Barley?

[Moopsy]

Hi,

I once met a young girl called Barley and I thought it was a beautiful name and really suited her. I have always kept it at the back of my mind thinking maybe to use for dd3 if we have another girl this time...

But how does it come across to you? Old, posh, chavy, plain odd? And do you like it?

Thanks.

Very odd indeed.
I can't get lemon barley out of my head when thinking about it.
I can't imagine it as a name at all.

Why is everyone suddenly keen to label names as 'chav' or 'posh' ?

If you like Barley, use it. Personally I don't find it very feminine at all, but if you really like it, go for it.

I quite like it, very free-spirit kind of name IFYSWIM!

I can't think of it as a name either. I thi k of pearl barley, which is delicious.

A bit silly.

We think it is not a name because most of don't know anyone called this so we don't associate it with a person.

This changes as soon as we meet a real life Barley - then the name becomes the person.

If someone introduced themselves to me as Barley I would probably think they spelt it Bali, like the place, and that their parents had gone their on their gap year or something.

If you're particularly fond of barley as a foodstuff, Pearl mught be a better related name?

As long as your surname isn't Mow.

I don't like it, sorry - but each to his own.

Utter honesty here:

If you introduced me to your baby with this name I would think 'stupid idiot.' And cringe inwardly.

However, who gives a shit what I think or anyone else.

How about Wheat, Rice, or Oats?

Sorry, OP, it's daft.

Cous cous??

I'd think of barley water. I don't take to it as a name for a human.

I think barley water too. It seems odd to me.

If I did meet a human called Barley, I'd expect them to be a snowy haired, twinkly eyed, elderly male farm labourer from 1827.

A cat, maybe; a baby, no way.

tywysogesgymraeg - that me snort with laughter.

Then Barley water..

Then the Bali, the place.

I think the child will have a lifetime of saying " No not Bailey... Barley...

Might just about work if you are deeply hippyish. Otherwise just a bit bonkers. Also doesn't seem very feminine to me. On a similar theme how about Willow, Sorrel, Hazel, Summer, or maybe something flowery but unusual like Celandine?

I like it :) I guess it's no different really to using a flower name like Daisy or Rose, or a herb name like Saffron or Lily

It's quite nice but I'd assume it was a boy's name (like Barney, Barnaby etc)

Except that Daisy is short for Margaret (ie a nn not a name), and Rose, and Lilly are age old, well used names.

I'm not keen on Saffron either :(

I'm old school though - I like "proper" names - not all this new fangled stuff.

Daisy is a name in it's own right at this stage.

It's a boys' name - see here: nameberry.com/babyname/Barley

agree about Daisy being a name in it's own right these days - but doesn't change my mind about Barley. Can't even type it without smirking!

I like it, but it's something I'd expect to be attached to a lab or spaniel rather than a baby.

It's your baby though - if you like it, she'll make it her own.

isn't it what beer is made from? I suppose if it became more popular it wouldn't sound so odd, but as it is, it just sounds . . . odd!