to not really understand some of the posters on baby names

[balletnotlacrosse]

A poster will post asking if people like the name Juliet and there will always be someone who responds, fairly quickly, with

If you like Juliet you might also like:

Amelia
Beth
Helena
Josephine
Sylvia
Marianne
Maud
Genevieve
Maryann
Flora
Hermione
Daphne
Cecilia
and
on
and
on
and
on.

Do some posters just have a list of their favourite names that they're determined to push down everyone's throats?

Is it really bad I flick between the super middle class names here (Sebastian, Jonto, Margaret) and the... less so on the 'other forum' (Harper-May, Chantelle, Layne-Star). I feel in between the two, I can find a suitable name for my destined-to-be-average kid. Somewhere between human rights lawyer and Ukip voter.

The ones that get my goat is 'how would you pronounce/spell this?', if you don't know, it's probably not the name for you/your child.

The thing about those "if you like Juliet you'll like..." posts is that people like names for different reasons, so the lists are always going to be very subjective.

One person likes Catherine because she really admires the Duchess... and other so-called style icons. So she also suggests Cara, Alexa, Sienna, or whoever this week's magazines are full of.

Another person likes Catherine because it has lots of possible short forms, so she suggests Elizabeth, Margaret, Alexandra etc.

Another person likes Catherine because she's fascinated by Russian history. Guess what? Here come Tatiana, Anastasia and coincidentally another Alexandra.

What none of them realise is that the OP likes Catherine because, although she's never really put her finger on it, she tends to like names with a "th" sound in them. Her DS is Matthew, this DD would have been Nathan if a boy. The names that will actually strike the biggest chord with her are Martha, Tabitha and Judith, but the chances of anyone suggesting those are not great. If she takes the thread too seriously, she could end up with a baby Alexa/Alexandra because that got the most votes, and never quite feel like her baby had the right name.

sibling names should match

and each name has a colour in my head so sibling names must also be complimentary colours

Runs away

I like reading the suggestions given. Otherwise the thread would just be:

Do you like the name Juliet?

Yes

No

Not really

Yes

Not much

No

Yes

I like reading the suggestions given. Otherwise the thread would just be:

Do you like the name Juliet?

Yes

No

Not really

Yes

Not much

No

Yes

What's wrong with suggesting some names when you're in the names topic? The worst that can happen is that the OP doesn't like any of the suggestions, but if they do, they might just see one that really appeals to them It's like any topic really, just skim over what doesn't interest you.

Double post, sorry!

Replying posters often suggest connotations / nicknames / pronunciation issues etc, which can be helpful. Also offering a list of alternative names, that are similar, might be helpful.

You can't really ask people's opinions of your short-list in real life. So it's helpful to be able to run by strangers to check that you're not choosing a real dud of a name! Pregnancy hormones can do funny things to your perceptions!!

Pregnancy hormones can do funny things to your perceptions!!

That is just so true for me. I can't be trusted to pick names whilst pregnant. I have to choose beforehand otherwise I'd end up with a Helenka bonjouna

I love the baby names forum, even though I'll never need another name. It's so beautifully repetitive, like the sound of the sea. There is something, though, about matching names, there was a famous thread about 4 siblings, wish I could recall it properly (and I think someone had a posting name in honour) but along the lines of Agapanthus, Deodecora, Persimon and Dave.

It was Kevin, wasn't?
What were the other three names?
Faith and Something Something?

Yes! Kevin. Was it Faith, Hope, Charity and Kevin?

Oh how I wish I was having another girl so I could call her Photo-Louise. That is bloody inspired.

Almost as good as Melon-Knee. Which was DH's suggestion for our imaginary second DD.

That said I am an arsehole and I do get very about people using diminutives as given names. I can't help myself, it just seems wrong to me.

I know a girl (who is lovely) who named her sons Will and Billy. Ot"s the same fucking name. I do not understand it.

Photo-Louise is spectacular! Sounds like a gorgeous drag queen.

MrsJayy go on YouTube there's a pronunciation video for it which I only learnt how to say a few months ago because of the actress in Hollyoaks

It is a shame a distant relative of mine didn't ask mumsnet about names that go nicely with Mark when naming her younger son Spencer.

...then someone will respond with 'My friend named her dd Niamh and no one can pronounce it don't be cruel to your dd how about Amy or if you MUST go Irish, Erin?' THEY ARE IN IRELAND IM SURE THEY WONT HAVE THIS ISSUE

Or why not spell it completely wrong? Use letters that don't exist in the Irish language, and if possible, vowel combinations that don't, either.

Weirdly I'm of the "proper name on the bc" and just us the nickname ,I could never have a katie Harry etc etc it'd have to be Kathryn or henry etc,not knocking just saying that's almost how im programmed ,

This thread is so much better than baby names.
Hankers after twins called Ricotta & Rhesus...

Doreen - the diminutives thing is not new - my family tree is full of: Eliza and Elizabeth as sisters, and lots of Ellen and Helens too.

What about the unwittingly naming your child after yourself? I'm looking at you, Isobel mother of Ella . She just doesn't get it.

Named after a mountain eh?

I like Everest for a boy actually AbbeyRoad.

I don't like K2, Table or Matterhorn.

What about Kilimanjaro? (Nn Kili, obviously).

Well you could be subtle and go for a Scottish one: Ben Nevis?

Kaytu?