I'm ^not^ pregnant, nor will I ever be again..so I'm sharing this name...

[ArsenalsPlayingAtHome]

I've had all my babies, so don't need to keep this name to myself .

At the time that my DDs were born, I tried (& managed) to give them fairly unusual names..then lo..after a few years they were everywhere. They are now in the top 10 .

Anyway, out of all the baby name threads I've snooped on, I've never come across this...

I give you...

Angelou after Maya Angelou, obviously.

Maya has been done to death, & rightly so, because it's beautiful & Maya Angelou is a hero to so many people, not to mention all the parents who have chosen it without her in mind.

If I was expecting another DD I would use this.

What do you think?

I don’t think I would name anyone something with loo on the end.

Very selfless of you Arsenals Top suggestion.

Hmm...looks like a misspelling of the male Angelo, if used as a first name...

Fairdos, Tatiana, each to their own.

Errant I thank you (in a Julian Clary-esque way) .

I think it’s awful.

What are your kids called?

Well it's not Kezebel so there!

Well I'm hardly going to disclose that information Thick, am I?

See what I did there, with your name, ThroughThick&Thin ?

They have gorgeous names in my un-humble opinion!

Although thinking about it now, the name Angelou would not go at all with my other DCs names. It would sound ridiculous, if I'm honest!

I think its great. Only downside is that prob more people dont know about the great woman than do. And its hard on a child to expect them to educate them.

I know several boys called Angelou. Not that unusual in American families.

Ahh it tends to be a boys' name duchy.

I suppose it would suit boys as much, or maybe even more.

I think it's lovely as a name! And a lovely homage to Maya Angelou as you say. The comment about not wanting loo at the end is ridiculous considering how many people there are called Louise/Louis...

I raise you Merle, which I saw on an old film credits yesterday.

Merle Oberon? It’s a cool name.

You’re not the first OP, not the first sorry to let yo7 down. . I know when I’ve pissed people off if they refer to me as Thick or Thin 😀

Yes, Merle Oberon, as it was Wuthering Heights.

Merle is a great name, tbf!

Wonder if either of them will make the top 100 any time soon-ish Petal?

How rude of Tatiana to like your name on my thread but not mine.

Thin ? Surely this can only be a complement, not be an insult, Thick?

Angelou is a Greek surname

If we meet a Merle in real life, we will know who inspired it!

And we'll know that they almost certainly read this thread, or know someone who did, Petal!

I wonder if there's someone on mn right now, who had already thought of using the name Merle or Angelou & was keeping it quiet, thinking - definitely haven't seen my baby's name on any mn thread.

Sorry to anyone in that situation.

I remember when I chose DD1's name - I'd never come across it, a couple of years later a very well known celebrity used & it exploded!

Same with last born DC, but it was someone who I couldn't stand, which made it even worse.

One of my other DC's name has become very popular, but not through any celeb endorsement, thankfully .

I was going to use Leo, then Tony Blair named his son Leo. Also, I liked Dylan which was quite unusual then. Then Catherine Zeta Jones named her son Dylan, and now it’s quite popular.

I think it's a lovely name

I'm on the hunt for a short snappy older quirky girl's name and think Marie might just fit the bill! Thanks so much for this thread. I'll run it past OH when he stops snoring. ( And Maya Angelou is my heroine. I have a dog called Maya! )

Bloody bloody autocorrect. I meant Merle damn it.

I like it!