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Baby names

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Original poster

Help please- is Autumn Oates a bad name? I hate my surname!!

95 replies

Sarahoatesy · 09/11/2023 10:15

My surname is Oates. Which I didn't mind until looking for baby names.

My 1st born is called Lyra 🤍

Thinking about name for no2 and love the names Winter or Autumn 🍁!

But have a small feeling these look like porridge brands when paired with Oates. My husband thinks I'm overanalyzing.

Autumn Oates
Winter Oates

Please help and be honest.

TIA

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GentlemansRelish · 09/11/2023 12:53

APocketOfGooseFood · 09/11/2023 10:23

I think you have to find a name that can’t be used as an adjective, or you are going to run into the same problem every time.

Exactly this. I do think Oates is a great surname, though -- but lots of surnames limit the kind of first name that can be used with them.

MakeANewPlanStan · 09/11/2023 12:51

There's the teasing thing, but then there's the lifelong fact that whenever a stranger reads Winter Oates the first image their brain will throw up will be a pile of oats, not a human being.

Hazel Oates sounds like a breakfast bar, but at least Hazel is a familiar first name, whereas Autumn and Winter are still predominantly seasons to most people. I agree with PP suggesting you go for a more namey-name like Katie, or Tabitha or Caroline.

Janieforever · 09/11/2023 12:51

I’m sure this is a wind up, who would call their kid winter or autumn oats, cmon now,

MaloneMeadow · 09/11/2023 12:51

Autumn is lovely but I have to be honest it really doesn’t work with your surname OP, sorry!! Sounds more like pumpkin spice flavoured porridge!

AmazingSnakeHead · 09/11/2023 12:50

Yep, I'd give all of nature a miss as well.

Crikeyalmighty · 09/11/2023 12:49

I think from my list Jasmine Oates sounds quite nice if you would like a nature name ,

Although in all honesty I think I would move away from nature.

CallieQ · 09/11/2023 12:39

Sarahoatesy · 09/11/2023 10:15

My surname is Oates. Which I didn't mind until looking for baby names.

My 1st born is called Lyra 🤍

Thinking about name for no2 and love the names Winter or Autumn 🍁!

But have a small feeling these look like porridge brands when paired with Oates. My husband thinks I'm overanalyzing.

Autumn Oates
Winter Oates

Please help and be honest.

TIA

Definitely porridge I'm afraid

Mrburnshound · 09/11/2023 12:34

With a surname Oates you need to move away from nature names
Lyra works well, how about Cassia, Cassie, Amelia?

PurpleChrayne · 09/11/2023 12:29

Too harvesty.

BumpyaDaisyevna · 09/11/2023 12:29

Don't call her Wild ...

A normal name is what you need.

Eg
Anna Oates
Katie Oates
Janey Oates
Sophia Oates

idontlikealdi · 09/11/2023 12:23

Sounds like an animal feed, sorry. I love the name Autumn but I don't think it works.

hologramvirus · 09/11/2023 12:18

Autumn is a lovely name. I would keep that and change the surname : )

Tinysoxxx · 09/11/2023 11:45

Winter oats get planted in the fields round here. They are known as winter oats.

InTheRainOnATrain · 09/11/2023 11:39

It doesn’t work sorry. They sound like instant porridge mixes- Autumn with cinnamon and pumpkin spice, Winter with winter berries. You need a name that is just a name and isn’t used in any other context. I sat next to a guy at work who had the surname Oates for years and genuinely never thought of oatmeal or cereal bars because he had a classic, traditional first name.

AirFryerFrequentFlyer · 09/11/2023 11:32

Jewelspun · 09/11/2023 10:28

Rowan
Hazel
Amber
Saffron
Ivy

Not Hazel! Hazel Oates sounds like a cereal bar.

Now I can't get Mares eat Oats ditty out of my head. So maybe not Ivy either ...

EeesandWhizz · 09/11/2023 11:23

I'm a farmer, we grow winter oats or spring oats, autumn oats just sounds wrong. Almost as wrong as wild oats.

TheBirdintheCave · 09/11/2023 11:15

Topseyt123 · 09/11/2023 11:01

What is your DH's surname? Would it work better with that?

You could always change all of the children rather than just have one of them different.

I was imagining she meant that the whole family have the surname Oates.

Colette88 · 09/11/2023 11:05

Autumn-Jane Oates works

Calmdown14 · 09/11/2023 11:01

Great post from @honeylulu

It is the sound that makes it tricky. I have similar. Anything ending 'ie' sound doesn't work with mine, which is most names at the moment!

But there are lots of lovely names you can have without her sounding like breakfast cereal.

Topseyt123 · 09/11/2023 11:01

What is your DH's surname? Would it work better with that?

You could always change all of the children rather than just have one of them different.

Beautiful3 · 09/11/2023 10:59

Yes when I first read the name, I immediately thought of porridge. However its up to you.

IDontLoveTheWayYouLie · 09/11/2023 10:58

I like the name/s but it doesn't sound great together, sorry.

VerrryNiceIndeed · 09/11/2023 10:56

Yes it doesn’t sound like a girl’s name unfortunately.

honeylulu · 09/11/2023 10:55

Sorry yes, makes me think of Overnight Oats! Too descriptive.

Hope you can find some other names you love.

Might be best to avoid names that end in a vowel sound as the vowels can kind of run together and make the first name and surname sound like one word iyswim. Two "oh" vowel sounds together (like Willow Oates which someone has suggested) sounds particularly awkward.

One of my children has a name ending with a "ca" sound which is also the start of my husband's surname so we put my surname first (kids have both) to avoid an awkward "caca" sound! It's tricky.

A name ending with a firm consonant sound might work best ie (just suggesting for sounding rather than the names themselves):
Annabel Oates
Elizabeth Oates
Lillian Oates.

Hope that makes sense ...

EmmaAmeliasMum · 09/11/2023 10:49

I think Autumn is lovely (even with) your surname ❤️

She might not have her surname forever if/when she gets married anyway!