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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Some rather unusual names - which ones do you like?

81 replies

caitlinrose · 03/11/2022 11:13

These are not on our list but names I encountered this past week. I'm curious to hear what you think of them and whether you find all of them usable:

Ayaka
Citra
Lindsay
Christabel
Makena

Makena is a name I loved as a teenager and I'm sort of liking it now. I pronounce it like Makenna/Mackenna. Would it be usable?

Which spelling of Lindsay is best? And I am aware that Lindsay is one that's not unusual ;)

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cptartapp · 03/11/2022 12:52

I'm a Lindsay, spelt this way. I've spent my life spelling it out to people. It is very dated, I was born 1970's.
Don't particularly like it tbh. It sounds rather little girly to me.

Chomolungma · 03/11/2022 12:51

Christabel is my favourite.

Original poster

caitlinrose · 03/11/2022 12:50

TheBirdintheCave · 03/11/2022 12:34

As stated above, Lindsey is the original as it's after the place and that's how it's spelt.

I'm confused because you quoted behindthename which clearly states that Lindsay is the original and Lindsey the variant.

I know that the place is Lindsey but I guess it was used as Lindsay first as a given name?

OP posts:

Dreamingcats · 03/11/2022 12:49

Ayaka - sounds Japanese to me but not a pleasant sound in English, so imo not useable unless it's your culture. I don't like it.

Citra - I do actually like it. I think of fresh lemon scent and summer. I haven't heard of the beer.

Lindsay - useable and I like it ok.

Christabel - useable but too frilly for me.

Makena - useable but I absolutely loathe all names starting with a Mac sound, except Mack for a boy.

Sisisimone · 03/11/2022 12:34

Christabel and Lindsay are just normal names, if a bit dated

Ayaka - horrid, would get called yakky in school

Citra - is an IPA beer so would be along the lines of calling your baby Chardonnay

Makena - with this spelling I'd pronounce that Ma - kayna so if you wanted the sound Mackenna you'd need to spell it as such

TheBirdintheCave · 03/11/2022 12:34

As stated above, Lindsey is the original as it's after the place and that's how it's spelt.

Cosmosgrowinmygarden · 03/11/2022 12:27

I’ve always understood Lindsey to be a male name and Lindsay to be female.

FlounderingFruitcake · 03/11/2022 12:23

caitlinrose · 03/11/2022 12:19

Just an additional question:

Do you all see Lindsay as an odd spelling? I always thought it was the original but I will do more research.

I have also seen Lyndsey, Lyndsay, Lynsey, Lynsay, Linzi, though.

No because that’s how Lindsay Lohan and Lindsay Hoyle (although he’s a man obvs!) spell it and off the top of my head those are the most famous Lindsays I can think of!

linziere · 03/11/2022 12:22

I'm a Lyndsey and have spent my whole life telling people how to spell my name because there are so many variants. It's also a very dated name, I think I'd be a bit surprised if I met a baby Lyndsey/Lindsay/Lindsey, etc.

Original poster

caitlinrose · 03/11/2022 12:19

Just an additional question:

Do you all see Lindsay as an odd spelling? I always thought it was the original but I will do more research.

I have also seen Lyndsey, Lyndsay, Lynsey, Lynsay, Linzi, though.

OP posts:

channin · 03/11/2022 12:15

Mac means son of, so I find those names very odd to use for a girl. It's like Madison, I suppose, which I don't like for a girl for the same reason.

BobDear · 03/11/2022 12:13

I always think Christabel (Cristabel better spelling imo) sounds like an indecision between Crystal and Isobel/Annabel.

I don't like any of the others at all.

Lindsay is just Lindsey (middle aged gran name) in disguise

Ayaka and Citra might be international names, but they are not particularly pretty and make no sense if you are not from those countires.

I know surnames as forenames (Taylor / Hunter / McKenzie etc) are very popular in the US but I personally think they sound naff and try hard.

Sorry to be blunt, but if you are seeking opinions, that is mine.

EllieQ · 03/11/2022 12:11

Christabel is lovely, but comes across as quite old-fashioned, and seems middle/ upper class to me. Lots of old-fashioned names have come back in fashion, so why not this one?

Lindsay seems like a 70s/ 80s name to me (I’m in my 40s and knew a couple at school/ university). The unusual spelling could be annoying to the child (constantly having to correct it).

Ayaka and Citra sound odd to me (white British background). PP has said they are Japanese/ Indonesian, so I’d expect a cultural connection and think it odd if they didn’t have one.

Makena - I don’t like surnames as first names. It seems very American.

DeedIDo · 03/11/2022 12:06

Citra? I would wonder what part the beer if the same name had played in conception.

JamSandle · 03/11/2022 12:00

Not a fan of any but what matters is that you like them.

sopeas · 03/11/2022 11:59

Don’t like any of them

fatnotfluffy · 03/11/2022 11:55

Christabel is quite nice, though it sounds like a character in an old fashioned children's book. Lyndsey sounds like a middle aged woman. The rest I'm not keen on at all, I'm afraid, and you would be setting a child up for a lifetime of having to spell their name for people.

FlounderingFruitcake · 03/11/2022 11:48

Christabel is quite nice, good NN potentially too like Christy, Chrissy pr Bel if LO wanted to go by something a bit less frilly as they get older.

Lindsay isn’t at all unusual, it’s just dated. You get loads of 40+ Lindsays/Lindseys.
I know 2 Mackennas, both American and in their 30s. It’s also a surname. So again not especially unusual although I wouldn’t pronounce Makena the same way.
Ayaka never heard of it, is it Japanese?
Citra sounds like citrus and is just odd.

TheBirdintheCave · 03/11/2022 11:48

@caitlinrose You asked for our opinions on the names. Those are my opinions. I don't like surnames as first names and I don't like modern invented names.

I had a look on BehindtheName (one of the most credible names databases out there) and Ayaka is Japanese whilst Citra is Indonesian. Both of these would pass my criteria, I just couldn't be bothered to research them before.

GoodnightGentleBoris · 03/11/2022 11:43

A lot of names on that list sound like industrial cleaning products

Original poster

caitlinrose · 03/11/2022 11:43

CatsAreCrackers · 03/11/2022 11:39

I don't really like any of them. First thing that springs to mind:

Ayaka - Kayak or a cat being sick.
Citra - lemons.
Lindsay - pretty common, I know several of middle aged ladies with the name.
Christabel - fairly common, always seems a bit seasonal to me.
Makena - The song Macarena.

Thank you, that was a helpful reply! I liked reading about your associations.

OP posts:

Aquamarine1029 · 03/11/2022 11:42

I don't like any of them.

Original poster

caitlinrose · 03/11/2022 11:42

TheBirdintheCave · 03/11/2022 11:29

Christabel and Lindsey (spelt this way as it comes from a place name) are the only names I recognise. Both are ok though I prefer Lindsey on a boy as that is what's traditional. I'd have to do research into the others to see whether they are modern inventions or legitimate names in other languages.

McKenna/Makenna etc is a surname, not a first name.

I don't really see how it matters as this is about whether you like the name or not. Does it matter whether it's invented? They are "legitimate" names in other languages, by the way (I personally don't understand how a recently made-up name wouldn't be legitimate).

Makenna etc. is a surname but has also been used as a given name, sort of like Mackenzie or Taylor.

OP posts:

xyzzyx · 03/11/2022 11:41

Christabel

CatsAreCrackers · 03/11/2022 11:39

I don't really like any of them. First thing that springs to mind:

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