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Baby names

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

Original poster

To anyone thinking of picking something pretentious...

80 replies

LethalWhite · 09/10/2018 14:27

Don’t know if anyone else was listening to radio 6 just now?

A woman rang up with a request, mentioned her 6 week old daughter
Presenter: what’s she called?
Woman: Isolde Fleur
Presenter:.... what? sounds confused
Woman Isolde Fleur
Presenter: why? Where’s that come from?
Woman: it’s an old Arthurian legend.
Presenter: right. Why...why did you pick it?
Woman: well we were researching baby names and it just seemed to fit.
Presenter: well, ok.

BlushConfused

The poor woman

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Original poster
LethalWhite · 09/10/2018 19:38

Pretentious: attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually possessed.

You'd know a thing or two about that, eh @TatianaLarina Wink

e.g it's aiming 'up', not aiming 'down'

OP posts:
TatianaLarina · 09/10/2018 19:29

Pretentious means pretending to be something you’re not. It’s means trying to impress through affectation.

It has nothing to do with class per se. You can be pretentious from any class background.

My point 1) I find those names pretentious because they’re affected, twee and over-thought. They’re trying to appear sophisticated but produce the opposite effect.

My point 2) I find those names pretentious because they’re pretending to be American/celeb. They’re trying to ape US glamour, but it doesn’t really work here.

I’m sorry your thread didn’t pan out the way you expected OP, but I’m well aware what pretentious means and I used it aptly. I strongly suggest you look it up.

ferrier · 09/10/2018 19:14

Thank you icecream. I'm probably fixated on the German version because of Wagner then.

madeoficecream · 09/10/2018 18:58

Isolde can be pronounced a few ways so its really a matter of whatever one the parents want to go with!
In France its generally Iss- Old
In Germany its Iz-Old-Uh
But you could use either one in the UK... As if you are going by the opera is would be the German way... if going by the film that came out a while back it would be the French way... if going by the Legend... there are hundreds of different spellings
If going be the pre raphaelite art its usually the German way but sometimes the French way...

So neither are 'wrong' just depends on what the family chose.

My mum uses the the 'Iss- Old' way

ferrier · 09/10/2018 18:53

Is it Is-old-uh or Iz-old-uh though. I always thought the latter but happy to be told otherwise.
Just to muddy the waters, any two part name is pretty pretentious to be fair but once they started gaining popularity they then became chavvy!

Flamingosnbears · 09/10/2018 18:50

Definitely NOT pretentious

Thick presenter

palindromeam · 09/10/2018 18:48

I heard this. The dj - I think it was Chris Hawkins- couldn't quite hear. Nor could I as a listener. And because it is quite a long and quite unusual he couldn't catch up. He was a bit rude but it did make me chuckle (which is probably a bit mean of me).

Also it is probably what's going to happen a lot.

SputnikBear · 09/10/2018 18:44

They’re both chavvy not pretentious. Who says they can’t be both.
Chavvy and pretentious are opposites. Chavvy is lower class and pretentious is wannabe posh.

Original poster
LethalWhite · 09/10/2018 18:08

And yes they’re my definition of pretentious.

I hate it when people do this. Make an outlandish claim and then say 'well that's my definition of xyz.' You can only make a valid argument by using the universal definition of things, otherwise you just look extremely ignorant and uneducated.

OP posts:
Sunflower321 · 09/10/2018 17:52

Only on mumsnet is that considered a normal name FFS. I'm with you and the presenter OP and feel sorry for the child.

No, only on Mumsnet are lovely interesting names considered 'pretentious' and made fun of. Your opinion being an example

SleepingStandingUp · 09/10/2018 17:45

I'm not sure the presenter was rude. He asked what the name was, where it had come from and why they'd picked it. Perfectly sensible question for why did you call her Mary, Isolde Fleur, Kaseigh-Mai-Bluu or Jess a

Moonflower12 · 09/10/2018 17:44

My DD attends a small village school- less than 80 pupils and there are 2 Tristans there!

Cosmoa · 09/10/2018 17:43

It's a very bulky awkward name to say. Isolde is bad enough... Never mind fleur too! Especially with all the different accents in the UK.

I don't think the presenter was right to be rude. But I can definitely understand their confusion. It is a pretty awful name.

SleepingStandingUp · 09/10/2018 17:36

Ih sold uh fluh
Not flush

SleepingStandingUp · 09/10/2018 17:35

Google suggests "ih sold uh"
I'm imaging dodgy phone connection and
"ih sold uh flush" very quick feel for the DJ!

TatianaLarina · 09/10/2018 17:34

Isold.

Unless you’re German in which case it’s Isolduh.

HungryChocoHippo · 09/10/2018 17:34

My son is called Tristan, which actually comes from the same Arthurian legend... I am french and it fairly common in France, my british DH loves it.

Annandale · 09/10/2018 17:32

Djs can't sound like they know stuff, they would break the ' cool = ignorant' rule. They would also be afraid of sounding middle class, because they probably are.

I have to say i dont know how to pronounce isolde.

DGRossetti · 09/10/2018 17:32

I don’t find mythological names pretentious.

Jesus ? Mark ? Peter ? Grin ....

TatianaLarina · 09/10/2018 17:31

Or Gwenhwyfar.

I don’t find mythological names pretentious.

Treacletoots · 09/10/2018 17:29

Oops.that backfired a little... I'd say if you're looking for pretentious look at the Tatler list of children's names.

Ones that jump out are Npeter and Quail. They make Isolde look quite normal now?

welshweasel · 09/10/2018 17:23

Isolde is a lovely name - I know of a couple locally (Wales) and it’s what DS2 would be called if he was a girl.

SleepingStandingUp · 09/10/2018 17:23

Tbf to the dj, I can see it throwing you if you're expecting Ruby May and get Isolde Fleur with a fake French accent

susurration · 09/10/2018 17:22

It's no more pretentious than using Juno, Hero or any other mythological name. Isolde is beautiful and is associated with a tragic Arthurian love tale.

SleepingStandingUp · 09/10/2018 17:22

I always think it LOOKS pretty but neve too sure on pronunciation.
Also like Persephone but don't trust people to pronounce it right!!