Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Do your like these names

66 replies

WeArePregnant11 · 06/10/2016 19:45

Boy names for our Swiss-American baby who'll be born (and hopefully/most likely) grow up in Scotland. Do you like these? Would they work in Scotland?

Alexander
Nathanael
David
Jason

Middle names:
Chevy
Carter
Davis
Jason
Eric

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
MrsHathaway · 10/10/2016 07:30

The point about Sasha is that it's very likely to be used spontaneously in the UK - the default in England would be Alex and in Scotland Alex/Alec. Even Sandy, with generations of Scottish pedigree, would I think only be used if you chose it.

Eric is really awful. Please don't.

Original poster
WeArePregnant11 · 10/10/2016 12:53

I like names that end in ic/ik...

So, I mean, it's great that Alec/x is the more common nn, but if Sasha really would be used spontaneously... then that's a bit of an issue :(

OP posts:
MrsHathaway · 10/10/2016 15:08

Shit, I meant unlikely to be used spontaneously.

I am a twat.

WankersHacksandThieves · 10/10/2016 16:40

DS2s friend who came from Latvia was a Sacha when he arrived at about age 10, he was Alex by the time he went to High School. I think Sasha would only be used with direct encouragement from you and the child in Scotland so I think you'll be safe. :)

Original poster
WeArePregnant11 · 10/10/2016 18:29

Mrs I just reread what you wrote. From the way you phrased it I should have realized what you meant. So, if anybody's the twat it's me :) may I ask why you don't like Eric? It makes me think of a blond Viking. At least if it's spelled Erik:) and seeing as my granny is from Sweden and DW has Swedish ancestry (and the bio dad is actually blue eyed, blond and tall...)

Wankers that's a relief. Thanks :)

OP posts:
MrsHathaway · 10/10/2016 18:32

I think of slightly overweight and slightly feeble middle aged men. It's a very dated name in the UK now!

Erik with a k would be slightly redeemed but not a patch on Alexander. Or Nathaniel/-ael for that matter.

Original poster
WeArePregnant11 · 10/10/2016 18:40

That's so interesting. I would have never thought Eric could be seen as dated.

Then again, some names that seem fairly normal in the UK are super old-fashioned in my opinion (George, for example....)

Are all -ik names old-fashioned here? Alaric? Cedric? Ulrik? Maybe I should start a new thread. Because these things are so hard to know as an expat. And American naming "rules" seem to be very different to British ones... And in real life most people probably wouldn't be brutally honest (the Scottish people are just so lovely and polite)

OP posts:
MrsHathaway · 10/10/2016 18:48

I can't tell if you're taking the piss because they are soooooo old fashioned here.

Maybe they're due a comeback and you'll lead the trend.

Chinlo · 10/10/2016 18:49

American naming culture is vastly different to British.

As for all -ik names being dated, none of the ones you listed apart from Eric have ever been widely used here in the first place, to be honest. Alaric and Ulrik certainly haven't been. Cedric is slightly more common I suppose (I've still never actually met one), but is also quite weak and middle-agey, in my opinion.

Original poster
WeArePregnant11 · 10/10/2016 19:45

Mrs not taking the piss.:)

I know a little boy calle Yorik (from the Bretagne) and have an American acquaintance called Alaric/k (I'm not sure how he spells it, he's a friend of DW from back home). I also went to school with a Cedric.

Huh, maybe. Total trendsetter :D (we're actually kind of boring and average, I think. But I kind of like it this way)

OP posts:
Original poster
WeArePregnant11 · 10/10/2016 20:02

Chinlo Very, very different, I agree. My DW's family seems to stick to names I've heard or at least read before (names like Jackson, Anna-Beth, Annabelle, Scott etc...). But some of her friends? I met a Dallas, a little girl called Faith, a woman called Justice, an adorable baby called Rhett and a man called Sterling....

Not that there's anything wrong with these names. But British people don't seem to chose virtue names very often, for example. (I actually think virtue names are cute. But also difficult to get right...)

OP posts:
WankersHacksandThieves · 10/10/2016 20:12

Brits do choose virtue names but only from a specific set.

Faith
Grace (v. popular)
Verity
Joy
Honor
Hope
Prudence

Not so much for boys though. Ernest (Earnest) and Clement being about all I can think of and those are rare.

I still like Eric and I think it's maybe just ahead of the curve after all the Stanley, Alfie type names.

I also don't think there is anything wrong with being different as long as the name isn't offensive, ridiculous or whatever.

My children have very Scottish/Celtic names (am in Scotland) as we have a Scottish/Irish background. So i think trying to bring in both your cultures and the place you live in is really great.

CEOD · 10/10/2016 20:17

Alexander is fabulous in Scotland!

Original poster
WeArePregnant11 · 10/10/2016 20:22

So no British girls called Honesty or Fidelity? I didn't know Faith was a common British name...

Clement,,, I went to Uni with a Clemens.

I'm coming to like Eric/k as well. But I read some mumsnet questions about the name and people seem to hate it.

I agree that people should chose whatever name they like (as long as it's not Temptress or Kanye...). But names have certain connotations. Back home I personally wouldn't call a child Kevin, Jessica or Jasmin. I actually kind of like these names, but they have connotations I couldn't get over. I'm sure there are names like this in the U.K. as well.

But I do like your comment about brining cultures together. That's a lovely sentiment :)!! Thanks Flowers

OP posts:
RiverTam · 10/10/2016 20:33

Eric is lovely, I know one aged 3. I don't think it's particularly dated, certainly not in a bad way.

There's a big Nigerian community where I live and virtue names, and royalty names are more popular.

MrsHathaway · 10/10/2016 20:39

Certainly no Honesty or Fidelity.

Er, as names.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page