OK, everybody. Time for a public service thread. Post real names that are unusual but not so bonkers that the poor child will have 80 years of explaining, spelling and justifying to deal with.

[seeker]

Clemency
Timothy
Edith

are my first 3.

And I agree with the sentiment of this thread.

I have a very normal name with an unusual spelling. There is a good reason for the spelling - my parents weren't trying to be different. But it's still a PITA!

I met a baby Nell today. Short for Helen.

I just think that is the most wonderful name. And I only know one other Helen- so it ticks the unusual box too!

I too have a reasonably normal name (for the 80s) with an unusual spelling. Never could get anything with my name on, which was at times frustrating, so I only ever had a big blue marble with my name specially engraved on it. Now I'm kind of pleased, as all the other trinkety things you normally get your name on just wouldn't be as special as that blue marble. Still have it!

Seeker ...why not something Addams family inspired? ... Dementia? Lol.

I think a lot of the more old fashioned names are after plants, so why not choose a favourite plant or flower? It doesn't have to be an obvious one. I used to know a girl called Hebe, or there's always Hydrangea- harder to spell maybe.

Peony
Heliotrope
Violet
Dahlia
Hyacinth (hee)
Muscari
Wisteria
Honeysuckle
Magnolia
Snowdrop
Bluebell
Crocus...

next time you're in a book shop, grab one on bulbs, or flowers for the garden- I bet there's loads of ideas. I'm not saying they'll all be relevant (Hyacinth, hee) but you never know!

Or what about Shakespearean names?

Ophelia
Perdita
Portia
Cordelia
Goneril (DH accidentaly said Gonnorhea, maybe not!)
Regan
Desdemona
Titania
Hermia
Helena
Viola
Bianca
Dorcas
Francisca
Lavinia
Miranda
Nerissa
Mariana
Rosalind(e)
Adriana
Luciana
Luce
Emilia
Celia
Rosaline
(DH just suggested Lady Macbeth, I'm guessing that's a no)

or Isolde? Not Shakespearean, but still nice in a kind of antiquey way.

Someone I know named their son Otto because it was a palindrome- always thought that was kind of cool.

Interesting! I have seen my own name a few times on this thread. I've never thought it unusual although it's not one of the current trends and, come to think if it, in almost 20 years of teaching, only taught one child with my name.

Guy
Miles
Giles

Elfrida
Clarissa
Dorothea

Philip
Leo
Miles
Luke
Matthew (I know, hardly unusual, but there are none in YR-Yr3 at dd2's school!)

Antonia
Victoria

I do like Helen nn 'Nell'.

My sister is just Nell, like I'm just Tess, and our big brother is Chad.

My parents liked short, simple and no fuss names!

Valentine (old family name)
Graham

Lucretia (old family name)
Jacqueline
Jemima
Claudia

Salome
Errol
Briar
Marta
Celeste
Gwyn
Carenza
Bridget
Edmund
Celine
Maxine
Flavia

One of those is mine, one is DDs, both of us are yet to meet someone with the same name.

Georgia

Breasticles are you pronouncing Valentine as Valenteen or Valentyne? I love both - I'm just interested!

Maurice
Winston
Lyall
Keith
Douglas
Martin
Lester
Crispin

Geraldine
Christina
Gail
Maureen
Susan

Valentyne! Been in the family 4 generations but dh will not be convinced if we have a boy. Spoilsport

Sherbert

Joan, Jane, Ann, Mary, Peter, David, John.

But even some of the most popular, mumsnet approved names have to be spellt out:

Is it Katharine, Catherine, Kathryn, Cathryn, Katherine etc.?
Is it Clare or Claire?
Is it Stephen or Steven?

And when I hear Roger, I think of Roger Federer! Never had any associations with anything else, tbh.

And there is a Timmy in ds's class. Seems to be accepted by the kids. Is there any negative association that we're not aware ?

I love Valentine. Has nothing to do with having a massive crush on Valentine Warner!

Are some of these not rather pushing the explaining and spelling criteria?

Boaz?
Muscari?

well, yes.

but as has already been pointed out, the most 'normal' and traditional of names can be spelled different ways:

Catherine/Katherine/Katharine (and many more!)
Philip/Phillip/Phillippe
Elizabeth/Elisabeth
Alistair/Alasdair
Rebecca/Rebekah
and so on.

All solid, traditional names, which have to be spelled out, some more unusual than others. But it is not so simple as 'weirdy new fangled names are a cross to bear, you'll always be spelling it out, so just use a sightly unusual traditional name'.

I have one of the commonest names imaginable (for my age), yet am always asked to spell it. I am not bothered by this, and it only irritates me when peopel get it wrong after asking me, or being corrected.

hmm my name, my dh's name, my uncles name and my cousins (sp?) name are on this list.

as far as i know neither of us have had to spell it for anyone... or explain them. they're normal names as far as i know

i know a few daves and davids. all under 50!

Speaking as someone who suffered a childhood marred by having my given name as a song title, Delilah has the disadvantage of people of a certain age / musical taste singing "Why, why, why?" at you for what seems like your entire life.

I quite like Felicity, but would be ironic when she turned into a grumpy teenager.

I have a Helena and a Lawrence (Lawrie). Both classical, and relatively uncommon.

Some problems with Helena and pronunciation: frequently called Hel-ee -na or He-lay-na when we chose He-lenn-a.

Lawrie/Lawrence probably gets spelled with a u more often than we'd like, but not to the point of annoyance.

Other classical names I would have considered: Gabriella, Dominic and Francesca.

I have seen quite a few on here that don't pass the spelling criteria-they would constantly have to spell them for people.