Strong English names

[NotAnotherNewNappy]

Hello, please come and tell me what you think of my list and feel free to suggest anything else you think I might like.

We have a very bold surname which can add comedy value to the most innofensive sounding name (think large farm animal ). For this reason, I feel we need to go with a strong old English name. We already have an Eliza.

Girls

Rosina
Tabitha
Matilda
Nancy
Kitty
Katie

Boys:

James (DH choice, I like it but fear he'd be one of 6 in his class)
Toby
Caleb
Benjamin (out as family name)
Arthur (out as comedy clash with surname)
Noah (out as comedy clash with surname)
Rufus (I love but DH says no way)

Erm... scraping the barrel now.. Help please?

I like all these names, except for Rufus. We have a Rufus in the immediate family and everyone thinks it is dreadful.

My favourite is Nancy (I'm biased though) - but there have been threads recently highlighting a rise in popularity. Might not bother you though.

And I love Kitty, too.

I love Rufus - but my DH also says no way.

Toby's good

I don't like James personally - my DH's first choice, too (do you think they're the same person?)

What about Patrick?

Alistair? (Or do you need to avoid names beginning with 'A'?

Lucian
Hector
Marcus

Um - actually, I'm rubbish at boys' names.

I love them too, with the exception of Caleb (too much in the category of Jebediah and other hillbilly OT names), Noah (wet, imo, and not just because of the Flood)) and Rufus (reminds me of Red Setters I have known -- prefer Rory or Ruadhan)

Hamish is a nice alternative to James, and Jago is a sturdy and attractive - imo - Cornish version of Diego (Spanish for James)

James, Toby,
Matthias
David
Roland
Silas
Jonas
Hugo
Isaac
Edmund
Nathaniel
Arnold
Conrad
Francis
Patrick
Michael

thereisalightanditnevergoesout - I really hope we are not married to the same person

Hector is a good one, where did you get that from?

Nancy and Tabitha are my favourites. Kitty is lovely but poss. a bit feline if you have an animal surname too? Katie (though not Kitty for some reason) I don't feel is substantial enough to stand up to a big barnyard comedy surname iyswim. Prefer Rose to Rosina, it's a very strong English name imo whereas Rosina is a bit exotic and delicate.

Love James, I think it has a quiet dignity amongst the more trendy and out-there names of today. There are lot of nicknames if there's more than one in class - Jamie, Jem, Jim poss. due a comeback?

This shows you how popular a name was in 2009 - 2009 stats should be out in Sept.
www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=15282

James 9th most popular name in 09 so you might be right to discount it.

Hector is one of my favourites (my reference is from a Morrissey song 'First of the Gang' - but obviously I'd heard it before) but DH says it's too posh (yet he loves Monty!) Hector and Eliza sound lovely together...

I like all your boys' names except Toby (just not my taste). And I love Silas mathanxiety. What about Seth? Or Jude?

I think Nancy and Kitty are lovely.

Lovely names.

The only one I don't like is Hector as I don't like the meaning of 'to hector'.

But the name Hector means 'Steadfast' - he was a Trojan hero.

I have a James, a Toby and a Benjamin. There are a couple of other James's in his year. Haven't come across many Tobys though.

Girls - I don't like Tabitha, and I would use Katherine and then choose the NN you like (Kitty is nice)

Boys - I like many already mentioned, would add Victor (nn Vic)

Forgot to say - Rosina is really lovely. Unusual but not wacky or trendy

The large farmyard animal doesn't begin with a "C" does it? In which case I would avoid Kitty and Katie as your DD will sound like a character from Peppa Pig where all the animals' names alliterate.

Other than that, from your list I like Rosina, James and Toby best.

Jasper? Beatrice?

Girls: I like Matilda, Nancy and Kitty, sort of (as nn for Katherine?)

Getting popular but not madly so.

Boys: Agree James v popular, we know at least a dozen under 10, actually make that more like 20. There were 3 in Ds1's class at one time.

Otherwise I like Arthur and Noah - why are these out? Is it Arthur Hogg or something? (as in Half a Hog? No, a hog?).

How about:

Girls: Mabel, Constance, Florence, Martha

Boys: Stanley, William, Jonathan, Angus (Scottish but I rather like it)?

I think Hector is rather posh, heard it called to a 3yo at a Nat Trust property last week . DH says they can't be over 35 (ref to children's programme from my youth, Hector's House!)

Thanks for all your responses.

Clary - Stanley is gorgeous.

Arthur in my london accent becomes "'Alf a Hog" (v upset about this one, my fave really)
Noah becoms "Know a Hog?"

MrsVWoolf - Yes, I mean commonly used in England from about 1600. Am not after a little Gawain or Beowulf!

I don't want anything too popular - something outside the top 20 but inside 200 would be great.

Oh that's funny that I guessed yr surname right!

ISWYM about Alf a Hogg. I luuuurrrvve Arthur too .

Never mind. What about Albert (nn Bertie - I wasn't allowed this as it's ridiculous with our surname - think brewing town) or Alfred instead?

I love Stanley, DH said no, I think you should use it. Eliza and Stanley mmm.

Girls

Rosina - Not keen
Tabitha - I am not keen
Matilda - really like this with nn Tilly
Nancy - like this
Kitty - feels like a nn to me, rather than a full name
Katie - ok, although Id probably have some fuller version for birth certificate

Boys

James - OK, I wouldn't have thought it was ^over popular now; only know of one (nn Jim) in the infant school I work in (270 children)
Toby - Not sure
Caleb - OK
Benjamin - Fine, Ben as nn
Arthur - shame it is ruled out as this is my favourite of your list
Noah - ok
Rufus - sorry, not keen

Clary - Ooops, I meant yes those are the reasons behind the comedy clashes - not yes we are the Hog family! Surname is thankfully not quite that bad (apols to Mrs Hog).

Bull? (not the thread,your surname,I've been mulling it over!)