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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

Scottish boys name but live in England

77 replies

Monkeyandthebear · 30/08/2021 08:13

We have found out we are expecting a boy. We already have a girl (Sophie) and we love the name Ruaridh for a boy. It would have been Sophie’s name if she was a boy.

My question is can we get away with it even though we live in England or will we end up explaining how to spell and say it for forever? We may not be here forever but definitely for a long time yet. He will have Charles as a middle name so could use Charlie in the future but I do love the name
Ruaridh.

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tootingbeclido · 30/08/2021 08:17

Is it said rory? I do think you will have to explain but so what?

tortoiselover100 · 30/08/2021 08:21

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namechange7865 · 30/08/2021 08:23

I'm English and have no idea how to say it let alone spell that.

Unmute · 30/08/2021 08:30

It's a good name and you won't have to explain the pronunciation/spelling more than once to most people you meet.

There'll always be some idiots who can't possibly figure it out, but they'll (hopefully) be in the minority.

PearlyBird · 30/08/2021 08:30

Be kinder to your child! Wow. That is so ignorant.

This is a very normal name. I disagree that everybody will ask ''how do you pronounce it?''. Most people will KNOW.

I'd say it a bit more like Roory than Rory but either way, normal name.
I cannot believe that a Scottish / Gaelic name is problematic in England. Sometimes English people are so shockingly insular. This is not a Korean name. Or an African name.. It's a name from two countries that are part of the UK (northern Ireland and Scotland)

Who wouldn't know how to pronounce it? Aren't there lots of well-known Ruaridhs?

LizzieBet14 · 30/08/2021 08:31

I saw that name on an application form where I work and we had to pass it round and have a guess at what it could be..... no-one was even close. I couldn't do that to my child - a life time of correcting people and spelling it out.

ViceLikeBlip · 30/08/2021 08:33

I think it's a gorgeous name. I would have used it myself but it felt too pretentious seeing as I only have one Scottish grandparent- if I'd been Scottish myself I'd definitely have gone for it.

It's not such an uncommon name in England. People give their kids all sorts of crazier names than that 🤣🤣

PearlyBird · 30/08/2021 08:34

I'm shocked by the ignorance. It's not even an unusual Scottish/Irish name. It's a very popular one.

tabulahrasa · 30/08/2021 08:34

@tootingbeclido

Is it said rory? I do think you will have to explain but so what?

It’s roo-a-ree with the a being very short.

And yes I think you will have to be spelling it and telling people how to pronounce it forever... sadly, it’s a lovely name.

romdowa · 30/08/2021 08:34

Its a beautiful name , we have the same name in irish but its spelled ruairi, could the Irish spelling work better. Silent letters confuse people not familiar with the Irish/ Scottish language 🤣🤣

tootingbeclido · 30/08/2021 08:35

@PearlyBird. I am in southern England and most people will NOT know how to pronounce or spell it. That is not a reason to not use it though imo

BikeRunSki · 30/08/2021 08:36

I’m English, live in England and I’m familiar with this name. It’s a lovely name. We’ve learnt Siobhan and Niamh, I’m sure we can cope with Ruaridh.

Elephantsparade · 30/08/2021 08:37

Yes a lot of english people will struggle on first read. I dont think that matters. Im not in a very diverse area but classrooms are still filled with names from all over the world and every one manages fine.

legalseagull · 30/08/2021 08:37

I believe it's pronounced like 'brewery' without the b?

It's not ignorant for English not to be able to pronounce it. Its not a name many English people have. Ive never known one. I'd go 'Rory'.

My DHs family are Irish. We've given our DD an Irish name but with a more anglicised spelling (an accepted alternative spelling also used in Ireland too)

CliftonGreenYork · 30/08/2021 08:38

I'm Scottish and had no idea of how to say that name. It's nothing to do with being "ignorant English" it's just s weird bloody name to pronounce.

PearlyBird · 30/08/2021 08:41

@legalseagull you may not be ignorant but other posters have said it would be ''unkind'' - to use a name from two countries that either border or are a part of the UK
I mean seriously, broaden the horizons. Not you specifically. But wouldn't you be embarrassed to be so unapologetically insular.

reprehensibleme · 30/08/2021 08:41

PearlyBird, tbf, as a Scot in Scotland I've worked in places with a Floraidh, Comhnall, Eairdsidh and indeed a Ruaraidh, and everyone in the office had issues with spelling - we made sure we checked and got it right, but most people had to look it up every single time. So it's definitely not an anti Scottish thing.

PearlyBird · 30/08/2021 08:42

@CliftonGreenYork

I'm Scottish and had no idea of how to say that name. It's nothing to do with being "ignorant English" it's just s weird bloody name to pronounce.

You're Scottish??

OK this thread is getting too weird now.

daisypond · 30/08/2021 08:43

It’s fine. I’m English and know how to pronounce it. Spell it the Scottish way. It wouldn’t raise an eyebrow where I live. It’s not a particularly unusual name anyway.

TheUndoingProject · 30/08/2021 08:43

I think it’s a lovely name. I’m surprised so many people are baffled by it. Seems a bit insular.

namechange7865 · 30/08/2021 08:44

@Unmute @PearlyBird no need to be dicks, no I really don't know how to pronounce a Gaelic name, I grew up in Wales, live in England, have had no exposure to Gaelic and don't spend my life researching names from other cultures in case I have to pronounce them. I'm an intelligent woman in a good career, but if I saw that written down I have no understanding of Gaelic to decipher it without asking, if you have no experience of the language it's not a name you can attempt to pronounce.

namechange7865 · 30/08/2021 08:48

And honestly think it's far more "insular" to assume a name common in a very limited area in very limited language is "well known" beyond that area.

PearlyBird · 30/08/2021 08:48

@namechange7865 not being a ''dick'' at all. I'm genuinely shocked.
I'll leave you all to it now.

I don't spend my life researching names from ''other cultures'' either but in you're all part of the UK then there should be a low level of familiarity.

LizzieBet14 · 30/08/2021 08:50

[quote PearlyBird]@namechange7865 not being a ''dick'' at all. I'm genuinely shocked.
I'll leave you all to it now.

I don't spend my life researching names from ''other cultures'' either but in you're all part of the UK then there should be a low level of familiarity.[/quote]
But how if you've never come across it before? Not via a friend, family member, author, poet, actor, TV personality etc

belhaven · 30/08/2021 08:51

I'm Scottish and know quite a few. It's a lovely name. I do prefer the spelling Ruaraidh though.

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