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Baby names

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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?

OP posts:
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InfiniteCurve · 05/06/2019 20:45

As an avid fantasy reader "Harrow" just says minion of the dark one, possibly either undead or a robot.
Please don't inflict it on a sweet little baby...
Smile

ChinAirTakingOver · 05/06/2019 20:44

Harrow is a London borough. It’s...in...not somewhere that would inspire me to make my baby after...

mogtheexcellent · 05/06/2019 20:44

Grew up there. Was pretty shit.

Persea · 05/06/2019 20:43

Just no, for all the reasons others have said.

Thequaffle · 05/06/2019 20:42

Ooh no.

whatscuterthanasleepingbaby · 05/06/2019 20:42

Our father who art in heaven,
Harrow be thy name

Susannach · 05/06/2019 20:40

No. Harlow if she must. Or Yarrow for an unusual nature name?

Watchingthetelly · 05/06/2019 20:17

Dreadful

HarryDaylight · 05/06/2019 20:15

It's absolutely bloody terrible, up there with Chardonnay and Chlamydia.

Atalune · 05/06/2019 20:13

What about Harlow instead for a girl?

daisyboocantoo · 05/06/2019 20:10

Harrowing

DaisiesAreOurSilver · 05/06/2019 20:10

Just no. Poor kid.

Lindy2 · 05/06/2019 20:09

No. I would just picture the area of London every time I heard it.
Nothing particularly wrong with Harrow the town/area, but not really somewhere you would desire to be named after. Just like you wouldn't generally choose to be called Uxbridge, Ruislip, Acton, Ealing etc.
Surely she can find something a bit nicer.

Camomila · 05/06/2019 20:08

I thought harrowing,
Harrow and Wealsden (tupe stop)
London borough of....

Hattie is similar?

TatianaLarina · 05/06/2019 20:06

When melancholy Autumn comes to Wembley
And electric trains are lighted after tea

TatianaLarina · 05/06/2019 20:05

Snap daisy!

TatianaLarina · 05/06/2019 20:05

All the associations are odd - trauma, public school or suburban town.

Couldn’t get away with it in the U.K. I’m assuming like others they’re American.

daisypond · 05/06/2019 20:04

I think the school, the town and the verb, not necessarily in that order.

Isitmybathtimeyet · 05/06/2019 20:03

Harrow is a fairly dull bit of NW London (am from there so will defend my opinion to the death), a famous school, and reminds people of ‘harrowing’ in its most negative meaning. So that would be a no.

On the other hand, if she ends up a keen climber, she could spend lots of timing joking about being ‘Harrow-on-the-Hill’ so perhaps it would be worth it.

Quintella · 05/06/2019 20:03

Are they American, OP? Americans seem to have a fondness for using British place names as names for their kids eg. Camden, London, Preston (!)

Theworldisfullofgs · 05/06/2019 20:03

Harrowing means distressing.

To harrow would be too distressed.

Marmighty · 05/06/2019 20:00

I know a girl called Arrow, which seems infinitely nicer and what the child would get called anyway in large swathes of the country

ClassyArse · 05/06/2019 19:59

Is it meant to be an alternative version of the name Hero? clutches at straws

GraceMarks · 05/06/2019 19:59

A harrow is a piece of agricultural equipment. Spiky and covered in earth. It also sounds like how Mickey Rooney would have said "Hello" in Breakfast at Tiffany's, if you need any further offputting facts.

pikapikachu · 05/06/2019 19:58

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

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