Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

We're hippies at heart, and I regret choosing such a 'normal' name for DS1 - help please for DS2?!

142 replies

sushistar · 31/08/2009 21:49

DS1 is Ethan. We gave him a really really rare hippy-sounding middle name, but I wish we'd been braver and gone for something more unusual for his first name. I don't want to do the same this time...

I like Asher but I think it's about to become really popular. We also love celtic / old english names.

Suggestions?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
seeker · 02/09/2009 06:25

A name from another culture is not necessarily an "unusual" name - it may be the Emily of that person's country of origin!

The name that caused my step-nephew so much grief has been suggested on here. It was given to him with huge amounts of love and care and hope for his future. His parents (both absolutely wonderful, caring people and excellent parents) felt that the symbolism of it would give him strength and wings.

He wasn't bullied - he was just teased. Often in a friendly way - he was a popular child and had lots of friends - but sometimes not. Often by kindly strangers who heard his name, and made a mild joke or comment with no intention to hurt him at all. It was just constant and it ground him down, and by the time he was 9 he didn't want to go to school any more. He was only persuaded to go to Secondary school by being allowed to change his name. His sisters followed suit in the years to come with their equally lovingly chosen names.

So please be careful.

lowrib · 02/09/2009 01:00

I know lots of adults with unusual names - either from different nationalities or hippy parents - so much so that a work colleague once commented "do you actually know anyone with a normal name?!"

ALL of them say they love their unusual names.

weegiemum · 01/09/2009 23:57

Hamish
Brodie
Harris
Lorn

for the Celtic look!

Original poster
sushistar · 01/09/2009 23:48

Love Aseph, taht's on the list! I don't know any Rowans or Aidens except famous people, but if you know lots GrendalsMum that's enough for me - they're scratched.

Brogan sounds nice but makes me think of .... shoes?

OP posts:
Sazisi · 01/09/2009 23:44

Oh, Brogan? Very sweet I think..

Sazisi · 01/09/2009 23:43

My friend's son is Ferdinand, a rather wonderful name he gets shortened ro Ferd or Ferdie

GrendelsMum · 01/09/2009 23:37

I agree that going for a 'real' name but one that isn't used too often is a great naming strategy.

I think that Asaph is just lovely, as are Amyas and Asa. Amyas is probably the nicest of those old English names, imo.

Aren't Rowan and Aiden a bit too conventional (although very nice, of course)? I know loads of people called both of those.

Tiernan is also good. Ninian should be a good name but I think Georgette Heyer had it right when she used it for a really feeble young male character - it just has connotations of 'ninny' about it.

LilyBolero · 01/09/2009 23:22

If you like Celtic names;

Aidan
Bede
Cuthbert
Oswald
Wilfrid
Edwin
Oswyn
Hilda
Colman
Columba

jemart · 01/09/2009 23:15

Hamish is a nice name.
I also like Arthur but it is perhaps rather too popular.
My DS was very nearly Cosmo (my parents suggestion!) I liked it but it got rejected by DH.

I have always liked Valentine too.

Rindercella · 01/09/2009 22:56

I met a couple of lovely elderly ladies called Faith & Hope once. They were twin sisters and as mad as a bag of frogs...but I was taking one of the 1st flights out of the States following 9/11 and they were on the same flight and basically looked after me! I called DH (then DP) to say it was ok, I was travelling with Faith & Hope and he was much reassured!

Big gamble though, I agree.

Whatever name you pick, someone somewhere is not going to like it. So long as you & your DP do and you're not going to force a lifetime of bullying on your child, then you should go for it.

Original poster
sushistar · 01/09/2009 22:52

Thanks for the suggestions Seeker - tiernan is nice, and Rowan is really cool. Aiden is already onm DHs list!

Ninian is nice but sounds a bit too like ninny?

Tradition is good - we don't want a made-up name!

OP posts:
Original poster
sushistar · 01/09/2009 22:50

rindercella

I've always wondered that with those 'virtue' names - what if your child called 'Innocence' is a terrible liar, or 'Chastity' is anything but? Or 'Hope' has terrible depression? It seems a bit of a gamble!

OP posts:
Rindercella · 01/09/2009 22:48

Speaking of unique (as someone did a few posts ago)...wasn't there an article in the Times a couple of years ago where 2 children in the same prep school class had the same name...Unique

seeker · 01/09/2009 22:47

Kester
Arthur
Tiernan
Rowan
Aiden
Ninian
Meryon
Fintan

All unusual names solidly rooted in tradition, and not very eyebrow raising. Apart from Meryon, which I hesitate to add to the list because it's too close to Marion, but which I love.

Original poster
sushistar · 01/09/2009 22:46

Aran, according to Wikipedia, is a Russian sumo wrestler, a place name, and from the Bible - but it means 'their curse' which sucks a bit. I don't want to give him a curse name!

OP posts:
Original poster
sushistar · 01/09/2009 22:44

BikeRunSki, Gaia for a boy? I always thought of it as a mother-earth name?

OP posts:
Original poster
sushistar · 01/09/2009 22:43

Well the Merlin I know seems ok.

OP posts:
BikeRunSki · 01/09/2009 22:43

Gaia

thisisyesterday · 01/09/2009 22:41

and bear in mind by unusual names are increasingly popular... our kids aren't oing to stand out. there will be classes full of kids with weird and wonderful names.
it will become normal

seeker · 01/09/2009 22:41

"you have a biased view on this topic, based on the people you know."

But I do actually know real life people who've had very unusual names in their pre and early teens. Does anyone else?

Original poster
sushistar · 01/09/2009 22:40

How many Gandalfs are there I wonder? I think that's even more far out than Merlin. I suppose Merlin is a bird of prey as well as a wizard, perhaops that was the inspiration?

OP posts:
Sazisi · 01/09/2009 22:39

Oh there's a world of differnece, Aran infinitely nicer

Original poster
sushistar · 01/09/2009 22:38

I like Tiernan and Aran. We thought about Aaron for DS1 but I like Aran better.

OP posts:
Sazisi · 01/09/2009 22:37

There was a Merlin at my school 25 years ago, it's a bit passé if you ask me

Sazisi · 01/09/2009 22:36

A few Irish or Irish-ish names which might suit:
Tiernan
Aran
Óran (also spelt Ódhran)

Unusal names I just really like:

Bram (as in Stoker) - DD2 might have been called this had she not been a dd

Wolf

Albion

Aldous

Swipe left for the next trending thread