Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder where all the kids from the baby names are?

380 replies

Abbinob · 09/02/2016 16:24

Was browsing the baby names forum doing a bit of daydreaming about a future not yet existant tiny squishy baby, as you do..
Algernon.
I have never in my life met a baby algie

OP posts:
MrsKoala · 09/02/2016 17:20

There was an Odette in my class at school. The only Aloysius i have known was a friends goldfish tho.

StitchesInTime · 09/02/2016 17:20

I wanted Persephone on my girl's shortlist, but DH insisted on deliberately mispronouncing is as Percy-Phone. We had a boy anyway.

Much as I love it though, I have to admit that it's definitely much more out there than Penelope, Cassandra and Hermione.

ScrambledSmegs · 09/02/2016 17:21

Persephone is very pretty anyway. I would class it with names like Clemency, Genevieve and Evangeline - names that get a bad rap on MN for being frilly and try-hard, but are actually really lovely when you hear them in use.

notmaryberry · 09/02/2016 17:25

I knew a Ulysses and a Mungo (not related).

MrsKoala · 09/02/2016 17:27

I think the spelling and pronunciation thing is so weird with names. I have 2 boys. DS1 is called Lysander. We thought that was a really straight forward name. 3 syllables, spelled exactly as it is said. Yet everyone struggles with it. They add syllables, sex up the ones that are there and come up with some really out there words. Even when i have said it repeatedly. His pre-school teacher calls him Lah- zaaaaaarnder Grin

People look at his name and say 'oh i'll never be able to say that!' just because they don't immediately recognise it, well if you can say Lucinda and Alexander, i'm sure you can!

HelsBels3000 · 09/02/2016 17:27

We have a Genevieve at school - she's a sweetheart. My latest admission list has several Scarlets, a Seraphina, a Saphina, a Cherry, a Fenella and many more interesting names! I can't wait to meet them Grin

ILostItInTheEarlyNineties · 09/02/2016 17:39

There is a Sergeant in my niece's preschool which might get difficult if he joins the army or police force.

HackerFucker22 · 09/02/2016 17:43

I confess to occasionally saying I don't like a name when it's actually DD's name... it's mentioned a bit on here and it's currently not top 100 and I don't want it to get too popular.

Not sure if this is the same as trolling though?

Funandgamesandfun · 09/02/2016 17:47

I think I would just laugh if I came across a Persephone or Algernon I'm afraid. They just don't even feature round here, never met an Evangeline or Clemency, all a bit too posh and old English for us. I'm afraid it's all the standard Josh, Jake, Joseph, Max, Jessica, Olivia and Gabriella's round here.

MrsKoala · 09/02/2016 17:48

oooh Hacker what is it? I just love names i find them all so interesting.

Love Genevieve.

PippaHotamus · 09/02/2016 17:49

The difference is, with the classical names like Persephone, at least you can LOOK UP how to pronounce them. While with something made up recently like Uhlivvya you can't. Or you can but it will say Olivia.

PippaHotamus · 09/02/2016 17:50

Hacker ShockGrin

I think I love you. You stool pigeon, you

Elledouble · 09/02/2016 17:52

I know a Persephone. We live in a slightly hippie area and know children called Seth, Archie, Hunter, Ottilie, Hugo, Walter...

No-one with our son's name though Smile We went for 'unusual but not weird' and I think we struck the right sort of balance!

originalmavis · 09/02/2016 17:54

DS had a Ulysses at his shool.

NeedACleverNN · 09/02/2016 17:57

I know an algie! Though not sure what it's short for....

Wackiest I know irl is Ocia-Mai, Spring-Rose and Mitzi

tilder · 09/02/2016 18:01

I've met a Ptolomey. This was before I joined mn and I did think Hmm.

Not entirely sure my view has changed since then tbo.

Am not sure I have ever commented on a thread with one of my kids names on always read people's thoughts though

CobblerBob · 09/02/2016 18:03

Ooh I love Persephone. And Clemency - if i'd thought of them back in the day my daughter may have been called that. My son has an unusual name which suits him to a 't' and I still really love it. Mt daughter's name wasn't common when I named her and then suddenly whizzed up the charts thanks to Eastenders. It's her name and suits her, but I almost wish I'd gone a bit more radical!
I knew a Ptolomy - we were at school in Scotland and everyone just called him Toly which meant shit!

MrsKoala · 09/02/2016 18:05

You would laugh is someone told you their name? Do you mean to their face? Shock

One of ds's middle name is Clement (named after the obstetrician who saved his life) and i love Clemency for a girl.

ScoutsMam · 09/02/2016 18:07

I named my daughter Scout. I know it sometimes splits the baby name thread crowd as some feel it's a nickname and if you're going to name after the character it should be Jean Louise.

I got one midwife say it was stupid, and a lovely anaesthetist tell me she loved it. Given that the anaesthetist gave me an epidural and the midwife ignored me I valued the anaesthetist's opinion more. Grin

FelixFelix · 09/02/2016 18:09

ScoutsMam I love Scout. It's great.

I also like Persephone. I didn't even think it was classed as such a weird name until I found MN Confused

Oysterbabe · 09/02/2016 18:12

I love the book Flowers for Algernon.
I wanted to give my baby a crazy name. Boring DH wouldn't let me.

MrsKoala · 09/02/2016 18:14

To those of you who find these names outlandish, can i ask if you grew up in a multicultural area. It's just when i went to school/college/uni/work i probably 50% of my class/colleagues were names i'd never heard of and had no idea how to pronounce. It was quite normal to be told it and say 'oh i've never heard that before, how do you say it again, oh right and how is it spelled? it's lovely. What's the origin? oh that's really interesting...' etc.

There was someone in my class called Kameljit, which when pronounced did at first sound like Camel Shit. But the moment you heard it a few times it just became her name and nothing else.

There was a thread on here a while back about someone called Boglarka. And i thought that's a fab name. Imagine having Boggle, as an abbreviation!

tinofbiscuits · 09/02/2016 18:25

They're mentioned fairly often on MN, but I've never met a Xanthe, Ptolemy, Hugo, Cordelia, Esme, Beau, Kit, Elliot, Lorelei, Sylvie, Scout, Margot, Lucas, Atticus, Persephone, Liberty, Tate or Ottilie.

Birdsgottafly · 09/02/2016 18:29

""I know someone who recently named their baby boy "Braxton" like Braxton hicks. She's not very bright.""

Brixton is an old English name, so I don't see the issue, tbh.

A know a couple of Persephone's, but they're over 30, now.

I gave my eldest an Old English name and was openly laughed at and told she'd hate me. She loves her name and always has.

My youngest has a Latin in origin name, but quite universal, it's more widely used in the US. I didn't really care if not many people had heard of it. I find most people's and especially younger people lack of general knowledge (including Cultural matters) quite mystifying.

I'm from a Multi-Cultural family, which helps, but some people do seem to live in a buble.

tinofbiscuits · 09/02/2016 18:31

I wonder whether MN baby names reflect North London more than other areas.