"MN names"

My sister is Imogen and her best friend is an Ottillie!

I also know Orion aged 2 and Talith and Zeke.

I know a Ptolemy non Tolly.

my street (not at all posh but in the south east) has an Arlo, two Jaspers, a Barnaby, a Rufus, a Claudia, a Penelope and a Beatrix (amongst others - Luke, Ella, Molly, Sophie, Cara, Alex, Kieran, Finlay, Anna, Rebecca, Rose).

I know billions (slight exaggeration) with mn names - including Ptolemy, Fuschia, Ottilie, Sebastian, Milo, Clara, Astrid, Sylvia, Monty, Gabriel, Cordelia, Romilly & Octavia!

Great post, anjou

There are millions of Imogens and Sebastians, what on Earth are you all on about?

I really like the name Milo but our 12 year old Alsation was graced with that name, suits him so well so I could never use it for a child but do love it.

One of my oldest friends is an Imogen, we're 26.
Ds's best friend is Jude, they're 5
and DH best friend is due a Dd any day to be named Beatrix.

It's funny. I think all the 'out-there' names mentioned up thread are in the minority on the boards here. I comment on name threads where the OP is looking for a slightly more unusual name (one mans 'pretentious' is another mans 'interesting' it seems). These are few and far between though. You always get people coming on here telling you how 'awful' they think an unusual name is and 'how dare you want to give your child a name that will single them out for a lifetime of ridicule'.

I think a typical mumsnet name is George, Charlotte, Sophie, Harry ... very, very normal and very, very popular. And most people coo "oh, it's lovely! Timeless!" No one comments on those threads with "My God, that's dull. Don't you have even a little bit of imagination!". Why ask peoples opinion of them? You may well ask "what do people think about 'bread'? Do you like bread? What would you eat bread with?"

People like what they like and sometimes they want the opinions of strangers. Buggered if I know why. Equally I don't understand why you'd tell a stranger that YOU don't like it. Live and let live, eh?

I've never met a RL Xanthe but they seem to be common on the baby name board.

Milo is the name of an ancient roman thug and a horror movie. Don't really understand the Milo love on here!

I love the name Jason, fiveacres.

Know loads of Milos, some human some animal.

*KNOW not now ffs

PS, I now at least three Sebastian's. I didn't think of it as an uncommon name in the slightest!

I grew up with a Beatrix as well - or it might have been Beatrice actually. Either way, it's a pretty name. I guess it's after Beatrix Potter, no?

Nolim - you asked about the popularity of the name Imogen.

It may have something to do with Imogen Heap (singer, songwriter). She is a singer that would have been/would be popular with the average age group of people giving birth now (say late twenties and early thirties).

Anything inspired by classical literature, Greek myths and the ancient world (apart from Jason ) is met with approval here.

Mumsnet also likes nature names, which is presumably where Wren comes in. Willow is another favourite - I love it actually, but can't use it with my surname. Welsh names are favoured as far as I can see (must admit I find most of them quite ugly.)

Mumsnet seems to approve of my choices for DCs 1 and 2 (the nicknames that can be used for D 1 help in this respect, although he's never used any of them) and DC2 has the odd person grumbling about food labels? DC3 will share her name with a literary figure Mumsnet hates. But the name has special meaning for me for an earlier though lesser known literary heroine, even though she played a minor role in the text.

My own name is deemed too popular by MN standards. It wasn't as popular thirty years ago but nonetheless it's stayed fairly popular. Probably because it's 'nice girl' name.

Wren is a great favourite here. Not one of mine, but that's beside the point.

Persephone, Atticus. All that sort of name.

I know a grown up Sebastian, and Cordelia, and know of a Ptolemy.

I know a baby Imogen, Elodie, Sylvie and Arlo. And I have a Claudia.

Ptolemy is a joke suggestion though, isn't it? I thought people suggested Ptolemy to be facetious?

My cousin is Otilia. She's in her 50s now so hardly an MN name. She's also in a different country. Her mum is Sylvia.

Ottilie

Has anyone ever met an Ottilie?

Imogen is from Shakespeare ('Cymbeline'). (He probably based it on an older Celtic name, Innogen - which simply means 'daughter'.)

There was v. famous music scholar, Imogen Holst, daughter of the composer.

I know an 'Atticus' and when I first heard I was "whaaaaaaat?" Lol

I have a Sylvie (waves to the other MNers with similarly great taste!) and a cat called Clara.

I have a Beatrix, we have a friend with a Persephone, and Ptolemy is at the top of list if I ever had a boy!

I know plenty of baby Milo's!

Have yet to come across a Ptolomy, Quintin, Ottilie or a Jude which to me are the quintessential MN names