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Baby names

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

The name Reef?

134 replies

June340oo · 14/09/2019 20:50

Opinion on the name Reef?

Found out we are having a baby boy, we both have struggled to agree on names. We like the following three, Reef, River & Oakley. The front runner being Reef.

James being the second name, what is your opinion on Reef?

I work in the marine biology field so it has sentimental value to me as I love the ocean and all things marine, keep marine tanks etc. My wife loves it too.

Just want your honest opinions? We want something different but not to weird.

Smile
OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
BackforGood · 15/09/2019 00:31

Nickname 'Barrier' ? Hmm

Don't do it to the poor kid.

Call him James.

CendrillonSings · 15/09/2019 00:28

Sounds deep Wink

AlexaAmbidextra · 15/09/2019 00:26

As long as your surname isn’t Knot. Seriously OP, it’s awful.

TenPastEleven · 15/09/2019 00:17

Reef is not a name.
Oakley is a brand of sunglasses.
Marine biology does not have a field 😄
There are squillions of lovely meaningful names with ocean/sea/water meanings. Loads.
River is not good. Also, quite the antithesis of marine.
But you know what? Loads of people probably hate my kids’ names too, so (within some reason) if you love it, do. Hope all goes well and he’ll be lovely when he arrives.

IsobelRae23 · 15/09/2019 00:04

Sounds like someone can’t say Rhys properly.

ScrewLiterature · 15/09/2019 00:02

Nemo?! 😅 Way to give a kid an inferiority complex…

ViserionTheDragon · 15/09/2019 00:01

Its another no here OP, for all the reasons stated above. What about Rhys/Reece?

Defintiely no to Oakley, it's too much of a surname.

River isn't so bad.

Gotthetshirt23 · 14/09/2019 23:55

I know of a Reef - parent is a tri athlete and coast based .
Oakley is a brand name for sunglasses
Sorry

Runningsmooth · 14/09/2019 23:54

I keep saying Reef over and over and the more I say it the more it sounds like a child trying to pronounce something they can't.

Flairhead · 14/09/2019 23:52

Not keen. A bottle of Reef was my choice when I first started drinking as a student and it was my first thought when I saw your post. Agree with PP that Ralph (pronounced Rafe) is a much better and similar choice.

Pieceofpurplesky · 14/09/2019 23:47

Please don't. It's awful and people will assume you are hilarious stoners or hippies.
Also Reef the drink.
Reef Wreath. keef. Queef.

River is very 1990s and Oakley is a pair of sunglasses

Whoops75 · 14/09/2019 23:26

Oakley is awful OP
Reef isn’t great & River is very dated.

Newearringsplease · 14/09/2019 23:25

Ds went to school with a Reef

Marcipex · 14/09/2019 23:24

The only Reef I’ve ever met was a ‘spirited’ child so perhaps I’m biased against it.
We used to say he was named after the failed method of contraception.

Usingmyindoorvoice · 14/09/2019 23:19

How about Rafe instead?

OooErMissus · 14/09/2019 23:17

🚬

You can do better, OP.

Frith2013 · 14/09/2019 23:15

@GlasshouseStoneThroweras of course I know who Scylla and Charibdis were!

Where are your suggestions?

itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted · 14/09/2019 22:26

Just awful

villamariavintrapp · 14/09/2019 22:24

Would you want to be called Reef? Could use Reid maybe?

Stormblessed · 14/09/2019 22:23

Nope, not a fan at all.

Grasspigeons · 14/09/2019 22:21

I quite like it. But Ralph (rafe) bit safer. Ive always liked River. I'm less keen on oakley.

nicslackey · 14/09/2019 22:17

As in tener (reef) ? lol!

pikapikachu · 14/09/2019 22:16

People will associate Oakley with sunglasses so I wouldn't go for that choice either.

Obviously don't go for River if your surname is Phoenix.

MissHenty · 14/09/2019 22:15

I prefer your other two names

Reef isn’t good (and this is coming from someone who likes unusual names)

upups · 14/09/2019 22:13

Honestly if you like it and it has meaning behind it for you then go for it! It's not the worst name in the world. Personally I do prefer the other names tho😊

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