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Baby names

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

Original poster

Should I name my daughter Alpha?

208 replies

paulinesmithson · 09/01/2023 17:09

first time poster, bit new to all this!
Recently my beloved grandfather Alfie passed and the entire family were devastated. About a month later we found out we were expecting our second child and I new right away that I wanted to name it after him. A few weeks ago we discovered that I am having a darling baby girl and after researching some names, I fell in love with the name Alpha. It's a greek name meaning new beginnings and it's so similar to my grandfather's name that it seemed perfect to me.

However my DH and a few other friends disagree and think that she will be bullied for this unconventional name and that I should consider something else. I want a name my husband and I can agree on but I can't think of any more fitting name than Alpha. I came on here to ask for other opinions on this?

OP posts:
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Silentsalamander · 09/01/2023 18:09

How about Alpaca?

LuluBlakey1 · 09/01/2023 18:06

Have you seen The Walking Dead? She is grotesque. I couldn't see past that.

Aurelia
Amelie
Aphra
Asha

Daisybuttercup12345 · 09/01/2023 18:05

What about Alfreda? And nn Alfie?

Forestdweller11 · 09/01/2023 18:05

What about just Alfie? Pared with something like Olivia? (I'm hopeless at pairing names!)

Not keen on Alpha. Just makes me think of the letter or pack leader. And tbh I don't naturally link it to be homage to Alfie.

Sarahcoggles · 09/01/2023 18:04

Awful name. It's not a name, it's a Greek letter. And it'll be shortened to Alfie, so she'll be teased for having a boy's name.
If you are desperate to honour your grandad, then give her Alfreda as a middle name.

Otterleaf · 09/01/2023 18:04

Gently but you are letting your emotions around your grandad have too much sway here. Your naming an actual person and I'm sorry to say but a person who will not have that level of connection to a great granddad who they won't have met. Can you name all your great grandparents? It wouldn't be such an issue is it was an easier name to wear.
And really it's not fair to try to convince (guilt?) your husband into it.

TenoringBehind · 09/01/2023 18:04

No

Blip · 09/01/2023 18:03

Or maybe Alfiette

Blip · 09/01/2023 18:02

I'd call her Alfie if you want to honour your grandad.

No reason it can't be used for a girl if you like it.

WandaWomblesaurus · 09/01/2023 18:01

lunar1 · 09/01/2023 17:20

I'd suggest doing a Google search for the 'Alpha/Omega trope' in fiction and then decide from that if you want to give your dd that name.

Oh god yes this!

Purpleavocado · 09/01/2023 18:01

I think kids are mean and will call her Alphabetti spaghetti
Althea, Athena etc are all nice A names

WandaWomblesaurus · 09/01/2023 18:01

Alpha from The Walking Dead is a deeply unpleasant and scary character brilliantly played by Samantha Morton but that's my first thought.

Second thought is "Alpha Male"

scaredoff · 09/01/2023 18:00

It's beta than plenty of other names.

RedToothBrush · 09/01/2023 18:00

Your problem isn't what everyone here thinks.

Your DH has said no, so the conversation ends there no matter what.

EllieM27 · 09/01/2023 17:59

Oh OP, imagine the poor thing starting school! The other kids taunting her with “Hey Alpha, teach us the alpha-bet!” and that sort of nonsense! She’d have a rough time.

Aphra is lovely, and I like the suggestion of Alma too! If you like historical, Aphra Behn was not only one of the first women to make a living from writing but was also recruited by Charles II as a spy. Pretty awesome I think!

ladyamy42069 · 09/01/2023 17:59

No

Talia99 · 09/01/2023 17:58

lunar1 · 09/01/2023 17:20

I'd suggest doing a Google search for the 'Alpha/Omega trope' in fiction and then decide from that if you want to give your dd that name.

This. It’s an online fanfiction gender (when applied to apparent females it usually means they have male genitalia). A lot of the stories are blatantly sexual.

You are either going to have people thinking your child is intersex, thinking you’ve named her after the Walking Dead character (not a preferred role model) or making the ‘alpha male, toxic masculinity’ connection.

LaLuz7 · 09/01/2023 17:58

Altheea?

LaLuz7 · 09/01/2023 17:56

Mamoun · 09/01/2023 17:50

In the kindest possible way, I would not recommend it at all.
Alpha course, Alpha male, Alpha predator...

What about Alma?

Alma is lovely

Soul in spanish, so Spanish for keeping grandpa Alfie in your souls?

totallyhadenoughofthisbs · 09/01/2023 17:56

As someone who is into fan fiction I wouldn't. Not my thing but you see a lot of this:

fanlore.org/wiki/Alpha/Beta/Omega

MyDogStoodOnABee · 09/01/2023 17:55

Alpha Elizabeth - AlphaBet for short

LaLuz7 · 09/01/2023 17:55

Alpha male

Guaranteed to be the butt of jokes

Sorry, it's stupid. It might be Greek in origin, but it literally means the letter A and I very much doubt it's actually used as a recognised name in Greece or anywhere.

Inmoremode · 09/01/2023 17:53

Go for it! I recommend first name Alpha, second name Beth!

tattygrl · 09/01/2023 17:52

Do the people mentioning The Walking Dead realise that Alpha wasn’t a character name as such, but what the other members of the “pack” called their leader? As in like a pack of wolves (altho I know that theory has been disproven)?

Doesn’t really matter but keeps bugging me. She wasn’t a person named Alpha, it was her title/rank. Mini rant over 😂

Mamoun · 09/01/2023 17:50

In the kindest possible way, I would not recommend it at all.
Alpha course, Alpha male, Alpha predator...

What about Alma?