Thoughts on Arvo?

[GinnyBee]

I'm due to have a baby boy in May, first baby for both of us. I'm originally Finnish and my husband is English and when we started listing names we liked, we were trying to find one that would hint at his Nordic heritage but wouldn't be too out of place or impossible to spell or pronounce in England since that's where we live.

We couldn't find many options that we both liked and settled on Arlo - nice name, but there's really nothing Finnish about it. Its origins are Anglo-Saxon or Old English.

I've just been out for a walk with my dog and remembered the name Arvo, which is completely Finnish, and thought maybe that could work? But before I suggest it to hubby I wanted some opinions as I don't always hear it if it sounds odd in English, since to me it's just a normal name, but native English speakers may find it sounds like another word that would be confusing.

Obviously it is a name and I too immediately thought of Arvo Pärt.

@TheAbbotOfUnreason
True, unfortunately, but I like to promote the traditional pronunciation (also like the composer)

I’m in the UK and Arvo is definitely this afternoon

Please do not choose this name...

www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Arvo

No. It means afternoon

I've literally never heard anyone use "arvo" to mean "afternoon" in my entire life, so I guess it must depend on what part of the UK you live in!

I would have no problem accepting Arvo as a name, especially on person who has a different heritage.

I think its a great name. Seems really apt with the date coincidence.

Your son is going to grow up in a world where we respect each others backgrounds, I hope - anyone judging on a name can frankly eff off.

How about Lars? Or Nikko?

There's a massive class divide between people who know the composer Arvo Part but have never heard of arvo as a shortening of afternoon, and the other way around.

At the end of the day if it's Finnish he can just say that if anyone ever asks about it. I don't think Arvo has any negative connotations. The afternoon slang thing isn't really a massive deal.

People are called dot, dick and rob which are all nicknames with other meanings - some much worse than 'afternoon' lol.

Love Aaro

@FolornLawn

I like Arvo! How is Aaro pronounced? Like Aero?

Ah-ro. But I can see that would probably cause confusion here with people unsure how to pronounce it.

I mentioned it to husband and he said he prefers Arlo and thinks Arvo will be more difficult for others and he may end up having to spell it out, but that ultimately it's up to me how important it is to have a Finnish connection with the name.

His middle name will be my dad's (he passed in 2016) childhood nickname which is also a fully English name (for reasons I don't even actually know). His real name is way too foreign to be possible.

What about Alvar, like the Finnish architect, Alvar Aalto?

I like Aaro. Id pronounce it like bow and arrow tho, not sure if thats right?

aaron to me is Ahh-ron, not aeron.

As Arvo is a real name, it's from your heritage, sounds nice. is easily pronounced in English and you like it, why does it matter if it can be a shortening of afternoon in English?

Afternoon is not a bad word in itself. Time/date names are very popular now in English (Summer, April, Tuesday etc) and having a name that could sound like an abbreviation of innocuous word like this really doesn't seem a good reason not to use it.

I say 'this arvo' to mean 'this afternoon' (I'm in the UK but did live in Australia for a year).

@Haffdonga Thanks, yeah I didn't think it was an issue. As was pointed out, other names have other meanings too, like John means toilet (is that is the US mostly though?) but I don't think anyone would discourage such a classic name for a baby just because of that.

I really don't know what to do now! Arlo was my suggestion originally and I do like it a lot. If we lived in Finland it would definitely be my choice, as over there it would point to his Englishness, but as we live here I feel like it would be nice to have a more Finnish name.

Welp, got another 6 weeks to decide! 🙈

I've never heard it used for afternoon in the U.K. the only person I've heard of with that name is Avro Part the composer

I don’t love it but I dont know that afternoon matters.

I mean Nick is steal or a chip, Matt is tangled hair, Max is maximum but you don’t think of that when using the name.

Not sure Arvo works well in English.

How about
Jussi
Paavo
Nilo
Esa
Alvar
Anton

@Haffdonga

As Arvo is a real name, it's from your heritage, sounds nice. is easily pronounced in English and you like it, why does it matter if it can be a shortening of afternoon in English?

Afternoon is not a bad word in itself. Time/date names are very popular now in English (Summer, April, Tuesday etc) and having a name that could sound like an abbreviation of innocuous word like this really doesn't seem a good reason not to use it.

I agree.

I associate “arvo” as Australian shorthand for afternoon. I’ve lived all round the UK and it’s not something that I ever came across - maybe it’s been picked up from Aussie soaps.

@mathanxiety

Not sure Arvo works well in English.

How about
Jussi
Paavo
Nilo
Esa
Alvar
Anton

Oh, nooo 🙈 haha! Alvar and Anton I could consider, but the rest are a hard nope.

Do people struggle with pronouncing Aaron?

Biblical pronunciation of Aaron is air-on but all the Aarons I know pronounce it ar-ron

This ^ is what I was going to reply, but then OP has said that Aaro would be pronounced Ah-ro , which introduces a 3rd way into the mix.

As others have pointed out, apart from the fact that many of us never hear anyone saying Arvo to mean afternoon, Even if^ it were a thing where OP were to live, it isn't a bad connection or anything - nothing rude or funny or 'tease-able' about it.