishbel forty years ago, I think it just fell out of fashion.

SnotQueen · 03/05/2015 21:57

Boaby

Jackieharris · 03/05/2015 21:54

Fergus, Euan, Douglas, Ishbel, Elspeth these are noughties Scottish names, not names of the 70s/80s.

At school in the 80s I remember
Norman
Donald
Paul
Craig
Michael
James
Simon
Scott
Steven
Gordon
Peter
Martin
Neil
Gary
Rowan
Nairn
Ross

Girls
Emma
Alison
Jennifer
Carol
Corinna
Fiona
Lorraine
Lorna
Susan
Cheryl
Deborah
Gillian
Sarah
Donna
Kate
Elizabeth
Joanna
Leah
Aileen
Teresa
Lisa
Anne

Pasithea · 03/05/2015 21:53

Sorry missed Elinor or Eilean