What names did you like but couldn't call your child?

[NachoNachoMan]

When I was expecting, we were discussing baby names. Me & my husband liked the name Sydney for a girl. We had a conversation about names with my brother and sister in law (who were also expecting) and told them we liked the name Syndey.

A few weeks later it was Halloween. My phone rang, it was a withheld number but answered it anyway. I said "hello" & then the voice down the phone said "hello Sydney", followed by a knock at the door. My husband answered it, and there was someone in a scream mask, followed by laughter. The mask came off... and it was my brother! (He has always been a bit of a teaser, thank goodness I'm not of a nervous disposition!)

My daughter was born a few months later, and she is not called Sydney.

So what names have you liked but couldn't call your child?

My boy list was Jonathan or Samuel. DH nixed both. For a girl I liked Madeleine but again, he hated it. As it turned out, we got a boy and there are two Samuels in his school year group so the name we picked worked well in the end, and DS really likes his first name. Doesn't like his middle one, but can't win 'em all!

( my name's my original middle name. Loathe my first, enough to get rid of it by deed poll)

I wanted Bernard for a boy and Tallulah for a girl. Both vetoed by DP.

DP wanted Cadwaladr for a boy. I vetoed it with a face

Annoyingly, we were having a discussion with DS about names and mentioned Cadwaladr and he loves it and says he wants to change his name to this when he's older!

Growing up I had an auntie Elsa, she was lovely and I always liked her name. Planned on using that name for second child but Frozen was released as we were ttc. Used Esme instead

I loved Saphron, Rafaella, Poppy before I even thought about having kids but family were 🥺 & then once got together with DH he vetoed. He was adamant he didn’t want any names that could be shortened in any way or nicknamed eldest DS is Harry which we loved (& still do) Harry Potter exploded about 18 months later so for ages were asked if anything to do with that but more annoyingly had a few friends who called him ‘Ry” (as in rhymes with key)

My nan's namebit a couple of cousins beat me to it.

Gail and James because they become hilarious with our surname. Kathleen because everyone kept emphasizing the second syllable. Ardal because it sounded like Our deal. Saoirse and Naimh because my husband couldn't spell them...

@pollymere

Gail and James because they become hilarious with our surname. Kathleen because everyone kept emphasizing the second syllable. Ardal because it sounded like Our deal. Saoirse and Naimh because my husband couldn't spell them...

Can work out a surname that wouldn't match with Gail... but none that would be weird with James... will keep thinking 😂

I had always wanted the name Bianca (I loved the film, The Rescuers, as a little girl and think it’s a beautiful name, but...EastEnders completely spoilt it for me!!

I always loved Samantha until Sam Fox. That a) led to hundreds of Samanthas, and b) put me off due to the connotations. Tbh it was so much later that I had children I could probably have got away with it in 2008....

By the time we were choosing I really wanted Jemima, but DH refused on the grounds that both of our names start with J and the post (as in mail) would be too confusing.....! However, DD now thinks that's awful and is very glad I didn't call her that. (Bet she'd have liked it if we had though....).

I liked Samantha too, and then my neighbour got a jack russell dog and called it Samantha.

I like Samantha too, I'd love to be called Sam.

@JosieJasper eastenders ruined Bianca for me too 😂

I wanted Kerensa for my DD - but that was quickly shot down by EXDH.

i wanted Velvet. like Velvet Brown in National Velvet. DH said it sounded like a stripper. Sometimes wish I had insisted as I still think it’s lovely.

Gabriel, such a lovely name but shortened to Gay in Ireland where I have family so thought it may be a tough one to live with.

@Whataboutnodontyouunderstand my old boss was a female Damien

For boys I wanted Roman and Merlin. Both were vetoed. Both were girls and I wanted Madeline for my eldest but it came at the same time as a very high profile Madeline and whenever I mentioned I was thinking about it, people would say "oh, as in McCann". So that went out of the window. For my second I loved Pixie. I've no idea why, and it really wouldn't have suited her so I'm glad really that my family hated it.

If I had my time again though, Roman would still get my vote. No idea for a girl.

I wanted Niall for a boy until my cousin said " After the River?"

After vetoing Ex H's choice of Dean (no just no, apologies but I just imagine a child on a Chopper bike wearing flared jeans and terrorising the neighbourhood), we settled on another Irish name. It had fallen out of fashion since the Forties and was considered quite unusual at the time. Clue - it begins with a K.
Nowadays it seems as if every other footballer or builder has this name!😂

I love Gabriel/Gabe but DP quickly vetoed that one

I met a man named Gage once and I mentioned that being the name of the toddler in Pet Cemetery by Stephen King and he said that was who his parents named him after 😱 the toddler dies, gets buried in a haunted cemetery and comes back to life evil.

At least people here are considering the implications of certain names. My mum was a teacher and honestly, some of the names her pupils at various times had been saddled with....

I think most teachers have names they would never choose because they remind them of 'that pupil'!

A friend of mine genuinely liked the name Paris for their daughter - their surname is France though so it was a no go!

@pollymere

Gail and James because they become hilarious with our surname. Kathleen because everyone kept emphasizing the second syllable. Ardal because it sounded like Our deal. Saoirse and Naimh because my husband couldn't spell them...

I'm sorry @pollymere I don't think you can spell Niamh either I know someone whose parents registered their birth and misspelled her Irish name by mistake and she has spent her life correcting people who spell it the correct way. There are two possible spellings but they didn't go for either of them and it wasn't a deliberate alternative.