Opinion on the name Rawdon

[Booklover137]

I’m very strongly for this name and have loved it ever since I first read Vanity Fair in my teens. I just want to gage reactions before announcing it to family and friends as I’m aware it may sound a little too old-fashioned or even pompous for some (or perhaps I’m overthinking it!)

We would use the nickname Rory, and middle names would be Michael John.

Strongly dislike Rawdon, I'd just use Rory if that's what you're going to use daily anyway.

Would you be naming him after the village? I've never heard of it other than the place.

I don't love it as a name, it's pretty clunky, but that's no reason that you shouldn't use it... I expect that it'll be a marmite name. I strongly prefer Rory.

Well, speaking as someone with a very minor speech impediment, it’s an absolute sod to say. And Rory is even trickier. If I took the speech issue out of the equation, it’s fine.

FWIW, Ruth, which I love, was off the table for this reason.

Makes me think of the area in Leeds. I'd think the child was conceived there. Sorry!

Not great if you live in Leeds as there’s a town there called Rawdon where the crematorium is.

Have never heard it (so I looked it up) and in our locale would automatically assume a misprint of Radwan. So not sure...

Rawdon isn't exactly a highly admirable character in VF, and you're planning to actually use Rory anyway. Not sure it seems worth it to me.

I pictured some kind of dog food. Sorry.
I'd not burden my dc with that.

Raw dog.

Just why??

Actually, I think Rawden was a sympathetic character in VF. He was certainly a kind father.

Either way I don't like it but love Rory.

Just use Rory
Not a fan of the other sorry

I find it a bit tricky to say

It sounds like a manky run down town.

I went to school with a Rawdon. He was cool (and posh) enough to carry it off. But then there was a Tarquin, Dorian, and Jolyon in the same year.

Uncooked academic?

Michael and John are both good names, I suppose Rawdon would be ok as a middle name.

It sounds a bit like you’re asking someone how they’d like their meat

I like VF and I know a Rawdon. GFI.

It sounds harsh. Rory is a big leap then. I like Rory.

The 'raw' really jumps out at me and makes me think of raw meat - that and it sounds like a not very nice town, like calling your child Swindon.

I absolutely hate it. I wouldn’t saddle a child with that and imagine they would want to change it when older. Like Zowie Bowie did.

It just has a very unpleasant sound to it I'm afraid. I'm sure the literary credentials are unimpeachable but not many people will get the reference and most will just think that it sounds horrid.

I met a baby Urban once. His parents were rather posh Catholic classics scholars and it was actually after Pope Urban but I guarantee most people will have thought it was made up and would associate urban with sprawl.

Urban is a cool name, I'd assume they were a hip hop artist.

It sounds like a dinosaur, sorry.

It sounds like a deprived mining town in the North. (Sorry)
Rory is lovely.