When my mind was addled with pregnancy hormones, I wanted to call my baby...

[MaryAstor]

Oak.

A good, strong, very English name, I thought. Unusual but beautiful. Incredible that it is not widely used. Very smug about landing on such a perfect name.

If I hadn't been so off my face on morphine and sleep-depravation post-birth I'd have legged it to the registry office then and there to make it official. A few days post natal, I realised that the top 100 names are popular for a reason, and the fact that Oak was not ranked among them spoke volumes.

See also: Bran, Heath, Prospero.

A few years ago (but after ds was born) I started researching my family tree, and discovered my great, great, great grandfather's name was Ozias. I think I might actually have considered this for ds if I had known about the name when I was expecting him...

Btw I know a Heath (child of about 9) in RL, doesn't seem particularly odd.

I wanted Amarylis for a girl

ROFL at Phlox.

I had to have Eowyn prised away from me with a crowbar by DH.

Also was v tempted by Athelstan and Hepzibah.

As teenager had heart set on Chelsea, which I thought was dead sophist.

With ds I seriously wanted Montgomery, dh thought I was nuts. Also made a real case for seve, again vetoed because we're Scottish so adjoins have Scottish names I therefore came back with Hamish which very nearly made it out of sheer panic at not having a name for our day old son! Dd thankfully provided no such crazy name worries!

moomins yes they will.

Jethro, Gretel, Herb.

Myra. Then we remembered.

I love the name Myra.

When I first saw DS I immediately thought "Earl, he's an Earl!" thankfully he wasn't named for another week and we chose something much nicer.

I have always had a thing for Cherry or Sherry. DP won't even consider it and although I won't ever admit so, I'm grateful for it. As much as I adore the name(s) I don't think I should use them!

Chelsea was another one.

Thankfully I have two DCs with lovely names, as the pregnancy fog had lifted by the time we got to the registry office!

had a moment of genius earlier this week(36wks) - who could not love a little boy named Mustard . Convinced DH too but we decided to sleep on it .

Loads of others from our short list have appeared here, in all seriousness Wilburforce and Algernon have been on the shortlist for months alongside such corkers as Percival and Django and the family names Loftus and interestingly Fountain.
There are some other names on the shortlist luckily...

'Midsummer' here.

Love Autumn and would call a child that but my babies are always due in July

Loved Agatha; DH vetoed Would still use but too close to DD1's name
Finton for a boy

Going back to the heritage comments: DD2's name is Welsh and so far as we know, neither of us have Welsh connections, although I have a Celtic heritage so it's possible, and I am frequently asked if I am Welsh because of my accent. We really love her name though; and really, unless people ask, how would they know whether you have a certain cultural heritage or not, so what does it matter?

In a queue I was chatting to a pregnant lady who is calling her son Oakley.

DS1 was very nearly named Phoenix, I heard another parent calling a little Phoenix at school the other day and did have a small moment of regret. Also considered Apollo and Rocco...

My three are all called what I dreamed of calling them while hormonal and pregnant, although one of them still has to gestate for another 4 months. I don't envisage us changing our choice between now and then - it was difficult enough to find a third boy name we could both agree on.

I know a Phoenix, a Merlin and an Aloyisius of all things tho they say it wrong.

Some of the names mentioned on here are OK actually - wot's wrong with Rafferty?

sorry prunella, but mustard sounds like bastard

They wouldn't be to my taste but Rafferty and Phoenix are sort of maintstream. NOt over used but there are plenty out there.

I'm glad this thread popped up in my Active...

Oak is in my Penguin Book of Baby Names

I was pondering our shortlist a day or two ago and found it in the boys bit :o

www.amazon.co.uk/Penguin-Book-Baby-Names/dp/0141040858

That one!

Oi!
What's wrong with Frigg?!
Tis a purfeckley luffley name

Topaz