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Baby names

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Original poster

these boys names

43 replies

iniquity · 21/03/2015 22:50

My dh is of Arabic origin I'm British. So choice of names are a little limitedlimited that suit us both.
From a British perspective what do you think of these boys names?
Ramzi
Yasseen
Omar ( I like this but our surname is similar to sheriff)
Hisham (he sham)
Faris
Younas
Riad (ree add)

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Original poster
iniquity · 21/03/2015 23:17

Please help

OP posts:
forago · 21/03/2015 23:22

I have a soft spot for Omar as my first boyfriend was one, would many people get the sherrif connection now?

I don't much like Ramzi as it sounds like Ramsey which sounds like an old man English name, to me.

DrownedGirl · 21/03/2015 23:24

I think Omar is a bit common and I don't like the association between Riad and Riyadh ... But I like the others esp Younas

Original poster
iniquity · 21/03/2015 23:26

Thanks ladies ... Something to think about

OP posts:
Blondiemama · 22/03/2015 00:57

I like Omar and Love Younas!

NadiaWadia · 22/03/2015 01:07

Younas sounds the same as the girls' name, Eunice, doesn't it? So that could be a problem.

PunkAssMoFo · 22/03/2015 07:06

Omar is fab. Not keen on the others.

Names like
Zane/zaid, haris, idris, Samir etc sound more cross-cultural to me.

EhricLovesTheBhrothers · 22/03/2015 07:08

I like zaki, zain, ismael, bilal, Omar and faris

MissWimpyDimple · 22/03/2015 07:29

Whilst I understand that you want to honour DHs culture, you have no names on the list which reflect YOUR culture.
As he will have your DHs surname, why not a British name?
I like Faris the best out of those though.

EhricLovesTheBhrothers · 22/03/2015 07:36

Wimpy, I can't answer for the op but I was in this situation and I chose to give him an Arabic first name because I felt that for his own sense of identity and belonging to his father's country and culture, a name was an important signifier. He spends a fair bit of time there so it's important that he feels like he fits in, having an English name on top of looking English (which he does) and not speaking Arabic, and basically being culturally English would have made him stand out more and feel less like he belongs. I believe so anyway.
It wasn't to do with 'fairness' to his dad but as we were bringing him up in the UK I felt that his name should reflect his other cultural identity.
Fwiw he's 6 now and I don't regret it.

BikeRunSki · 22/03/2015 07:47

From a British point of view, all your nAmes sound very Arabic, except for Omar, which I think is more familiar because of Omar Sharrif.

I once worked an Anglo-Arabic man called Bassam, but known universally as Sam or Sammy.

GoooRooo · 22/03/2015 07:56

From a British perspective they all sound very Arabic. That's not necessarily a bad thing but if you were hoping they would be more cross-cultural then I don't think they are, sorry.

Original poster
iniquity · 22/03/2015 08:25

It has to be an Arabic or Muslim name. He would never agree otherwise. Not going to win any feminist points but i was aware if this from the beginning. I'm also not keen on having an English name attached to an Arabic surname. One reason why I've kept my own surname.
Our first son is Zak ( shortened version) which works very well in both families.
Personally I also like haris and Adam and Ryan which would fit the brief but he doesnt. It is so hard!!
Girls names are so much easier!
Hope its a girl
Thanks for your honest replies

OP posts:
Original poster
iniquity · 22/03/2015 08:30

I like Zane and samir too. My parents could call him Sam but would dh agree. Doubt it.
Oh the pain of multicultural relationships.

OP posts:
iwishicouldsing · 22/03/2015 08:31

I like Omar. A pp said they thought it common but I have never heard of an Omar other than the one in The Wire.

EhricLovesTheBhrothers · 22/03/2015 08:56

I know a Samir known as Sami which his dad is quite happy with, I don't know if it's a usual shortening. Why would your parents have to call him sam though? Wouldn't they use Samir?

GoooRooo · 22/03/2015 08:58

Zak works well in terms of it being cross cultural so I can understand why you'd want another name like that.

Zain/Zane is lovely.

forago · 22/03/2015 09:47

I also know an Arabic man called wesam,, family and when in ME, known as Sam over here (though also lots if English people seem to be able to manage Wesam)

Zach and Sam/sami?

Why can't your parents call him an Arabic name, if that's his name?

Original poster
iniquity · 22/03/2015 11:03

My parents aren't keen on Islamic or a Arabic names. Not very open minded iykwim.
I'm thinking maybe billal and call the baby billy.

OP posts:
EhricLovesTheBhrothers · 22/03/2015 11:09

That's a shame. What if you called him Omar, what would they do? Would they call him something else?

MishMooshAndMogwai · 22/03/2015 11:14

I quite like Faris, it sounds the most cross cultural of them all.

I like the Sami idea too but not over keen on zak and zane as siblings

GreatAuntDinah · 22/03/2015 11:37

How about Idris? It's Arabic AND Welsh.

forago · 22/03/2015 11:42

Ultimately its up to you and the father - does it really matter what your parents think? I'd tell them to suck it up, personally.

Penguinotterfoxbadger · 22/03/2015 11:42

I really like Faris. To me it just sounds like a cool name (maybe a bit Scottish?) and I wouldn't immediately characterise it as a Muslim /Arabic name.

Also like Samir/Sam and Billal/Billy is really cute.

florascotia · 22/03/2015 16:34

How about Yusuf/Joseph or Daoud/David? They sound quite similar in English and Arabic.

Faris, Samir/Sami and Bilal/Billy are all very nice, however, and easy for anyone to say.

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