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Baby names

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

Original poster

Does anyone know any people with this name?

92 replies

Soontobenewmum1991 · 10/09/2024 02:45

I'm compiling a name list for my first child, and if it's a boy then we'll name him Laith (Arabic for lion). Me and my husband are both British Pakistani. The thing is, I'm not sure if it would stand out or look odd on a boy of our background since one of my friends said that she thought we'd go for an Arabic or Muslim name. I then realised that maybe it doesn't sound like it's Arabic to a lot of people.

Does anyone know a Laith who's from the same or a similar background? Just looking for reassurance since hubby isn't too sure, but I like the name 😅

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longdistanceclaraclara · 10/09/2024 17:03

I know one, he's Omani. I like it.

CellophaneFlower · 10/09/2024 16:53

When I was pregnant I didn't know the sex and had chosen Isis for a girl. I like unusual names and had to have fertility treatment so also thought naming her after the Goddess of Fertility kind of fitted.

Thank goodness he was a boy as guess what kicked off a few months after he was born... 😱

HotCrossBunplease · 10/09/2024 16:48

Cross post @CellophaneFlower !

HotCrossBunplease · 10/09/2024 16:47

Soontobenewmum1991 · 10/09/2024 14:52

@Lwrenn I'm a bit new to this 😅, what was the deleted comment?

It wasn’t racist. The poster was commenting that the name “Osama” apparently also means lion and saying that Laith was a much better “lion” name because it did not share the same negative connotations. However she failed to actually say that Osama meant lion (that was elaborated by a subsequent poster) so it looked like she was just randomly mentioning the name of a terrorist in response to a thread about an Arabic name.

CellophaneFlower · 10/09/2024 16:43

It wasn't racist. The poster was making reference to the fact there was a certain terrorist who has a name that also means lion in Arabic and at least OP hadn't chosen that one.

Lwrenn · 10/09/2024 16:33

Soontobenewmum1991 · 10/09/2024 14:52

@Lwrenn I'm a bit new to this 😅, what was the deleted comment?

Hi, welcome!
I can't say because the comment was deleted (you get lots of those on here!) But it was just utter twat saying something racist (not about your name choice!) Even though we can't control what people online say, mumsnetters on the whole don't tolerate racist idiots! Please don't let that knob put you off sticking around.
We've lots of other knobs to put you off 😂😂
But we are usually a lovely bunch x

Cantgetbehindtheradiator · 10/09/2024 14:57

Don't know them personally but have heard it in the school playground. I'm in the west country. Very diverse neighborhood.

PetrichorSoul · 10/09/2024 14:55

Yes! He's in his 50s now and is from Iraq.

Original poster
Soontobenewmum1991 · 10/09/2024 14:52

@Lwrenn I'm a bit new to this 😅, what was the deleted comment?

OP posts:
thefamous5 · 10/09/2024 13:52

I've never heard of it but it's a beautiful name!

Original poster
Soontobenewmum1991 · 10/09/2024 12:54

HotCrossBunplease · 10/09/2024 08:09

I was at University with one but I could have sworn it was pronounced Lie-EETH.
How would you pronounce it OP, out of interest?

By the way, I’m Scottish and it doesn’t come across as remotely Scottish to me!

(To the poster who said a British boy called Lion would get funny looks, that is true but Leo is of course completely normal)

@HotCrossBunplease

It would be pronounced like "layth" or like faith with an L!

OP posts:
Original poster
Soontobenewmum1991 · 10/09/2024 12:51

@SpidersAreShitheads good question 😅 I have an iraqi friend who seems to be the only one who loves it as much as I do, she says it's a pretty common name, and if anything it would be more common in arab countries vs here.

OP posts:
DramaAlpaca · 10/09/2024 12:09

I've never met a Laith, but I really like the name.

CellophaneFlower · 10/09/2024 12:02

Needanewname42 · 10/09/2024 07:36

Sound exactly the same to me Leith, Lathe, Laith, Seth

Show quote history

There's definitely a difference. With Laith there's less of an accent on the "ay" part. With lathe it's more exaggerated.

Waterboatlass · 10/09/2024 11:55

I only know the little boy's dad but their background is Iraqi. Beautiful name. It's familiar In a couple of ways- the Scottish Leith, and it sounds and looks a bit like the Scandi Leif so you might be asked about that but I don't think that's a problem.

@SpidersAreShitheads it's an established name like Leo

Katiesaidthat · 10/09/2024 11:36

SpidersAreShitheads · 10/09/2024 06:38

Lovely idea, my only questions are a) will you be mixing with lots of Arabic speakers and if so, b) what will they make of a child called Laith? Is that more common culturally or would it make your child the subject of ridicule?

if there was a little boy at school called Lion, the name would probably cause a fair bit of merriment hence why I was asking about the Arabic community. To English speakers Laith is a lovely name - I just don’t know how it would be received by those who speak Arabic?

Why? León is a name in Spanish, it means lion, my cousin´s son is called this and I have never heard any "merriment" around his name at school, where there are quite a few nationalities.
OP with this in mind, Leith is a perfectly respectable name, I quite like it.

OtterOnAPlane · 10/09/2024 11:32

I love it, and it was on the list for DD2 (we have Pakistani heritage).

I know a 20something Laith at work, and I've never heard anything negative about that.

Chickadeep · 10/09/2024 11:29

What a lovely name!

HoratioNightboy · 10/09/2024 11:26

Needanewname42 · 10/09/2024 07:25

To me it sounds like lathe as in a machine for turning wood.

The reason it sounds Scottish is it's very close to Leith an area of Edinburgh.
I googled it trying to clarify the machine which I now know is spelt differently. And it comes up as a Scottish Surname although I've never heard of it.

There is a tiny handful of people in the Scottish records with Laith as a surname, in the 18th century so likely a non-standard spelling of something else.

Although not a Scottish name, it seems to have recently come into to use among non-Arabic Scots so perhaps that why people are getting a Scottish vibe from it.

FeedingThem · 10/09/2024 10:46

Lovely name. Don't worry about the origins of it or what heritage it infers. They'll meet your gorgeous boy and his name will mean him

CC222 · 10/09/2024 10:38

Lovely name and meaning. I knew a Laith from Jordan...

villamariavintrapp · 10/09/2024 09:45

Yes I know one, from Iraq I think. I would have called my daughter it had she been a boy.

ImpunityJane · 10/09/2024 09:34

Yes, I know a Laith and know it as an Arabic name. Really nice name.

Andoutcomethewolves · 10/09/2024 09:20

Needanewname42 · 10/09/2024 07:25

To me it sounds like lathe as in a machine for turning wood.

The reason it sounds Scottish is it's very close to Leith an area of Edinburgh.
I googled it trying to clarify the machine which I now know is spelt differently. And it comes up as a Scottish Surname although I've never heard of it.

Ah of course, I subconsciously made the Leith connection! Thanks 😊

Regardless it's a lovely name IMO. Go for it OP!

ladycarlotta · 10/09/2024 08:14

I've met a few and know it as an Arabic name. It's lovely. Nice and fresh.