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Baby names

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

Help with uncommon boy names before he arrives ๐Ÿ™ˆ

80 replies

TreadlngWater · 20/08/2026 11:38

Hi everyone

Im having a boy and weโ€™re running out of time now because im due really soon and we still havent agreed on a name

I like names that are a bit more uncommon but not so unusual that nobody knows how to say them if that makes sense

My partner is Syrian and im British so weโ€™re trying to find something that works for both of us and thats proving harder than I thought. We both want a name that people here can say but that feels right for his side aswell

I feel like every name one of us likes the other one doesnt ๐Ÿ˜‚

I dont really want anything thats in the top 10 because where we live there always seems to be loads of children with the same names, but I also dont want people constantly asking how to pronounce it

I quite like shorter names but im open to anything really at this point

Please throw your ideas at me because ive looked through so many lists and nothing is jumping out

Im probably being too fussy but this is one of those things you cant really change your mind about later so I want to get it right

OP posts:
Are your childrenโ€™s vaccines up to date?
Silverbirchleaf · 20/08/2026 15:39

Casper
Simeon
Zachary
Samson
Blair
Hector
Finley
Jason
Cody
Wilbur
Richard

user1492757084 · 20/08/2026 15:27

Peter
Ramsay
Neil
Bruce
Zelman
Basil
Olaf
George
Rex
Leon
Alister
Elton
Ellery
Jedd
Rohan

FillTheGoldenCupWithRoses · 20/08/2026 14:34

The two probably cross over in Abrahamic religious names due to the regions. So perhaps:

Noah
Moses
Abraham
Ishmael
Aaron
David
Jonah
Isaac
Jacob
Zachariah
Solomon

Arabic names well known in Britain:
Malik
Zayn
Omar
Basil

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 20/08/2026 14:29

Eliezer
Amos
Luca

If you donโ€™t want anything too common, check the ONS name stats linked above. A lot of the names suggested are pretty popular.

LejlaKapovic · 20/08/2026 14:25

TreadlngWater · 20/08/2026 11:38

Hi everyone

Im having a boy and weโ€™re running out of time now because im due really soon and we still havent agreed on a name

I like names that are a bit more uncommon but not so unusual that nobody knows how to say them if that makes sense

My partner is Syrian and im British so weโ€™re trying to find something that works for both of us and thats proving harder than I thought. We both want a name that people here can say but that feels right for his side aswell

I feel like every name one of us likes the other one doesnt ๐Ÿ˜‚

I dont really want anything thats in the top 10 because where we live there always seems to be loads of children with the same names, but I also dont want people constantly asking how to pronounce it

I quite like shorter names but im open to anything really at this point

Please throw your ideas at me because ive looked through so many lists and nothing is jumping out

Im probably being too fussy but this is one of those things you cant really change your mind about later so I want to get it right

Amir
Bilal
Ilias (Elijah)
Iskander (Alexander)
Issa / Essa (Jesus)
Louay
Nima
Rami
Samir
Younes / Younas (Jonah)
Yousef (Joseph)
Zakaria / Zakariya (Zacharias)
Zaki
Ziad / Ziyad

7238SM · 20/08/2026 14:15

Omar
Colt or Colten
Tariq
Amir
Jamal
Rami

Tabbitha · 20/08/2026 14:02

Titus
Atlas

AnitaCam · 20/08/2026 13:54

ร€mir and Izmir and really common where I am and there are three newly arrived Eliasโ€™ so Iโ€™d drop that one if you donโ€™t like common.

chad
bango
cash
navy
alpi
doan

these are less common

StationJack · 20/08/2026 13:48

Thanks @TreadlngWater . You can spell Idriss with one s (like Idris Elba) if you think that would be easier, but if you have a Welsh surname, he might be be mistaken for a Welshman. Smile

If you want a list of all names registered (>3) in England & Wales last year, you can download it from the ONS baby name site. It also gives the names most popular in each region. The Baby name explorer site gives historical data.

Wingingitbestican · 20/08/2026 13:42

What about Ellis ?

