Is Kester awful?

[crayfish]

My hormone-addled brain can't decide if I love it or hate it. We are stuck for boys names because the only one I really loved I gave to DS1, so if this baby is another boy I'm stumped. DH is a Christopher and I think Kester is a nice nod to that but I'm not sure if it's a bit 'out there'?

Behindthename says it's the Scottish form of Christopher

This crops up on a few websites however in all my name research I have never come across a single instance of anyone in Scotland with the name (other than recent use). I've been actively looking too, as I'd love it to be a Scottish name, but so far I've found no evidence of it. If anyone has any genuine examples (pre-1962) I'd love to see them.

I do like the name though OP, but also love Hamish.

Absolutely love the name Kester. Also love Hester for a girl. Obviously not together though.

It's not Scottish, it's actually more of an English derivative of Christopher (I've looked up the history).

My DS's name is on the list of posh Scottish names a PP put above, but it's not actually Scottish either!

I think Kesters out for me though, it's just too marmite. Plus autocorrect tried to make it 'Testers' just then...

Is Shamus a posh Scottish name? I have never come across it, posh or not as it happens.

I knew a Kester, he was fab. Nn Kez. Great name.

I really like Kester. And Hector. And love Hamish.

Love Hamish and Keir. Not keen on Hector, or Kester.

My favourite ever student was called Kester and it suited him perfectly- it's a bright, cheerful and friendly name- I say do it!

Kester is great, I really like it.

Kester isn't as awful as some things I've seen on here! Hamish and Crawford are my guilty pleasures name-wise!

I really like it.

Kester Woodseaves is the very nice very foxy male character in a book set in Shropshire by Mary Webb called Precious Bane. He is a nice man so I like that name. Also my own name rhymes with fester and I never ever got teased about it. If you like it use it !!!

Reminds me of the Addams family!

Hamish Hamish Hamish! It's wonderful, I love it.

It's awful

Reminds me of a bird- Kestrel.

I don't like it one bit. Sorry.

Not kean, how about Caelin, Kier, Ossian, Mungo? Ok, maybe not Mungo..

Keen! Not Kean.

Kester was a popular diminutive from the 16th century to the 18th, when the name Christopher enjoyed a period of popularity (before becoming really quite rare in the 19th).

Hamish is actually a complete misunderstanding of a Gaelic name, Seumas. In Scots Gaelic and Irish one of the mutations (look 'em up, they're characteristic of the Celtic languages) is that in addressing a person, the s sound becomes h. So it's an Anglicised misrepresentation.

Like Mhairi - the Gaelic name is Máiri, where the m sound mutates to a v sound, which in Gaelic is spelled mh if the mutated letter is an m.

Namechanged because this would totally "out" me. Only joining this thread three weeks late because it was pointed out to me.

I have a Kester - he is a fabulous teenager and we have never had anyone suggest his name was awful. We actually gave him that name because my DH's favourite film is Kes and because in a baby name book it was the only name we both ticked. I am wondering if the people that have known a Kester are people that know him - Hi!

I also have a Hamish and when we announced it we were asked why did we go for such a "normal" or "boring" name especially as we also have a daughter with an Irish gaelic name.

As for Hector - reminds me of Hector's house - no
I like Keir.

love it... another big fan of Kester Woodseaves here .

I really like it. I know a couple of very lovely Kesters.

Hector?Fergus? Francis? I quite like Dougal (Dougie for short)

wizzler Kester woodseaves is my ideal man. I may have to call one of my card Kester because I am not going to have another child but it is a great name I agree !!!