What do you consider an 'out there' name?

[allrags]

Just wondering, as I don't want something too unusual for DD. It's not always easy to tell what would be regarded as 'out there' from the baby name statistics as some perfectly well known, 'normal' names are only used a few times each year. Examples much appreciated.

I have a friend with a DD named "Seren", I think it's lovely. It means "star" in Welsh. :)

Recently met a 16 year old Gypsy, her 13 year old brother is called Hercules. Gypsy is all flicky hair and Notting Hill, have yet to meet the brother, but am keen to.

From some of the names people find ordinary, I'm guessing there are a lot of people from North London on here. There are names which are considered fashionable there which might sound (dare I say) a little pretentious elsewhere. It's not to do with being "cosmopolitan" or "open minded", as of course there are as many prejudices there as anywhere else, just different ones. Sure, London is a cosmopolitan place, but so are all cities! It's much more to do with local fashions and attitudes. Some other cities where a larger proportion of people pride themselves on being down to earth are going to go for a slightly different type of name in general.

I don't think it is necessarily about how often a name is used. Mary and Jane are normal names, but infrequently used now, but no one would say that they are unusual.

At risk of outing myself as there cannot be many of them....

I grew up with a girl call Ysatis. (Ee Sa Tees)

Which I personally think is a lovely name, but was hilarious watching people that didn't know her try to pronounce.

I think it's a bit out there but in a lovely way.

At our school (just outside London) there are lots of families from different cultures and backgrounds - nobody would bat an eyelid at a Gabriel, Quentin, Cecily or a Soren (in fact we know a half Swedish one). Some names are very popular in other countries (e.g. I think Quentin was in the top 10 in France until a few years ago), so I do think that being open-minded and well travelled (or working in an international environment) makes you more open towards 'different' names.

OP, have a look at the ONS statistics and look at all the names outside the top 100 for inspiration. And even if people initially find a name 'out there' they will very quickly associate the person who owns the name with it.

Smirnoff? Please please tell me you're joking. That's horrendous.

Personally, kr8-ive spelling is too much for me and the names that sound made up or like two random names cobbled together for the sake of being yoo-neeq. I'd take a Persephone or an Atticus over a Braydon-Jai or a Lacey-Cheyanna-Mai.

Depends what you meant with 'out there'.

Negative 'out there' names:
Made-up names (Chaynne-Jay or Neveah-Mai) or silly names (Smirnoff, Wurzel, Porshe, Red, Blue, Orange or Champagne).

Positive 'out there' names:
Perfectly normal, classic names that are simply not used very often e.g. Seren, Tallulah, Cecily, Quentin, Atticus, Gabriel or Persephone.

We chose names for our dcs that are 'positively' out-there imo . I also believe that we name people mainly so that they can be identified - in that respect 'out there' can be a positive.

I know a Tikka and today in the supermarket I heard a mother calling her DS Shadow

I think it is a name that raises eyebrows when revealed or if you have to ask how it is spelt.

DD1 (now 10) used to go to nursery with a Tallulah, I thought it was a perfectly normal name. There was a Tallulah, played by Jodie Foster, in the American Bugsy Malone film that just starred kids.