baby names...not sure if they are 'too unusual'

[bexharkins]

hey there. just wanted some opinions on the names my partner and i have chosen for our favourite baby names.

for boys we have

atticus, dexter, loki, axel, chester

for girls we have
luna, paisley, ember, indigo, astala

I like Atticus, Loki (but be named after the god of mischief might be self professing!), Axel.
Dexter is a murderer and Chester a cheese.

Luna is nice, there rest is quite bad terrible. Astala is nice sounding but something is bugging me; is it a surname/family name /boy name?

Luna and Axel (and Loki) would be my favourite. not that you should care

You are on my wave length and a couple of those popped up as ones I'd really consider. Unfortunately after I thought about them for a while I found a problem with most and I dismissed them though for the following reasons.

Loki - just too much of a connection with mischief.
Axel - the idea of being asked about guns and roses every 5 mins was too much
Dexter - murderer
Chester - we live to close to the city
Ember - pet name not a name for a baby
Indigo - indigo children - not particularly flattering.
Astala - love but decided against all names starting as because of the way they would be pronounced with an american accent
Paisley - only one I'm really not keen on - place near Glasgow and a lion.

Personally I like most of them, but because they were unusual I'm very cautious about what other people's reactions are going to be and there are limits of how far I was prepared to go. Which is why I've said what put me off in the end so you can decide whether you are still comfortable with. You might feel differently and have the confidence to go with though.

I think Astala is a boy's name (Peaches Geldof has a son with this name), or maybe it is unisex. Estella is similar, and clearly a girl's name (and a nice one at that). Ember risks having to correct from Amber all the time.

I don't like any of them sorry. They are a bit to 'try hard' for me. I think boys names are particularly difficult as I think there is definitely less choice.

Chester is a wonderful name.
Sorry not keen on the others.

Sorry I'm not really all that keen on some of them, Indigo is quite nice but it's a colour, I also quite like Ember.

Paisley is a place
Luna is too reminiscent of Harry Potter
Astala - never heard of it but makes me think 'hasta la vista' (sorry!)

Chester - place name, again - and reminds me of a clown for some reason.
I don't like Atticus at all
Dexter is okay,
Loki, from the film yes? Noo
Axel, what everyone else said.

Your boys names are just not my cup of tea - it's just a very personal thing.

Dexter - Dexter Fletcher or the tv show

Loki - Avengers Assemble

Atticus - I'd think you were trying to tell everyone you'd read to Call a Mocking Bird

Axl - Rose or Fergies (BEP) baby

Chester - place/ zoo

I quite like your girls names apart from Paisley - it's just a big no from me.

But people think my kids names are boring . Go with what you love, what you really love.

The only one I like is Chester. Chet as nn is waay cool.

Out of the girls names list you have, the best of the bunch (I suppose) is Paisley. Though its only because I used to love Prince!

Parsley is the lion. Not Paisley, unless there's a lion called Paisley sonewhere too.

Loki & Luna.

I think Atticus sounds a bit zany and OTT to be honest.
I like Dexter, I know someone with a DS called Dexter and it really suits him. I wouldn't worry about the whole 'murderer' thing, none of his peers will get the reference, and nor would most of our generation for that matter.
Loki sounds nice, I don't know anyone called that but it's subtle and unique.
Axel is okay I guess, but to be honest I wouldn't call my son it because I think it sounds like something a cage fighter or a rottweiler might be called.
Chester sounds a bit posh, but if you're fine with that then I think it is a lovely name.

I am less opinionated about girls names for some reason, but I think that Indigo and Amber are really pretty.
Again, don't let Harry Potter stop you from using the name Luna, HP will be pretty dated by the time she has grown up. No one cares if a girl/woman is called 'Matilda' now.

Atticus is an awesome name. Who wouldn't want to be named after Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird?

I like Dexter best of the boys names, although it's a bit surnamey for me. Atticus is suddenly quite trendy but I don't like it.

I like Astala and Ember, although I think people will mis-hear it as Amber (which I prefer).

