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Baby names

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

Original poster

Swedish/fancy baby boy

59 replies

pennypom · 10/09/2024 11:29

Hi!
Swedish family due DS3 terrifyingly soon!
We have one little boy with a classic Scandinavian name, and one with an English aristocratic type name (think Montgomery, Peregrine,Hugo-style)

Would love some suggestions along either of those lines - Swedish et al, or just a bit posh :-)
Thank you :-)

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Westfacing · 12/09/2024 14:59

People's names do dictate their futures. I'm not saying they should! I'm saying they do. And to reiterate, my son has a aristocratic style name, so I'm looking for something which sounds right with it.

Names do not dictate a child's future! They can be an indication of their background but don't map out the rest of their lives.

Your son may have an aristocratic name but it won't give him any advantages if he's not really an aristocrat! As with names like Horatio, Persephone, Maximilian, etc., they are just a reflection of the parents hopes.

Calliopespa · 12/09/2024 14:26

MerryMarys · 12/09/2024 14:13

Honestly in English I would think a bit try-hard

Why would Jasper or Kasper be perceived as 'try hard'? Confused I don't think that at all. They're both easy to say and spell names that are well known?

I think parents actually SHOULD try hard to find a great names for their children. Names that aren't overused, names that sound great with your surname.

I wish my parents had tried a little harder as i have a boring overused 1970s name.

Yes that’s true.

I think try-hard I really meant something other than the literal interpretation that they had “ tried hard.” The people I know who used it tend to have to do everything with a sort of “safe” look at me flourish - almost the name version of those frivolous business ties that were super popular st the tie rack for a while. Again, there’s nothing dreadful about that either, but since op seemed to want to know what people thought I was just totally honest. I do know a Dutch Jasper ( soft j) and that thought didn’t occur. I guess it was the people who did it and based on a broader picture built up from lots of things beyond names. As posters we can only ever give an opinion based on our own “sample.”

MerryMarys · 12/09/2024 14:13

Honestly in English I would think a bit try-hard

Why would Jasper or Kasper be perceived as 'try hard'? Confused I don't think that at all. They're both easy to say and spell names that are well known?

I think parents actually SHOULD try hard to find a great names for their children. Names that aren't overused, names that sound great with your surname.

I wish my parents had tried a little harder as i have a boring overused 1970s name.

FeedingThem · 12/09/2024 14:12

Harald? As in King of Norway. Totally nothing to do with the one in Valhalla which DH and I are watching ATM.

Jasper is perfectly ordinary op. No particular pretentions or associations to my mind.
Kasper will forever get "not with a C?" and some of us think it about friendly ghosts, but nothing negative I don't think

Calliopespa · 12/09/2024 13:53

pennypom · 11/09/2024 20:23

How are Jasper and Kasper perceived in British or Swedish society do you think?
I like both :-)

Show quote history

Honestly in English I would think a bit try-hard but that would differ for me if there was Swedish background. I know a Dutch Jasper and never thought anything negative.

Calliopespa · 12/09/2024 13:51

pennypom · 11/09/2024 16:20

Massive eye roll.
Thought I'd managed to slip by your lot. Alas.

And you obviously know the answer to the question is yes - or would you happily name your children something like Mersaydees or Brixtyn?

Give me a break.

Show quote history

I think she was just being playful …

parentingisstressful · 12/09/2024 13:44

Sweyn
Sigmund

vladimirVsvolodymr · 12/09/2024 13:36

Rasmussen (Rasmus) is also nice. Shame about Sven.

Original poster
pennypom · 12/09/2024 13:31

vladimirVsvolodymr · 12/09/2024 13:21

Sven is lovely

I absolutely LOVE the name Sven. Alas, we've one in close family.

