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Baby names

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

Original poster

Hard baby name quandary - looking for a Scottish/saint name for a boy to go with older sister Grace

34 replies

Busylizzy17 · 12/11/2018 11:07

Hi everyone,

My husband and I are a bit stuck on boys names and would love some suggestions if you've got any! He wants a Scottish name, I want a saint's name, but we are having trouble finding one that we both like. Just to make it harder, it has to go with our daughter's name, which is Grace Elizabeth, and the names Andrew, Matthew, James and Ian/Iain are out for sure. Open to suggestions for first or middle or both. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

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Blushingm · 16/11/2018 21:17

Ewan

Like Saint Ewan McGregor Grin

florascotia2 · 14/11/2018 10:33

Well, at least one of the saints called Alan (St Alain de la Roche) was born in Brittany, so had "Celtic" heritage... (yes, I know, no such thing, but it's convenient shorthand).

MikeUniformMike · 13/11/2018 22:04

Alan

WereAllBladesArentWe · 13/11/2018 21:52

I know it looks like it's off the table already but William and Grace = Will and Grace

Loving a lot of these suggestions above esp Hamish.
How about Cameron or Dougal? Appreciate am not displaying a very sound knowledge of saints here tho....

MikeUniformMike · 13/11/2018 20:00

Mungo or Andrew were my suggestions.
A quick search of scottish saints gave Nathalan/Nachlan and Donnan.
Is there a saint linked to a church local to you?
Grace is quite popular so will go with most names.

RosyPP · 13/11/2018 19:47

Sorry nn Donnie

RosyPP · 13/11/2018 19:46

I love the name Grace

I think Grace goes with Fergus / Rufus

Or go with a neutral name with good Scottish / saint links - John (love this name and Johnny for a boy), William

Or Donald non Donnie

Lots of good options, I think you can meet all the criteria! Good luck Flowers

hellsbells552 · 13/11/2018 08:42

I feel like if OP’s DH is choosing the middle name and the baby’s getting his surname, OP is perfectly entitled to poo-poo his suggested first names and ‘insist’ on a saint’s name, the same way he is insisting on a Scottish name!!

Notveryadventurousname · 13/11/2018 06:24

Grace and Angus - lovely !

BikeRunSki · 13/11/2018 06:13

Angus

SD1978 · 13/11/2018 06:11

Can you compromise on the Saint requirement? Who had the upper hand in choosing your daughters name? He's not being overly specific, requesting a Scottish name, given there are heaps of them, but you seem to be poo pooing everything he likes. Why the insistence it has to be a saints name, and trying to force him to choose a name you like, more Irish than Scottish- i.e. Patrick?

ReginaPhalange89 · 13/11/2018 06:06

I love Angus, and I think it sounds fine with Grace because they both have the 'g' sound.

Oldgranny · 12/11/2018 19:36

Angus and Grace sound fine imho😃

Original poster
Busylizzy17 · 12/11/2018 18:01

My daughter has my name as her middle name, although more because it's a family name than because it's my own.

OP posts:
WitchBottle · 12/11/2018 17:49

Honestly, when was the last time you met a woman of your generation who gave her baby her own name? I'm not keen on 'naming the baby after X', anyway, but what is it with men and their desire to call their sons after themselves? Not to mention the desire to stamp their surname on their offspring like one of those library date stamps.

Original poster
Busylizzy17 · 12/11/2018 17:38

Archbishop of Banterbury, I would suggest that but he wants to use his name as a middle (which is Graeme, so already Scottish). And he's very fussy 😂. I like almost all of your list but he's nixed Alexander, Anthony, Andrew, Luke, Nicholas, Philip and Stephen! I'm trying to keep Patrick on the list but he doesn't really like it. I love that man but he is hard to baby name with! 😉

OP posts:
brownjumper · 12/11/2018 16:22

Why do siblings names have to match? They’ll be living apart for the vast majority of their lives

ArchbishopOfBanterbury · 12/11/2018 16:08

Saints names I like, with Grace:
(Scottish links at saintsplaces.gla.ac.uk/browse-saints.php?letter=A )

Alexander
Anthony
Andrew
David
Edward
Felix
Finnian
Frances
John
Joseph
Laurence
Luke
Mark
Martin
Nicholas
Peter
Phillip (Pip!)
Ronan
Steven
Thomas

I understand what you mean about "going with" Grace. Rufus, Angus, Fergus are nicer as middle names than firsts. Would your husband be okay with a more scottish name in the middle, if you went with one of the above scotland-linked saints names as a first?

Original poster
Busylizzy17 · 12/11/2018 15:47

Florascotia2, I hadn't. Thanks so much! I do love Patrick, I'm hoping my husband does come around! I think they are lovely together, and some sources peg St Patrick as Scottish anyway so that's my selling point 😉

I like Magnus and Colum (possibly Callum as well)! Thanks, I hadn't thought of Colum/Colm.

OP posts:
NinjaGoSaysNo · 12/11/2018 15:26

Magnus

WitchBottle · 12/11/2018 13:34

Lots of the saints associated with Scotland were originally Irish missionaries, anyway, so there's a fair crossover.

You could have Colm/Colum (short for Columba), Colman, Finnan?

florascotia2 · 12/11/2018 13:29

Re Fergus, this is hardly an unbiased source, but it does have Tradition on its side: www.newadvent.org/cathen/06042c.htm
Please excuse me if you've seen it already.

Grace is a nice name that goes with several different styles. The suggestion by previous poster of Patrick sounds good. In the past, I've met boys in France called Patrick, so it's not exclusively Irish.

Original poster
Busylizzy17 · 12/11/2018 13:29

No worries, you've got a bunch my husband really liked! It doesn't have to be exact (like there is a saint with Douglas as a surname). We just can't seem to hit on the right one so any inspiration is welcome!

OP posts:
Greycat11 · 12/11/2018 13:08

Oops sorry just spotted the saints name part.

Greycat11 · 12/11/2018 13:06

Gordon
Douglas
Ruaridh
Rory
Donald
Campbell
Hamish

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