Kimi

[sweaterweatherr]

I have recently been crushing on this name due to F1 driver Kimi Räikkönen.

I adore how easy to spell/pronounce is but my real question here is, could the average kid pull it off? I mean surely he was a mere mortal at some point but could it work on a regular boy? Or is it just going to be setting him up for eternal bullying?

Also curious if anyone with Finnish background can give their input on the name as there's barely any information online.

Cheers xx

I think it depends on your culture. I know two, both female, and it's also the name of a wonderful female character in one of my favourite books, but I know it is a male name in some cultures, e.g. Eastern. If you are anywhere in Britain its more likely to be viewed as a girl's name.

I know more male Kims than female - one of them is Korean, so Kim is really is surname. The other male Kims are mainly Nordic.

The female Kims I know are british, born to english parents.
Kim Philby was a man.

Naming your child after a celebrity is a bit naff.

MikeUniformMike I meant Kimi though not Kim. And Kim Philby's name was in fact something completely different so not sure that really works as an example.

I wouldn't use the name as a tribute to a celebrity but it's just a name that was brought to my attention due to the fact I like F1 and that name has caught my eye since the start of his career. So in reality it isn't really naming a child after a celebrity if you know what I mean

I like the name but would definitely assume it was a girl if I heard it

You have a point.

If you like it, go ahead. Would anyone comment if you called him Jimi?

In the U.K. I would assume they were a girl and would therefore be set up for teasing for having a girls name.

I think he would get teased mercilessly.

I'd be tempted to pronounce it KIMMOIIII

Like from Kath and Kim.

Sorry, not helpful.

I wouid assume it's a boy (because of F1) and I know as many male Kim's as female ones

I like it

God yes. Go for it. I also love Kimi Raikonnen by the way and have a claim to fame about him that I won't bother you with. But it's a lovely name for either male or female. I've travelled extensively and have met all sorts of people from different cultures. Yet still the strangest (mostly made up) names come from local people at school. Nothing wrong with that either by the way, but just to demonstrate that it isn't too 'out there' and has little likelihood of being misspelled or misconstrued than at least half a dozen of my DDs current classmates.

[I also love Kimi Raikonnen by the way and have a claim to fame about him]

Do tell!

I really like the name OP, I don’t think think it’s that out there.

Oh God. Sorry to derail OP but ok, here goes..

When Raikonnen was just becoming successful, I was travelling in Bali. It was just after the Malaysian GP. I decided to book a few nights at a luxury island off Bali. I was just arriving in my speedboat, when Kimi was just leaving. I recognised him and jumped out of the boat to say hello and how much I admired him as a driver. We had a chat and he gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He went off on his merry way, and the owner of the resort was standing on the beach, ready to receive me. He was clutching a baseball hat and some other merchandise which Kimi had signed for him. He had no clue who his previous visitor was. And was confused as to how I 'knew' his previous client. I was given Kimi's just vacated bungalow and also the signed baseball hat. I almost asked them not to change the sheets but that would have been weird

Are you Finnish? Otherwise, it's an odd choice.

When I saw your title I thought 'cutesy girl name'.

It would be paired up with a more masculine sounding name such as

Kimi Alexander
Kimi Nicholas

Actually love Kimi Alexander, just saying it out loud makes my heart melt

lottiegarbanzo No I am actually not Finnish which is why I'm quite interested to know what their opinion is on it. A lot of names from my actual culture/background are now tossed around like average names in other countries and it seems to work just fine so slightly curious if this could be the case here

Speak to men in your life, teenage boys etc and ask their opinion, if they’d mind it for their own name.
xx

I like it, I love Kimi Räikkönen, have done for years.

@DamnShesaSexyChick

I like it, I love Kimi Räikkönen, have done for years.

Damn straight. Who doesn’t?? 😍😍😍

'I'd be tempted to pronounce it KIMMOIIII

Like from Kath and Kim.

Sorry, not helpful.'

Oh me too

It feels a bit cutesy. I mean, it's not my style but I guess I can see why it would be cute on a baby.

But a 15/45/65 year old - it feels a bit babyish, not an 'all ages' kind of name somehow.

Thank you FrolickingLemon, lucky you!

"Kimmie!!! Look at me, look at me, look at muuuuuueeeeee...!!!! Now, I've got one thing to say to you, Kimmie....."

So actually followed PP advice on asking men I actually know what they thought of it. Most of them seem to really like it but that's because they all made the association to Kimi Raikkonen so they consider it 'cool' 😂

Don’t think about whether a kid could carry it off, hopefully your son will spend a small proportion of his life as a kid.
Think about whether an adult male who isn’t Finnish can carry it off or will want to, when Kimi Raikkonen has slipped out collective memory for all but a few F1 fans.
Personally I think it is too cutesy for an adult.

I love Kimi Alexander as well! I'm Finnish and if I met someone who was named after a finnish person, I'd be over the moon 😁 I feel like nobody knows anything about Finland, it's like a 'never heard' country which is a shame. It's a great country!

I personally dont think it's a 'finnish name' and only finnish people can have it. It's not that common name there and I think its fairly international. Also I think it's cool to be named after someone famous. "My mum named me after X because she had a crush on him", I just love that 😁