Our risky shortlist - please give comments

[Oakleigh20]

Hi all,

We are keeping our names secret from everyone but am desperate for some feedback. We have some safe options that we like but these are the risky ones... really love them but they are more unusual so want to be sure

Ford or Rupert for a boy
Berry or Wren for a girl

We want names that will be fitting as an adult in any job they choose to do but we don't like particularly popular names. Our safe choices are Albert and Penelope

Please let me know what you think plus any other alternatives also- what middle names do you think would go?

I love Wren, Ada and Albert. Love an old lady/old man name me . Not too keen on Rupert, Ford or Penelope.

I wouldn't say Penelope is any 'safer' than Wren to be honest - it's quite uncommon, don't you think?

I quite like Rupert ,don't like your safe choices at all . Wren sounds like its short for something else to me and I know a rather bad tempered Labrador called Berry so that's a no . Ford is not popular because its a car ,not a person !

If you are in the US then Ford is lovely and not too unusual. In the UK however, I'd fear nicknames such as 'Fiesta' !!

Wren is absolutely beautiful

Ford - sounds like an American name as it's a surname. Makes me think of Harrison Ford or the car

Rupert - bit posh, but it is a recognisable name. Roo is quite a nice nn. What about Reuben (nn Roo or Ben) which perhaps gives more flexibility?

Berry - don't like this at all

Wren - I think it's nice as a nickname for Lauren or Veronica, but would fear it would seem a bit twee on its own.

Love Penelope (Penny) which isn't very common these days.

Dd2 has a friend called Berenike, or Berri. Does that appeal to you?

I haven't seen your other choices, but here's my tuppence worth on the risky ones.

Ford - love it. Can't explain why it works, it just does.

Rupert - very posh and wet

Berry - a bit insubstantial, like Cherry

Wren - I know one, I really like it

Love Rupert and Wren . Especially Wren , not keen on the others .

I love Penelope Wren. The only Berry I have ever knew was really a Beryl.

Rupert Ford is ok, Roo is a cute nn for baby or toddler, not so sure for a teen or grown man!

Agree with pp that Penelope Wren is lovely for a girl.
Ford sounds quite American. Also, when put with mn or surname, will your DS sound like a new model of car? e.g. the Ford Oakleigh? Prefer it as a mn. Albert Ford?

Love wren

Please reconsider Wren. She'll end up being called Wrennie which is a well known indigestion tablet (rennies).

I like Wren and Ford!

I like unusual/different names, here are a few suggestions

Girls
Zosia (Zosha)
Keeva (that's the phonetic spelling of Caoimhe)
Ivy
Kaya (unisex and rhymes with higher)
Robin

Boys
Kaya
Kellen
Jay

If you like Wren, how about Linnet? Wren's quite nice, but everyone is just going to think it's Ren. And when you look at it spelled like that and say it, it doesn't sound half as nice or interesting! Linnet is far more unusual and interesting and a pretty sound, while also being a very old proper name.

Sorry I think Ford is awful. Just not a nice sound, really. And the car. And no good shortening or nn. And it's cold and surnamey.

Rupert is good. Better than Albert, I'd say.

I read that as Betty, which is lovely. But I think Berry is actually a bit boring, in fact all your names are pretty dull. I prefer your 'safe' names too.

I quite like Penelope and Albert. And Wren. Hmm not sure about that. It's unusual.

I think you should stick with Albert and Penelope.

Ford and Berry are more nouns than names, and with Ford you get the car associations. Wren is a hipster name that says 'trying really hard to be different' to me. Rupert reminds me always of the bear, whom I never warmed to.

I like Rupert, Albert and Penelope. Wren is sweet but Ford is horrible imo and Berry seems a bit silly.

I always think it's funny on here when people suggest Reuben because in the US it's an awful, hillbilly name. :) So is Sonny though, so who knows.

My favorites from your list are Rupert and Wren. In my American accent berry, bury, and Barry are pronounced exactly the same, so I don't love it. But Berry might be a cute nickname for something else...Juniper? (I'm only half joking!)

Penelope is pretty and has a variety of nicknames (Penny, Poppy, Nell)

Rupert and Penelope are lovely!

Love Rupert. Sorry, but really strongly dislike Ford. The association with the brand is too strong, and I feel it kind of commodifies people to use brand names as names. Albert's alright - no strong feelings either way.

Berry's quite nice. It sounded a bit diminutive at first, but in the last couple of minutes it's grown on me. It's not a million miles from Berryl, so it doesn't sound too off the wall. One of my cousins has a baby named Wren, and no one has batted an eyelid about it being a little unusual. I think 'Ren' is a fairly normal name in the US, and the 'w' just makes it a bit more special. I'm not a fan of 'Penelope', it's a nice name but I know of about 5 babies and toddlers called Penelope which is a bit too popular for my tastes.

Unless you give them a really crazy celebrity-kid style name, I doubt that it will affect their future careers. My parents overthought the career-friendly name thing and we all have really generic bland names as a result. I've always been really glad we have an uncommon surname. It's nice to feel a little unique . You can always give them the safe choice as their middle name.

I like Ford and Wren.

I know an adult Forde actually and never associate him the car brand.

I really dislike Albert, Penelope, Berry and Rupert.

Rupert is especially bad. Comedy posh name.

Don't like Albert, Penelope or Berry. Others are lovely IMO

I would assume that Wren would be a nickname for Jennifer as in Little Jenny Wren

I really like Wren, and I don't think it's actually that 'out there' - seems to be slowly creeping upwards in popularity terms. Manages to combine a pretty, feminine feel with a strong, no nonsense sound. Not so keen on Berry - it's pretty, but seems insubstantial somehow. Reminds me of the cutesy Ellie/Milly/Daisy style of name that's recently been very popular. Much prefer both of these to Penelope, though, as I have an irrational dislike of this name!

Of your boys' names, I think I'd go for Ford, although none of them are really my style. With Rupert I can't seem to get beyond the posh, effete stereotype (which is odd, as generally I'm all for a posh name!). And Albert is one of those old man names that's desperately trendy at the moment, but will sound dated again in a few years' time.

So on balance it's Wren and Ford for me.