Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Would you choose Kit or Harris?

84 replies

sarah13xx · 05/04/2021 19:02

My final poll.. I think I’ve got there in the end and have eventually got my favourite two name options 🙌🏼
We live in Scotland so there’s a huge difference in popularity between the names. Harris was 6th last year and Kit was 372nd (although I know some will be registered as another name).
For years we presumed if our first baby was a boy he’d be Harris but had no idea it was anywhere near the top 10 because we don’t know any! It put us off slightly and I went looking for other names but never really found anything I loved 🙄 Kit is the only other one we’re considering now. So without mentioning the thing about how in England Harris is some sort of cockney rhyming slang 🤷🏼‍♀️ (which no one in Scotland has ever heard of 😂).. what would you go for? 😊 X

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Thedogscollar · 07/04/2021 00:24

Please don't inflict Kit on the poor child it's just such a poor name and has no redeeming features.

Harris on the other hand sounds great for a baby, cute toddler, teenager and man.

Jack1975 · 07/04/2021 00:17

My 9 year old son is call Harris. My hubby picked the name Harris after Steve Harris from Iron Maiden (Hubby a massive Iron Maiden fan lol)
I'm Scottish (long long time ago), hubby is English and son born in Wales :-)

Catwoman1985 · 06/04/2021 23:55

I love the name Kit, so I'm biased!

drpet49 · 06/04/2021 14:44

Harris is a surname to me. Kit is okay.

Violetlavenders · 06/04/2021 14:17

I know a Katherine nicknamed Kit or Kitty.

It's really not masculine imo.

Lockdownbear · 06/04/2021 14:14

@Lockdownbear

I didn't think Harris was a surname, more an island name getting used as a first name. It's up there with Lewis, Skye, Isla and Iona.
Whoops just remembered a rather infamous Mr Harris.

But really I would still vote Harris over Kit.

lucymagoo · 06/04/2021 13:58

I like Harris, cannot stand the name Kit, it just makes me think PE kit 😂

Lockdownbear · 06/04/2021 12:23

I didn't think Harris was a surname, more an island name getting used as a first name.
It's up there with Lewis, Skye, Isla and Iona.

Original poster
sarah13xx · 06/04/2021 12:21

@Flymetothestars

I think you should stick with Harris as that's the name you've had in mind for longer

I love both

If you look at the Scotland popularity graphs, the name Harris has totally peaked and started falling so it's not like it's about to boom and you're going to be shocked. The last 5-8 years the numbers really haven't changed much and in fact they fell in 2020

Yeah I was pleased to see it had very slightly gone down last year. In 2019 it was the number one name in my council area but had fallen in 2020 too
OP posts:
Oneearringlost · 06/04/2021 12:14

Kit, most definitely, but then, I'm English and I'm also not keen on surnames being used as first names.
Kit is lovely!

Lockdownbear · 06/04/2021 11:02

I think the reason Kit / Kitty was considered female it because Kitty could be used as a shortened version of Katherine.

Kit definitely sounds like a nickname / shortened version of something. What about Kurt?

But really I like Harris.

Flymetothestars · 06/04/2021 10:17

I think you should stick with Harris as that's the name you've had in mind for longer

I love both

If you look at the Scotland popularity graphs, the name Harris has totally peaked and started falling so it's not like it's about to boom and you're going to be shocked. The last 5-8 years the numbers really haven't changed much and in fact they fell in 2020

emmathedilemma · 06/04/2021 10:07

Harris

Violetlavenders · 06/04/2021 09:58

Kit sounds like a nickname for Kitty or kitten 🐈‍⬛.

There's also sports kit, games kit etc...

I MUCH prefer Harris!

Original poster
sarah13xx · 06/04/2021 09:10

@FeistySheep

I thought Kit was a girl's name? Obviously not! Probably wouldn't call either a girl or a boy just Kit - it's nice if it's short for something though. Like Harris too; I know of a couple but it's not mega popular here (Highlands). Would it get shortened to Harry? Do you like Harry?
I have heard someone else say they thought it was a girls name too but it seems to be mainly a boys name now. I think Harris is the safer choice
OP posts:
FeistySheep · 06/04/2021 09:07

I thought Kit was a girl's name? Obviously not! Probably wouldn't call either a girl or a boy just Kit - it's nice if it's short for something though. Like Harris too; I know of a couple but it's not mega popular here (Highlands). Would it get shortened to Harry? Do you like Harry?

LivingDeadGirlUK · 06/04/2021 08:48

I prefer Kit, but I really like the name Harrison.

I had a really unpleasant night camping on Harris so this may be clouding my judgement, Lewis on the other hand was lovely :P

Tamingofthehamster · 06/04/2021 08:43

Kit definitely

Xanadu58 · 06/04/2021 08:43

Kit

Lauraloh · 06/04/2021 08:41

It sounds like Harris is the one you really love and have done for a long time, so you're unlikely to go off it. I don't think it matters if it's popular, especially since you don't know any. Kit seems to be getting more and more popular too so there's no guarantee that it won't end up near the top as well. Just go with what you love best!

Original poster
sarah13xx · 05/04/2021 22:29

@BackforGood

If I'm being honest, I don't like either. To me, Kit is a baby animal, or what a team wear to play sport, and Harris is a surname. However I think, as you say there is a divide here between Scotland and England Smile

If you love Harris and have done for a long time, and you don't know of any other Harris's in your circle, then go for it. I know how hard it is to find a name, as a teacher Wink, so use the one you both love.

Yip, teachers are well aware of the struggle 😭🤣 Very few names are going to be names you’ve never heard in school so it’s near impossible to avoid any I know completely. My girls name has been decided for years and in 2020 not a single girl in Scotland was called it. Yet I have somehow ended up with one in my class this year! 🤷🏼‍♀️ Was glad I was having a boy so if I use the girls name later at least it doesn’t look like I’ve just copied it off the child in my class this year 😂
OP posts:
Marcipex · 05/04/2021 22:19

Kit is girly. At least use it as a nn.
Kristopher is nice.

Harris is dreadful to English ears. I asked DH and he immediately said ‘it means arse, as in Give him a kick up the (H)arris.’ So only if you’re certain he’ll never work Down South.

BackforGood · 05/04/2021 22:14

If I'm being honest, I don't like either.
To me, Kit is a baby animal, or what a team wear to play sport, and Harris is a surname.
However I think, as you say there is a divide here between Scotland and England Smile

If you love Harris and have done for a long time, and you don't know of any other Harris's in your circle, then go for it. I know how hard it is to find a name, as a teacher Wink, so use the one you both love.

BungleandGeorge · 05/04/2021 22:11

Harris. Kit as a stand-alone name is awful, sorry

percheron67 · 05/04/2021 22:03

I used to go out with a dozy chap named Kit - known as "The Dreaded Kit"! Harris is a surname. Good name for a cartoon hedgehog though.

Swipe left for the next trending thread