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Baby names

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Original poster

Boys names: Arran or Dacre? Help please!

67 replies

onetowatch · 22/04/2008 14:17

We are trying to decide between calling our baby boy Arran (after the scottish island) or Dacre (pronounced Daker - after a cumbrian place name) what do you think?!
We like the sound of both names, have links to both places, have a second name ready and are confident all names go with our surname...BUT are they too unique or do you know lots of Arrans?!!! Also, I've heard that boys are more successful if they have 'harder' sounding names so is Arran too wishy-washy? We're really stuck and keep changing our minds! Will anyone be able to pronounce/spell Dacre?

Thank you!!!!

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zaidagal · 05/05/2010 10:05

By the way folks - Arran is NOT a misspelling - its the Scottish Island! Its been around a very long time....

zaidagal · 13/04/2010 10:58

I realize this is an old thread - did you name your baby Arran? My 3 year old son is named Arran and it is a GREAT name!

BexieID · 23/04/2008 17:06

Arran. Dacre is nice, but people will have problems with spelling/pronouncing.

My brother went to school with a boy called Aaron and he pronounced it 'air-run'.

Sidge · 23/04/2008 12:53

Arran is OK.

Dacre is awful though. Sorry.

CountessDracula · 23/04/2008 11:51

Dacre is also an estate agents

How about Foxton

DrNortherner · 23/04/2008 11:26

Dacre is a village near me.

bluefox · 23/04/2008 11:25

Sorry but not keen on either. Afraid I am another one who dosent like very unusual or miss-spelt names.

WestCountryLass · 23/04/2008 11:12

I like Arran, it is no more 'silly' than Isla or Skye for a girl and I like names that are a bit different although my kids have quite ordinary names. I would not worry about the spelling of Arran/Aaron either, my DDs name is Jemma and of course everyone writes it with a G, it is no big deal really is it?????

sitdownpleasegeorge · 23/04/2008 10:58

oh lordy, the quest for unusual/unique names goes on

personally think that naming children after places is..... well, think Beckham and there's your answer.

Place names aside, one sounds like a daily childcare option and the other describes a thick knit chunky jumper.

Wouldn't use either.

Please not I am a fully paid up member of the Campaign for the Use of Proper First Names. Your child will have a unique personality in life it doesn't need a "kooky" name to identify it as unique.

hatrick · 23/04/2008 10:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

CountessDracula · 23/04/2008 10:39

Dacre reminds me of the Daily Mail
or Dacron which IIRC is what non-feather sofas are stuffed with

theITgirl · 23/04/2008 10:36

I like Dacre, one of my great uncles was called Dacre

cyteen · 23/04/2008 10:01

If I saw Arran I wouldn't think that person couldn't spell. Names are a bit different to words IMO, there's less standardisation and less 'correct' anything. Besides, there'll always be people thinking negative things about you - everyone does it - it's just personal choice what you judge someone on I'm sure there's plenty of people out there who think terrible things about me, but I don't care because I don't know about it. And even if I did, so what? That's their opinion, not mine.

Sorry, am clearly having a bit of pregnancy rage this morning

kittywise · 23/04/2008 09:42

It looks like you can't spell though, if the op doesn't mind that then that's ok, personally I wouldn't want people thinking I was ignorant of the correct spelling!

cyteen · 23/04/2008 09:38

It's whatever someone wants! I bet people don't go up to Siouxsie Sioux and say "Great music, but I think you'll find your name is spelled Suzy".

kittywise · 23/04/2008 09:33

It's Aaron though surely?

themildmanneredjanitor · 23/04/2008 09:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cyteen · 23/04/2008 09:30

I like them both, also probably wouldn't go for Dacre myself as it sounds too much like a favoured girl's name I like (Dakin - she's the heroine of my favourite children's book).

Am surprised by the strength of snurking tbh, especially about Arran which, however it is spelled, is after all a nice normal acceptable name that nice normal acceptable people use.

Ned is shit btw

savoycabbage · 22/04/2008 17:48

It does sound like day-care.

mummyjaguar · 22/04/2008 17:29

You should go for the name you like but really there are so many people spelling normal names in an "unusual" way at the moment that people will just assume you couldn't/didn't know how to spell Aaron

Dacre sounds very American. Personally I wouldn't like that but then my DSs both have very ordinary names. In a way I'm quite glad when thre are so many unusual names out there because it means less children have the same names as my DSs!

fieryfiery · 22/04/2008 17:22

Are these really your choices?

jk1 · 22/04/2008 17:18

Arran is quite popular personally I prefer Dacre - advice though don't ask for opinions will only confuse you just go for what you and dh want x

MrsTweedy · 22/04/2008 17:00

Dacre is the name of a well-known Yorkshire estate agents.

CrushWithEyeliner · 22/04/2008 16:51

ah - no that is just horrid sorry, sounds like day-care.

mrsgboring · 22/04/2008 16:32

I'm another one wishing to point out the Paul Dacre connection. Can't think of anything else when I hear Dacre, but I should think he'll have faded into obscurity in a few years, so it won't affect your DS, just you if other people make the connection and judge you for it.