Darley?

[backformore]

Boy's name (from Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet, in case anyone's wondering!)...

??

No

Hmm. I’ve certainly never heard of it before (how uncultured!) so it ticks the unusual box. I know a Marley (boy) and Harley (girl) so I don’t think it sounds odd for a boy.

Sounds a bit like darling though.

It's not awful, but it's not a name many people will know and it sounds enough like other, better known names that any child will probably find themselves constantly explaining 'no, not Darcy or Marley, it's D A R L E Y'. I suspect some people will also assume it's spelled Dali after Salvador Dali, or maybe even the Dali Lama.

My daughter has a friend called Darley, there are so many different names around that the kids don't think it is particularly unusual. I'm not 100% sure if that is how he spells it though.

I think horses.
Have you googled Darley, just on its own?

It's unusual so it could be awkward for spelling etc. it's a nice name though.

I think horses as well. But I don’t think that many people would make that particular connection.

It’s a thoroughbred name for sure!

I like it, it doesn't sound too out there but is obviously on the unusual side

Ah, we're not in England, so not too worried about the horses association! Though our English family might be...

No, is my first reaction.
But in real life, it will be just fine as a name and there's nothing odd about it.
It's just a bit, 'Is it Darla, Marla, Marley?'

But if I were to meet a friend of the DCs, boy or girl, named Darley, I wouldn't bat an eye. If you like it, go for it.

The horses association is global, its not a English thing.

There are several villages around these parts called Darley.

Oh, I see - I just looked it up. Huh. Not on our radar, clearly! Actually, the first Google result that came up was a firefighting services provider...??

Yes, the villages thing makes sense. My surname is a county, too :)

I think if your surname is a county, a place name for a first name may be a bit too much.

I think "place name" too.

No

No. Just no.

Wouldn't be my surname (would be my husband's, not a county!)

Sounds made up to me.

I know a Dali, after the artist.

Nice. The thoroughbred connection is only a bonus!

I'd have assumed girl, but either way, no - double no for a boy.

It sounds quite feminine to me.