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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Callum

33 replies

qazxc · 02/01/2014 15:37

Any thoughts? I am trying to come up with shortlists.
Is it too common/popular? Do you immediately think of Callum Best when you hear it?
You can be brutally honest i need the good and the bad.

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RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 02/01/2014 15:41

I've taught a couple of lovely Callums.

SundaySimmons · 02/01/2014 15:43

I like it and Calum best spells his name with one L!

BananaPie · 02/01/2014 15:48

Not to my taste, but that's no reason not to go with it. I'd say it's a Scottish name (or poss variant of the Irish Colm) so wouldn't use it unless of that background personally.

Original poster
qazxc · 02/01/2014 16:10

well DP is irish and we live in ireland, so baby would have a celtic background.

OP posts:
highlandbird · 02/01/2014 16:12

Know a few Callum / Calum's of various ages in Scotland it's fairly popular here, recently met a few baby Callan's as well. Get the impression it's not such a well liked name south of the border though....

DramaAlpaca · 02/01/2014 16:15

I haven't come across many Callums in Ireland. I like it a lot & would have considered it myself but it wouldn't go with our surname.

curlew · 02/01/2014 16:23

I don't normally say this because I don't think it matters but it is lincredibly common here in SE England. And it tends (sorry- don't shoot the messenger!) to be, along with Connor, a bit of a "naughty boy" name.

Original poster
qazxc · 02/01/2014 16:51

curlew I don't mind at all. At this stage I am just compiling list of maybe's so not attached to any of the names. Also as i am french i do not get the connotations of certain names (which ones are posh, which one are "not so posh" IYSWIM). Which is why I appreciate the input as in real life people will just be polite and say "oh that's lovely".

OP posts:
Caip · 02/01/2014 16:54

Curlew - my mum was a teacher and Callum and Connor are the 2 names she has banned me from using! Not my cup of tea anyway

jenwa · 02/01/2014 17:00

Callum is nice I think. We have Caleb as wanted something different and I only know one person who has a child with this name.
I think it depends what your surname is and how it sounds all together. To be honest once your baby is born they become that name and no one will then say "urgh I don't like his name" we never told anyone the name as you get people questioning it and telling you about someone they knew with that name who was horrible etc. We have 2 DDs and 1 DS. We knew with DD2 and DS what we were having so did choose names but kept them quiet.

DramaAlpaca · 02/01/2014 17:08

In Ireland I haven't come across any "naughty boy" associations with Callum or Connor at all. It's usually Conor here, rather than Connor and it's very popular.

RhondaJean · 02/01/2014 17:10

I really don't like it. Scottish so it's quite common here but I don't know anyone with the name who is nice.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 02/01/2014 17:10

I'm an inner city secondary teacher, and have only known nice ones!

Original poster
qazxc · 02/01/2014 17:11

Well the name would have to go with Michael (family name passed on Dp's side), the surname is Irish (O'B....). and have to be pronounceable by french speakers.

OP posts:
stleger · 02/01/2014 17:15

In cork - know a nice Callum, know a few nice Colms, and recently read about a wonderfully named Kahlum.I don't know if that is from another culture, or just an interesting variation!

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 02/01/2014 17:16

I think Michael and Callum = nice together.

DramaAlpaca · 02/01/2014 17:21

My friend is a native Dutch speaker with an Irish surname & has a Colm (pronounced Collum). Not sure if that would work for a French speaker.

Agree Callum Michael is nice.

squoosh · 02/01/2014 17:43

I've never met an Irish Callum so it certainly won't be too popular there. In Ireland Conor is just a boys name, used by all sorts of people, it doesn't carry any of the 'naughty' connotations it seems to have been lumbered with in the UK.

DigOfTheChristmasTreeStump · 02/01/2014 17:43

Calum with one L is my spelling of choice, and one of my best friends in childhood.

Theonlyoneiknow · 02/01/2014 17:48

I love it. Both boys I know are spelt Calum

Frontdoorstep · 02/01/2014 19:47

I really like it, but would just spell it Calum. I know a few but am in Scotland where I'm sure it is more popular.

Original poster
qazxc · 02/01/2014 19:53

Yes if i where to call baby that it would be Calum as it does seem to be the more common spelling, save him spelling out his name all the time.

OP posts:
soontobeslendergirl · 02/01/2014 21:07

I'm scottish and like Callum, but my sister used it first. Cormac is also nice .

Harrin · 02/01/2014 23:07

I have teenage brothers called Connor and Callum. I can confirm they are naughty

sleepingbeautiful · 02/01/2014 23:32

I like the name a lot. I have only good connotations to it. Makes me think of a strapping, handsome Northern or Scottish man, not a naughty little boy :) It was in our top 10 boys names, and would likely have used it if we'd ended up with twins boys instead of one of each. I don't think the spelling matters too much as I've come across fairly equal amounts of both.