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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

posh/ pretentious boys names ?!

492 replies

isitseptemberyet · 13/08/2016 12:07

Looking for help with 'snobby' boys names ! Apparently that's the type my OH and I like! We like Hugo & Leonard atm but really want something we Love, have nine weeks left,
would really appreciate any suggestions :)

OP posts:
CrowyMcCrowFace · 15/08/2016 00:07

T'eldest is Poshname Boringname Isambard Surname.

You can all stop pinching Isambard. I bagsed it for ds 12 years ago & not so it could then go all MN trendy Grin.

We are not posh. A bit geeky & bookridden but definitely not posh!

Idliketobeabutterfly · 15/08/2016 00:09

Not sure I'd use a name that could be shortened to Dick (Richard).

WutheringFrights · 15/08/2016 00:12

Heathcliff Grin

WindPowerRanger · 15/08/2016 00:13

Justin
Benedict
Christopher
Clovis (read Saki short stories!)
Ramsey (not remotely posh, but thought you might like it, OP)
Anthony
Kenneth

aintnothinbutagstring · 15/08/2016 00:25

I'm a huge vikings fan (TV series), I swear my next child if male will be called Athelstan, much to my DH's distaste.

Lilacpink40 · 15/08/2016 00:28

Hector

dottybooboo22 · 15/08/2016 01:12

Taliesin is my fave. Pronounced as Ta lee ess in. Grin wonderful!

sniggy01 · 15/08/2016 01:17

Bede

  • my son has a friend called this, I think it's lovely. I also like Lysander and Orlando but wasn't brave enough so went for Theo (teddy) and Oscar alessandro.
isitseptemberyet · 15/08/2016 07:21

Ive had so much fun reading this thread, thanks all :-D
Do you think we could call baby Hugo when we already have a Margot ?!

OP posts:
KakunaMatata · 15/08/2016 07:32

I'm voting for Vincent. It was DF's name. Although he was so working class he pissed Bank's Bitter.

Schmoochypoos · 15/08/2016 07:34

Montgomery
Jasper
Charles
Quentin

Zhabr · 15/08/2016 08:42

Ramsey!? No and no. G of T name, Ramsey Bolton was eaten alive by his own dogs and that made everybody very happy. Me including.

greathat · 15/08/2016 08:50

Dad us at school with a Ptolemy

greathat · 15/08/2016 08:50

DD stupid phone

cathf · 15/08/2016 09:31

I personally can't stand names that make children stand out as I think it smacks of the parents trying too hard. If for example your child is the only Oscar in a class of Matthews and Harrys it looks faintly ridiculous.
There was a family on the Three Day Nanny a couple of weeks ago whose children all had very elaborate Italian names, with, as far as I could see, no Italian heritage to back them up. Every time the mum shouted at Allesandrio in a broad teesside accent it just sounded ridiculous! Me next-door neighbours have Italian heritage and called their children Italian names and it does not look out of place at all.
A lot of the names mentioned here are the kind of names people imagine to be 'posh' but the poshest boy I know is called John!
In my experience working in the local press in a very working class area, people who are confident in their circle does not need to draw attention to themselves by calling their offspring unusual names.
I think it's just attentions seeking really - OP are you secretly looking forward to having the child with THAT name?
I would also advise thinking beyond the cute baby/toddler year s and beyond primary school to secondary, where unless you are planning on sending your son to a school full of boys with pretentious names, he will be teased.
I have two sons with names I am surprised to see on many of these lists, as I would just class them as towards to unusual end of ordinary. I also have a daughter with an equivalent name and she is regularly teased at secondary school for being posh. Her name is Harriet.

LuluJakey1 · 15/08/2016 09:46

We are going to start TTC DC2. If it's a boy, I really like Quentin. We liked it for DS1 but went with something else.

