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Baby names

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

Original poster

Poem

87 replies

fairycupcakes · 23/10/2025 12:38

Am I crazy to think this would actually make a beautiful name? (Not pregnant but adore names and name-meanings and adding to my list for when that day finally comes)

ChatGPT says fewer than 5 babies were named it last year in the UK so I’m not the first to have the thought!

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Unescorted · 24/10/2025 09:46

There is unusual and using a common word as an unusual name. English lessons will be full of kids sniggering each time they do poetry. If you are still wedded to it when the time comes consider a more usual name for a middle one - if she finds Poem too stressful then she can use the middle one. It gives her a usable option if she wants it, not influenced by her parents desire to appear artsy or different.

My parents gave me an unusual name to fit their hippy view of themselves that is more usually used as a nickname. I use my middle name for everyday use.

Purpleandgreenyarn · 24/10/2025 09:32

I’m not sure if I agree with the argument that kids will be bullied for unusual names, maybe it depends on your location. I am in London and have a very unusual name, (I’ve only heard one famous person with the same name) but I was never bullied. In fact, when I started secondary school in the mid 90s, there were many unusual names because many of the children had parents who were born in other parts of the world. I can remember a Clovis, India (not too unusual now but was at the time) Kofi, Osiris.
Obviously kids with names like that are in a minority, but I don’t think my experience was particularly unique. Most people are decent, even as kids.

also I know an Icelandic girl called Saga, I think it’s a beautiful name.

dagoo · 24/10/2025 07:55

I actually quite like it

MaxJLHardy · 24/10/2025 06:12

If you have twins you could call the other Prose

Longdarkcloud · 24/10/2025 04:46

The Australian actor who took the female lead in Discovery of Witches named one of her DDs Poet. However, I wouldn’t be happy if I were DD to having it shortened to Po. Her latest DD is named Lotus Bloom.

Sashya · 24/10/2025 02:09

OP - you are not crazy, but you are certainly not a mother.
You are thinking of picking a name that signals the world that you are quirky, etc, etc. But part of becoming a parent is learning to think about the child and putting yourself and your need to use your child's name as some sort of reflection of your perceived coolness.

Poet is a horrible name as it tries too hard to be unique. It's not a real name - it's totally made up by people who want to create a certain image of themselves.
And - of course - it opens the poor kid to bullying, and most likely will ensure he hates poerty

mathanxiety · 24/10/2025 01:58

Agree with MsMarple - DF used to call the training potty the po.

MsMarple · 24/10/2025 00:08

TeaRoseTallulah has hit the nail on the head - when she gets to school people will just call her Po. Which I’ve heard as an old fashioned word for toilet, so no!

TeaRoseTallulah · 24/10/2025 00:02

I quite like it but it would be shortened to Po which is not so nice.

PerkyCyanPoet · 24/10/2025 00:02

Isthisforevernow · 23/10/2025 23:01

My dm would pronounce it pome which isn’t good.
As po-em it’s better.
I guess I’ve heard worse.
Saga is a girls name in Scandinavia already.

A lot of Scots pronounce it poy-em but I also prefer poem!

Wouldn’t choose it myself but I do think it’s a pretty middle name.

sittingonabeach · 23/10/2025 23:58

You need to think of the person you are saddling with a name like this. I always think if someone likes a really out there name they should just change theirs not give it to their child (who may end up changing it when old enough)

KnickerlessParsons · 23/10/2025 23:55

How about Prose? Or Essay?

SnowFrogJelly · 23/10/2025 23:54

Nooooo

Travelfairy · 23/10/2025 23:53

Horrible sorry x

PurpleChrayn · 23/10/2025 23:52

Behave!

Original poster
fairycupcakes · 23/10/2025 23:20

ResusciAnnie · 23/10/2025 23:05

Prefer Poet tbh. Back in the day when there were only a handful of ‘influencers’/‘mum bloggers’ there was a family with 4 kids, I’m pretty sure one was called Storie and one was called Boheme. I think they were twins. I thought that was so cool (but I was like 16). Gonna have to google it now! Obviously they still exist out in the world somewhere.

Edit: ah no, it was Boheme and Reverie. Blogger called Girl’s Gone Child. The other 2 are Archer and Fable. I’m actually into it, but could definitely not pull those names off in our family! Fable is particularly nice.

Edited

Fable is quite sweet!

There are so many different “styles” of names on my never-ending lists 😅 All the way from traditional/classic/timeless names which my own name would fall into to the more vintage names on the come back to then more unusual/lesser used or known names such as Poem, Zadie, Winona, Saskia, Indira, Freyja (obviously this isn’t unusual but the spelling is uncommon here and the one I prefer) etc.

I must admit DP is not onboard with my entire list 😆 but there are ones we do agree on and thankfully I’ve been able to move him away from Olivia (pretty as it is it is far far too popular for me)

OP posts:
ResusciAnnie · 23/10/2025 23:05

Prefer Poet tbh. Back in the day when there were only a handful of ‘influencers’/‘mum bloggers’ there was a family with 4 kids, I’m pretty sure one was called Storie and one was called Boheme. I think they were twins. I thought that was so cool (but I was like 16). Gonna have to google it now! Obviously they still exist out in the world somewhere.

Edit: ah no, it was Boheme and Reverie. Blogger called Girl’s Gone Child. The other 2 are Archer and Fable. I’m actually into it, but could definitely not pull those names off in our family! Fable is particularly nice.

Allthesnowallthetime · 23/10/2025 23:04

Siblings could be Ode and Sonnet

Ladamesansmerci · 23/10/2025 23:04

It's not my cup of tea, but there are weirder names out there 🤷 to me it doesn't sound any sillier than some of the names you see recommended on here a lot, like Cassius and Clementine. It's personal preference, and most things go in modern times. It wouldn't look that out of place in a classroom where you might have a River, Storm, etc.

Original poster
fairycupcakes · 23/10/2025 23:03

Isthisforevernow · 23/10/2025 23:01

My dm would pronounce it pome which isn’t good.
As po-em it’s better.
I guess I’ve heard worse.
Saga is a girls name in Scandinavia already.

Exactly. With many names dialects can change how they sound so I don’t think that’s a reason to not use a name!

OP posts:
Original poster
fairycupcakes · 23/10/2025 23:01

GoldenRosebee · 23/10/2025 14:32

Love it, as a middle.

The middle names have been picked for as long as I can remember. The perfect place to honour family ❤️

OP posts:
Isthisforevernow · 23/10/2025 23:01

My dm would pronounce it pome which isn’t good.
As po-em it’s better.
I guess I’ve heard worse.
Saga is a girls name in Scandinavia already.

Original poster
fairycupcakes · 23/10/2025 23:00

timoteigirl · 23/10/2025 21:43

Haiku
Saga

Saga is actually quite lovely and in Norse mythology Sága is the goddess of storytelling amongst other things which I think is delightful and the reason it’s surely popular in the Nordic countries.

Unfortunately I wouldn’t use it for a UK-based child though because it makes me think of the cruises for older people 😆

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Original poster
fairycupcakes · 23/10/2025 22:54

OSTMusTisNT · 23/10/2025 21:45

Nope sorry and if they have Scottish friends, they'll be called Poe-yem. (*Scottish here and that is my pet hate!).

I would expect it depends where you’re from - I’ve never heard it said that way and half my family are Scottish!

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