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Baby names

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

Original poster

Rafe, Jago, or something else? Any ideas please!?

36 replies

bananafarmer · 24/08/2022 18:02

We are SERIOUSLY struggling with a boy name. We have a v boring, common English surname and need something that works with that but isn't totally ordinary.

I love the name Raphael but think it feels very frilly with our surname and potentially a bit pretentious on a v caucasian looking little boy/ grown man.

Jago appealed initially because I am Cornish, but I'm not actually sure I really like it and it isn't quite an ugly sound.

Rafe I am very fond of but get the impression lots of people hate it.

Please help!!

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scottishnames · 30/12/2022 18:50

Just my personal opinion, but I really do not like Casey.

If you have Cornish heritage, then what about Breton names? Linguistically, they are very close indeed to and almost all (to my mind) nicer than Casey.
www.britishbabynames.com/blog/2011/09/breton-names.html

www.behindthename.com/names/usage/breton

Mumofgirls2017 · 30/12/2022 07:10

Sorry missed this was an old thread! Congrats. Rafe is gorgeous

Mumofgirls2017 · 30/12/2022 07:09

Love both Rafe and Jago. How about

Rafferty
Ivo
Rudy
Milo
Ludo
Casper
Rufus
Jude
Felix
Otto
Elio
Otis
Jasper
Quinn
Rory
Hugo
Toby
Wilfred
Xander
Rupert
Rowan
Gabriel
Jonah

Theoldwoman · 30/12/2022 06:27

Wade
Baden
Quade
Ayrton
Kurt
Jacques
Kalman
Chad
Dominic
Curtis
Lleyton
Cole
Lincoln
Drazik
Matteo
Cayden
Avery
Zeke
Yagen
Miles
Jeremy

Original poster
bananafarmer · 30/12/2022 04:52

Just because I always enjoy an update - our lovely baby boy arrived early November and we went with Rafe. It suits him so well and we are really happy with our choice. Slightly mixed response out in the real world, but I couldn’t care less.

OP posts:
Yika · 25/08/2022 19:33

I love the name Raphael.

what about
Raoul
Piers
Marcus

Recycledcurtains · 25/08/2022 19:25

OP just on the Jago point. We strongly considered it for our youngest child as my DH is from Cornwall. But we live in a different country in the UK and when canvassed, the general opinion was that it fell within the Jayden/Kayden genre.

So we opted against it, as (as a PP said) that’s not our preferred steer.

Whataretheodds · 25/08/2022 19:22

Rafferty is better than Raphael.

Or go for Ralph pronounced Rafe.

Kieran i prefer spelled Ciaran (does it have a fada ?)

DuchessOfSausage · 25/08/2022 19:20

Kieran is too 1970s

DuchessOfSausage · 25/08/2022 19:20

Jago is ok as you are Cornish.
Casey is ok as a surname but not as a first name
Raphael is awful.
not keen on Rafe but not my baby

Original poster
bananafarmer · 25/08/2022 10:26

Or Kieran?

OP posts:
Original poster
bananafarmer · 25/08/2022 10:23

Is Casey awful?

OP posts:
holidaynightmare · 24/08/2022 22:48

Prefer Rafferty

mangodreams · 24/08/2022 21:22

Really like Jago and Rafe.
Prefer Rafferty to Raphael nn Raff or Rafe.
Also like Jude, Kit, Jasper, Rory, Seb, Felix, Laurence, Finn

Mumofgirls2017 · 24/08/2022 21:11

I love both! Other suggestions

otis
otto
rudy
rufus
ralph
rupert
rowan
hugo
milo
arlo
zach
ludo
ivo
seth
evan
flynn
quinn
eric
jude
felix
casper
jasper
kit
torin
wilf

Lemonsyellow · 24/08/2022 21:09

I like Rafe, and Raphael-it’s not biblical, though, as pp said. Jago is also good.
Miles
Marcus
Guy

Ukholidaysaregreat · 24/08/2022 21:07

Jago, Jethro, Milo, Silus, Toby.

Original poster
bananafarmer · 24/08/2022 21:03

Some really great suggestions here, thank you. I also really appreciate the feedback on Rafe / Raphael / Jago - it's really helpful. I could've named 20 girls really easily, boy names just seem harder because the ones that are straightforwardly lovely to my ear are just SO popular / common, and with our surname they'd sound so totally run of the mill. But I don't like frilly, pretentious names either, and don't want to lumber the poor kid with one of those names they have to almost live up to. Argh, so hard!

OP posts:
AssignedSlytherinAtBirth · 24/08/2022 20:50

DS has a mate called Kim, which is pretty cool for a boy. But I like any of the big-hitting biblical names, like Jedediah (nn Jed) or Jethro, Gabriel, Joel, etc.

AssignedSlytherinAtBirth · 24/08/2022 20:47

I love Jago and Raphael. Not keen on Rafe.

Goodnewsday · 24/08/2022 20:44

Rafe I love! Boy names are so hard, I struggled to pick one 🙈 Other names I liked were: Milo, Max, Otis, Roman, Hughie, Reggie, Vinnie and Kit

Outlyingtrout · 24/08/2022 20:40

Jago is a beautiful name and we considered it too, but I think to someone who isn’t Cornish or aware of it as a Cornish name, it possibly hits the ear more like a Jayden/Kai/Kayden type name; totally not our vibe. That was our worry anyway.

User6761 · 24/08/2022 20:38

I like Jago.

Ivo
Magnus
Rowan
Jasper

Divebar2021 · 24/08/2022 20:34

Ooh yes Reuben or Tobias are good. I do like Rafe too. Otherwise
Hugo
Kit
Nate
Max
Lucien
Laurie

kiwiandcherries · 24/08/2022 20:26

I think Reuben or Tobias