OP posts:
vladimirVsvolodymr · 12/09/2024 13:21

Sven is lovely

PiggieWig · 12/09/2024 11:16

Felix

Ixon · 12/09/2024 11:04

Lucas
Anton

Original poster
pennypom · 12/09/2024 09:56

PrincessOfPreschool · 12/09/2024 09:09

I don't know any Jaxxons or any of your other perceived 'low class' names and I work with kids. They are very rare. We have plenty coming through with perfectly normal names: James, Raffy, Noah etc etc. I'm sure they're name won't disadvantage them.

If you want to be ostentatious, just admit it!

What on earth is wrong with being ostentatious? Why not have an interesting name?
People's names do dictate their futures. I'm not saying they should! I'm saying they do. And to reiterate, my son has a aristocratic style name, so I'm looking for something which sounds right with it.
No need to have a chip on your shoulder about how people name their children.

OP posts:
CheeseWisely · 12/09/2024 09:19

I'd argue that if you go too far the other way with 'fancy' then your child will face similar problems. I'm an employer, and if I were judging it on name alone then a Jackson would fit better into our team than a Carrington or a Peregrine.

It's possible for people to make negative assumptions in the other direction. Carrington or Peregrine might be pompous, unaccustomed to getting stuck into hard work, carry that misogynistic attitude known to breed in (some) private schools & universities. Of course they might not, but neither may Jaxxson or Chardonnay be the chav that you're thinking of.

PrincessOfPreschool · 12/09/2024 09:09

I don't know any Jaxxons or any of your other perceived 'low class' names and I work with kids. They are very rare. We have plenty coming through with perfectly normal names: James, Raffy, Noah etc etc. I'm sure they're name won't disadvantage them.

If you want to be ostentatious, just admit it!

Original poster
pennypom · 12/09/2024 08:09

@PrincessOfPreschool With all due respect, there's plenty of research on this.
'recent studies found that our names have the potential to influence our behavior, physical appearance, career path and life choices, popularity, and how others perceive us. Besides, even our surname may reveal something about our physique and vitality. '

insight.openexo.com/how-our-name-affects-our-personality-and-identity-what-social-psychology-says/amp/

The Jaxxons and Tragedeighs are going to have to work a lot harder in life to be taken seriously in all aspects of their life.

There's nothing wrong with wanting the best for your kids. This world is tough enough.

OP posts:
Westfacing · 12/09/2024 07:27

Torsten
Stig

PrincessOfPreschool · 12/09/2024 07:26

pennypom · 11/09/2024 20:23

How are Jasper and Kasper perceived in British or Swedish society do you think?
I like both :-)

Show quote history

With all due respect, why does that matter? There are plenty of quite un-posh kids with posh names, and plenty of posh kids with very ordinary names. Your name doesn't define your status. Just pick a name you like. The vast vast majority are somewhere between 'Brixtyn' and 'St John'.

If you actually want 'fancy sounding' (Florian etc.) then that's not posh just a bit ostentatious (in my opinion, which doesn't matter if you love the name).

Underlig · 12/09/2024 07:23

Holidays78 · 12/09/2024 07:18

Soren love this name!

1950s working-class name, so not the vibe the OP wants.

MumChp · 12/09/2024 07:22

Thor
Anton
Emil
Hampus
Felix
Linus
Carl
Magnus

Holidays78 · 12/09/2024 07:18

Soren love this name!

MerryMarys · 12/09/2024 07:13

I like the suggestions of

Magnus
Quentin
Fabian

Ixon · 11/09/2024 23:41

Aubrey

FraterculaArctica · 11/09/2024 23:09

Orlando?

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 11/09/2024 21:29

pennypom · 11/09/2024 20:23

How are Jasper and Kasper perceived in British or Swedish society do you think?
I like both :-)

Show quote history

Casper (this spelling) is in the Top 100 in Sweden so I doubt it’s considered in any particular way. No idea about Jasper. Both would probably be considered slightly posh/ upper middle class in the UK but still perfectly accessible (they are not St John or Ptolemy!)