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Baby names

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

Original poster

Longer harsh baby names

105 replies

StamppotAndGravy · 30/08/2024 06:32

We're stuck for inspiration. Please help!

I like quite harsh sounding baby names but DH so far isn't keen e.g.
Siân (my favourite, but rejected as common)
Margaret (boring)
Jana (our best friend)
Dana (a former colleague)

The only name he really likes so far is Juliette, but to me it's dated and fussy, plus I find Jools and July are awful. I'm going to propose Jacqueline and Annette as alternatives, but was hoping for some more ideas.

Extra complexity, we live abroad in a Germanic country. J names are pronounced with a Y or the French way, never the British way. Gs are risky pronounciation-wise. Es are pronounced A, and As are long and flat (e.g. Jana is Yaanaa, Eline is Aeleena). Most of the top hundred baby names are max 5 letters so anything fussy like Felicity will scream immigrant kid!

Thanks so much!

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Pipecleanerrevival · 30/08/2024 14:42

Gisela
Frieda
Heidi
MariaElena
Katerina
Stefania
Rosalie

Manus
Otto
Nicholas
Justin

redtrain123 · 30/08/2024 14:36

Maria
Clea
Julia
Lucille
Beatrix
Anna
Margaux
Maelle

Filip
Louis
Karl
Erik
Tomos
Sven
Fredrik
Henrik

JaneJeffer · 30/08/2024 14:29

Breda
Gretchen

Jamal
Roscoe

MrsCarson · 30/08/2024 13:59

Gretchen.
Dominica
Elspeth

Maximilian
Dominic
Lars

magnoliasweets · 30/08/2024 13:58

Russell for a boy
Elizabeth for a girl

KirstenBlest · 30/08/2024 13:57

@Hucklemuckle , Ja(r)na, Jay-na.

Renamed · 30/08/2024 13:57

Moira
Seren
Nancy
Noel
Kim
Nicole
Nicholas
Owen
Walter (it would be pronounced Valter which is much nicer)
Felix

Hucklemuckle · 30/08/2024 13:44

How else is Jana pronounced other than Yaanaa?

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 30/08/2024 13:09

Agatha?

KirstenBlest · 30/08/2024 13:08

Many of these names aren't harsh.

How about Calista, Clarissa, Teresa, Griselda?

Kelly51 · 30/08/2024 12:57

Christina
Ayda
Carolina
Amelie
Arnold
Alexander
Rudy
Sam

Fontainebleau007 · 30/08/2024 12:43

Jonathan
Adrian
Philip
Randall
Julian
Marcus
Warren
Robert
Rufus
Gregory

Martha
Patricia
Veronica
Catherine
Felicity
Margret
Jemima
Petunia

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 30/08/2024 12:41

KirstenBlest · 30/08/2024 12:12

@IamnotwhouthinkIam , Juliette is dated in France. It tends to get shortened to Julie in the UK, and Julie is dated. Jacqueline, Lynette and Annette seem like 1950s names.

I accept that Juliette is dated in France (just like Claudia is in Germany, yet neither are dated in the UK). But Ive never met a Juliet/Juliette that was shortened to Julie in the UK? I’m a Julia and it’s never been shortened to Julie either, except by accident when a ( usually older) person has misheard my name. I think Julie is considered a completely different name to both and quite dated - I know lots of Julie’s in their 60’s and 70’s. Its like Diane vs Diana or Helen vs Helena etc. Nn Jules is a possibility though - although I haven’t had it myself and afaik neither have the couple of Juliet’s I know.

LesserSpottedAlligator · 30/08/2024 12:40

Mattais
Dieter
Heath
Sean
Tobias

Catriona
Claire
Tanya
Shona

Monkeysatonthewall · 30/08/2024 12:32

Matilda?

timoteigirl · 30/08/2024 12:28

Carolina
Wilhelmina
Juliana

User6761 · 30/08/2024 12:19

I know German siblings Ralf and Rita. Also a Steffan, which I really like.

RuthW · 30/08/2024 12:15

Juliette is quite popular at the moment.

KirstenBlest · 30/08/2024 12:12

@IamnotwhouthinkIam , Juliette is dated in France. It tends to get shortened to Julie in the UK, and Julie is dated. Jacqueline, Lynette and Annette seem like 1950s names.

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 30/08/2024 11:52

Juliet/Juliette is dated? But Jacqueline and Annette aren’t ? I don’t think Juliette has ever cracked the Top 100 (except in France) but I know multiple Jaqueline’s (all known as Jackie) that are in their 60’s and 70’s and an Annette of a similar age. The few Juliet’s I know are far younger. Worrying about Jules is fair enough though, I suppose that nn is a possibility.

Antonia or Antoinette instead? Linette? Greta? (rather than Margaret)

Maxim for a boy? Seems quite international. Maybe Nico? Although my favourite Dutch boys name is Bram.

KirstenBlest · 30/08/2024 09:25

@StamppotAndGravy , and in some places it shortens to Yoni

ImpunityJane · 30/08/2024 09:24

Frieda
Audrey
Sukie
Margot
Anna
Erica
Greta
Gretchen
Kate
Vita
Maura
Billie
Lotte
Stephanie (Stevie/Steffi)
Ruth
Marlene
Frances

Victor
Magnus
Raffi
Marcus
Luke
Lucas
Paul
Frank
Vincent

Original poster
StamppotAndGravy · 30/08/2024 09:15

Keroppi · 30/08/2024 09:10

What about Jon/John. Would just be yonne?

Yup, probably mispelt to Jan most of the time. Jonathon is a bit safer because it's obviously international

OP posts:
Original poster
StamppotAndGravy · 30/08/2024 09:14

SnakesAndArrows · 30/08/2024 08:35

Kirsten
Eric

I like Kirsten, thanks!

OP posts:
StMarieforme · 30/08/2024 09:12

Maria. I knew a girl with Bavarian heritage and thought her name was lovely.