Ralph - what do you think?

[BiscuitBob]

What do you think of it? I love it but DH doesn't. He also doesn't Hugo, Elijah or Issac. In fact he doesn't seem to like anything I suggest! I'm suprised we managed to name DS.

It is DS1's middle name, after FIL. He hates it whether it is pronounced Ralph or Rafe.

I like it. It is Ralf in German and fairly common. Never heard of it being pronounced Rafe, though .

Thanks! I would pronounce it Ralf, didn't know of any other way.

Found is it your DS or your FIL who hates it?

Awful,unless pronounced as Rafe.

It's also a term for vomiting.

When I was a teenager I read a book by Judy Blume called Forever. The protagonist looses her virginity to her first love called Michael. His penis is called Ralph.

So that is what the name will always remind me of. Sorry!

And I also think it sounds like the noise a cartoon dog makes when it barks.

reddaisy - yes! I was hoping someone else would have read that book.

helenarose I didn't know whether to post it or not but thought a few people must have thought about that book when they saw the name Ralph!

I think her books were more popular in America though.

And it should have said loses not looses. Duh.

I thought everyone of a certain generation had read 'Forever'?

BiscuitBob DS hates it. It is an old man's name here in Norfolk and goes with roll-ups and trousers held up with baling twine.

Reddaisy you beat me to it! Will always remind me of that book!

I know my copy got passed around all the girls in my class until we had all read it

Lol glad im not the only one who instantly thinks of Judy Blume's book!

I do love the name Rafe though. The actor Ralph Fiennes pronounces his name as Rafe, but i think thats just confusing if it's not actually spelt that way.

Another Judy Blumer here sorry...

I like Ralph/Ralf and prefer it pronounced the way it's written. Rafe sounds odd to my ears.

Not read the Judy Blume book, so associations for me. Is the book still popular amongs kids today?

Ralph is a sound that i have heard my friends using whilst vomiting years ago in the old drunken days of my younger years...sorry!

Rafe on the other hand is a fantastic name..love it, love it!

Ralph = vomit

bigbluebump I'm not sure her books are still as popular. Some of the language is rather dated but you can still buy them and I got it for DSD and she devoured it and passed it around her friends and never saw it again!

So, I think the themes still have a reasonance with teens!

Ralph was always pronounced Rafe until the start of the C20th. The "ralf" pronunciation is new.

Prefer the old pronunciation myself. We considered it for one of ours.

Saw the thread title and immediately thought of that Judy Blume book... sorry!

Ralph Little has done alright for himself.

I also know a 3yo Ralph who is a little cutie.

144 baby boys were called Ralph in 2009 and a similar number in 2008 (rank around 300) so it's neither particularly common nor unusual.

I've never heard of the vomit euphemism (must be a regional thing) and men call their penis' all sorts of things (would you avoid the name William, for example?). People will come up with their own negative associations for any name you suggest so if you like Ralph then go for it.

Can't help you if your DH hates it though!

Can't help thinking of the Judy Blume book - Deenie.

Oh - was it forever - thought it was Deenie. That'll be my dementia setting in then...

Good point about the penis connotation. Willy (William) and Richard (Dick) are much, much worse actually....

It's my dad's name - Ralph always seems to be the dim character on tv programmes. I love my dad but hate the name. He doesn't like it either.

Judy Blume... clandestine reading sessions where 'the' pages had turned down corners... one copy of the book passed around 15 classmates...

Would never happen now. Innocence has disappeared!