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Original poster

Is it just too poncey...

34 replies

badkitty · 15/08/2008 11:52

To call a boy Henry as official/christening name but then always call him Harry in real life?

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minouminou · 16/08/2008 23:04

ds' middle name is henrik, and my reasoning was that, should he dislike his 1st name, he could be known as either henrik, harry, or hal
don't think it's remotely poncey - quite old-fashioned, really

HonoriaGlossop · 16/08/2008 22:53

I am old I guess...but to me, Harry is not a name of iteself but a shortening/nickname for Henry. So I too think you're doing it 'right'! Henry is a lovely name.

amateurmum · 16/08/2008 22:41

my son is henry and has never been called anything but harry from birth.

DH does not like diminutives as given names.

He is now 7 and quite likes having an 'official' name and everyday name!

3andnomore · 16/08/2008 22:36

hm...no not poncey...but why would you call the Baby Harry...tis not really any shorter and Henry has a lovely sound to it, so, kind of no need to use a differnt calling name...imo....

FeelinBroody · 16/08/2008 12:52

Nope. And if someone did think it was poncey, personally I'd say that was there problem not yours/your sons!

Ashantai · 16/08/2008 12:41

See, I'd assume your Harry was a Harry, i have no imagination

lilacbloom · 16/08/2008 12:33

I would assume that your Harry was really a Henry.

Scrumdiddlyumptious · 16/08/2008 12:25

Tamara Mellon (who founded Jimmy Choo shoes) has a Minty. I wish I didn't have the most amazing capacity to remember such crap but I do ...

alibubbles · 15/08/2008 19:05

I have a Henry and love him to bits, see my profile!

collision · 15/08/2008 18:46

DN is Henry and not Harry. I love Harry but think Henry is a bit poncey and I really doubt that if your ds was known as Harry that he would want to revert to Henry.

Arabella is cool! Have a friend with an Arabella and she is known as Bella. I love it.

CuckooChocolateOrange · 15/08/2008 18:45

Araminta is way off the Ponce-ometre. Go ten miles past the end of the scale and turn right.

Somebody famous has a minty. Pre-minty on Eastenders I wonder? Or, so posh and no-tv-in-the-house-types perhaps? WHO has a baby Minty? Tell me somebody?

pippibluestocking · 15/08/2008 18:43

Arabella is not as bad as Araminta aka Minty - now that does score high on the ponce-ometer!

kerryk · 15/08/2008 18:40

i dont think henry is posh/poncy. we have quite a few of them in dd's school.

we even have a henri

Tortington · 15/08/2008 18:37

no

CuckooChocolateOrange · 15/08/2008 18:36

I used to know a Henry who was anything but posh. He was a game-keeper, and used to march around with a gun, muttering and swearing and stinking of beer and wee. That is my own personal 'image' when I hear Henry!! I still like the name though.

Heifer · 15/08/2008 18:17

I prefer Henry myself, so definately not Poncetastic...

ProfessorGrammaticus · 15/08/2008 18:17

Henry/Harry is not poncey, just correct ("traditional", if you prefer!)

Janni · 15/08/2008 18:15

Henry is posh, there's no doubt about that.
I've never quite understood the Henry/Harry thing. Couldn't Harry also be Harold? Also posh!

dropinthe · 15/08/2008 17:59

Arabella IMO screams Hervey ponce-ville!!! Sorry-you did ask! x

CuckooChocolateOrange · 15/08/2008 17:56

No. THat doesn't strike me as deserving of a ponce award at all. Harrison is not my style. I would rather Henry/Harry than Harrison/Harry.

And to give you a measure of where I fall on the ponce-ometre, I wouldn't use Arabella. I don't know why, but it's got a poker up its arse. Isabella and Annabella are Italian in origin I think, but Arabella is pure Enid Blyton bad girl.

Romy7 · 15/08/2008 15:19

about 50% of them are 'harrison' now aren't they?

prefer henry myself...

Anchovy · 15/08/2008 15:16

I do think Arabella is uber-poncey. I'm not saying its not nice, but I do think it is one of "those" names which shout "poncey".

I know (loosely) 2 Arabella's and neither of them are poncey, but that's not the point IYSWIM.

mrswoolf · 15/08/2008 15:11

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Original poster
badkitty · 15/08/2008 14:14

I think it is quite good to have something longer/more formal to call them by when you are really cross, so they know you mean business!

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sannie · 15/08/2008 14:02

we have a henry...started off to call him harry now somehow he looks just like a henry.....we're def not poncy !

Have met lots of folk who are suprised by the whole henry/harry shortening....

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