Most unusual name you've come across.....

[erikbloodaxe]

Just that really.

I'll start.......

Camwy. - it's a river in Patagonia. Really suited him though (Welsh ..... extremely Welsh man in his 50's).

I went to school with a Matthew. I never met them, but he told me his siblings were Mark, Lucy and John. I was never sure if he was making it up or not.

My friend will be gutted 😂

A few generations back in the family, Limpedy. It hasn't been passed down as far as I'm aware

Forgot I also met an Andromeda. She'd be about 18 now. Fabulous feisty girl.

The mother was fuming and had completely lost her rag with girl. It was a time for Sunday 'in trouble" names, not cosy family pet names.

Apricotton
No- so there must be two! The Story I met years ago is more like 5/6 years old now.

My friend will be gutted 😂

More than two even. There's a small number registered each year.

My grandad had a little sister called Iphigenia. She was always called Lal, as they lived in Cumbria, and I think Lal meant little.

Tamar is a biblical name (appears at least twice in the bible), means date palm (or date, as in the fruit).

I know a Hester, Thekla, Alfreda and Kezia (may have not spelt all of them right though), daughters of a friend of DH at university. Very striking set of names. Never come across any others.

Aldous, after Aldous Huxley.

I did once hear of siblings Denim, Calico and Gingham, but never met them.

He wasn't Indian. His parents just wanted AJ but a bit different so they spelt it out

Dorcas and Tabitha both mean gazelle.

My kids also went to school with an Arses. Turkish, I think?

It must be quite difficult - especially in a school - when somebody has a name from another language/culture that doesn't just sound a bit like something rude in English if you twist it, but it's right there, clear as day, staring you in the face.

My DS had a supply teacher called Mrs Butt and, although you obviously try to show maximum respect, of course the children couldn't help but laugh when they first heard it - not out of any kind of unkindness, but literally because an adult had said a funny (slightly) rude word which gave them the instinctive reaction.

I'm sure it works the other way as well: there are probably other languages where very common British names mean rude and/or hilarious things to them. "Whaaaatt?!?! Is your name really Jane?! That means 'bumhole' in our language!!"

@PastTheGin

Yeah I knew a Xochitl

I used to work with sisters called Precious and Treasure.

I also work with a Ufuk and feel very uncomfortable saying it out loud!

A beautiful lovely rasta guy called Vision

Elina
Yoko
Tarran
Melis

Aris
Eleftherios
Ashar
Dexi
Armand

Me too (Tryphena that is)! South Essex?

I also work with a Ufuk and feel very uncomfortable saying it out loud!

What happens when you have a name that's not just a bit amusing in the language of the place that you move to, but actually sounds exactly like something very offensive? The kind of word/sound that you would get into a lot of trouble saying in the workplace in any other context, but you sometimes have to say it when addressing or referring to the person?

What would happen if you were regularly telling customers that they needed to speak to your colleague Ufuk and they kept putting in complaints about you insulting them? A customer asks you for your name and you say 'Ufuk'? Voice recognition/automation systems that bleep, mark or block your email/project/video as offensive, because it picks up what, as far as it will know, is clearly a taboo word?

Would you have to accept it and use an adapted name professionally, or would you just get used to every day bringing confusion, awkwardness and assumed offence - maybe even loss of business?

There were twins in the year above me at school called Luke and John Smith.

I have a friend called Marrick. It's a family surname.

Great Aunt Tryphena was from the Black Country. Her siblings mostly had very ordinary names - Mary, Edith, Cyril - but the older ones seemed to have a Jewish theme, like Neri, Naomi and Miriam.

African work colleague called Desire.

People would sing Is It Desire when he arrived

DD had some school friends with unusual names from various schools:
Avishag
Maayan
Sunray, whose sister was Moonbeam
Tiger and Zinzan, brothers
Birdie
Miel

Although both of DDs’ names are on this thread!