Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

If I loved Peregrine would else would I like?

102 replies

Terriersandtea · 27/08/2017 09:16

I love the name and keep coming back to it time and again, DH loves it and we like all plausible nicknames but I don't want my child to feel I've given him a ridiculous name and I'm scared of the eye rolls when I introduce him to people. What other names would people suggest that are a little more mainstream? Thanks in advance.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
NC4now · 27/08/2017 09:18

Reggie?

saffronwblue · 27/08/2017 09:24

Magnus
Julian

Chaffinch4 · 27/08/2017 09:24

Peregrine works for the Duke of Devonshire, so why not use it?! It's hard enough coming up with names you both like. There are plenty of shortening you could use if it seems a bit too formal or out there for a little one (Perry, Reggie), but there are lots of unusual names about at the moment, so I wouldn't worry too much.

SuperBeagle · 27/08/2017 09:27

Peregrine works for the Duke of Devonshire, so why not use it?!

Because the OP's baby won't be the Duke of Devonshire? Hmm

Sugarpiehoneyeye · 27/08/2017 09:33

Frederick
Llewelyn
Lysander
Rafferty

Chaffinch4 · 27/08/2017 10:24

SuperBeagle - well, no, that's the only Peregrine I know of, so I used it as an example of someone who has the name. I don't see why you need to be a Duke to use it...

Chaffinch4 · 27/08/2017 10:27

Gideon, Valentine, Benedict, Constantine, Theophilus, Montague, Magnus, Thaddeus, Falco, Augustine, Severin

www.britishbabynames.com/blog/2012/01/peregrine.html

haba · 27/08/2017 10:28

Hector
Benedict
Arthur
Ajax

These were all on DH's list and he loved Peregrine.

MagnusMama · 27/08/2017 10:29

OK, that's two votes for Magnus... and Peregrine was on our list!

ilivebythesea · 27/08/2017 10:29

Rupert nn Roo
Alexander
Arthur
Montgomery nn Monty
Frederick
Laurence

Original poster
Terriersandtea · 27/08/2017 10:46

Thank you for all your replies. I would absolutely love to use Peregrine and some days I am 100% committed to it, I'm just scared that in 20 years he will turn around and say he has always hated it. Also I don't have many friends that have children yet so I will have to meet lots of new people and I'm a bit low in confidence anyway so I don't know if I will manage people's reactions if they don't like it. Those that did have Peregrine on their lists what were your reasons for not choosing it in the end?

I love Rupert (Roo) Arthur and Magnus but I still hark back to Peregrine whenever my mind wanders! Xx

OP posts:
Jooni · 27/08/2017 12:43

What about Taliesin?

NikiBabe · 27/08/2017 14:06

Reginald.

Reg, Reggie for short.

Admirablenelson · 27/08/2017 14:34

It's an upper-crusty name to my ear. Fine if he is only going to associate with the peerage but might cause problems at a state school. It means pilgrim (I think).
Here are some of the names of pilgrims that sailed on the Mayflower: excluding the usual Johns, Edwards, Williams etc, there were:
Isaac
Samuel
Moses
Degory
Resolved
Peregrine (born during the voyage)
Jasper
Francis
Giles
Oceanus (again born at sea)
Solomon
Myles
Gilbert
Christopher.
Autocorrect changed Jasper to Casper, and Degory to Gregory either of which you might consider.

SumAndSubstance · 27/08/2017 14:42

Love this!
OP: I love Peregrine, but I'm scared of eye rolls so can anyone suggest something a little more mainstream?
PP: How about Lysander?
Seriously, though, if you love it, use it! There are so many names about today that I don't think your son will suffer for it, plus Perry sounds pretty normal really. DS1 has a very unusual name and we did get a few perplexed looks when we told people, but all his friends just accept it and he really likes it.
By the way, it doesn't mean 'born during the voyage', it means 'wanderer' or 'traveller'. It may well have been given to a lot of children who were born while travelling, but that isn't what it means (takes pedant's hat off...)

NC4now · 27/08/2017 14:43

I just read this out to DH. He said he knows a Peregrine nn Perry. Everyone just called him Perry.
I'd just use it and introduce him as whatever nn you choose.
I have a James who has never been known as James. He's been Jim from the start. He's on the school register as Jim. Only doctors that don't know him use his Sunday name, and only till he puts them straight!

Decaffstilltastesweird · 27/08/2017 14:53

I really want to say, "if you love it, just use it", but I do know what you mean op about him turning around in 20 years and saying he's always hated it!

It's a bit of a gamble basically. If he pulls it off, it will be such a cool name imo. If it really doesn't suit him, it might sound a bit ott / comic (sorry).

I'm expecting a boy next January and DH and I are having a debate about how unusual a name we want to go for. Part of me thinks that as lots of people seem to choose unusual names these days, so surely no name is bullying material anymore, so it's not that especially. It's more, will he like / suit it? That to me, seems a bit more likely with a more classic name, as he can make it his own. But, there are just so many lovely, unusual names about!

Sorry, I am absolutely no help whatsoever here!

Admirablenelson · 27/08/2017 14:54

It was just to mention that the child was born at sea, not that that was the meaning of the name.

grufallosfriend · 27/08/2017 14:58

There are so many unusual names nowadays that Peregrine seems very normal. It's not overused but a well known classic name. Easy to spell and pronounce, what's not to like?

Your son will be pleased to have such a cool name!

The only names that I ever heard teased were Willy with William and Bendy Dick with Benedict. But Peregrine? What on earth would be teasable?

Go for it!

Admirablenelson · 27/08/2017 15:00

I'm a big fan of slightly unusual names, but not eccentric spellings of normal ones. Bottom line is that the name will not lead to teasing or needing endless spelling out.

WaxOnFeckOff · 27/08/2017 15:03

Piers
Diggory
Lawrence
Nicolas

My DH has a slightly unusual name and he hated it as an older child and once used his middle name instead and his DM was v v angry Hmm, however as a man he liked the fact that if someone shouted it out in the pub he was fairly sure it was for him. He was a SAHP and taught our boys to use his name when out and about or in crowds for the same reason. It's gained a bit of popularity recently and a colleague was going to use it and he said "oh don't do that! " so I'm not sure he ever reconciled himself to it.

He did go on to give an unusual spelling to DS2, the name is not unknown, just has a more common spelling. I won the name and he got to spell it.

Circumlocutor · 27/08/2017 15:19

'I would absolutely love to use Peregrine and some days I am 100% committed to it, I'm just scared that in 20 years he will turn around and say he has always hated it.'

Sensible thinking. Use it as a middle name.

Ralph (pr Rafe rather than Ralf)
Tobias
Edmund
Rufus
Conrad
Lucien
Caspian
Piers
Bertram
Barnaby

All sound similarly posh (to my peasant ears) without sounding as ridiculous (sorry!) as Peregrine. I'm afraid I'd have to rearrange my face out of a 'wow, you really called him that?' expression if I was introduced to a baby Peregrine.

Admirablenelson · 27/08/2017 15:23

I was going to suggest Laurence/Lawrence too, but it is one that needs spelling!

WaxOnFeckOff · 27/08/2017 15:28

The Barnaby suggestion is nice, I also like Gregory or just Gregor

I'd add in Edgar, Edwin, Miles and Marcus

indigo13 · 27/08/2017 16:04

Another vote for you to go for Peregrine op

Swipe left for the next trending thread