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Baby names

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

Original poster

Hyphenated first names?

159 replies

Sunmoonstars33 · 20/10/2023 16:50

My DH chose the name for our baby who is due in 3 months. Its a name that has a lot of meaning to him and as I basically chose the names of our last two children (we agreed on them together and he likes them its just they were suggested by me) I think I want to use his chosen name for this child. However this name is only two letters.
The name is Io (eye oh) as in one of Jupiter's moons. My husband loves anything to do with space.
I just feel like Io is very short so I was considering hyphenating it with another more traditional name to make it longer?
I wondered what peoples thoughts were about this.... the name we would use is Celeste. So it would be Io-Celeste.
I've never actually met anyone with a double first name but I know they are common, lily Rose, Anne Marie, Lisa Marie, etc
Interested to hear peoples thoughts

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EmpressaurusOfCats · 20/10/2023 17:25

LylaLee · 20/10/2023 17:22

Seduced being a polite euphemism for SA

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Yes. Raped would be a better description but too late to edit.

Shlump · 20/10/2023 17:25

I don’t like double barrelled first names, I think it sounds and looks silly. I think if you’re choosing an unusual name there’s no call to make it even more unusual by hyphenating. Just give her a reasonably usual middle name.

For what it’s worth I rather like Io, it’s short on paper but has no fewer syllables than Lucy or Lyra, and more than Jake or Mark. It sounds good.

LylaLee · 20/10/2023 17:22

EmpressaurusOfCats · 20/10/2023 17:20

Does your husband know why the moon’s called Io? The original Io was seduced by Zeus, after which Hera turned her into a cow.

Seduced being a polite euphemism for SA

EmpressaurusOfCats · 20/10/2023 17:20

Does your husband know why the moon’s called Io? The original Io was seduced by Zeus, after which Hera turned her into a cow.

Original poster
Sunmoonstars33 · 20/10/2023 17:19

@SkyePye I like all those names but my husband us set on Io. He calls her Io even now.
I dont really mind if people drop the second part of the name however I thought if she finds Io too wierd as a child she could easily use Celeste as it would also actually be her first name.
Yes it does look like Lo in print but I guess anyone who knows her and has heard her name will know its not. And obviously in handwriting at school it would not look like Lo.

OP posts:
LostMyEclairs · 20/10/2023 17:18

Don't like Io, prefer Celeste but not mad about it.

LostMyEclairs · 20/10/2023 17:17

Personally, the name Io reminds me of the Italian pronoun, but I think Celeste is a nice name that has been getting some attention on here lately. I've noticed that Hazel and Celeste have both been mentioned frequently - I wonder if they'll become the next big names like Luna. Also, just my personal preference, but I'm not a fan of hyphenated names.

CurlewKate · 20/10/2023 17:08

I don't like hyphenated first names- people will drop the second one anyway!

I like Io. The only problem is that people might think it's Lo.....

SkyePye · 20/10/2023 16:55

I know someone with an uncommon hyphenated name. Most people assume it's her first and middle names.

I quite like Io on its own but be prepared for people thinking the first letter is a lowercase L.

How about Phoebe (moon of Saturn), Elara (moon of Jupiter), Andromeda (Anna) or Cassiopeia (Cassie)