Is it just me?

[jennylouisaa]

Does anyone else scroll through the baby names section of MN constantly even though they're not even pregnant yet? I've got a huge list of names saved in my notes and am always on the hunt - even though we're only just TTC! I'm like a woman possessed!

I scroll through constantly even though my children are grown up & I won't be having any more. I'm just fascinated by names.

I'm still on here to check that nobody else uses my dd's name 😂

Im even weirder as I have 2 children and not planning any more 😂

I look sometimes. I'm one and done, but always happy to see that ds' name is not mentioned very often, and what would've been used if we had a dd instead is never suggested.

I like reading it as a strange form of escapism. I don't particularly want more babies.

Sorry, I've only just seen this thread. I have 3 children, youngest is 9 and most definitely not having any more but obsessed with hearing other people's name choices and thinking of all these great names I'm never going to get to use!!! 😂 😂

I always look at baby names threads and I'm no longer in the market!

My DD is 18 and I’m not having another but I love looking at all the names.

I have had a hysterectomy and my baby days were a long time ago but I still do it.

I have names for my imaginary babies too.

Is great for character inspiration when I get writer's block!

I won't get to name any more babies, but I enjoy commenting on names.

I loved all the deliberations when naming my DC (and still own the very well-thumbed book!) and just enjoy continuing vicariously

I scroll through constantly even though my children are grown up & I won't be having any more. I'm just fascinated by names.

My specialist subject on here is Welsh names, and it amazes me how I get corrected or ignored. Some of the suggested pronunciations or spellings defy how Welsh works.
It's amazing how middle-aged names are considered 'fresh' on here, and how names that are difficult to say properly unless you are a fluent welsh speaker are suggested. There was one poster who insisted that anyone could be taught to say a name correctly.
A lot of the diphthongs and some of the letters have no similar sounds in other languages.

Welsh is phonetic but sometimes the regional accent will make it sound a bit different. Still phonetic though.
Mind you, I've had someone from Yorkshire correct me.
my half-Welsh DC got English names that don't sound odd in a welsh accent

Of course!
I spend time dreaming up names for children I will never have.....

Sholto
Douglass

Harriet
Tomasina

Both of my children are young adults and they are very definite about what they are going to call the children they will have in the indeterminate future!

My children have unusual names and I always look out for them on here. DS2's has never been mentioned and DD's name has been mentioned a couple of times in the 'names I am not brave enough to use' threads before!

I love reading about names.

MikeUniformMike I enjoy reading your input on Welsh names & I'm amazed how you manage not to get annoyed with posters who think they know better than you

In a similar vein, I always roll my eyes when people talk about Irish names & get the spellings spectacularly wrong, or mention names they think are Irish but aren't. And I agree about the middle aged names that are perceived as 'fresh' on here but are terribly dated in Ireland - Nuala being one example.

My half Irish half English DC got Irish names that are easy to spell & pronounce by the English side of the family.

DramaAlpaca, I've seen simiar arguments about Irish names. Caitlin and Caoimhe being examples.

The name Eleri rhymes with Kerry (Ceri) but in a S. Wales accent the second e is a bit longer. It really isn't pronounced El-Airy. But they know better. (rolls eyes). It's a pretty name but was very popular for 1960s babies. It's pronounce El-ERRy.

Another one is Eira. One of those names that was used but not overused, but with names like Eva and Ava etc being so popular (god knows why, I think both are quite meh), Eira has grown in popularity. Fine if you can say it, but it sounds awful when it's mispronounced as Eye-ruh or Ay-ruh.

Carys, Siân, Rhian, Bethan, Eleri and Delyth were hugely popular in the 1950s and 1960s, and although they are nice names, they seem to be like Sharon, Linda, Karen and Julie type names. Carys and Delyth sound fine if said by non-welsh speakers, but Shahn, Bethun and Ree-un are godawful. As are El-airy, Ree-annun, Ann-garrud, Arry-anwen...

Some names are just going to be a PITA. Lleucu (welsh for Lucy) is gorgeous but you have a "Ll", "eu" and an "u" with no equivalents in other languages. Mair (Mary) is lovely but will get "Mare" or My-uh" ( It's pronounced like Myra without the a)

It might just be me but I feel that using a name from another language unless there is a connection is a bit downmarket.

Yanbu OP and those who start thread after thread asking the same bloody questions.

Acacia, Lara and Patrick spring to mind.

@MikeUniformMike how is Rhian properly pronounced? I think I know but I'm not Welsh.

The Rh is a single letter, not two. It's like saying R and H at the same time. The i is ee, and the an is like the an in pan, can, tan etc.

It's RHEE-an.
Rhiannon is Rhee-ANN-on, although the first two syllables run into each other so it sounds like a two syllable name, sort of like Rhyan-on.

Angharad is Ang (you don't sound the g)-HARR-ad

Other pet hates are nouns as names especially Seren and Cariad. They are SER-en (en as in end) and CARR-yad not Serrun and Carry-ad.

I’ve had a baby name list since I was about 12 and Mumsnet allows me to constantly add to it always happy when a name from my list gets the thumbs up even though I’ve not got kids yet

Lol there's a baby names section? runs off to find it!

Lol there's a baby names section? runs off to find it!

I think you'll find you're in it.

@MikeUniformMike I am unashamedly patting myself on the back for getting the pronunciation right