Rory or Rafe (Ralph)?

[mrwhippy999]

So, as the above really. Baby due early December this year, so plenty of time to decide. DH thinks Rafe is pretentious (and he's probably not wrong...) but I quite like it. Also, don't know which sex the baby is, so if I like Rory and Rafe for a boy, what might I like for a girl? Any suggestions?

I like Rafe. I know one, he's about ten. He's a nice kid. His DM could be a bit pretentious though.......

I like Ralph

Are you suggesting Ralph pronounced Rafe or the actual name is Rafe?

Rory! I wanted a Rory. Desperately. But DH vetoed. I vetoed Archie so fair’s fair.

I haven't decided - possibly Ralph on BC but Rafe as a nickname. But that seems unnecessarily complicated, given I don't like the standard pronunciation of Ralph...

I made a deal with DH when we got married that I'd taken his surname, and any DCs would have his surname, but I got to choose first names for any DCs (although he can veto names he really, really doesn't like).

I have a 12yo Rafe. Here's hoping I'm not the pretentious mum named up thread😁

Rory although I prefer Ruaridh / Rhu.
I don't like Rafe at all, it's just blunt and makes me think of vomiting!

Rafe isn't a nn for Ralph tho is it?!

I do like Rafe I think it's lovely!

I think Rafe is the traditional English pronunciation of Ralph. See Fiennes. The version we hear most nowadays is more Ralf.

I like Ralph as a written name better than Rafe, but you'll be correcting if from Ralf forever and a day.

This is why I'm hesitating really. I was worried Rafe was a 'made-up' name, which is why I was thinking about spelling it Ralph on the BC and using Rafe as more of a nickname, but Rafe does seem to be a 'proper' name after all.

Rafe IS pretentious. I don't like Rory. How about Ralf?

This. Before spelling was standardised (and when a good portion of people were illiterate) Ralph and Rafe were more or less interchangeable, but the pronunciation was generally as we hear as Rafe today. That's why "Ralph pronounced Rafe" has quite an upper class association these days. It's very old English, however.

I love Rafe and DD would likely have been called this if she'd been a boy! I say go with this spelling as it's simpler, but still has a long history of use so doesn't feel modern/made-up.

Ralph to me is an entirely different name and I just don't like it as much. Gives me Simpsons vibes! 😂

Rafe is getting quite popular so I don't think it would be seen as pretentious now. Rory is perhaps overused. I like them both - pick what sounds best with your surname? Rufus is nice too.

There's no need for Ralph nn Rafe, both spellings are established. As far as I know the name used to be pronounced Rafe either way, but gradually Ralph became phonetic so these days they are separate forms of the name. You obviously do get Ralphs pronounced Rafe eg Fiennes, but as both names are getting popular it would be a PITA these days.

Girls -
Lois
Oona
Esther
Stella
Frances
Annis
Annest
Jean
Zoe
Clio
Ishbel
Elsbeth
Catrin
Caitlin
Serena
Claudia
Marina
Francesca
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Marianne
Genevievre
Verity
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