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Baby names

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

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Original poster

What do your children wish they were called?

86 replies

Choosinganame · 21/01/2019 18:09

And I don't mean 'Peppa' or 'flobadobadee'

I mean children old enough to understand names, do they love their names or wish you had called them something different?
I am interested in this because we often want to choose unusual names for our DC but do they like them? My DC is still too young to know.
I have quite a serious but common name in the 80's and I really wanted to be a Sophie or an Isabella, something more girly and soft.
I find it hard choosing a name because I want to choose something I like but also know how important it is when you are school age to feel like you 'fit in'.
For example, I think Greta is a great name, but would a Greta like her name in a sea of Isla's, Evie's etc.

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Original poster

Choosinganame · 27/01/2019 12:45

It's nice to hear someone who really likes their name Trinnidad.
Elizabeth is classic and versatile, I love the nn Beth. A lot of people say you can't go wrong with a long classic name as it provides so much versatility to fit any child/woman. I also like Katharine as it shortens to the lovely Kitty or Kate.

OP posts:

Trinnidad · 27/01/2019 00:11

@wecametodance I absolutely love my name! I have two family names. My first is Elizabeth, my second is one of the 'old lady names' that is constantly identified as never going to come back. Knowing why my parents chose these names has always even important to me and my middle name makes my name more unusual - no one ever guesses what it is! It also has a bad-ass translation. Even my husband has commented on how 'me' my name is. I really don't understand people who think Elizabeth is boring. And it has four syllables! That's hard to find! Absolutely love it.

pineapplebryanbrown · 24/01/2019 17:09

My DSs are very jealous of each others names. To the point one stole the others wooden letters off the others bedroom door. They have the same type of name #30 and one syllable.

UnDeadPool · 24/01/2019 16:24

@Mrsfrumble my ds was devastated when he found out his friend Dustbin was actually called Dustin 🤣

Mrsfrumble · 24/01/2019 16:11

Onion is great! When DD was in reception she was convinced her classmate was called Bartleby. I was slightly disappointed to find out he was actually a rather more prosaic Barnaby.

cragfastsheep · 24/01/2019 12:40

My DD 10, cried once when she found out we almost called her Alice and she wished we had! She has a flower name, which I thought would be popular but so far she's the only one in her school.

I have a very unusual name which I hated growing up as it was 'different'. I wanted to be called Juliet. Now I love my name

AlexaShutUp · 24/01/2019 08:49

My dd has a classic name that is very well known but not that common - she does know a couple of other kids who share the same name but has always been the only one in her year at school/any extracurricular activities etc. It's a timeless, simple, unfussy name but still long enough to have a couple of nickname options. Luckily, she loves it.

A couple of her friends have "unique" names which they really dislike. I think it's a risky strategy that doesn't always pay off. I'd always go with something classic that has stood the test of time!

Parthenope · 24/01/2019 08:38

My six year old had an Orion join his class mid-year last year. He seemed to have seen his name on his peg, and told me very seriously that the new boy was called Onion.

TatianaLarina · 23/01/2019 22:50

Orion’s great. Better than Geoffrey anyway.

I’d love to know who the inspiration for Geoff was - my DH thinks he sounds like a football coach.

OublietteBravo · 23/01/2019 22:46

@TatianaLarina - what a coincidence!

I keep telling him that he’s lucky he didn’t get called Orion (DH’s choice) or Erasmus (my choice)

TatianaLarina · 23/01/2019 22:30

My son is 12.

TatianaLarina · 23/01/2019 22:30

DS is 13. He’d like to be called Geoffrey

OMG, snap. Just saw this!

TatianaLarina · 23/01/2019 22:29

One of my sons, who has an unusual and interesting name, currently wants to be called Geoff. 😂

OublietteBravo · 23/01/2019 22:26

DS is 13. He’d like to be called Geoffrey

Beamur · 23/01/2019 22:23

DD likes her name but has an imaginary alter ego she writes about called Martha. Who is better at sport than DD and very adventurous!

Elemental · 23/01/2019 22:21

My 5yo announced yesterday that when she was older she wanted to change her name to Bella. Makes sense, it’s the name she gives nearly all her dolls! I had Isobel as my top girls name for years but called her something else, funnily enough.

Totopoly · 23/01/2019 22:20

DC1 (17) has no problem with his name (top 1000, not top 100). He doesn't give it much thought. DD had a phase of hating her "posh" name (again, top 1000, not to 100) and insisted on being known as a derivative or as Lettuce (no joke) - but has suddenly, aged 15, decided to be called by her full (gorgeous, albeit uncommon) full name.

PickleSarnie · 23/01/2019 22:13

My youngest has decided he's going to change his name to "Dennis"

SumAndSubstance · 23/01/2019 15:01

My 6yo has an unusual name, but we've pretty much always called him by its almost-as-unusual diminutive. He loves the diminutive, but doesn't like his actual name. He's reconciled to it a bit since I explained that we weren't going to call him the diminutive so if he wants to go by that, he has to lump the name we gave him

OutPinked · 23/01/2019 10:35

My six year old DD wants to be called Zach . I explained it’s a boys name and she doesn’t really care... I just let her get on with it .

BlueJag · 23/01/2019 08:42

@GemmeFatale it's a lovely name and not common at all. So hard to find a good name.

GemmeFatale · 23/01/2019 08:26

@bluejag thanks for coming back to answer!

My side of the family are incapable of using a name without changing it in some way. But I love it as a name and the meaning is part of that for us. So maybe we’ll use it anyway and just cope with the occasional family member trying to shorten it.

I figure our surname is pretty flexible on nicknames if he wants his peer group to use something short and snappy.

Madmarchpear · 23/01/2019 08:24

Alicia or Anya

Original poster

Choosinganame · 23/01/2019 08:23

Bridget - I noticed that too. I'm kind of hoping it never got popular enough to truly date in the same way as Tracy, Nicola etc did, but it does put me off a bit.
Some interesting posts here! I'm surprised some DC like what I would consider quite old fashioned names (for their generation) like Jennifer, Sarah and Susan

OP posts:

BlueJag · 23/01/2019 08:08

@GemmeFatale hi no it doesn't because he introduces himself as Sterling. Means little star.
He really likes it. I think as long as you don't shorten the name others won't either.

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