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Baby names

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

Original poster

What name would you love to use but you feel you can't because it's from another culture?

108 replies

Wavyheaded · 25/10/2019 23:03

Just for fun... I'm not even close to having a kid but love thinking about names.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Serafina (my all time favourite name!) but I'm not of Mediterranean or French descent and so it would be weird to use it - unless I marry a French man.

I also love Ettyenne, another French name (I think), it's just so elegant.

What do you wish you could use?

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MindyStClaire · 26/10/2019 21:25

I love Bebhinn. I had a friend in uni from Northen Ireland with this name and she pronounced it "beh-vinn" which I love. I think it's usually pronounced "bey-veen" but if I could I would use it the way she did.

It'd need a fada over the e to be bey-vinn so your friend was right Smile

Loveislandaddict · 26/10/2019 21:12

I love Welsh names but couldn’t persuade Dh to use the more Welsh, Welsh names. However, manage to choose more ‘English’ Welsh names. Eg. David or Owen rather than Gweirydd

Siablue · 26/10/2019 21:05

Idris (autocorrect tried to change it to Doris🤣).
Blessing and Naeemah.

Mrsfrumble · 26/10/2019 20:50

Luka or Johann for a boy. Saoirse is so very pretty too, but I remember a bit of a backlash over the popularity of Irish names in the 1990s and accusations of being “plastic paddies”, so wouldn’t have used it without genuine Irish links.

Crabonastick · 26/10/2019 20:46

Katarzyna, I absolutely love it, but am not polish

Echobelly · 26/10/2019 20:43

My husband loved the name Hawa for a for a girl (Arabic version of 'Eve')

Buyitinbamboo · 26/10/2019 20:42

I'm expecting a boy and love Mateo but chances are he will be blonde, pale and blue eyed like me, his dad and sister. With a very English surname. It's been vetoed for being too "exotic". DD has a French name though and it works fine.

Fantababy · 26/10/2019 20:35

Orla

Iliada · 26/10/2019 20:19

Or actually it was the land of the Rohirrim, wasn’t it? Anyway, I’m sure Tolkien won’t mind if anyone wants to borrow it.

Iliada · 26/10/2019 20:17

I love the idea that you can’t use Rohan because it’s elvish and you’re not.

Nextphonewontbesamsung · 26/10/2019 16:49

Mercedes
Bronwen
Angus
Siobhan
Pablo

^
Really love all these but couldn't bring myself to use them as we are English.

Original poster
Wavyheaded · 26/10/2019 16:48

@posterRuffleCrow I'm Asian!

OP posts:
User24689 · 26/10/2019 16:47

Indira

Original poster
Wavyheaded · 26/10/2019 16:45

@LiveatCityHall That's where I found the name too! Serafina Pekkala was the name of the witch. :)

In my research however, I found that Serafina is also a biblical name, the name of an angel, so that won't go down well in my culture as we are not from a bibical/christian culture. Oh well, I can still dream!

Maybe one day I will get a black cat and name her Serafina!

OP posts:
custardbear · 26/10/2019 16:28

I like Soren and Lakshmi - being blonde and blue eyed we look more Scandinavian than Asian but both would seem strange I think in England with very English backgrounds

hopefulhalf · 26/10/2019 16:20

Ravi

DinoSn0re · 26/10/2019 16:18

Rohan.

TeddyToaster · 26/10/2019 16:17

Taj ❤️

WitchibanLipstickForMen · 26/10/2019 16:06

A bunch of Hawaiian names like Kaimana or Kaleo. Honestly though I’d use them anyway.

OverthinkingThis · 26/10/2019 15:26

I like Noor but no cultural links and it doesn't go with my surname at all!

Bol87 · 26/10/2019 15:18

Rafael & Matteo .. but my bambino’s have the worlds most British surname! Sound pretty daft together!

Sb20162019 · 26/10/2019 15:14

I also love Ettiene for a boy
I think I'd be more inclined to name a girl names associated with other nationalities for some reason..

Amadis has always been on my girls list and I like Lilou

VirtualHamster · 26/10/2019 13:50

I like a lot of old testament boys names e.g.

Caleb, Ezra, Elijah, Isaiah, Ezekiel

Committed atheist though

Dustybun · 26/10/2019 13:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

shhsecret · 26/10/2019 13:40

I love Bebhinn. I had a friend in uni from Northen Ireland with this name and she pronounced it "beh-vinn" which I love. I think it's usually pronounced "bey-veen" but if I could I would use it the way she did. I love that it sounds kinda masculine and not a traditionally "girly" name but we have zero links to Ireland wouldn't feel right to use it!