How would these somewhat rare boys' names go over in the UK?

[eversomuch]

We're trying to decide on a boy's name. We want it to be not extremely common, but not OTT or pretentious. We're not originally British, so would appreciate thoughts on the following names, esp with regard to any possible UK cultural perceptions (if any):

Cedric
Chester
Ivan
Kieran (not really rare, I know)
Laszlo
Malcolm
Marshall
Maurice
Munro
Rye
Trevor

In the UK, they are not similar types of names at all. Cedric belongs in an Edwardian children's book. Malcolm is old fashioned. Trevor is working class blokey and Rye is a kind of cereal.

Chester is a lovely name :)

I like Cedric, but you MUST lose Trevor and possibly Malcolm.

Really hard to imagine a baby Trevor or malcin the uk as those really 70s bloke names are now fat, balding, middle managers, along with the Nigel's, Barry's and

And Steve/Daves!

Apart from those you've got some good unusual choices (apart from kieran which is very common and a bit naughty boy/Chav in my opinion)

I like Ivan the best.

I googled 'Chester Cockney Rhyming Slang' - I have to say that I have never heard that connection before and cannot believe that it would occur to any more than a handful of people in the UK. If the full name was going to be Charlie Chester, maybe it would be more of an issue - as it is, Chester is fine and quite sweet. Way better than Trevor, anyway!

Chester is my fave. I've met two little boys named Chester, both lovely.
Never come across a dog named Chester. I think it's a bit silly to say any name is a dogs name though

I know three little Chesters! I also don't get the rhyming slang and in any case you could rhyme any name with something offensive if you tried.

Rye is a nn for Ryan in my book
Least faves from your list are Cedric and Trevor

Cedric- Reminds me of a snail, Old fashioned
Chester- Is a cat's name.
Ivan- I like this name, not often used. Seems eastern european.
Kieran - As you say, very common. I would associate it with Irish roots.
Laszlo- Seems a bit 'made up'.
Malcolm- Accountant.
Marshall- Very American.
Maurice- Also American.
Munro- Scottish.
Rye- Bread.
Trevor- Very middle aged.

The only pretentious ones are Laszlo and Munro. The others are generally a bit 'odd', though uncommon apart from Kieran. I would go for Ivan out of this list.

Thanks for all the feedback. It's always interesting to hear how people perceive different names and the associations they have with them.

Regarding, trevor, I don't know anything about Eastenders or the Trevor and Wayne reference, but some of you actually liked the name, which tells me it isn't completely off-limits.

I'm not really worried about any of these leading to bullying -- if someone wants to bully a kid, they'll find an excuse, if they even think they need an excuse. I'm also not worried about associations like Ivan the Terrible; no one advises against naming a kid Jack because of Jack the Ripper, right?

DS will have three nationalities, one of which is American, so "American" sounding names don't bother me too much, although it is good to know which ones stand out as undoubtedly American.

Laszlo is far from a made-up name: it's very popular in Hungary, and there is Hungarian ancestry in our family. It's actually my second top choice after Cedric.

And Cedric originated as a literary name in Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe. Someone pointed out the Harry Potter connection, but since that was only one of you out of more than 30 replies, I think it's safe to assume most people won't associate it with HP.

And no one, LOL, pointed out that Trevor is Neville Longbottom's toad in Harry Potter. :)

Thanks again!

Cedric - Little Lord Fauntleroy
Chester - American
Ivan - Sounds fine to me
Kieran (not really rare, I know) - Popular enough here as well, so fine.
Laszlo - Only suitable if you're from a country where this is a normal name
Malcolm - Probably OK. Popular in the 1950s but not too popular
Marshall - American
Maurice - 1920s and it hasn't come back into fashion
Munro - Would be OK in Scotland. DH has a friend with this name.
Rye - Unusual, maybe better as Ry, so we don't get mixed up with the cereal
Trevor - Very 1950s and not due for revival any time soon.

Cedric - Little Lord Fauntleroy
Chester, Marshall and Munro are just dreadful
Ivan - OK
Kieran - OK but I prefer Ciaran
Laszlo - OK, especially if you have Hungarian connections
Malcolm, Maurice and Trevor are terrible, late-middle-aged names.

Rye is the worst of the lot. It doesn't even sound like a surname-first name, it just sounds like you might be aliens who picked something that could have been a name (a la Ford Prefect).