ThisTealViewer · 20/08/2026 13:16

invent one, like half of fathers name and half of yours

TreadlngWater · 20/08/2026 13:14

StationJack · 20/08/2026 12:54

If you are not married, give the baby your surname.
If you are married, give the baby your surname.

Where are you based? Are you in a multi-cultural part of the UK?
I'm in the London area and names like Adam, Ilyas and Zayn are common.
Z names are popular.
Some friends have an Izak, which I think is lovely. Isa is popular here but it's the Muslim form of Jesus. Idriss works in the Syria.

Were not married and heโ€™ll be having my surname

Weโ€™re in Manchester

It is quite multicultural where we are so names like Adam and Zayn definitely arent unusual around here either

I do like Ilyas actually, hadnt really thought about that one before

Isa is nice aswell but I think id spend my whole life correcting people because theyโ€™d probably assume it was Isaac

Ive never come across Idriss before, I quite like that one too. Thats why I posted really because I knew people would think of names id never have found on my own ๐Ÿ˜‚

OP posts:
StationJack · 20/08/2026 13:07

Sami instead of Samuel?

TreadlngWater · 20/08/2026 12:54

Thank you everyone, ive got a proper list going now ๐Ÿ˜‚

I think Elias is still my favourite at the moment, every time someone mentions it I like it a bit more

I also really like Ellis, Jasper, Amir and Zaki

I dont mind Ezra either but I know a couple of little Ezras now so its maybe getting a bit more popular than I realised

Not so keen on Jax, Banjo ๐Ÿ™ˆ, Cash or Fox, just not really my style

Kai is one we both liked for a while but then we both seemed to go off it for some reason

Adam is nice but it doesnt really stand out to either of us. Same with Samuel, lovely name just not quite right

I do like Rafferty with Rafe but I think id end up calling him Rafe all the time anyway ๐Ÿ˜‚

My partner has said no to Hamza because its someone in his family and he doesnt really want to use family names

Keep them coming though because youve definitely suggested a few I hadnt even thought about

OP posts:
StationJack · 20/08/2026 12:54

If you are not married, give the baby your surname.
If you are married, give the baby your surname.

Where are you based? Are you in a multi-cultural part of the UK?
I'm in the London area and names like Adam, Ilyas and Zayn are common.
Z names are popular.
Some friends have an Izak, which I think is lovely. Isa is popular here but it's the Muslim form of Jesus. Idriss works in the Syria.

Byron1990 · 20/08/2026 12:40

Another vote for Jasper, the name has Persian roots and means bringer of treasure or alternatively precious jewel

rainbowstardrops · 20/08/2026 12:37

. Xavier
. Kit
. Ciaran
. Rafferty (nn Rafe)
. Jude
. Kai
. Samuel

LoudPlumDog · 20/08/2026 12:37

Kobe
Banjo
Beau
Navy
Cole
Chad
Ty
Fox
Wyatt
Jett
Zane
Jago
Evan
Leif
Noel
Atlas
Koa
Brooks
Cash
Guy
Colter

SupaStah · 20/08/2026 12:32

If you like Eli, Elias etc how about Ellis?

est09 · 20/08/2026 12:32
  • Jax, short and uncommon, but not strange or hard to spell/pronounce
  • Raffy/Raffi, could be nickname for Rafe or Rafferty
  • Elias/Eli
  • Otto
  • Ali, short for Alistair or Alireza
  • Ezra, maybe too common?
  • Amir/Zamir
  • Danial, persian spelling, could be nicknamed Dan/Danny, not crazy common nowadays in the UK
  • Kian, works well in both places
  • Fraser
  • Saam/Sam/Samuel
  • Adam
  • Gabe
TheBroonOneAndTheWhiteOne · 20/08/2026 12:31

Jasper
Julian
Jerry
Jimmy
Jerome

Pieceofpurplesky · 20/08/2026 12:30

Ashur
Zaki

Thewalrusandthecarpenter · 20/08/2026 12:25

Byron

Brummiecurlz173 · 20/08/2026 12:22

Amir
Hamza

countrylifeorcitylife · 20/08/2026 12:19

i love the name Cedric