What were you almost named?

[KittyTwoShoes]

Just thinking about how on earth anyone ever decides on a name for their child and wondered if anyone knows their parents' shortlists? I'm interested to see how they differ from the shortlists on here today.

I'm Katherine, but was almost Anastasia... DP was almost Morris(!).

So what were you nearly called?

I find it even weirder that my parents DIDN'T have a shortlist. They literally just went "I've always wanted a daughter called x" and agreed in about 5 minutes. It was the same with my brother. Not that I like their choice, however.

If I'd been a boy I'd have been Christopher. My parents liked Susannah before they decided on my name. My brother was born 3 years later but they'd gone off Christopher by then. He would have been Susannah if he'd been a girl.

I was going to be called Martha but my dad said no. Ben if I was a boy. Neither are bad but I prefer my name.

I was due around the time of the moon landings. If I'd been a boy I'd have been Apollo.

I'm Cathryn but was almost Victoria or Charlotte.

Have actualy gone with Charlotte for DD but only discovered the name was on my mum's shortlist after we told her DD's name.

my middle name was supposed to be naomi. But when my mum got to the registry thingie, her mind went blank and she couldn't for the life of her remember what my middle name was - despite the fact I was about 6 weeks old or something!

So she said the only name that came into her mind.

Maria.

I think Salome was on their short list. And psephone (or however you spell it!) and selina and lots of other terrible things to inflict on a poor child

Roberta.

If I were a boy I'd have been David.

i was going to be saffron but my dad changed his mind when he went to register me my mum was most put out as she loved the name.daniel if i was a boy

I was going to be called Claire but my mum said all the baby girls on the pn ward were called Claire so they had to think up something else! If I was a boy I'd have been called Digby

My parents had.

Boys:
Henry Leonard
George ''
Robert ''

Girls:
Henrietta Kate
Georgina ''
Roberta ''

Im guessing they realy wanted a boy!!
Kate and Leonard were my GPs names.

My Dad was determined that I was going to be called Clytemnestra.

I've always thought that would be a winner in the almost disaster names but I think Lesbia possibly takes the cake :)

Lucky1979 I secretly like the name Clytemnestra (after reading a lot of Greek stuff) but didn't even bother suggesting it to ex-DP when discussing names.

Aurora. Yeesssss

seaturtle - I love some greek names (I secretly love Andromache and Ariadne for example) but really, what nicknames would you end up with? Nessie is probably the best I could have hoped for. :)

I think Lesbia wins it, folks. :)

Stephanie or Lorraine were the other girl options.
Martin Ashley had I been a boy.

Dh was nearly Chad or Paula if he'd been a girl.

We chose dd's name when we got engaged, 8 years before she was actually born! Her middle name changed 3 times though.

Benjamin Paul had I been a boy.

i was almost jolene

I got saddled with Emily, I would have been Richard if I were a boy. In fact, I would prefer Richard to Emily even though i am a girl!

I was nearly a Phillipa but as mum had a Samanth she didn't want people thinking she had 2 boys, Phil and Sam.
I like Phillipa for dc4 but I would shorten it to Pip

My Mum's choice was Mandy (not even Amanda) which wouldn't have suited me at all. Thankfully my Dad overruled her with something more unusual which now (after a lot of teasing at school) I really like. I think for a boy she wanted Leon.

I was almost a Kirsty. Like my name better.

I was always going to be Alice if I was a girl, which I am.

If I'd been a boy I was going to be - wait for it

Ignatius Clovis!

o

I was going to be Gary....thank God I was a girl!

I was going to be Matthew if I was a boy.

And my real name is one that my mum had always wanted for a little girl as it's her cousin's name - but was v popular the year I was born (there were 4 of us in my primary school class), so there was nearly an 11th hour change to Kirsty. Until my Dad pointed out with an older brother called Neil it might sound a bit like kneel and curtsy, and people (well, family) would take the piss.