What inspired your choice of names?

[susanstryingterm]

I tend to like names I associate with books I enjoyed as a child. Just wondering how others picked their children's names? Were you inspired by a name you heard on television, or being called out in the playground, or did you name your children after grandparents, or choose from a baby names book? Or even get your name from a suggestion on here?

My husband had a lightening bolt epiphany and that was that. He likes more traditional names and I like more fabulous names - the name we picked is probably top 20 I'd say, but has the most amazing and unusual nickname yet it's still 'accepted' and recognised as a nn for that name, just there's an alternative nn that's more popular (but less fabulous).

His middle name is the male version of my name (and DH's favourite Thomas the Tank Engine character )

First and middles had personal connection and meaning for both of us, with a family connection thrown in. Also consulted a name book, for what it was worth (not much).

God no! The idea of using a suggestion from here. I realise there are a handful of sensible posters, but I'd probably now have an Abracadabra Wren or Zebra Huxley, just so as not to be boring you see.

We just sort of...came up with ours. It's also the name of a badass literary character (but it's not unusual enough to only be that). Middle name was just a name I liked and suggested and DH agreed on.

We didn't have a boy name agreed though. DD is just shy of three weeks old and I think if she'd been a boy she probably still wouldn't have had a name...

Middle names were family names.

First name we wanted a non top 100 or so, just because I am/was a teacher and I had associations with pretty much all the usual names! I also wanted an old British name (celtic, old English etc) rather than a biblical or classical name. I had a few ideas and then looked online and in books for other similar names before doing a short list, then choosing the actual name.

I wouldn't ask on here, but would browse for ideas.

I was telling my friend how we were really struggling to find a boys name that we could both agree on, and she said "I can see you with a [name]". It's a top 10 name, so I'd seen it on lists so many times before this conversation and just skimmed over it - but once she put the idea in my head I realised I actually quite liked it. DH agreed, and it stuck! The middle name was chosen after DH's brother.

We both loved my DS's name before I even got pregnant, I'm not even sure where we got it from! DHs grandad died the day I went into labour so DS's middle name is after him

We have a bit of an unusual surname, every one checks the spelling, so we went for traditional first names to avoid always having the spell out the whole thing. First names are lovely IMO, others may see them as boring and I admit they are a little but I still love them. Middle names are family names.

Middle names are family names. The first name had to be one that I'd never taught. DD is 5 now and I've still never taught anyone with her name.

My DS's middle name is after my father.
His first name is a name my husband and I both loved and agreed on very easily. We tried to think of a name which was quite simple, not too popular, something which would suit a child and an adult and one he will hopefully be happy with. The last one was important to me as DS is the person who has to live with the name so I didn't want to pick anything too unusual.

dd1 we had decided on the male version of her name if was a boy - pretty unusual one from one of my fav childhood films. then shortened and dp suggested her name for a girl and it was perfect. its a normal name but never met or heard another.

dd2 had a name after a greek god of trickery which we loved if she was a boy. was pregnant just before the marvel avengers films were coming out - so glad she was a girl now!! girls names we struggled with ended up looking on a baby name app. her first/middle name together sounds v similar to a singers name who played alot on the radio while I was pregnant. took me a while to realise

DS1's first name was one I'd loved since childhood.

DS2's name was a bit trickier. We looked at the official top 100 list and a baby name book to get a shortlist and narrowed it down from there.

Both of them have family names as middle names.

1. I had never met anyone in real life with it before I used it . Sadly it's everywhere now
2. Family name
3. i just like it. It will never be a top ten name but it's a strong masculine name.
4. it's pretty and sweet. Like she is.

We liked a similar name to DD's but a friend had already used it. DD's name then came like a bolt of lightning and later we realised it was the name of an awesome character in one of our favourite TV shows We already loved the name, but that made it more personal to us. It's well known, but not massively popular which made it more appealing.

We never had the same flash of inspiration for a boy's name but I'm hoping something similar will happen for DC2, because at the moment, we're stuck!

DD was a name I loved all my life not weird or that unusual but we've never met another.
DS I hardly dare admit.. was in a list suggested by this forum! Again not weird not unusual but somehow we'd overlooked it until someone suggested it. Does that make me super impressionable?!