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Baby names

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

Original poster

Tell me what your name is without telling me what your name is

807 replies

BatsatHalloween · 14/10/2025 17:20

My name has a male and female variant
It was number 36 the year I was given it
It was acceptable in the 80s
It's a bit French
It's also a little bit Essex
Most people shorten it

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StMichaelPenkevil · 15/10/2025 06:02

BatsatHalloween · 14/10/2025 21:12

Heloise?

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Wow! That’s an unusual name but it’s not that one.

WalkingWavy · 15/10/2025 05:39

LBFseBrom · 15/10/2025 00:30

Eileen

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No but that’s a great guess! I’m never sure if that’s pronounced A-leen or eye-leen

Namechangedforthis100 · 15/10/2025 03:31

Very popular in late 80s early 90s.
2 different ways to spell it however everyone spells it like there's only one way.
Something about my mum but it's not my name

CurlewKate · 15/10/2025 02:52

it’s pretty obvious really!🤣

Pemba · 15/10/2025 02:33

Bumcake · 15/10/2025 00:16

Batman?

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Marian?

(Batman, good one! Grin)

CherrieTomaties · 15/10/2025 02:32

Orlastuff · 15/10/2025 02:13

Mine’s is part of a title of a book……

Alice, Emily, Charlotte, Jane, Matilda?

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 15/10/2025 02:14

Changedit2025 · 14/10/2025 22:18

Mine is a character from Peep Show :) and also a Roald Dahl character.
Born in the early 80's, I was the only one with this name at school, now I think there are hundreds!

Sophie?

Orlastuff · 15/10/2025 02:13

Mine’s is part of a title of a book……

Albemarle10 · 15/10/2025 02:08

NC for this!
My name is not from Ancient Rome or Greece or the Bible or a saint’s name but it is the name
of a member of a famous acting family.

MudMyNameIsMud · 15/10/2025 01:48

Spidey66 · 15/10/2025 01:38

Correct -Anne. I made that easy!!!

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TBF I would have guessed it from the first paragraph as it’s my middle name.

FunkyFringe · 15/10/2025 01:46

notabletocope · 15/10/2025 00:16

Welsh. Long, shortened a lot, difficult to pronounce if not Welsh speaker

Angharad - Angie
Gwenllian - Gwen
Myfanwy - Myfi

FunkyFringe · 15/10/2025 01:40

ChestnutHairedSunfish · 14/10/2025 23:20

I've got a Welsh name - my parents had a name they wanted to call me but didn't want everyone to think they'd named me after a Fleetwood Mac song so they shortened it

Rhian

YoureGoingToHaveToTrustMe · 15/10/2025 01:39

Userjal · 14/10/2025 22:54

A very famous female singer has my name. She’s the first person you think of when you hear my name. Fairly uncommon. I don’t think there’s ever been a period in time it’s been popular, and I don’t know anyone else with the name

Anastasia?

Spidey66 · 15/10/2025 01:38

MudMyNameIsMud · 15/10/2025 01:35

Anne / Ann

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Correct -Anne. I made that easy!!!

YoureGoingToHaveToTrustMe · 15/10/2025 01:36

crinkletits · 14/10/2025 22:46

My name is the female equivilant of what you’d possibly call a man with a 1” willy.

Haha Justine?

MudMyNameIsMud · 15/10/2025 01:35

Spidey66 · 15/10/2025 01:25

Mine was very popular the decade I was born (60s). It's often popular as a middle name or a hyphenated name. There are two ways of spelling it, with or without a letter....mine has it.

And this clue will make it a giveaway.....a member of the royal Family, known for their love of horses, has it.

Anne / Ann

Spidey66 · 15/10/2025 01:25

Mine was very popular the decade I was born (60s). It's often popular as a middle name or a hyphenated name. There are two ways of spelling it, with or without a letter....mine has it.

And this clue will make it a giveaway.....a member of the royal Family, known for their love of horses, has it.

groovergirl · 15/10/2025 01:09

LBFseBrom · 15/10/2025 00:47

Clever you! Not Brooke.

People who don't know me have often called me, 'Linda".

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Lyn/Lynn/Lynne sound very fresh and elegant now. I'm surprised they're not being used as middle names, when everyone's looking for strong one-syllables.

Olivia Lynne, Sophia Lynne, Emilia Lynne .... it totally works.

LancashireButterPie · 15/10/2025 00:48

LBFseBrom · 15/10/2025 00:28

DaughterOfSqualor · Yesterday 23:50
Hmm. I think outing myself on MN is probably the daftest thing I'll do all week, but who's watching?
Ok. My name is fairly traditional, and wasn't particularly common when I was a child (nor is now). It has several legitimate variant spellings but mine isn't the most common of those spellings. My mother was inspired by a Jane Austen novel she was reading while pregnant (no, not that one!) and the spelling is the same. It's also the name of a medieval French queen but not the right spelling. I'm mostly known by its diminutive though. (oh and the wrong spelling is immortalised in the title of a very well-known song...
..
Eleanore - Eleanor of Acquitaine, Eleanor Rigby.

Marianne/Marian

LBFseBrom · 15/10/2025 00:47

groovergirl · 15/10/2025 00:42

I'm thinking Brook/Brooke, or Lyn/Lynn/Lynne ... am I close?

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Clever you! Not Brooke.

People who don't know me have often called me, 'Linda".

groovergirl · 15/10/2025 00:42

LBFseBrom · 14/10/2025 23:56

My name has more than one spelling, with 3-5 letters.
It is a man's name in some parts of the UK though rarely used now for boys.
It is frequently lengthened! People wrongly assume it is short for another name.
In the year I was born it was ranked 74th most popular girl's name Only a few boys were given it.
It was an acceptable name.
One of its meanings (in English), is to do with water, eg a stream or pool.

I'm thinking Brook/Brooke, or Lyn/Lynn/Lynne ... am I close?

LBFseBrom · 15/10/2025 00:34

GhostOrchid · Yesterday 22:27
Ooh… this is fun.
Don’t think mine has come up.
Uncommon without being unusual. I was the only one at my school (born in the 70s).
Lots of different ways to spell it. Also a boy’s name (now deeply unfashionable).
Think of a scarlet film star. Or a pretty woman.
...
Vivien

groovergirl · 15/10/2025 00:33

notabletocope · 15/10/2025 00:16

Welsh. Long, shortened a lot, difficult to pronounce if not Welsh speaker

Myfanwy, nn Miffy?

LeftBoobGoneRogue · 15/10/2025 00:30

wizzler · 14/10/2025 20:35

My name is very short, not much more than an initial really. You never ever meet anyone called this who is younger than 55

Kay

LBFseBrom · 15/10/2025 00:30

WalkingWavy · 14/10/2025 23:30

No one my age has my name. A lot of my friends mums or aunties are called this. It’s French. About 50% of people pronounce it wrongly

Eileen

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