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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Can anybody help me find a boys name to fit my ridiculously specific criteria?

142 replies

CuppaTeaJanice · 21/09/2010 11:00

I'm really struggling to find any boys names that I like. I know what type of name I'd like but so far it's remained elusive so I'm hoping you mumsnetters can help me identify a really great name that I'll be happy to give to a son (or a future male cat if this baby is a girl)!

So my criteria for good names are...

  1. Not so long as to necessitate use of a nickname in everyday use, but long enough to have a bit of interest to it - so 4, 5 or 6 letters would be ideal.
  1. A good mixture of letter types so it looks interesting written down. Dots are good (i, j), tails (q, y, p, g) (also f and z as I write them with tails), although I'd prefer to avoid umlauts etc as I should imagine they'd be a pain!
  1. A name that doesn't shout a particular class - so Eton or asbos wouldn't spring to mind when he told you his name.
  1. Unusual but not wacky - something you've heard maybe once or twice in this country, although I don't mind if a name is more common abroad. I don't mind a foreign name - some scandinavian names in particular would possibly fit my criteria quite well, but not a name from a continent I have no link with, so not obviously asian (eg Sanjay), African or American. A non British, European name would be fine.
  1. Not a noun, especially obvious 'nature' names - so no River, Bracken, Dandelion, that sort of thing. Also not a 'Kre8iv' spelling of a more common name.
  1. Can't start with a B, as we have a double surname and the initials wouldn't be good!

I have some possibilities to start you off, but none of them are quite what I'm looking for...
Benji - Like the letter combination, but starts with a B and possibly a bit 'doggy'?
Nijah - Again, like the letters, but it's a girls name, and a bit too similar to Nigel!
Kajri - Possibly a bit feminine?
Alvir - Not sure
Majni - Too much like Armani

Is anybody up to the challenge?!!!!! Grin

OP posts:
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preghead · 21/09/2010 20:12

Am liking Inigo - is it a unisex/girls name as well?

Also like Soren - is it scandinavian?

stleger · 21/09/2010 20:15

Cormac.

Tippychoocks · 21/09/2010 20:20

I only know it from Inigo Jones - an old architect. Well, a dead one now. I wouldn't say unisex, no.

preghead · 21/09/2010 20:20

I was going to suggest Cormac too - one in our family known as Mac

FaintlyMacabre · 21/09/2010 20:21

I love Inigo and Ptolomy, and have (very slight) regrets that we didn't use them for DS1 and 2.
On a slighty more common note- what about Robin?

EldritchCleavage · 21/09/2010 20:21

Arne
Cees (pronounced Kays, I think)
Judah
Ivo
Florian
Yehuda

Beware though OP, some of your names/criteria do scream "trying too hard".

Effjay · 21/09/2010 20:22

keilo
piot
jiilker
norot

OK, I'm making them up now Grin. Point is, many you have suggested sound like daft made-up names not real names.

BenignNeglect · 21/09/2010 20:36

Torsten/thorsten

I'd use it if I could

mathanxiety · 21/09/2010 20:38

Arnaud
Marek
Malik
Balthazar (maybe too long?)
Anselm
Fiacra (Irish)
Jonas
Avery
Lorcan
Dalziel (Scottish surname)
Arran
Omri
Dmitri

Rajko (Slovenian, 'paradise')
Dragan (Serbian 'precious')
Goran (Serbian, related to George, 'farmer')
Jovan (Serbian version of John)
Miljan (Serbian, 'charming')

thisisyesterday · 21/09/2010 20:40

Soren is Danish I think. well, Soren Kierkegaard is Danish lol

it should have a slash through the O but I don't know how to do one.

TheMightyToosh · 21/09/2010 20:40

Elliot - not hugely unusual but also not 3 in a class.

I once knew a Dax - love that.

CuppaTeaJanice · 21/09/2010 20:43

Yes, Tippychoocks, most of my friends would agree that I'm a loon too!! Grin

FaintlyMacabre I do actually like the name Robin (prefer the girls spelling Robyn) but unfortunately we had some work done by a builder called Robin last year and fell out, so the name's a bit tainted now.

What do you mean by 'trying too hard', Eldritch? I associate 'try hard' with pompous names - Augustus, Tobias, Maximillian etc. I'm looking for something a bit more down-to-earth, if that makes sense.

There are some really interesting suggestions on this thread though - I'm going to spend some time going through them all properly, looking up the meanings, running them past DP etc. Thankyou all for taking the time to help a pregnant loon find a few cool names!

Grin
OP posts:
CuppaTeaJanice · 21/09/2010 20:51

Arseholio, I wonder if your mum is the same Janice who inspired my MN name? She drank a hell of a lot of tea too!!!!!!

OP posts:
Takver · 21/09/2010 20:51

I like Dax too - unusual (I've only ever met one) but still obvious how to pronounce/spell it.

I agree that Welsh names are a good place to look. What about Macsen?

Try this list of Welsh boys names for some excellent suggestions

SnailWhaleTail · 21/09/2010 20:53

Hugh

Fab name but I am biased!

spler · 21/09/2010 21:10

Mayur

ArseHolio · 21/09/2010 21:15

She's a nurse in Oxford and does drink rather a lot of tea :)

I'm always suprised I don't look like a mug of strong tea when I've spent a weekend with the parents.

AllarmBells · 21/09/2010 21:21

Another Danish option - Rasmus

What about Juan? Pronounced like "Julian" without the "li", ie "jew-an", not "huan". Popular in the Isle of Man.

Jesus . I know it sounds a bit irreverent but loads of Spaniards are called it!

FlyingInTheCLouds · 21/09/2010 21:39

I have a pretty unusual name in real life that I have to spell and I've only met one or to of in rl and I've never had a problem with it.

so go for it.

How about Mieszko (DS1s middle name) pronunced me-yesh-ko.

HerHonesty · 21/09/2010 22:03

isnt soren a type of fruit loaf.

sorry but this has to be one of the funniest threads. OP you have far too much time on your hands! i think you need a new hobby.

thereisalightanditnevergoesout · 21/09/2010 22:47

That's Soreen :)

Soren is Scandinavian. Also Lola's imaginary friend in Charlie and Lola books.

Janoschi · 21/09/2010 22:56

Janosch, pronounced YAN-osh. Polish / East German. We have a couple in our family but it's pretty rare.

mathanxiety · 22/09/2010 01:52

Aram (as in Khachaturian)
Laszlo
Jorim
Stanislas
Keir
Sorley
Raghnall
Florian
Jens
Jensen
Marcel
Gunnar
Axel
Albin
Casimir
Cyprian
Ludovic

CheerfulYank · 22/09/2010 02:10

Well I'm of no help because the names I like are Sam, Jack, Finn, Rhys, etc :), but once you get it narrowed to a shortlist I'll pitch in!

ElephantsAndMiasmas · 22/09/2010 02:28

Arno (Like the river but shorter/easier than Arnaud)
Yarin - Indian I think, my friend's DS's name
Tavy is a river in Devon, so not too exotic but still unusual!
Tamar, seem to be continuing on a river theme here.
Jens - never quite sure if "Yens" or "Jens" or halfway between but nice either way

I know a Dax too - it is a cool name.