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Baby names

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

Mumsnet's most loved baby names

235 replies

SmeleanorSmellstrop · 10/03/2021 03:01

I feel like there are a bunch of names that Mumsnet posters unanimously adore. I have never seen Josephine or Rosa get a negative comment, for example. As for boy names, I think Edward seems really well-loved. What do you think?

OP posts:
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BeingATwatItsABingThing · 10/03/2021 10:01

@Itsjustaride8w737

Clementine, i think it's too long, sounds pretentious and reminds me of the orange. Mumsnet seems to bloody love it 😂
God yes! Hate Clementine!
Greencabin · 10/03/2021 10:00

Elizabeth, Charlotte, Arthur, etc anything classic and 'normal'.

Must be spelt correctly with no unusual spelling as that would be too ghastly and the child will get bullied at school......

SmeleanorSmellstrop · 10/03/2021 09:58

I like Juno. I feel like Persephone is so much to live up to for no reason other than I'd expect Persephone to be a willowy fairy princess type and basically wouldn't suit a normal human being

OP posts:
Pilateswife · 10/03/2021 09:57

Ottillie and Christopher-Known-As-Kit were both at playgroup with my youngest. I dread to think what nicknames they’ve ended up with at the big local comp. Thankfully we aren’t in the same village anymore Grin

GoryGilmore · 10/03/2021 09:55

I find the name boards really good for inspiration for naming our pets, we love giving our hamsters/rabbits/dogs pretentious names!

SmeleanorSmellstrop · 10/03/2021 09:54

Do you think there's a big gap between the names MNers love and the names that people you know in real life love? This is something I've noticed a lot. Poster suggesting a name which is very unclassic and maybe a bit cool or a bit hippyish or a biy retro or basically anything other than Thomas/Anna type names and MNers always hate them. And I often think my family and friends in real life would adore that name! If the poster asked them, the responses would be totally different.

Similarly, if I named my child many of the MN favourites, my friends that I know in RL, or fanily would be pretty bored by the name choice.

OP posts:
WhiskyIrnBru · 10/03/2021 09:54

@Anoisagusaris

Persephone
Yes! Persephone!

Every thread.

GoryGilmore · 10/03/2021 09:54

I came on to say Ottilie too but other posters have beaten me to it. Have to agree with them, its really not my cup of tea.

Also I think Juno gets a lot of love on here, but I really like that name. Though it’s definitely had a massive surge in popularity round here, I know 4 in DD’s primary school.

merryhollybright · 10/03/2021 09:52

Penelope.

Every name thread I seem to go on is either someone naming their daughter it or someone suggesting it.
I've yet to meet one in real life (and quite glad, it feels really pretentious to me and completely lacking in personality).

Same4Walls · 10/03/2021 09:51

Im so glad others have already mentioned Clementine. I honestly don't understand the love for it at all.

Christopher nickname Kit is also one I see mentioned constantly. I've met what feels like hundreds of Christopher's and after the age of about 8 they seem to universally go by Chris but not once have I seen a poster suggest Christopher nickname Chris. Confused

Anoisagusaris · 10/03/2021 09:50

Persephone

SmeleanorSmellstrop · 10/03/2021 09:50

Christopher nn Kit! Yes! I've not met a baby Christopher, or even a child Christopher. Same about Thomas. MN adores it but not met any since I was a child. Tristan is another one I only hear on MN and have never met.

I am not a fan of Ottilie either, and am always surprised when MNers suggest it with such enthusiasm as to me it seems to break a lot of MN rules (eg it's not a classic and is never pronounced how it should be if you're going to stick to the original European pronunciation which is sort of like - Ott-eel-yuh. I personally don't agree that it's wrong to anglicise names, but MNers often kick off about anyone who wants to pronounce Xavier or Genevieve in the normal British way, so why is it okay to pronounce Ottilie as Otterly?)

Clementine seems OTT to me too, although I do love the sound, to me it seems just too MUCH to be usable, but yeah I agree this is another which everyone loves.

I didn't used to like Anna, Alice or Lucy as I felt they were dated and dull but MNers love them so much that they've really grown on me, Lucy in particular! But I was very surprised initially to see people raving about how classic and pretty they were, as i'd never really thought of them like that. The only people I know with any of these 3 names are people I went to school with, but no babies.

I do know a little Margot and Maeve though!

Recently Gabriel seems to be being suggested a lot, but it seems to be a very recent favourite.

OP posts:
Spied · 10/03/2021 09:49

Margot
Alice
Anna
Rowan
Willow

Hugo
Sebastian
Edward
Roary
Toby

DragonPoop · 10/03/2021 09:48

I second ‘Ottilie’ I think it’s the most hideous name I’ve ever heard but it always gets so much love on mumsnet.

Murtaghjames · 10/03/2021 09:46

Alice

Alarae · 10/03/2021 09:44

Saskia is one I see batted around.

TeenyTinyDustinHoffman · 10/03/2021 09:42

Ottillie, Clementine, Sylvie.

Reuben, Kit, Raphael.

raskolnikova · 10/03/2021 09:40

Greek names like Ptolemy and Phaedra seem to come up in suggestions more often than one might expect.

JeanClaudeVanDammit · 10/03/2021 09:38

Seren is really popular in Wales so no, it doesn’t just exist on mumsnet, that’s a crap example.

Margot is the one I see on here a lot that I’ve never encountered on a child in real life.

JemimaTiggywinkle · 10/03/2021 09:37

Tristan, Quentin, Rupert, “Reuben (nn Roo)”

DotDotDotDotDot · 10/03/2021 09:35

Elizabeth

Ithinkhedidit · 10/03/2021 09:34

Anna and Thomas. Often described as timeless classics. I find them so incredibly dull. And I know loads of them yet I've read several people describe them as "under used". I also agree with the Christopher nn Kit - I've yet to meet a baby Christopher though!

FlatEarthling · 10/03/2021 09:17

I know a Wren in real life. Admittedly it's my friends new kitchen.
( she doesn't rate the company, no idea if she'd name her child Wren, she certainly wouldn't now)

EdgeOfACoin · 10/03/2021 09:00

Wren and Seren.

I don't know a single Wren, but it is constantly suggested on here.

Thefirsttime · 10/03/2021 07:45

Ottilie.
Suggested on almost every baby name thread. I think it’s a horrible name.

And @Itsjustaride8w737 beat me to it- clementine.

For boys it’s Christopher nn Kit suggested on almost every boy name thread.

I think there’s a fairly high probability that none of the posters suggesting the above names have actually used them on their own children.