Naming twins, big issue

[magnolia99]

My partner and our son will be moving to the UK in a few months (intent is to raise DC's in London, husband was born in France & raised uk) and I will be having twin daughters a few months after that. I myself am dutch/ greek but raised abroad.
Our son has a very 'out there' kind of name - I didn't see the issue until an English colleague baulked. We had planned what we thought was a lovely sibset with cute nicknames that was totally acceptable in the expat-y, sligthly nutty environment where we are now, but since the comment, are rather worried this won't go down well in England, where everyone I know is called George/Edward/Grace. The kids will likely be heading to London preps in a few years and I would hate for them to stand out awfully. Basically, how crazy is too crazy for you Brits?

Son is Theodore Octavius Rex (nn Teddy),
Daughters were to be Calista Athena Otilie (nn Cali) and Albertine Beatrice Elektra (nn Ali/Bertie)

Please be gentle

Calista and Albertine are fine, normal names. As is Theodore. Not nutty or 'out there' at all.

Diane - thank goodness, very pleased to hear. To be fair, husband is the sensible one - otherwise i'd of had a "constantine montague st john" or something

They sound good to my ear. Am based in London, we know two Teddy's but haven't encountered either of the girls names.

I'd be calling your son T-Rex! Best nickname ever!
I like your name choices, very nice for the girls.

Husband requested the rex - the little Dino doesn't quite get it yet but I hope he'll forgive the Octavius part when he gets to be called T-Rex at school

Cali and Ali is going to get a bit confusing, isn't it?

But no, none of those names would be deemed weird in London.

Not too out there at all!

Mackerel - I think we'll go for Cali and Bertie, I have a few Danish friends with a similar name who are nicknamed bertie, berta, etc. Maybe Albi? Not sure. Don't want to have Cali & Ali together though - I'm quite particular on them having their own identities so I avoided matchy names (I think pregnancy makes me turn into a midwestern life coach so bare with...)

I think those are lovely names OP. Not too unusual or out there either. I know a Calista, two Ottilies (my favourite), a Beatrice and a Teddy.
But I agree with a previous poster that Cali and Ali would be too similar and confusing. So either go with Bertie or how about Albie? Or would you consider switching the names around a bit? I think Calista and Ottilie would be fab names for twin girls, nn Cali and Otti? But then I'm biased as DH ruled out Ottilie and I'm still bitter.

Sorry cross post re Cali and Ali.
Forgot to add: I love that Teddy's initials almost spell ThOR too!

Elpth - I LOVE Otti as a nn... Hmmmm... We may have to do some thinking here! Honestly with the amount of long, 'telegraph birth anouncement' type names I like I'll end up with enough kids for a football team.

Lovely names! I'm in London and there are quite a few little Theodores round here...

Theodore is a very popular name in London, not "out there" at all.

Calista is unusual, but pretty, easy to spell and say, and people will recognise it because of calista flokhart.

Albertine....is a bit more out there. I'm British and have never met or heard of one. I don't personally like the sound of it. However people will be able to spell and pronounce it no problem.

I think those names are absolutely fine!! T-rex lol my DS would LOVE that nickname!!

I thought you were going to say his name was something crazy like Saucepan or Shakespeare lol - i actually know a couple of Theo's (older) and a girl called Teddy - the twins names are cute too

Gorgeous names (and yes Theodore is very popular so whoever balked must've not been out where any under 5's are for a long while).

Teensy bit disappointed, thread title led me to hope for something a bit more out there. J-peg and Wee-wah possibly....

Thanks for all the friendly comments, sorry to disapoint anyone who was expecting something more akin to "candida saskatchewan Camembert McTiddlyWink" - I do find it funny that both Elektra and Octavius raised no eyebrows... maybe I can push for more outlandish ones next time around

You can't have Cali and Ali! Lis and Albie?

Your names themselves are fine, though I prefer Athena and Beatrice.

Why on earth did your colleague baulk?

Very normal names imo.

None of those are names or nick names that I haven't encountered recently attached to very normal children (Surrey) but I think they are lovely!

None of those are names or nick names that I haven't encountered recently attached to very normal children (Surrey) but I think they are lovely!

I never normally like the random baby name threads but these are great! Def go Bertie and Cal for nicknames. Good luck!

They're both really pretty names. if you insist on a specific nickname with everyone that is what people will use (especially if you get it in your kid's head that all other versions are wrong like my mum did 😂)

Theodore and Calista are lovely and no one will bat an eyelid but think people will probably find Albertine very unusual. I've never heard of it and think it's a bit strange if I'm honest. If you don't want people baulking then I would change this one.

I have to say they are not really 'normal' names. They are all unusual names. BUT there are loads of kids around with unusual names and nobody thinks they are weird, just interesting/nice/unusual. (Teddy is unsual at all, I mean the girls names)

One thing that is unusual about your choices is the 3 long names together, which you don't find so often, which makes them seem more glamorous/striking. But then very few people with know all 3 names, most will just know them as Teddy and Cali etc. Calista is really pretty.

Albertine is the one I like the least. I really don't like the nickname Bertie. That is pretty much only used as a boy's name here, but there is a current trend for boy's names used as girl's names, so it would be on trend.

I do have a soft spot for Beatrice. Dh is Dutch and vetoed it as it was too associated with Royal family, Amalia went the same way, which was good as she was born a few months before Princess Amalia was named! I love hte way the Dutch say Bea as a nickname (sort of like Bay - er)