I don't think they are that unusual.
Dexter and Atticus are quite popular, I like them both.
Loki just makes me think of Lochia, something I don't want reminding of.
Axel, I quite like but it depends where you live.
Chester for me will forever be one of Dave Benson-Phillips friends, he's the blue one!

For your girls I think Indigo is lovely.
Paisley is too cheerleader for me.
Ember I would imagine being forever called Amber.
Luna is horrible.
Astala, is ok but Peaches Geldof would put me off.

We have Loki & Dexter on our boys list and Luna & Indigo on our girls list, so I'm biased towards those.

I absolutely adore Atticus, though, there's gravitas behind that name! And I love Paisley, too! Not sure about Astala.

I love Dexter! I haven't watched any of the TV series, but I did watch Dexter's Laboratory when younger - either way, the name doesn't make me think of either of these characters (there is a 'Dexter' on East Enders, too, btw). Anyway, when people hear of a 'Ben' they don't go 'ooh, like from 'Bill and Ben'?' only because it is a more common name. You clearly like uncommon names, so don't let the character association put you off!

I love Atticus too, and know a lovely little boy with this name (nn Atty or Addy, not sure which).

I think Luna is lovely, but not keen on Paisley (though it sounds lovely, I think I am influenced by the fact that I hate the pattern). Agree with Ember/Amber confusion. Don't like Astala because the long 'a' sound risks being placed at the beginning of the name. Not keen on Indigo, though again it does have a lovely sound.

Just my thoughts and everyone is different! As long as you love the name As we have a similar taste in boys names, another you may like to consider is Jago and (for what it's worth) Seren for a girl.

ABSOLUTELY no offence intended to anyone living in Paisley, but, unless you have personal connections with the place, why would you want to call a child after a town with a recent history of "high unemployment and socio-economic deprivation" ?
(source: www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/03/20836/54362)

Paisley has a grand industrial past, a proud history of workers' activism, some wonderful Victorian buildings, a small airport, a busy crematorium, is close to the motorway and on the outskirts of Glasgow and I know some really, really, really nice people who live there, - but as a name for a girl??? It would be rather like calling her "Nottingham" or "Sheffield"....No offence to those fine cities, either, but as a personal name it just doesn't seem appropriate - to me, anyway.

Paisley is also famous as the home of a strange court case involving a snail and a ginger-beer bottle (just Google 'paisley snail')... And is, of course, the surname of a well-known religious leader in Northern Ireland.

It's a genuine question. Probably you do have good reasons. The swirling Paisley pattern is historic and attractive, so perhaps the name reminds you of that?

Love Atticus. Axel is just awful, sorry, dislike Chester, and I don't think Loki is usable.

The only girls' one that I think is usable is Luna. Paisley is dreadful imvho.

As others have said, Loki in Viking mythology = god and/or giant. A shape-shifter and jealous trickster, who arranges a particularly malicious murder. He spends a lot of time bound in the guts of one of his sons (nasty) while snake poison drips on to him. As he writhes in agony, he causes earthquakes.

According to myths, while in the shape of a mare (yes, female) Loki gave birth to a monster/magic horse. He also appeared as an old woman, a fish, a fly etc...

A little bit much for a child to live down/cope with in the playground, perhaps?

Axel is a complete normal french name though may be that why I don't find it awful or weird.
You can use the feminine forms too: Axelle & Axèle

I like most of your names Axel is a very common in Scandinavia I have a Uncle called Axel and a cousins son (age about 2 now) is also Axel.

I love Chester and Atticus

Dexter is pretty common from all of the names you have listed

Really like Ember & Paisley

I'm not very keen on any of these names I'm afraid. Not just because they are unusual though. But names are quite a personal thing and seem to be more so the more unusual they are.

Atticus and Indigo - both fab!

Like Dexter, wouldn't at Chester either.

Like Luna, Ember and Indigo - really not keen on Paisley, and also thought Astala was a boy's name.

Friend's DGD was nearly named Velvet Ember which I thought was fab although I'd never have the balls to do it myself and DH would have divorced me on the spot!

I love Axel but wouldn't have the balls to use it myself. Loki doesn't do it for me. I quite like Atticus but wonder if it might explode in popularity in the next few years.

Like dexter and paisley.