Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Names you LOVE but would never choose...

164 replies

poppymango · 19/06/2024 17:57

For example:

A name associated with a famous celebrity

Something gorgeous but very obviously from a movie/book franchise

Something that sounds way too posh (or not!)

Etc.

I loved the name Merida (from the movie Brave) and was very disappointed to learn that it's not actually a real Scottish name at all! Naming your daughter after a Disney princess seems like something you may regret.

I also saw a TV show once with a character called Persephone, Percy for short. I love it but we are in no way posh enough to pull it off. Sigh.

What are yours?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
iAmBarbara · 19/06/2024 22:58

Miley
Arianna

I actually am not a fan of either singer; I just happen to really like both names (especially love Arianna) but I cringe at the thought that people would think I had named my child after the singer. Especially as I’m the right age/generation to be a fan, obviously nothing wrong with being a fan of them but I’m just not so I don’t like the association .

Also love Dahlia, but only the typical American pronunciation and not the English one. (Darlia vs daylia)

Loub55 · 19/06/2024 22:55

Firsttimebabymummy · 19/06/2024 20:32

I really like the name Felicity but I find it a bit frilly so won't use.

& Juno but not brave enough.

I have a Felicity ☺

Names I liked but wouldn't use were

Ophelia
Constance
Clemence

Maximilian

TealDog · 19/06/2024 22:54

I love Charlie for a boy but it’s so popular that I just couldn’t use it. I think popularity is the only thing that puts me off a name.

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 19/06/2024 22:52

Oh forgot Virginia - so classic and unused and with fab nn’s. But the Virgin thing is gonna be a problem in school isn’t it? 😢

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 19/06/2024 22:50

I can only think all the “nothing would stop me using the name I love” people are either very extroverted themselves and assume their children will be too or have enough cash for a really good private school!

I mean I love names like Persephone as well - it sounds beautiful. But if you’re a shy, introverted kid or attend a rough comp like many of the people I know did, then I think it might be a nightmare - so I don’t blame you OP. Really Fabulous names are what pets are for imo, let’s try to give our kids as easy a time as we can 🤣

For me it’s Cassiopeia or Guinevere - same reason as Persephone, I think you have to be wealthy or have a particular personality to pull them off but gosh they sound gorgeous.

Also Nikita - I get an image of a kick ass, chic woman with a funky/cool name. But others seem to find it chavvy, unless on a boy. So potentially unfair to a DD.

For boys, maybe Corin? Nice Shakespeare link and sound but too close to female Corinne. Also really adore Maxim but everyone on here goes on about the men’s magazine which might put me off in case it caused issues in RL.

bzarda · 19/06/2024 22:49

I love Rue and Mallory but I don't like their meanings - regret and bad!
Sunday is also a guilty pleasure name but I would never be brave enough to use it.

Dazedandconfusedma · 19/06/2024 22:39

I love tuppence for a girl, but apparently it’s a nickname for vagina… I still love it but other half says absolutely not.

I also love felix, but apparently that’s for cats only.

and raffi, but it makes other half think “riffraff”

i also liked Aubrey, Amos, Fabian, Auden for boys; Tabitha, Quinn, Bridget and Penelope for girls. Other half prefers Tom and Suzie!

BlankTimes · 19/06/2024 22:11

Ptolemy nn Tolly or Tibault pronounced Tee bo for boys.

Imogen or Rain for girls.

I'llBuyThatForADollar · 19/06/2024 22:10

Indiana
Athena
Aurora
Assumpta
Santiago

Blacknailer · 19/06/2024 21:55

Ha I also liked Ira for a boy and have an ancestor of that name but my son is half Irish so... Nope.

Blacknailer · 19/06/2024 21:53

Aviva, beautiful Hebrew name but sadly also the insurance company.

I know lots of kids with names others have mentioned! I did go for relatively unusual names myself.

blushroses6 · 19/06/2024 21:47

Tahlie / Stella / Storie / Valentine / Arlie for girls. Love Roman and Cassius for boys.

ThatshallotBaby · 19/06/2024 21:47

Tatiana, Honor, Valentina, Xanthe, Isadora, Isolde, Ophelia, Storm, Bianca, Lorelai, Camille, Ines, Natalia, Rosabel, Lucia…….
I had one dd and she has none of these names Grin

LizzieBet14 · 19/06/2024 21:41

I love Gianluca but unfortunately I'm not Italian.....

staybyyou · 19/06/2024 21:38

I also like Sunday

BoobyDazzler · 19/06/2024 21:35

Oh yes, and Stella! Spectacularly beautiful name but, lager. Dd was very almost Stella and I wish we had now.

BoobyDazzler · 19/06/2024 21:34

Morgan - love it but it sounds a bit chavvy.

Constance - love it but it’s a bit puritanical.

Picklewicklepickle · 19/06/2024 21:26

Esmerelda and Tuesday.

I love Betsy but DH wasn’t brave enough so it’s DC1’s middle name.

Surprised by the mentions of Juno, they’re ten a penny round here!

GentrifiedJen · 19/06/2024 21:24

Hermione ~ forever connected with Harry Potter. Thanks a lot, JKR! 😂

staybyyou · 19/06/2024 21:10

Valentine, Heath, Sacha, Liam

Stella, Cleopatra, Saoirse

ToffeenutLatte · 19/06/2024 20:59

I love nature names. Ford is one of my favourites for a boy but it's just too synonymous with the car to be able to use it.

Similarly I think Lenore is such a beautiful name for a girl but I worry she'd spend her life being teased about laundry products.

RosaBaby2 · 19/06/2024 20:38

I so wanted to call my son Ira (Eye-rah) but IRA 😢

evtheria · 19/06/2024 20:36

Elton
Holden
Orlando
Hero
Sabine
Cicely
Stella
Zara

Firsttimebabymummy · 19/06/2024 20:32

I really like the name Felicity but I find it a bit frilly so won't use.

& Juno but not brave enough.

BingoMarieHeeler · 19/06/2024 20:29

Oh also I absolutely loved the name Mallory for DD and regret not using it 😢 DH loved it too, love the nickname Mal, so cute. But couldn’t get over mal meaning ‘bad’ so didn’t use it.