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Baby names

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Original poster

Thoughts on the name 'Aslan'

295 replies

sel2223 · 12/01/2020 16:36

My OH is Turkish and we've trying to agree on a name for a little boy (we have a girls name already).

We want a Turkish name with no special characters that is easy to pronounce in both Turkish and English. Asian means 'lion' in Turkish and is also the name of the lion from the Chronicles of Narnia, which I love.

What do you think? Is it too 'out there'?

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Ellmau · 13/01/2020 20:53

Orhan?

RightOnTheEdge · 13/01/2020 20:42

I love the name Emre/Emrah.
I see you said you love it too OP. Have you pointed out to your dp that he's vetoing that name for being too popular but would love to call him Mohammad, the most popular name in the world Grin

Breastfeedingworries · 13/01/2020 20:34

I like the name. Also lots of boys are called jesus and Mohammed.... 🤷🏼‍♀️

RightOnTheEdge · 13/01/2020 20:33

This has been such an interesting thread!
I feel I've learned a lot in 11 pages.

I read the title and and thought Oh no you can't call him that.
I have never come across the name anywhere but the book. I didn't realise it was a proper name.
I have also completely missed that Aslan represented Jesus in the book.
It's totally obvious now it's been pointed out though.
I really don't think it's the equivalent of calling him God or Jesus though it's totally different.

Over the last 11 pages Aslan has grown on me. I now love it!

Dio23489432489234 · 13/01/2020 20:15

Just thinking of potential jibes from peers as growing up. Have 3 boys all with ordinary names. Boys esp will take the p about everything and anything. But hey it’s up to you. So many prospective parents are desperate for a different, never heard that one before name. Forgetting that the kid to carry it with them for ever*

I just don't agree when it comes to names. I went to an inner city school in London. Bullying (and gentler piss taking) were of course rife. But there were loads of foreign and unusual names about, and I only ONCE in my entire school life heard anyone getting the piss taken out of their name, and do you know what it was? Luke. This boy got called Luke the Puke for 5 years. Bet his parents thought Luke was a safe name!

Lucylivesinamushroomhouse · 13/01/2020 20:14

YASSSSSSS love the name Aslan. Mumsnetters can be a weirdly conservative/risk averse bunch when it comes to baby names. Clearly no one in real life is being teased for being called Aslan. Baby groups these days are full of Atticuses and Bowies and Barneys and Woodys and all kinds of “crazy” names that most of Mumsnet would freak out at! He won’t stand out. Other than for having an awesome name.

It’s a perfect name that connects your 2 cultures and ticks all the boxes. Do it!!!

jillandhersprite · 13/01/2020 20:12

Love love love Aslan!
White heritage and it doesn't make me think of God - just a key character in a very popular children's book. Yes aware that the book and the author can be dissected to death if so wished by people that are into that sort of thing...
Do not think you are setting the kids up for a lifetime of pain because of his name...

ArnoldBee · 13/01/2020 20:11

Yes but also means sowing seeds apparently.

ThePlantsitter · 13/01/2020 20:09

Tarzan is an African name. Aslan is a Turkish name. Sensing a theme in the 'names we allow our children to laugh at' and it ain't literature.

Original poster
sel2223 · 13/01/2020 20:09

@ArnoldBee as in the Turkish word for November?

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ArnoldBee · 13/01/2020 20:05

I'm guessing you don't like Kasim then?

greenemerald · 13/01/2020 20:04

I think Aslan is nice! I've heard of it being used as a name due to my own cultural background and wouldn't automatically think of LWW. However really love the girls choice of Alara Smile

Original poster
sel2223 · 13/01/2020 20:02

@Lordfrontpaw not sure about Tarzan haha but Tarkan is a pretty popular Turkish name 😉

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Original poster
sel2223 · 13/01/2020 20:00

I appreciate it's a long thread but a lot of alternative names have already been discussed which have been vetoed by either myself or OH

I like more modern sounding names like Eren, Evren, Emre, Enver, Erol (the E thing is not deliberate, I promise)

OH likes traditional names like Hayat, Kadir, Ali, Ahmet, Serkan etc (I do not)

We have trawled through every internet site you can think of and Aslan is (so far) the only name we both don't hate.

Kemal is another one but we know so many kemals it puts me off

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Original poster
sel2223 · 13/01/2020 19:55

@nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut thank you

@AllTheWhoresOfMalta that hasn't been mentioned yet, I had to Google it!

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embolass · 13/01/2020 19:55

sel22233 I was joking re Alan !
Son no 1 suggests Alhan (a Utuber apparently ). Instant kudos at playgroup!

greenemerald · 13/01/2020 19:54

Adem (Adam)? Easy to transition between both cultures
Karim?
Cemil (pronounced Jameel)?
I personally love the traditional names. Like Mustafa!

nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut · 13/01/2020 19:53

My friends son is called Aslan. He hasn't had any bullying issues or anything.

Lordfrontpaw · 13/01/2020 19:52

So I looked at one of those online name finders... one really stood out - Tarzan.

Now I’m sure someone will come along to say it’s a real name and not like naming a child Cinderella at all...

AllTheWhoresOfMalta · 13/01/2020 19:51

FFS- This!

Thoughts on the name 'Aslan'
Original poster
sel2223 · 13/01/2020 19:51

@AnneElliott thank you for the suggestion but Aran is a predominantly Kurdish name which opens a whole other can of worms 🙈
Eren, which is similar, was one of my favourites but OH hates it!

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AllTheWhoresOfMalta · 13/01/2020 19:50

Can’t be arsed to trawl through the comments to see if there are any other The Thick of It fans in the house, but immediately thought of this.

Thoughts on the name 'Aslan'
Original poster
sel2223 · 13/01/2020 19:47

@embolass but Alan isn't a Turkish name lol

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AnneElliott · 13/01/2020 19:47

I'd always think of the book if I heard an Aslan. What about Aran? I know a boy with Turkish heritage called that as it's easy to pronounce in both languages.

Original poster
sel2223 · 13/01/2020 19:46

@Lordfrontpaw I really want one name which is written and pronounced the same in both languages.
I'd like it to be Turkish, not too long or complicated, not starting with a 'T' and with no special characters in it like c, ç, ş, ģ, I, ü, ö etc
No easy task haha

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