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Baby names

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

Original poster

Graham??

119 replies

chandellina · 17/06/2008 22:03

Hi, we are thinking of this name for our son, it was the name of DH's father. Looking for any reactions. It doesn't seem to be a terribly popular name yet i have come across enough Grahams to make me think it's an acceptable and traditional name.
Am i missing something?

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Original poster
chandellina · 19/06/2008 20:13

cheers for that. ;)

OP posts:
Twitmonster · 19/06/2008 20:09

my brother is a Graeme and is an arse if that helps.

Original poster
chandellina · 19/06/2008 20:07

thanks manhattanmama, i hail from those parts myself, but you're right, i may well be overestimating the abilities of my brethren.

OP posts:
ManhattanMama · 19/06/2008 02:56

They're English obviously, or they wouldn't mind

ManhattanMama · 19/06/2008 02:55

Chandellina - They may be raised on foods called Graham but they certainly don't pronounce it the same way we do in the UK - rather than Gray-um they say Grahm.

I work here in NY with 2 gents called Graham and they hate it.

LuLuBai · 18/06/2008 21:58

Too true pointydog - they take all our dusty old fogey names and make them into girls names before we get a chance to revive them (e.g. Aubrey)

Original poster
chandellina · 18/06/2008 21:54

americans certainly know how to say Graham - it's a nation raised on graham crackers, teddy grahams and golden grahams for heavens sake.

OP posts:
pointydog · 18/06/2008 17:16

Anything can be a girl's name in America. They just don't care.

MadamePlatypus · 18/06/2008 17:12

Did you know Graham can be a girl's name in America?

Its a name used by a previous but recent generation. I think this is only a problem if you lack imagination. If you like Graham use it.

ELR · 18/06/2008 17:08

better than malcolm, ulrika jonsons new babys name!!

Collision · 18/06/2008 17:06

Geoff....that's it!

Ronnie is a browny red colour....very nice actually.

ManhattanMama · 18/06/2008 17:05

If he ever lives in the US he'll be called Graaaam. They can't pronounce Graham - no idea why. I like Gray as a nickname though.

MY personal experience of Graham is one of my DH's best mates, who pronounced his love for me 3 weeks before my wedding. I was staying at his apartment while DH had all his mates staying for his stag weekend, and he decided to make a move on me. Eeeeek!

Flllight · 18/06/2008 17:02

Ronnie is black and white mainly.

Graham is a sort of sludgey yellow.

GeoffWode · 18/06/2008 17:00

Collision - synaesthesia? What colour do you associate with Ronnie?

zippitippitoes · 18/06/2008 16:59

it is my exh name

Collision · 18/06/2008 16:58

It really is awful.

I have colours for names (cannot remember what it is called) and Graham is a really murky sludgy ugly colour)

And do the test.....

'this is your Captain Graham Foster speaking....'

'This is Graham Peck, News at Ten, in Iraq.'

He sounds middle-aged before he has started.

Little baby Graham.
Graham, aged 4
Graham, aged 15, doing his mock exams.....

NO NO NO!!!

stleger · 18/06/2008 16:51

Move to Cork. I know a 17 year old hippyish Graham and a Baby Graham. And children with many of the other names on this thread.

Flllight · 18/06/2008 16:42

I suppose in my mind, Graham has a leather recliner and keeps birds in an aviary. His wife is a nurse and he sells golf equipment on ebay.

But in other people's minds, he might be a naturalist who likes Monty Python...and cooks really well.

It all depends on your associations doesn't it?

cosima · 18/06/2008 16:17

i love it . had a boyfriend called this once. its very laid back and unpretentious. yes. very nice

PuppyMonkey · 18/06/2008 16:14

I think it is inhernetly ugly actually. Too much grey!

Original poster
chandellina · 18/06/2008 15:50

thanks Branflake.

OP posts:
branflake81 · 18/06/2008 15:11

I think that the only reason people don't like it is because of its association with middle aged men, not because its inherently ugly.

Don't forget Archie and Arthur and all those "come back names" were traditionally considered as OAP names.

Personally I prefer it to all these new fangled Finley type names.

Go for it.

GeoffWode · 18/06/2008 14:17

Sorry - haven't time to read all the thread, but I think it's lovely that it's a family name.

Names go in cycles, and it's at a low ebb of popularity at the moment, BUT I'm sure our parents would have said the same thing about all the 'old gent/lady' names that are currently popular (Arthur, Fred, Lilly, Evie). Your Graham might very well be deemed to have a supercool name when he gets a bit older!

FWIW I would opt for Graham over one of the (lovely but) very popular names around at the moment...but that's partly because we have a very common surname (think Smith, Jones, Brown) and I'd rather my DC had a respectable but less used first name.

Posey · 18/06/2008 14:11

Dh says Graham is fab. But then he also likes Malcolm. I'm not too sure, but hey its personal.

sweetkitty · 18/06/2008 14:09

My 13 yo cousin called Graeme, think it's always been quite popular in Scotland.

There were loads of Graemes in our year at school along with

Craig
Mark
Scott
Stephen
David
Robert
Gary
Brian
Colin
Greig
Billy
Stuart
James