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Baby names

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

Original poster

What words would make lovely sounding baby names if they didn’t mean what they do?

212 replies

OliveLeader · 01/01/2025 17:08

In light of the rise of pretty-sounding nouns which work beautifully as names (Wren, Aurora, River etc), what are some words that you think would make beautiful sounding names if the words didn’t have the meaning they do?

For instance, I have a soft spot for Farfalle. Elegant and feminine, but slightly chic! Paella would also very much work in this vibe.

Or for a boy, isn’t Faucet quite noble and yet sensitive?

I can picture an absolutely adorable little Miasma and her brother Artery - don’t they just sound nice?

OP posts:
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AHFBridport · 01/01/2025 17:34

Chassis
Antimony
Raucous
Myopia

butterfly0404 · 01/01/2025 17:34

Velocity
Tank
Moonshine
Windward
Poison
Merry Hell
Grave
Lucifer
Cerebellar
Jezebel (daughter went to school with a Jezebel)
Chardonnay (see above)
Snowflake

Original poster
OliveLeader · 01/01/2025 17:33

Dolamroth · 01/01/2025 17:23

Quinsy, Fontanelle, Crudite

Quinsy is a dab hand at crochet. She posts tiktoks about her ‘little life’ and slow living. Her family secretly groan at the sight of lumpy parcels wrapped in reusable tote bags beneath the Christmas tree.

Crudite is an architect. He wears all black and secretly fears he will never design anything truly unique. When he is 28 he comes up with a new logo for a huge supermarket chain and makes enough money to design and build his own dream home. His fears about his lack of originality prove to be true.

OP posts:
AwakeNotThruChoice · 01/01/2025 17:32

I’ve got a Ruby and we do sometimes call her Rubella.

Melanoma sounds lovely for a girl
or how about Fantasia

TheLongRider · 01/01/2025 17:32

Some of these would make great cat names!

TickingAlongNicely · 01/01/2025 17:32

Kayak was always in trouble at school. He never knew whether he was coming or going...

Whar · 01/01/2025 17:32

MistyF · 01/01/2025 17:24

Reverie, Dream, Memory, Sunset, Nebula, Guy, Amethyst (it's unusable to me due to association). I know one celebrity kid has Dream as middle
and lots of real names, due to sound, Fulk in particular, and Pippa in countries that use pipi as word for penis, also think Ennis sounds too similar to penis

Edited

There's an Amethyst at my work...

Original poster
OliveLeader · 01/01/2025 17:29

Arpeggio is an absolute womaniser at university and breaks the hearts of strings of girls left devastated in his wake. He will realise how lonely and empty his life is once he hits 40.

OP posts:
Original poster
OliveLeader · 01/01/2025 17:27

Coriander struggles at school but goes on to found his own highly successful landscape gardening business. His female clients lust after his huge, weatherbeaten hands and hunter wellies, but he is a devoted husband to Windolene, a stay at home mother to their five unkempt but charming children.

OP posts:
TickingAlongNicely · 01/01/2025 17:27

From your OP... Faucet obviously doesn't work... but Fawcett does!

EscCtrl · 01/01/2025 17:27

Gentile (the Italian pronunciation of the musical term)
Arpeggio, if it's a boy
Moon Unit

Andoutcomethewolves · 01/01/2025 17:27

Chlamydia and Jaundice both sound pretty cool

Original poster
OliveLeader · 01/01/2025 17:24

Coeliac is very elegant and plays the violin in the school orchestra. She will be extremely disappointed to get two As and a B in her A levels.

Aspartame is scatty and very artistic. She will attend the Slade school of fine art and drop out in her second year to join a commune and paint huge public murals.

Rubella will be a contrarian blogger in her university’s student parliament and ultimately end up the council leader in a Tory safe seat.

OP posts:
MistyF · 01/01/2025 17:24

Reverie, Dream, Memory, Sunset, Nebula, Guy, Amethyst (it's unusable to me due to association). I know one celebrity kid has Dream as middle
and lots of real names, due to sound, Fulk in particular, and Pippa in countries that use pipi as word for penis, also think Ennis sounds too similar to penis

Crunched · 01/01/2025 17:24

Tipex

AmersLee · 01/01/2025 17:24

Twins - Vagina and Vulva.

Shetlands · 01/01/2025 17:23

Polenta
Nivea
Lattice
Felony
Windolene

Dolamroth · 01/01/2025 17:23

Quinsy, Fontanelle, Crudite

EarthlyNightshade · 01/01/2025 17:20

When I was young my favourite name was Candida.
It is a name, but I wouldn't use it now.

ZiggyZowie · 01/01/2025 17:20

Stream

MerrySynthmas · 01/01/2025 17:20

Cornea

LightDrizzle · 01/01/2025 17:19

Coeliac

Saschka · 01/01/2025 17:19

Melaena and Chlamydia are the two obvious ones. Varicella, Angina, Carcinoma, Haematuria all sound pretty but mean fairly yucky things.

Onthefence87 · 01/01/2025 17:19

looks around home for inspiration Ottoman for a boy, or perhaps Router.

Was going to say Alexa for a girl then remembered that actually is one 😂

But maybe Lenor.....or going down the health route, Mirena (asin the coil)

LesMisSaigon · 01/01/2025 17:18

Aspartame
Genuflect
Espadrille

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