Trevor, no no you just can't! Poor child. People WILL laugh, trust me. It gives the image of a small town business man aged at least 65 and is a bit of a 'joke' name in the UK.
Maybe one day it just might possibly be seen differently, but that time is MANY years from now.

Ivan, Kieran and Laszlo are all fine. Your other names not really.

Clevor Trevor: from the late great Ian Dury.

Cedric - can come across as a bit wet; also a Harry Potter character
Chester - place name
Ivan - like (but check it doesn't become risible with surname if also a noun)
Kieran - ok
Laszlo - ok (possibly a bi Jilly Cooper)
Malcolm - old fashioned in a fuddy duddy way
Marshall - seems rather American
Maurice - ok-ish, but old fashioned
Munro - ok
Rye - a bread
Trevor - very out of fashion, would seem odd

I'm not from the UK either but am a native English speaker so here's my tuppence worth:

Cedric
Chester
Laszlo
Marshall
Maurice
Rye
Trevor

I don't personally like these, some of them sound very old-fashioned and not in a cool way (Trevor, Cedric, Maurice) and some sound very American (Chester, Marshall). Laszlo sounds like a Hungarian goldsmith or something

Ivan
Kieran
Malcolm
Munro

I like all of these and they have a good solid sound to them. The last three are Irish, Scottish and a Scottish surname that would work well as a first name. Malcolm is the one I like best, it's a good name, traditional and with cultural background but not too trendy.

Cedric - well it may be coming back but it would be pretty ahead of the fashion in most parts of the UK.
Chester - American. Not a bad thing.
Ivan - OK. My association would be Russian but probably that's only from American submarine thrillers.
Kieran - naughty boy. This is a personal one, not everyone will feel the same. IMO it is not a glamorous name.
Laszlo - unusual but I think it's a good choice, although it depends how much it bothers you that it will be misspelt. A lot.
Malcolm - Again personally I think this is even more too far ahead of the curve - Malcolm was popular in perhaps the 40s and I don't think those names are coming back just yet.
Marshall - American and I really like it. Great choice.
Maurice - For me this is either E M Forster and not in a good way (I loathe EM Forster though so again it's personal), or Michael Caine's original name which he changed because it sounded dull I think. Again to me it is a 40s/50s name and rather timid-sounding.
Munro - Scottish ancestry assumed. Like it.
Rye - Kentish ancestry assumed. Would rather wonder, why Rye? Not attractive-sounding and unusual without being interesting.
Trevor - I actually associate with Trebor Mints, and also with a character in a TV play who was named Trevor because this indicated how ordinary, dull and suburban he was. Again a 50s name - too soon for this one IMO.

I love Laszlo, it was on my list, but my DH got his veto out. Though mainly because it sounded odd with DTB's twin sister's name, and because we have no Hungarian heritage.
Good luck with your choices!
I think Malcolm and Trevor have the most boring cultural associations in the UK. The rest are cool - although Marshall just makes me think of Air Marshalls.

3 of these names belong to my 60+ age Uncles OP if that was the type of thing you were after Also, another is my exP's (and dd's) surname.

Of them all I prefer Kieran.

For all of you saying Chester sounds American, maybe 70-120 years ago, but not in this century. Maurice isn't of this century, either. I don't know a single person with either of those names, and I know some really old people. I know a Mauricio, but he's Latin American.

Marshall and Trevor, OTOH, I'm perfectly willing to concede as quite American.

I think you have some great names here, but just please don't call your child Trevor.. It will get shortened to Trev for a start, and the associations of Kev, Baz, Wayne type 70s 80s names is just awful..

Cedric is cool, makes me think of cedric the entertainer

I know a Kieran. He is my brother, goes to college, works and isn't 'chavvy' at all. He is 17.

I know an Ivan. He is so far up his own arse also my uncle who is in his 40's.

Names don't mean anything, been named something doesn't mean you get that personality. I don't like the rest though.

Cedric - old and wet
Chester - to place namey / surnamey
Ivan - okayish
Kieran (not really rare, I know) - went to uni in the UK with one, didnt' cause anyone any pronounciation probs
Laszlo - sounds like a cafe Laszlo's... yip its more of something you'ld call a business
Malcolm - bit nerdy
Marshall - okay
Maurice - usually shortened to Moss, again bit wet
Munro - just.. no
Rye - girl or place
Trevor - wheeler dealer, slightly dodgy character, makes me think of a man in a pub saying "my mate trev can sort you out for one of those on the cheap"