If you like unusual boys names, please give me your views...

[BedHog]

DC2 is due in a couple of months, and we are really struggling with boys names. We have our shortlist of girls names sorted, but boys names seem much more difficult as the majority seem to fall into one of the 'stereotypes' and that puts me off them.

Both DP and I have looked through enormous baby name books, websites etc., jotting down any names we don't hate. We've gradually whittled these down to the list below, some being my choices that DP thinks are OK, and vice versa. There isn't a single name that we both love, unfortunately.

The names are mostly on the unusual side, so apart from opinions, I am more interested in practicalities - are they a swear word in Spanish, or the name of some nasty gynaelogical disease, or the name of a foreign serial killer, for example?.

Nyjah
Soren
Laurie
Efryn
Asa
Ijah
Kit (but hate Christopher/Christian)
Lajni
Naoki
Enzo
Tanner
Coby
Nate
Coyan

I used to teach a Lajni. She was a girl. And not pronounced Larny.

Are you pronouncing the j in the names as a y?

cos i was pronouncing it Ladge knee (sorry - if this was a baby in front of me i would be very good at expressing delight at its name!)

Yeah greenzebra but you are not [I hope] a schoolboy.

All it takes is one teacher not to know it's pronounced Acer, and pronounce it Arser and that's his nickname for the next 10 years sorted.

There used to be a footballer in the 70s/80s called Asa Hartford (I think his mother was Norwegian) and I remember much hilarity about his name, similar to when Nwanko Kanu arrived in the premiership.

Oh no Becky is it pronounced Lay-nee? If so, that one's off the list as I used to go to an aerobics class taught by a man called Laine(sp?). He was so sweaty that as he flung himself about little droplets of perspiration would fly off him and land on everybody nearby. I always stood at the back!!!

It doesn't take much to put me off a boys name. That's why I'm finding this so difficult

Our dog is called Enzo after Enzo Ferrari. :)

I think the name is originally short for Lorenzo, so you could use that and call him either Enzo or Laurie, two names from your list.

Nyjah - No idea how to pronounce this. If it's like Niger then will just sound like mispronounced Nigel
Soren - Really like it. Sounds Scandinavian to me
Laurie - Really like it
Efryn - Sounds made up
Asa - Ok but makes me think of "Ass"
Ijah - Ok. Sounds like it's short for Elijah
Kit (but hate Christopher/Christian) - Love this
Lajni - Sounds like an Indian girl
Naoki - Sounds like a Japanese girl
Enzo - Quite like this
Tanner - Not sure. Bit too much like calling your child Baker or Butcher.
Coby - Really like this
Nate - Like
Coyan - Don't like, not sure why.

Thanks Percy - Lorenzo is much nicer than Laurence (or is Laurent the boys version?). Would it be strange for a family with no Italian connections though? (except a ski trip in 1989)

Bedhog - I think it would be strange to call your son Lorenzo if you have no italian connections. Laurent is a french name.

I think Laurie is a perfectly lovely name, all on its own. Makes me think of Laurie Lee, Cider with Rosie author.

Yes it would. Honestly - name him Nathan and call him Nate. Or Laurence and call him Laurie. Sorted.

Efryn or Soren or Laurie.

I went to school with a guy who was just Laurie not Laurence or anything - to be fair I also knew a guy christened Jake but who preferred Jacob so called himself that - so if your LAurie prefers Laurence when he is older then I'm sure you will be mature enough to accept this and let him be!!

Snort

Love Scandinavian names, any of these float your boat...

Einar ("Eye-nar")
Hannes
Anders ("Andersh")
Leif
Sixten
Kik
Per (Swedish Peter)

Soren is very close to the Welsh girls name Serren (star)
How about changing Asa to Isa sounds a bit more masculine
Mostly I agree with Grumpypants but I might have been a bit more diplomatic

Love Enzo and Tanner.

Asa is a girls name in Sweden - very common there.

No Italian connections, then I'd go for Lawrence as it's the English style of the name. Then he can still feasibly be called Enzo or Laurie, and if he doesn't like them he still has a full formal name to use if he prefers to.

And Laurence is the female version of Laurent.

Just to add - Laurence is the French female form, so might be best to avoid that spelling in case of confusion in the future, should he spend a lot of time in France or with French speakers.

oops x post

I like Lorenzo - Laurie or Enzo. Doesn't matter if you're not Italian. Many so-called English names were foreign once.

Soren's ok too.

I like Kester with Kit for short-Kester is an old[rarely seen] form of Christopher.I like Soren [nb Soren Lorenson in Charlie and Lola books]

Laurie is a name in its own right in Scotland; a surname used as a first name. I know a Laurie in his 30s; Laurie was his mother's maiden name.

ooh kester is a good name

You can have any of mine if you want them

Harley
Jaidon (hahahaha no, really I DO have one of them)
Coltrane
Asa
Levi
Asher
Lennon
Marley
Hendrix
Cassius
Rudy
Ashton (not my fav but DD chose it)

(must point out that I dont have that many children, I have four boys with lots of names and that isnt all of them)

TFMDV - My next door neighbours just had a little boy called Ashton. I may rob Harley for my own personal use... though it'd have to be a middle name as it'd sound too much like the bike with our surname...