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Baby names

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

Original poster

Rachel

66 replies

MissisBee · 20/11/2016 12:55

DH and I have only had one name conversation so far (I'm only 9 weeks).

Rachel was his first suggestion for a girl. It's a name that would never had occurred to me, but the more I think about it, the more I like it.

I currently don't know any Rachels. Any I have known would be about my own age but it doesn't have the feel of an 80s name to me like, say, Joanne or Julie.
I do have a penchant for biblical names generally, although I read today that it means "ewe" in Hebrew!!

So, do you like it?
Is it dated?
Does it make you think of Friends?

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Original poster
MissisBee · 30/11/2016 12:22

Elorna I'm also in NI!

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AllTheBabies · 30/11/2016 12:14

I like it. It's on my list if dc3 is a girl. I currently have 2 dd's with similar names (biblical, classic, common 20 years ago but hardly used now) and they get nothing but compliments.

Im not keen on rach though, that's my only reservation.

dotdotdotmustdash · 29/11/2016 21:49

In the bible Rachel and Leah were sisters who both married the same man. Rachel was beautiful but Leah was unattractive. Rachel means 'ewe' but Leah means 'cow'.

I had better not tell my Dd Leah that story.

I love Rachel, Leah and Sarah.

namesstress2323 · 27/11/2016 12:35

i think its actually a very common name, i know lots of them, so it would be nice to give her a bit more unique middle name maybe, but its nice

MiniMaxi · 27/11/2016 06:39

Lovely name. I do think of Friends but your daughter's contemporaries wouldn't! I know a couple of adult Rachels, no little ones so definitely not overused.

ElornaElephant · 27/11/2016 00:36

I love the name Rachel - where I'm from (NI) it is very very popular, I could name you at least 20 that I know of and two of my best friends have the name, as does my mums best friend.

Much less common in England though I think, I'm yet to come across any since moving here. She will be one of very few babies her age with the name, but it's definitely not too unusual or outdated Smile

Racerback · 21/11/2016 19:42

I don't object to being called 'Rach'. But very few people ever shorten it. It's not like 'Rachel' is hard to say.

On that note, i was at university with a Rae. Now that is a gorgeous name.

talksensetome · 21/11/2016 19:38

Another Rachel here, it's nice enough.

MadisonAvenue · 21/11/2016 19:35

I really like it but both Rachel's that I've known have been, shall we say, slightly unhinged and not in a fun way.

Zhabr · 21/11/2016 19:33

I know an adorable little Rachel, she is 5. Her sister is called Esther.

grumpymummy72 · 21/11/2016 19:32

Love it, would have been our choice if we had had a girl.

Aoibhe · 21/11/2016 19:29

'Rach' sounds awful Confused but all the Rachel's I know (and there aren't many of them) are 'Rachel'.

BratFarrarsPony · 21/11/2016 19:25

yes it can ...Confused I call my friend 'Rach'

Aoibhe · 21/11/2016 19:24

I love it and like that it can't be shortened.

Thurlow · 21/11/2016 19:17

Great name, it's one of DD's middle names and I occasionally wished we hadn't used it because I'd be tempted to use it as a first name.

Destinysdaughter · 21/11/2016 19:13

Personally I think you can tell the meaning and cachet of a name by how it is used in popular culture. When I think of films or TV shows it's been used in, Rachael ( or Rachel ), is a classy, intelligent, sensual and beautiful woman.

Lovely timeless name!

< not biased at all...> 😀

Chickydoo · 20/11/2016 20:58

Beautiful Beautiful name, not used much these days.
I have a cousin and a friend called Rachel, both wonderful people.
Go for it!!

elQuintoConyo · 20/11/2016 20:57

I have never been called Rach, Rachey, Rackers, Ray...

Ra-ra at uni for some reason! But nothing shit. I was Raquelle (rack-ay-lee) in Italy. That was like nails down a blackboard.

lljkk · 20/11/2016 20:53

I loathe the Friends programme. Omg. The Jennifer Anniston character most of all. That association makes me shudder. Suddenly very glad DS3 was a boy.

DS3 would have been Rachel. It is really really boring name. But I like Boring (shrug). So naturally I prefer the boring spelling (1 a only).

OdinsLoveChild · 20/11/2016 20:47

I hate the name (it's my name) I spent most of my life spelling it to everyone and most people seem to think that Rayyyych (shudder) is an acceptable alternative.

Don't do it but if you do prepare for a lifetime of Rayyyych being shouted across the street/playground Angry

elQuintoConyo · 20/11/2016 20:40

Oh and Kelly McGillis' character in Witness was called Rachel and she got to shag Harrison Ford the Amish way WinkGrin

elQuintoConyo · 20/11/2016 20:38

Another one rocking the name here

I love it - and am feeling the love from this thread! Although I live in a country where the equivalent is Raquel so get called that a lot Hmm

I was once one of 4 in my class Shock but in the last 20-25 years I haven't met another. I'm 41 38

IrenetheQuaint · 20/11/2016 20:37

Nice classic biblical name. I know a toddler Rachel but it is otherwise pretty unusual in that age range.

BadToTheBone · 20/11/2016 20:32

I love Rachel, the youngest I know is 8.

Yika · 20/11/2016 20:30

Lovely name, a classic.