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Baby names

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

Original poster

To be surprised at friends/family’s baby names

459 replies

AllyCatTown · 08/01/2023 19:03

Anyone else been surprised at what people in their lives have called their children?

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OnaBegonia · 08/01/2023 23:10

I know two sisters who had boys about 4/5 months apart and gave them the same name; regular ordinary name ; 2nd sister claims it was always her name for a boy (even though she has an a older boy)🤷🏼‍♀️

ShesThunderstorms · 08/01/2023 23:04

I won't lie, I wasn't expecting this when I opened this thread Grin

Lalliella · 08/01/2023 23:04

TulipTuesday · 08/01/2023 22:36

I know of a toddler who has the same name as a village down the road from where they live. As in first and last name. I did raise an eyebrow at that one.

Royston Vasey?

Kitkatcatflap · 08/01/2023 23:03

Sockmonkeysloth · 08/01/2023 19:19

I’m hoping for dungarees…

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Please be Knickerbockers

Puzzles85 · 08/01/2023 23:01

N00bz · 08/01/2023 22:59

In my friend circle we have:
Ocean Eyez (a girl)
Diamond (boy)
Ulysses (boy)
Navy Lee (boy)
Maryjoe (girl, parents are Mary and Joe)

The Navy I know is a girl!

Whynowwhynow · 08/01/2023 22:59

I know an Eileen, Joanie and Betty

N00bz · 08/01/2023 22:59

In my friend circle we have:
Ocean Eyez (a girl)
Diamond (boy)
Ulysses (boy)
Navy Lee (boy)
Maryjoe (girl, parents are Mary and Joe)

StrawberryAnnie · 08/01/2023 22:58

SpottyBalloons · 08/01/2023 20:56

@StrawberryAnnie I take it you haven't heard of Dante's Inferno!

Personally I wouldn’t see it as an issue- it’s one of a series of three poems in the Divine Comedy.

Everyone has their own perspective I’m sure. To ‘live up to the name’ of Dante would be a positive in my eyes, not a negative.

Whyarewehardofthinking · 08/01/2023 22:57

Random. DP taught him in Y10 and Y11.

Apparently it was a good description of the boy. He had siblings with quite random names too, but DP can remember them. He has asked a friend 🤣

Caszekey · 08/01/2023 22:53

Wondering if any of my friends are on here critiquing my kids names 😂😂😂

Twobigsapphires · 08/01/2023 22:52

My name is Sapphire, that was pretty unheard of in the 70s when I was born. My mum wanted my middle name to be Blue. My dad point blank refused…

TempsPerdu · 08/01/2023 22:50

Another one who has come across a Ronnie and Reggie (as a teacher, in London). Based on my experience they were making a point of trying to live up to their namesakes!

Former work colleague named her daughter Destiny Breeze, which sounds like a new variety of air freshener. And DD has a Bluebell in her class, who couldn’t be less delicate and flower-like.

mauvish · 08/01/2023 22:41

Where I start?

OK, I'm a dinosaur. I'm old enough to remember people born in the late 19th century (grandparents generation), 1920s-1940s (parents), 1960s (mine), and I wince every time I hear a small child addressed by a name that I associate with an elderly dementia sufferer living in a care facility.

But I loathe made-up names and idiotic spellings. Why would you do that to your child?

My real name is really quite classical (as in, it features in ancient myths) but I have spent my entire life spelling it out to people and being v embarrassed when people call me from waiting rooms and mangle it. It's not that difficult FFS. So I chose a name for my DD which is easily recognised and pronounced; sounds the same despite slightly different spellings across cultures; has never been incredibly IN or OUT of fashion. No-one ever gets it wrong. I liked it 30+ years ago and I still like it now.

OOH when I tell my dinosaur friends my DGD middle name, they look stunned, then laugh, then say "why?". I think you might call it a "nature name". I wasn't keen to start with but it's grown on me and I really like it now :)

PurpleFlower1983 · 08/01/2023 22:39

Reggie and Ronnie for twins. Why would you?

TulipTuesday · 08/01/2023 22:36

I know of a toddler who has the same name as a village down the road from where they live. As in first and last name. I did raise an eyebrow at that one.

BarbaraVineFan · 08/01/2023 22:35

The most unusual I know is a baby Ariadne. She gets called by a completely different nickname though

FirstnameSuesecondnamePerb · 08/01/2023 22:33

A colleague named his son Brian. I guess after his Dad/Grandad etc?
It's the only one I struggle to say out loud tbh.

MigsandTiggs · 08/01/2023 22:25

"Rex is a lovely name."
Agree. Our German Shepard was called Rex.

mauvish · 08/01/2023 22:24

sqirrelfriends · 08/01/2023 21:06

I know of someone with twin Gemini boys who named them Castor and Pollux.

All I think is that castor oil helps you poo and Pollux sounds dangerously close to pillock.

I do a lot of family history and came across a pair of servants (brothers) from about 250 years ago who were not only called Castor and Pollux, but rejoiced in the surname Gollihoff.

Pollux Gollihoff. Any nursery teachers here got one in their class?!

ToWhitToWhoo · 08/01/2023 22:22

Occasionally I've come across names which were fine in themselves, but not when combined with the surnames, e.g. Thomas Jefferson and even Al Capone, My dad knew a Dawn O'Day.

Season0fTheWitch · 08/01/2023 22:21

After a close family member had 4 children with very traditional classic names e.g. Edward, Alice, etc., their 5th child "Nation" was quite a surprise.

redbigbananafeet · 08/01/2023 22:18

Greensleevevssnotnose · 08/01/2023 19:46

There are two capes that I know, it's a lovely name

No it's not as it's not a first name!

redbigbananafeet · 08/01/2023 22:17

Bananarama21 · 08/01/2023 19:42

Someone has said the name recently. I can't confirm it as it would be too outing.

Collar

ToWhitToWhoo · 08/01/2023 22:16

LakieLady · 08/01/2023 21:54

I once had a colleague whose name was Merlin. He would have been born approx 1960.

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I've met two Merlins: one born in the early 60s like your colleague, and one in the 90s.

There was a Labour cabinet minister in the 70s called Merlyn Rees.

Willygogs · 08/01/2023 22:12

Someone called her son ‘ Harry’ nothing wrong with that, just their surname is Potter.
Poor child

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