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Original poster

Is Oban too weird?

75 replies

Fl0ss · 07/04/2020 08:30

Looking for advice, especially from any Scottish mums out there....

My husband loves the name Oban. I love that it's unusual and the way the name sounds but I think an English couple naming their son after a Scottish town could be a bit weird.
Our eldest is Skylar, often shortened to Sky, which I feel adds to the potential weirdness.

What are your opinions?

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MrsElijahMikaelson1 · 07/04/2020 08:31

Not even a nice name

AmelieTaylor · 07/04/2020 08:33

Weird enough on its own -but with Sky- definitely too weird.

LovingLola · 07/04/2020 08:33

Please don’t inflict that on your child.

Apolloanddaphne · 07/04/2020 08:34

I am Scottish and I don't think that is a great name for a child. Skye is used a lot but I have never heard of an Oban.

Mascotte · 07/04/2020 08:34

Is this a joke...?

EggysMom · 07/04/2020 08:35

No.Just no. Plenty of lovely Scottish names, even Scottish placenames, don't pick that.

midnightstar66 · 07/04/2020 08:35

No it's not a name in Scotland unless you are that particular town. If you introduced your child here as Oban you'd probably get a lot of daisies brows, even more so along side sky

unkindnessofravens · 07/04/2020 08:36

I know a lovely chocolate Labrador called Oban if that helps?

RuraIBliss · 07/04/2020 08:37

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Hugt · 07/04/2020 08:37

Have you been to oban?

tabulahrasa · 07/04/2020 08:39

Don’t... just don’t...

Firstly, it’s just not used as a name, secondly... people say it wrong anyway.

Mrscaindingle · 07/04/2020 08:42

To a Scottish person it's a bit like calling your child Dover or (tries to think of a suitable equivalent) Padstow?

It is a bit weird- sorry.

Scruffyoak · 07/04/2020 08:43

Oban is ok if you had a connection...but not with sky

Spam88 · 07/04/2020 08:47

We had an Oban for work experience. People kept calling him Owen.

pictish · 07/04/2020 08:48

I think of I asked a child’s name and was told ‘Oban’, I would be hiding a smile. I’ve spent time in Oban and this would make me laugh.

Poppins2016 · 07/04/2020 08:50

Alban might be an alternative?

"Sky and Oban/Alban" does sound a little odd though, but I guess it depends how much you care about how names sound together!

MilkNoSugars · 07/04/2020 08:51

It's a place name , not a child's name.

As po said, it's like calling your child Dover or Calais.

How about a real name that sounds like Oban-

Eben
Oran
Owen

Boireannachlaidir · 07/04/2020 08:52

It's almost as if there aren't any nice names out there to choose from...Confused

My DH loves the name Leeds but I prefer Falkirk. What do you all think?

TheVanguardSix · 07/04/2020 08:52

When in doubt, don't.
What about Odin? I know one Odin, who is 9, and it really suits him.

TheVanguardSix · 07/04/2020 08:55

Oberon?

Honeyroar · 07/04/2020 08:55

I know it’s not a real name but I quite like it. But having a Sky as well does make it sound like you’re real Scotland fans!

ErrolTheDragon · 07/04/2020 08:56

Hm, I need to Mull this over...

(I like Oban the place, it's a gateway to the islands and I've always rather liked ferry ports, we used to go for a day out in Harwich when I was a child)

Sewinginscotland · 07/04/2020 08:57

Have you actually been to Oban? It's not somewhere I would be naming my child after 😂. I would assume that not that many people will know it's a place name if they're not familiar with Scotland.

I think Owen might be a good substitute.

Dyrne · 07/04/2020 08:58

Is he a SCUBA diver by any chance? Could always go with Scapa as an alternative?

Sugarfreejelly · 07/04/2020 08:58

Yes