A few uncommon names - usable and what do you think?

[caitlinrose]

I'm reading a book right now which is full of interesting names. I wanted to share them with you and ask you what you think. Are all of them usable?

Tana
Midnight
Pearl
Pauline

Winter
Jameson
Gavriel

I'm currently pregnant and books always inspire me. Tana has sort of grown on me, I say it like tah-na. Is it usable? Pearl has also really grown on me as a middle name.

As for Winter I thought it was kind of cool on a boy. I had previously only heard it on girls and only online. Is it better as Wynter? People are using Summer for girls so I feel like Winter for a boy could work. But my husband would never agree to it.

Jameson I'm wondering is it more like jaym-son or jay-meh-son? jam-eh-son?

I LOVE Jameson.
also winter is pretty.
x

I'd find all the girl names useable although Midnight is quite goth and I personally hate Pauline.

Winter is a girl's name for me. Wynter would annoy me as a mispelling. Gavriel looks like a typo for Gabriel. Jameson imo is useable but I don't like it.

Gordon Ramsey's wife is a Tana. I like it.
Pearl is probably ok for a comeback. As a child in the 90s there were loads of pensioners called Pearl.
Pauline always reminds me of Ballet Shoes. Love it.
Gavriel sounds like Gravel. Dislike.
Winter and Midnight are also a no from me.
Jamison is a brand of whiskey. I wouldn't personally as it's very American.

I like Tana and Pearl. Winter I’d assume was a girl - there’s a girl at DCs school called Winter.

Well, they're all useable insofar as if you chose one, people would have to use it! None of them are quite reaching "what an awful fate to condemn a child to" territory IME.

Tana, Pearl and Pauline I wouldn't even raise an inward eyebrow. Midnight and Winter are both a bit too hippyish for me but they're on a par with some other names I know personally and can be perfectly respectful towards (Lark, Star). Jameson sounds like a lot of those American-ish boys' names like Logan which aren't my bag personally but plenty of people like.

Gavriel doesn't work for me - I would assume it was from another culture, maybe an alternative translation of Gabriel, or cultural reference point I'd missed. Reminds me a bit of Asriel in HDM?

Interesting names but the only one I like is Pearl

Tana - fine, makes me thnk of Liberty dresses
Midnight - no
Pearl - fine, but I'm not keen. Looks nicer than it sounds. Meaning is ok
Pauline - fine in theory but I think Pauline Fowler in EE

Winter - no
Jameson - no
Gavriel - best of the 3

Tana means den or burrow in Italian which puts me off. I like Pauline most, it's due a comeback.

Paulina (Shakespeare) even nicer than Pauline, IMHO.
Also, as PP says, Pauline in Ballet School is a caring-for-siblings role model.

Wynter - originating as a surname - is quite long-established as a boy's name.

Gabriel is fine as a boy's name. No need - unless this relates to your /your husband or partner's home culture - for variant spelling.

Don't wish to sound impolite, but Tana always sounds like a nickname or shortening for a longer and nicer name, such as Tamara, Tatiana, Cajetana etc etc.

Midnight Traditionally a name for black-coated horses. If you have another reason, might be a good idea to display and explain.

Tana -, was quite popular in the 70s (Tana Ramsey, Tana French) it’s alright, if a bit dated

Midnight - it’s very low rent. I’d imagine you were a goth teen mum living a fantasy life to avoid your bleak realty.

Pearl - ok, quite popular at the moment

Pauline - very 1940s-60s. sounds like a character in East Enders, too early to revive. Paulina is better.

Winter - popular at the moment, will end up being the Dawn of the 2020s, so I wouldn’t

Jameson - it’s ok, he will end up being called James or Jamie though and there are loads of those around

Gavriel - it’s the Hebrew version of Gabriel, but because Gabriel is so popular, everyone will mistake it for that and it will be a lifelong PITA for him (unless you are Jewish, in which case fair enough)

Jameson is a popular brand of Irish whiskey, for that reason it would be a definite no for me.

Hasn’t some Instagrammer named their baby Midnight. Tells you all you need to know really…

I know a pearl, it’s lovely. I like winter but only for a girl and also like Jameson (but I’m a mumsnet outcast who likes surname type names 😬). Not keen on the others but I think you should go with what you love. I actually really like hearing uncommon names regardless of whether I would use them personally.

Tana - Chef Ramsey's wife so known from that
Midnight - a Goth or if really born in the middle of the cnight. But if a blonde fat cherubic child, then not suited
Pearl - why not
Pauline - I don't think this is uncommon. Better than Justine
Winter - yes
Jameson - yes
Gavriel - yes

Tana - yes
Midnight - NO
Pearl - yes
Pauline - yes

Winter - just about but don't think it's nice to saddle your child with it
Jameson - I would pronounce Jay-mee-son - lovely!
Gavriel - very nice, but probably a pain day to day for little Gavriel growing up

I know a couple of pearls - I think it's very much already happening.

The others are all fine, you can use anything nowadays. I like winter for a girl.

Pauline... dont think its far enough through the cycle to be back "in" yet. Needs another 10 years at least.

Winter... only ever seen as a boys name. I like it.

Pearl... its was 238th last year in England and Wales.

Jameson... whisky.

Tana... normal name.

Pearl is fine, I know of a couple of very young Pearls - I think it's coming back around like Ivy, Florence and Nancy which were really old fashioned and now are quite popular.

Pauline is still in that dated phase I think, people having kids now likely had grandma's called Pauline so it's not ready for a resurgence but it's fine.

Winter is a bit out there but probably useable - Autumn and Summer are common names so why not Winter!

The others, I don't think so.

Tana - OK (like, only ever come across it for Gordon Ramsey's wife)
Midnight - no, doesn't work (and was one of the creepiest Doctor Who epiisodes ever)
Pearl - OK
Pauline - OK (prefer Paula)

Winter - love it (was a boy's name in Victorian and Edwardian times)
Jameson - OK but a bit whiskey
Gavriel - OK esp if Jewish, but prefer Gabriel

I really like Tana

Pearl is lovely. Pauline and Tana are ok. I think Winter and Midnight are not names. Gavriel is nice but I do think it would be one that needs correcting a lot, which would not stop me if I loved it.

Tana - Ramsay, not unusable
Midnight - unusable imo, a horse’s name
Pearl - know loads, not unusable
Pauline - Christine and Frank Lampard have a Pauline, not unusable

Winter - fine
Jameson - really like
Gavriel - couldn’t be bothered correcting people all the time, so a no for me but it’s not unusable.

I think Winter may become very popular. I don't think this matters, unless you are looking for a name which will be unusual.

Tana is nice.

Pearl is pretty and it's nice for her name to have an association with the gem and to be given it for birthday presents, and to use as a motif for any business she might set up, as an adult.

Sounding similar, Merle, as in Merle Oberon, the actor, is also nice.

I think they are all usable except for Midnight- which is a bit weird unless its a black cat. I like Tana.
Personally I wouldn't use Pauline - its a usable name but makes me think of a sour faced woman with a pudding bowl haircut and 'statement' necklaces that I used to know.

I love Pearl! Tana is useable. I like Winter for girl but not boy sorry!