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Baby names

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

Original poster

Aloysius

164 replies

toastofthetown · 10/11/2021 18:31

What are your thoughts on the name Aloysius? I'm not sure if it's more expected in a devout Catholic family rather than a non-religious household. I think Ally would be cute nickname, and makes the name more accessible as it fits in with the more popular Alexander and Alastair.

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Snugglybuggly · 11/11/2021 01:25

Awful

Kanaloa · 11/11/2021 01:11

@Lesserspottedmama

Oh I love it! Marvellous name. I dread to think how many pregnant women come away from this site feeling resigned to having to stick to Oliver/Joshua/Charlie etc just in case any other slightly more interesting name is branded as ‘pretentious’. There is not a single name you can call a child that Mumsnet doesn’t consider to be either pretentious, common, dated or twee - every name falls into one of those categories, every name.
Except James 😂

No although I find it a lot of name I like Jackson and Kai which according to a lot of mumsnetters would sadly force my sons into a bmx living Burberry wearing life of chavvy crime. They would inevitably end up starring in benefits Britain life on the dole in prison, because of my choice to give them a name that thousands of other boys also have.

So in the spirit of it, and agreeing with this poster - if you like it go for it.

Kanaloa · 11/11/2021 01:08

Teddy from Brideshead. I find it a bit ‘much’ really.

yodaforpresident · 11/11/2021 01:04

Quite common in my family, along with Gerald, Hugh and Cornelius……

HeronLanyon · 11/11/2021 01:04

Ignore my Loyola thought. That’s Ignatius.

DevilWaresPrada · 11/11/2021 00:59

Aloysius is pretentious/suspicious/atrocious.
It lends itself to rhyming and inevitably mocking and teasing.

HeronLanyon · 11/11/2021 00:55

Loyola and teddy bear are what I think of immediately.
I would very much expect bearer of name to be catholic

GlueMyMushrooms · 11/11/2021 00:53

I would secretly wonder whether the parents lacked the time or energy to keep reading their A-Z of baby names.

Colouringaddict · 11/11/2021 00:52

My Grandad (born in Southern Ireland) always claimed that this was one of his middle names, but could never spell it, so it became a family joke.

When he died, my DM sent off to Galway to get his birth certificate, and there it was in black and white. He always said it sounded like sneezes.

Scarby9 · 11/11/2021 00:44

Very Brideshead.
Aloysius, ursine star of the original Brideshead TV series, used to be on display at Castle Howard. I may once have made a special visit to see him.
I wouldn't call a real child Aloysius.

Lockdownbear · 11/11/2021 00:34

Very Catholic sounding name, as previously pointed out name of the Private Catholic secondary in Glasgow.

I wouldn't use it just to shorten it, that's pointless, it's not an easy name to spell so why land the kid a lifetime of spelling it out if you aren't going to really use it.

EvilRingahBitch · 11/11/2021 00:12

People who aren't familiar with it will be absolutely baffled by both spelling and pronounciation. People who are familiar with it (apart from a few Catholics) will think of Sebastian's teddy bear. Personally I wouldn't.

oviraptor21 · 11/11/2021 00:07

I don't think these days you'll get too many people with the Brideshead reference.
But it will be a pain for your son to spell out all the time. Ali is great though and I do like the name.

Scautish · 11/11/2021 00:07

Awful. Pretentious. Definitely Rees-mogg.

But perhaps that’s what you’re looking for?

KosherDill · 11/11/2021 00:04

Love it!!

ghislaine · 10/11/2021 23:48

It’s my son’s middle name. DH chose it but then again, I wanted Crispin. So perhaps our choices are not mainstream. And yes, DH is Catholic and a big Brideshead fan.

I should say my son is very proud of his middle name and it always gets a positive reaction (at least to our faces!).

KimDeals · 10/11/2021 23:43

@ESGdance

James Joyce’s middle name (alongside Augustine)
Ah! Didn’t know that. If it was good enough for the main man…
KimDeals · 10/11/2021 23:41

Doesn’t have pretentious connotations for me. I love it! And I love the nickname Alo.

I like saying the name, the feels nice!

I’m catholic but I don’t know a single person with this name! I tend to think of said in a Cork accent - why?!! I don’t know. Is it more prominent in Munster??

Maverick66 · 10/11/2021 23:41

Aloysius is shortened to Wishy where I'm from.
Don't know any under age of 70 tho

ESGdance · 10/11/2021 23:38

James Joyce’s middle name (alongside Augustine)

BeckySharpish · 10/11/2021 23:37

My grandad’s name. He went by Louis mostly.
But his wife used to say after dinner “aloysius, wash the dishes!” Grin
I like it

ESGdance · 10/11/2021 23:34

@jesusmaryjosephandtheweedonkey

I've met one in real life. He was nn Al . Was from the travelling community and he and his siblings all had fabulous names.
Oh what were their names?? @jesusmaryjosephandtheweedonkey
ESGdance · 10/11/2021 23:33

Not pretentious in my world - as PP have said it’s a v old (1940s?) name in Ireland related to Saints - along with Cornelius, Ignatius, Jarlath, etc

celan · 10/11/2021 23:32

I absolutely love it. It was on my list of possible names, but XH vetoed it (no idea why). It is fabulous.

TrashyPanda · 10/11/2021 23:28

@Anystarinthesky

Imagine having to go through your whole life spelling out that name to everyone.
Oh I do. Forenames and surname. It’s just part of everyday life and not a big deal.

It’s a great name, OP!