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Baby names

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

Original poster

My friend wants 'Harrow' - your thoughts?

112 replies

keepyk · 05/06/2019 19:48

My colleague is keen on Harrow for a girl, I said I'd put it to the MN hive mind!! Any thoughts?

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Topseyt · 06/06/2019 14:08

No. It's a boys' public school at Harrow-on-the-Hill, which is a suburb of London these days.

Harrowing Also has two meanings. One means distressing. The other is smoothing down the big lumps in a newly ploughed field. The Harrow is the name of the large, viciously spiked tool that farmers attach to their tractors to do it.

No again. Why must people try to think up weird and whacky names for their babies? It just sounds utterly ridiculous and stupid. The children won't thank them for it in later life.

ErrolTheDragon · 06/06/2019 12:30

BlushI just got that wrong Grin sorry, mysterybox. Tied myself in a mental knot.

ErrolTheDragon · 06/06/2019 12:09

Mysterybox - nope. By way of clue, which is further west, Edinburgh or Bristol?

Mysterybox · 06/06/2019 11:21

Where is there an island within a lake, on an island within a lake, on an island?

Mysterybox · 06/06/2019 11:19

North Atlantic

ErrolTheDragon · 06/06/2019 09:31

Are we all getting geography lessons here?

Of course. Having, apart from one or two mavericks, hopefully quashed 'harrow' as a viable name, maybe we should turn the thread over to more cheerful questions such as which ocean does the western end of the Panama Canal come out in?

Watersnail · 06/06/2019 08:25

Really?

mathanxiety · 06/06/2019 07:58

Isn't that how the Cadbury's parrot said hello?

YY This^^

Penny4Thoughts · 06/06/2019 07:03

I also only know of Harrow the place from Mumsnet! Are we all getting geography lessons here? Grin

To me the name Harrow just reminds me of harrowing which really isn’t a great thing

Penny4Thoughts · 06/06/2019 07:01

Harry & Hallie & nicknames for Harriet - perhaps your friend could use Harriet?

FionasWineShow · 06/06/2019 06:51

😂

Whatareyoutalkingabout · 06/06/2019 06:27

I'm from SE England and I too only know if Harlow (the place) because of Mumsnet. I think it's a nice name! Prefer Marlowe though.

TurquoiseAndPurple · 05/06/2019 23:40

I meant to say I only know of the place in the UK called Harlow because of mumsnet...

TurquoiseAndPurple · 05/06/2019 23:39

Harlow is in Essex and not a good choice for a name for a child in the UK

I'm in the UK and only know of Harlow because of mumsnet. I love it as a name!

starzig · 05/06/2019 22:15

To me using it as a name is different to using it in a sentence
I still like it.
Some people are actually sounding genuinely angry, which is a bit ridiculous.

MollyHuaCha · 05/06/2019 22:14

Harrow is awful. So are Harlow, Harley, and Harris.

Mumoftwoyoungkids · 05/06/2019 22:12

Well having kids is pretty harrowing sometimes............

Maypole245 · 05/06/2019 22:11

upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Harrowhell.jpg

It doesn’t shout ‘cute baby girl’ tbh

Isitmybathtimeyet · 05/06/2019 22:10

I rather like Brockley. Prefer it to Harrow in every sense.

I do wonder if it will sound like Brooklyn Beckham - named after the place of conception. Grin

GraceMarks · 05/06/2019 22:09

Croxley Green? Rickmansworth? Cricklewood? So many lovely possibilities!

Tavannach · 05/06/2019 22:04

Nope

Acton? Brockley? Croydon?

happychange · 05/06/2019 22:00

Harrow on the hill

bridgetreilly · 05/06/2019 21:58

Mysterybox there's a HUGE difference between names which are derived from words that had a meaning in another language, especially a dead language, and names which are words used in contemporary English. Plenty of those that you listed don't actually mean those things, they are just related to words which do. But 'harrow' is an actual word, in that form, in English.

CassianAndor · 05/06/2019 21:54

Town in north west London
Public school in said town
Harrow- harrowing meaning.

No, no and thrice no.

TheFormidableMrsC · 05/06/2019 21:53

No. All it reminds me of is a very posh public school that a few of my childhood friends went to...and currently, where my daughter resides at uni halls.

Why do people feel the need to find such outlandish names for their children? I don't understand. I overheard a conversation recently where a mother was very disappointed that her child's father wouldn't entertain "River". I couldn't blame him to be honest.

My brother and I had "unusual" names for the years of our birth (think late 60's, early 70's) but names are that now fairly mainstream I would say. When I chose my children's names I tried to imagine how they would fit when they were out looking for jobs and making their way in the world. I am pretty sure that "Chardonnay-Paris" (a name I have come across IRL) will struggle to be taken seriously. I always think about David Bowie's son who changed his name from Zowie so he could get on in the world. It's weird...just be normal!

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