Another one : Vivien

LarrytheCucumber · 15/08/2016 09:47

catch I wanted Benedict for youngest DS and my other two siblings vetoed it because they said he would be teased mercilessly at school. As it happened there was a Benedict in his year so, but we chose a Biblical name in the end, which some people have called posh on this thread but is actually quite ordinary.

MrsKoala · 15/08/2016 10:25

I have the exact opposite opinion to you cathf. I think with all the lovely names in the world why would you not choose something interesting/unusual? And what's wrong with standing out? I have/had an unusual name for the 70s/80s and people still comment on how lovely and unusual it is. I was never ever teased. I think kids accept any name as all names are new to them - it's the parents who say things and then the kids copy it.

The numerous Gemmas, Beckys, Annas, Emmas, Sarahs, etc in my school hated being the ones who had to have their surnames or different variations because there were just so many of them. Each fine names, but when you are one of 5 in your class and 20 in the year group, it's a bit wearing having to explain which one you are all the time.

Also i don't think people name their kids to draw attention to themselves, you will usually find similar style of names in similar social demographics, so it isn't unusual, it's just another name.

I don't think people try to think of a 'posh' name. They just choose names they love. My dc have unusual names which could be considered posh, did we think 'oooh lets make ourselves stand out and try to social climb' of course not. We thought 'oh Lysander is gorgeous' and that was basically the extent of it.

Your post comes across as quite mean spirited.

SaucyJack · 15/08/2016 10:36

Yeah, I agree with you MrsKoala.

I also think (having grown up with a name that was extremely popular at the time) that giving your child a top ten name that they'll share with two or three others in their class defeats the actual purpose of having a name. It's supposed to be your individual reference point. It just doesn't work if (for ex.) the teacher says "Go and give that book to Katie" and then has to clarify whether she means Katie B, Katie L or Katie T. It isn't just an issue at school either- me and one of my best mates have the same name, and both of my BIL's wives are called Samefirstname Samemarriedsurname.

MrsKoala · 15/08/2016 10:46

Agree.

As an aside I think i remember your daughters name Saucy, and iirc it is one on our list for our expected dd. :)

LarrytheCucumber · 15/08/2016 10:46

Agreed. Thomas was not on our list (already taken) but had we chosen it for DS he would have been the 4th Thomas C in his year at Primary school. Teachers had to resort to using Thomas Cl, Thomas Co and Thomas Cr.

JasperDamerel · 15/08/2016 10:52

I'm fairly sure that there are far more Oscars in DS's school than there are Matthews. The most common names for boys seem to be James/Jamie, Alex/Alexander/Xander, George, Oscar and Noah.

TheJediSmurf · 15/08/2016 11:06

Ezra😻😻

cathf · 15/08/2016 11:09

You are right jasper. I have just checked and indeed Oscar is in the top three names for last year! Obviously I am waaaay out of touch.
I object to being called mean spirited though - I am just advising looking to the long term beyond the baby years, when you think it's very cute to have a toddler with a pretentious name.
I also think done other posters are completely missing the point talking about names like Jack etc when there are three or four in each class.
There is a world of difference between calling your child one of the top three names and not being ridiculous.
My criteria was that the name should not be common enough to be more than one in a class but common enough for people to have heard of it, iyswim.
So, for example, not Jack (too many in the class) but not Ptolomy as it's a name that's always going to have to be spelled out.
Another point is that some so-called posh names do suddenly cross over to very popular in a flash, for example Oscar! I bet the parents of 10-year-old Oscars never dreamt their unusual choice would end up in the top three! I have always wanted to call my son Theo, but at the time he wax born, Theo Walcott was just emerging as a star, and I thought there was a chance that would happen.

MrsKoala · 15/08/2016 11:16

Who are you (or anyone) to say what name is ridiculous? I know a Ptolemy and everyone calls him Toli. It's not ridiculous at all. It's just 2 easy syllables. In fact if it wasn't for the silent P which throws people, the name would be really really easy, Tol- em- ee. Much easier than Alexander or Elizabeth - which are very popular and everyone appears to be able to manage to say them fine.