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Baby names

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

Original poster

Cornelius, Horace or similar?

34 replies

NotDarkGothicMama · 29/06/2025 18:01

Any other names that would draw similar howls of "Nooooo! Do you hate your baby?!"

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precededfortune · 03/07/2025 21:54

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Londonmummy66 · 30/06/2025 10:44

Brenda Eileen Derek Mavis Algernon Doris Bertha Lepida Septimus Ptolemy (I know one of those and he was an annoying little brat) Brian Kevin Denis Kenneth Gary (but Gareth is nice)

InvitingMattress · 30/06/2025 10:22

mathanxiety · 30/06/2025 06:20

Usually shortened to Conn in Ireland. Quite old fashioned though.

Edited
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I quite like it! But then I come from a neck of the woods where another traditional old man name is Florence, pronounced Flurrence. As in Flurry Knox. No signs of revival there, as far as I’m aware…

InvitingMattress · 30/06/2025 10:20

NotDarkGothicMama · 29/06/2025 21:01

Cornelius is inevitably nicknamed Corny. It reminds me of feet.

Always abbreviated to Con in my part of Ireland. Generally an old man name, but some signs of revival. I know one who must be in his early 20s now.

Mumofgirls2017 · 30/06/2025 10:13

I know a little Horace! Also…

marjorie
gertrude
bertha
harold
donald
derek

mathanxiety · 30/06/2025 06:20

NotDarkGothicMama · 29/06/2025 21:01

Cornelius is inevitably nicknamed Corny. It reminds me of feet.

Usually shortened to Conn in Ireland. Quite old fashioned though.

Nextdoormat · 29/06/2025 23:32

Eric. Kevin,Julian, Jason, Kenneth,Trevor, Donald,Gary, Rupert. Awful

Original poster
NotDarkGothicMama · 29/06/2025 23:17

In my family tree you can't move for people called Mary, Anne, James and William. My favourite is a chap in the 1600's called Diogenes.

OP posts:
EverybodyLTB · 29/06/2025 23:09

Names in my wider family tree that came up a lot along the same family lines I.e. passed down father to son to grandson; Cyril, which I found so puzzling at it is surely foul sounding no matter the era. Pembroke, which I don’t actually get as a given name, and same goes for Baldwin. Loads of those in a row in my tree. How do you ever shorten them? Cordelia cropped up a lot too. I did like in my tree, but wouldn’t maybe use - Lettice, Ermine and Ursula.

AnneMarieW · 29/06/2025 22:45

NotDarkGothicMama · 29/06/2025 18:38

I agree. I know a splendid Barry and a good Norman too.

Nigel's surely got to be edging oblivion.

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Sometimes you don’t even have to know a person in RL with a dated name to suddenly view it differently - for example there’s a film called “Charlie Countryman” where actor Mads Mikkelsen plays a sexy gangster type called Nigel. Associating those cheekbones with Nigel made me view the name quite differently 🤣

Samiloff · 29/06/2025 22:09

Adolf

Chocolatebuttonanyone · 29/06/2025 22:07

Trevor
Nigel
Keith

tinytemper66 · 29/06/2025 21:51

NotDarkGothicMama · 29/06/2025 21:01

Cornelius is inevitably nicknamed Corny. It reminds me of feet.

My father in law was named Con…

Emonade · 29/06/2025 21:41

lochmaree · 29/06/2025 18:36

Pippin, Precious

Precious is a beautiful name used in certain African cultures

Enko · 29/06/2025 21:38

NotDarkGothicMama · 29/06/2025 21:01

Cornelius is inevitably nicknamed Corny. It reminds me of feet.

The one I know is just called Cornelius.. he is 21 now

Original poster
NotDarkGothicMama · 29/06/2025 21:01

Cornelius is inevitably nicknamed Corny. It reminds me of feet.

OP posts:
tinytemper66 · 29/06/2025 20:18

Not wrong with Cornelius.

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 29/06/2025 20:01

Rolf

PepsiForEva · 29/06/2025 19:55

NotDarkGothicMama · 29/06/2025 18:38

I agree. I know a splendid Barry and a good Norman too.

Nigel's surely got to be edging oblivion.

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Yes this is true. In my DCs school there is a Barry, a Juke (spelled like that), and a Horatio.

It's normal now. Way back when my now 15 year old started school I was raising an eyebrow at Arlo, Merlin, Archer, Brodie and Lancelot.

PeckyGoose · 29/06/2025 19:54

Came to add this. We have one in our school which is your bog standard state primary in an area of huge socioeconomic deprivation, not the local private school out in the countryside

Edit: the quote would have helped. Was Aloysius.

Edit edit: Sibling (male) is called Arcadia

NW3Lady · 29/06/2025 19:52

Cuthbert
Septimus
Aurelius

kmurray1 · 29/06/2025 19:49

Aloysius

Kimwestonhelpless · 29/06/2025 19:45

Murgatroyd.

Original poster
NotDarkGothicMama · 29/06/2025 18:38

Eastendboysandwestendgirls · 29/06/2025 18:19

We have 2 Dorcases and a Princess in my school at the moment. I would have said Barry, but I taught one of those 3 years ago. Once you know a child with the name, you get used to it very quickly (after the initial WTF).

I agree. I know a splendid Barry and a good Norman too.

Nigel's surely got to be edging oblivion.

OP posts:
lochmaree · 29/06/2025 18:36

Pippin, Precious