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Baby names

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

Original poster

Help! What's fresh and unique

34 replies

whatsthesenseinsharing · 12/09/2023 23:14

Really struggling with baby boy names. Have got children already where I was on the hall early on but I'm due anyway now.. and not got anything picked yet.

So far:
Knox, Jayden, Michael, Shay, Teddy...

Is it cool to have a cute name, or something a little more coarse goes these days?

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DuchessOfSausage · 30/09/2023 11:13

I know loads of Kieran, Kieron and Kirans and I'm in the UK

RogersOrganismicProcess · 30/09/2023 06:31

If you have Irish in you what about Kieran? Not so many little Kieran’s in the uk, nice for an adult man, and the spelling and pronunciation are easy enough for those not versed in Irish names.

DrLucyVanPelt · 30/09/2023 06:14

Michael definitely. Could be Mikey, Mickey, Mac for short.

Do not understand the love for Teddy at all unless as a nn.

I'd personally go for a longer, more traditional name with nickname options. Names need to grow with them!

Totalwasteofpaper · 30/09/2023 05:46

RomaniIteDomum · 13/09/2023 06:42

Michael is by far and away the best name on your list.

I have an Andrew, which like Michael was last really popular in the 80s.

We get so many compliments on it as it's known but currently uncommon and I've only met two others under the age of 30 - and one of those was a teenager.

+1

Please do not call your child Knox.

JustKen · 30/09/2023 05:42

Lots of Michaels at work aged 40+. My dad is a Michael and he's in his late 70s. Time for a comeback!

mathanxiety · 30/09/2023 04:57

whatsthesenseinsharing · 13/09/2023 14:30

Great feedback guys... it's exciting but a whole responsibility giving a name.

Michael or Micha sounds good...

Irish way is Michael pronounced mee-hawl??

Connelly came up today, and Collins. Not heard them before..

The Irish name is spelled Micheal, with an accent on the A that gives the long A sound (mee-haul).

If you're in the UK most people will misread it and call him Michael.

Would you consider Mikhail? Or Miguel?

user1492757084 · 30/09/2023 04:18

Marcel
Edward
Michael
Larkspur

Katela18 · 30/09/2023 00:04

I have a Hamish.

Other names on my list were

Rafferty nn Raff
Magnus
Cormac
Rory
Samson

Daisybuttercup12345 · 29/09/2023 20:21

Michael by far.
John is unusual these days.

KayEmAy · 13/09/2023 15:56

So refreshing to see some different names on here! I like your style :)

Really love Shay and Knox!

Can't speak for everywhere else but in America, it's cool to have a cool name :)

Other ideas based on your list -

Dawson
Bellamy nn Bell
Clay
Perry
Wynn
Hale
Griffin nn Fin, Griff
Sterling
Austin
Baylor
Jensen
Monty

DuchessOfSausage · 13/09/2023 14:44

@whatsthesenseinsharing , In Ireland Michael is pronounce Mike-l. Micheál is not.

shakeitoffsis · 13/09/2023 14:39

Micah, rafferty, quinn

Original poster
whatsthesenseinsharing · 13/09/2023 14:30

Great feedback guys... it's exciting but a whole responsibility giving a name.

Michael or Micha sounds good...

Irish way is Michael pronounced mee-hawl??

Connelly came up today, and Collins. Not heard them before..

OP posts:
GR8GAL · 13/09/2023 12:00

I think Teddy is really nice, but would they simply be Teddy on the birth cert or Edward?

My partner and I talk about having kids all the time, we're been playing with fire recently and are pretty much leaving things up to fate right now!

I've always like months of the year as names. Most recently I've liked August for a boy, June/April/May for a girl (my grandmother's name was May).

Names after plants are a favourite too - my mother in law's name is Olive and I really like Olive/Oliver depending on gender.

Hope these ideas are helpful! Not unique but definitely rarer these days, especially names like Lavender or Wednesday!

DuchessOfSausage · 13/09/2023 11:21

Coarse to me means rough.
If you are using suggestions from here, check the standard spelling of the name. Samson and Sullivan are the standard spellings.

Watch for names that have two acceptable spellings like Lawrence and Kurt.
Curtis is quite nice.

DuchessOfSausage · 13/09/2023 11:12

Unique means 'only one of' so in theory you'd need to invent a new name or it wouldn't be unique.

Knox - school of hard knocks
Jayden - hardly 'fresh'
Michael - love it
Shay - know a few
Teddy - very popular

Look up a potential name on Baby names in England & Wales since 1996 (darkgreener.com), and look up variations of the name (e.g. Jayden, Jaden, Jadon, Jaydon). Teddy for example is pretty popular at #26, but there may be children called Teddy but registered as Edward (#29) , Theodore (#11), Theodora, or who are registered as Teddie.

wellingtonsandwaffles · 13/09/2023 09:58

Choose a normal name and have the flexibility to experiment with Nicknames over the years

Michael is great! Or Micah

Sulliven - Sully
Solomon - Sol/Solly
Saul
Sampson - Sam

Emmett - Mit / M
Emmanuel - Mani / M
Ellis - El
Ivor - Ivo

Chester - Ches
Lawrence - Larry / Lawry

ZoyaTheDestroyer · 13/09/2023 08:48

What is a 'coarse' name?

Whataretheodds · 13/09/2023 08:22

Unique is something that is one of a kind. None of the names you suggested are unique (or fresh).

Never heard of a child called Coarse. That might be unique.

Poontangle · 13/09/2023 08:18

Michael, absolutely. See also:
Richard, Philip, Mark, Paul, Ian.

Any name that sounds like a 50-something politician, basically.

PickledScrump · 13/09/2023 08:13

Knox and Jayden are what a lot of people people would describe as downmarket or “chavvy” although I hate that word.

Shay to me is a girls name.

Teddy is the best but it’s very very common now. Edward would be better and give more options for nicknames. Ned would be a fresher short ending these days.

Cute/unique is great theoretically but he will one day be a man with a career and silly names can cause people to judge you.

CharlieBoo · 13/09/2023 08:02

Michael is the best from your list.. I know a little baby Michael who is 7 months old.

Original poster
whatsthesenseinsharing · 13/09/2023 07:50

These are all good suggestions Smile

My other kids love Michael, not so keen on the others. And the Jayden's snd Shays are popular.

Sully is fab..!!

OP posts:
QueeniePlumtree · 13/09/2023 06:56

Michael is very underused!
How about Emmerson?
Jason
Sully

RomaniIteDomum · 13/09/2023 06:42

Michael is by far and away the best name on your list.

I have an Andrew, which like Michael was last really popular in the 80s.

We get so many compliments on it as it's known but currently uncommon and I've only met two others under the age of 30 - and one of those was a teenager.