Hermione and Lysander for twins?

[spritethecat]

I'm expecting boy/girl twins and these are our current favourites. What do you think of them? Any other suggestions are gladly welcomed

Unless you hang out in a very bohemian set op, I think your children will get judged for it. But that’s no reason to change your choices. If you have a genuine love for the names then use them.

My first reaction was to giggle - they do sound so totally pretentious as does Tabitha. Sorry but you did ask..

I'm not a 'true posh person' and I don't want people to think I'm trying to be. Names like Sarah, Sophie, Edward, Elizabeth, James, Samuel etc. just aren't my style, I prefer names which are a bit quirky, but I take everyone's point on board. I don't want my children to judged as pretentious and try hard. There has to be a middle ground between Sarah and Hermione.

Honestly, if someone thinks you're trying to impress with your children's names... who cares?

Some of the names I love have been labelled "chavvy" on here, others "hipster", others laughably dated. People will always have all sorts of tiring judgements about all sorts of things in your life. If you let the potential for people to make assumptions about you affect your choices you may as well give in and just call them Amelia and George and be done with it - but I bet you'd regret giving in in the long run.

Give me Sarah any day. My twins go to private school and the children are all called Edward, John, James etc, honestly not one of them has a ridiculous name. That said I am very taken with Pinky and Perky for twins!

Amelia and George are far nicer than the other pretentious suggestions on here though.

Exactly, let's all just pick from the top 3! No one should ever choose anything controversial or different! Fill the classrooms with Jameses and Olivias, comformity is the thing.

Lysander was originally a Spartan general - (and also a WW2 plane) couldn’t be much less mimsy than that.

Yes... I saw the name and immediately 'The British Grenadiers' sprang to mind
'Some talk of Alexander, and some of Hercules
Of Hector and Lysander, and such great names as these.
But of all the world's brave heroes, there's none that can compare.
With a tow, row, row, row, row, row, to the British Grenadiers.'

Goodness knows why I learned that song as a child!

The problem eith hermione is people will ALWAYS pronounce it Her-me-own. I did for years!!! It was only discussing a jilly cooper book years ago, that I realised my faux pas.

What about Portia? She was a fantastic shakesperian character.

Pia?

people will ALWAYS pronounce it Her-me-own

Surely Harry Potter has knocked that one on the head?

@ErrolTheDragon yes it has now, so pronunciation is better known. Bit if you haven't watched/read Harry Potter then the name still throws up a pronunciation conundrum! Yes

I think Lysander (nn. Xander as it is more modern/strong for a boy than Sasha or Sandy) and Harriet would be lovely. Alternatives to Lysander could be Romeo, Julius, Elias, Claudio, Lorenzo or Matteo.

Other suggestions for girls names:
Angelina
Nathalie
Tatiana
Celia
Katerina
Imogen
Marina
Adriana
Audrey
Cassandra

Lot of unpleasant sneering and inverted snobbery on this thread.

Name your babies the names you love. I like all your suggestions OP.

My children all have the names "true posh people" choose. Ffs. How bloody ridiculous. I've known stately home owners name their children everything from George and James to Fen and Skylark.

I know a lot of children in my circle with similar sounding names and my own DCs are too. We are normal, my friends are normal and none if the children are teased because of their names

I agree! I wonder why some posters make assumptions and aren't more open minded about different names and tastes.

I'm surprised by some of the reactions aswell. They are just names- not wacky or made up or anything. I've never known a kid in real life to be teased over a name, either. I just read about it on here.

I love Lysander ( Xander) not crazy about Hermione - ugly and nothing feminine about it. I just hope for their sake you are well to do and sending them to a private school and not living on a council estate. Or those kids are going to get teased big time!

I don’t really get the posh people can do no wrong vibe either. It doesn’t make the simple names they choose better or worse

Agree there are loads of names like this out there

Love both Lysander and Hermione. Both on my dream list. So what if they are slightly more cerebral names. My daughter also has an unusual name which is similar and loves her name. Go for it.

India or Arabella and Lysander?

which is why people are saying it seems like you're trying too hard. They are the sorts of names people choose when they want to convey the impression of being posh, but without realising that those names aren't remotely posh, they're simply pretentious

The obsession with class on here is staggering. And the idea that you shouldn’t get above your station.

Giving children beautiful, old, literary or mythological names is absolutely fucking nothing to do with class.

It’s conservative, philistine, provincial nonsense.

Amelia and George are far nicer than the other pretentious suggestions on here though

No they’re not. They’re nice enough names but they’re very boring and overused.

I didn't get bullied because of my name, but my name was used to bully me if that makes sense. It rhymes with some common rude words and because I was generally unpopular people used that against me. But another girl with almost the exact same name who was generally popular didn't get any trouble from it. So I don't think kids get teased because of their names, but if they're being teased then a name can make it worse. I don't think you should reject a name you love on those grounds, but it is something to be aware of.

depends where you live to be honest. If a really posh area, then go ahead, if a not so posh area / working class area and you don't mind your children being bullied and yourselves being laughed at, then go ahead.

These threads make me laugh. If you start calling people ‘chavvy’ on here you get 50
shades of shit thrown at you but if someone suggests a ‘pretentious’ names the mumsnetters can descend and assassinate your social standing until the cows come home. Bit hypocritical if you ask me.
Lysander and Aurelia are lovely and not even that ‘out there’ in my opinion-however all the children I know to be born recently have had names like Ocean and River...