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Baby names

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

Original poster

Rufus, Monty, Magnus ???

60 replies

mammabea · 21/05/2018 13:55

Baby is due in a few months but struggling with boy's names. We have a few front runners but can see issues with each of them:

Rufus (too dog?)
Monty (too pretentious?)
Magus (too Scandinavian? Lack of nice nicknames....mags etc)

Do you think out concerns re our fav names are justified?

We also like names like Oscar, Freddie, Harry etc but they are v popular and keen to find something unusual but not too "out there".

Help!

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Bagsalot · 21/05/2018 20:26

*we have a Rufus not yes!

Bagsalot · 21/05/2018 20:25

Yes have a Rufus and Montgomery was top of our list for ages and we would have shortened to Monty. MIL stated to dh that Rufus was a dogs name when he was born but she wisely said nothing of the sort to me

CheshireDing · 21/05/2018 20:20

Sorry should say official he is Montgomery so he has choices when he is older) but everybody knows him as Monty.

We had Otto and Arlo on the list too.

buttercup54321 · 21/05/2018 20:19

Magnus or Augustus on bc with Gus as nn.
Monty and Rufus = dogs

RavenLG · 21/05/2018 20:17

Rufus (and Monty) are too dog imo. I know people with both.
Magnus reminds me of Mrs. Honey's dad from Matilda and the floating painting running Trunchbull out of the house.

CheshireDing · 21/05/2018 20:15

We have a Monty (aged 4), he is a very cool dude :)

toffee1000 · 21/05/2018 20:10

My brother is Rufus. We’ve never met a dog with the name. The most popular dog names these days are things like Max, Archie, Toby etc, which are also common human names. Rufus doesn’t even make it into the 100 top dog names list.
Monty is OK, although probably bit posher than Rufus (IMO) esp if short for Montgomery.
Magnus is OK, has a slightly Swedish/Scandinavian touch to me.

MikeUniformMike · 21/05/2018 18:41

Magnus seems to get shortened to Gus on here. I suspect it is more popular than you think. I like it. Monty is cute, could be short for Montagu, Montague or Montgomery or Montpellier or something.

ellalouise90 · 21/05/2018 16:19

Magnus is so cute! Very unusual but seems to me like a very old fashioned name which I absolutely love!

Murane · 21/05/2018 16:10

I love Monty. Like Monty Don! (I believe his full name is Montague)

Panicmode1 · 21/05/2018 16:03

I had all three names on my list. I have a Rufus and have never met a dog with the same name. My dog is walked with a lab called Monty and I loved Magnus but DH thought it too much.

Canone · 21/05/2018 15:58

Magnus is awesome! You could call him Max or Gus for short.

Also like Rufus.

How about:

Rafe
Roman
Remy
Rudy
Maxim
Silas
Otis
Otto
August
Elias
Justus

Original poster
mammabea · 21/05/2018 15:53

I totally agree Aussiemouse. Girls names are sooooooooo much easier!

OP posts:
Aussiemouse · 21/05/2018 15:48

Love Rufus, though it does make me think Dog! With you on the 'struggling with boy names' issue & seeing potential flaws with all. Girls names seem much easier!

WaitrosePigeon · 21/05/2018 14:54

I have a Monty. He’s a dog tho. Love it on a child too.

userabcname · 21/05/2018 14:51

I like Magnus nn Max as someone suggested. I also really like Oscar - I know it's popular but I feel like maybe it's becoming less so? I haven't met any baby Oscars for a while...of course it varies in different area though. I am not a fan of Rufus and I don't mind Monty but it does sound like it should be short for something else.

HeyDolly · 21/05/2018 14:48

I like Magnus and Gus is a fab nn.

Not keen on the other two choices.

Would Monty be short for Montague? It is a bit Made in Chelsea for my taste.

Lottie7777 · 21/05/2018 14:38

My little one is called Rufus and I love it but the number of dogs I meet called it! And the number of doggy comments when I was debating it. I shorten it to roo which is cute (I think) although he will have to migrate to Rufus when he’s grown up.

yougogirl150 · 21/05/2018 14:19

They seem justified. Pp mentioned Luke - there's a lovely name I haven't seen in a while (not sure if it's popular but I haven't met one in a long time).

Original poster
mammabea · 21/05/2018 14:17

Magus is a typo! Should say Magnus.

We're not posh....more mc.

OP posts:
bridgetreilly · 21/05/2018 14:17

I don't mind Rufus or Magnus. Monty is a dog, to me.

You could also consider:
Fergus
Angus
Gus
Jonty

Roomba · 21/05/2018 14:14

I like all the names personally.

But - my friend works as a dog walker. She walks a Rufus (Jack Russell) , a Monty (chocolate Lab) and a Magnus (enormous Great Dane) every day!

ArtBrut · 21/05/2018 14:10

Do you mean Magnus, OP?

I think they all sound a bit 'look how posh we think we are'

But I prefer 'normal' names purely because my name is a PITA to spell and pronounce.

So, the names I like are Issac (see, I clearly think I'm posh too)

But maybe the OP is 'posh'?

Also, in view of your 'normal' names being easier to spell correctly, it's Isaac.

OlennasWimple · 21/05/2018 14:09

I like Rufus (particularly for a red head) and Magnus (bear in mind that there is a series of Rick Riordan books featuring a Magnus)

Monty is a NN to my mind, not a full name.

AmeliaScott · 21/05/2018 14:09

Bertie.

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