Connotations of names Barnaby, Roland or Jethro?

[goody3shoes]

A friend of mine has married an Englishman, actually he is from Devon. They have taken her surname but he wishes to name their first child, a boy, due in 4 months. He is keen on the above three names but my friend is uncertain of how they would be thought of to an Englishperson and asked me, as I have some experience in the English culture. Still, I thought it would be best to get you guys on the case! Any thoughts and suggestions appreciated.

Roland makes me think of the Frankish knight/hero Roland in the medieval ballad (which may be as wanky as you can get but it sounds nicer than Jethro or Barnaby IMO)

Always liked it as a name, puppet rats and Grange Hill cast notwithstanding.

Roland Rat hasn't been on TV since the 1980s. I know a couple of Rolys and a Rollo (all in late 30s early 40s) I don't think it sounds wet.

Barnaby - I feel like this is more popular. Plenty of babies and younger boys named or known as Barney as well as Barnaby.

Jethro is much more unusual in my experience but I'm not from Devon/SE. I like it.

Just seen surname, definitely not Jethro!

Barnaby - detective in Midsommer

Roland - was a pupil at Grange Hill - Ro LAND

Jethro - Jethro Tull

Op you'll get a million different opinions but the point is none of the names are offensive. There's noone notorious with those names, they aren't heard that often and so people will just get used to the baby being called that.

Barnaby, nn Barney I think you could get away with anywhere in England.

Roland does sound quite posh, nn Roly. Actually there's a Roly in a little kids show but it's not an issue
Jethro could be shortened to Jeff. I mean I personally think it's bloody awful but it's not problematic.

I was wondering this too!

With a lovely surname like Panicucci I"d go for a strong solid name like Alessandro, Vito, or Domenico.
You can't put Jethro before Panicucci, it sounds faintly comical although he'd certainly get his own name on a Gmail account!!

Barnaby- lovely but can't get past the Barnaby the Bear programme and song.

Roland - can't get past the Row-land in Grange Hill

Jethro - not heard before. Ok.

Jethrow is always going to be the not so bright Clampett in the Beverley Hillbillies to me. I don’t much like the other two (if I’m being polite) but they are usable. The best with your surname is probably Roland but I’d go back to the drawing board for a new list

Kevin Rowland was from Wolverhampton!

Maybe the poster was confusing Roland with Ronan — Ronan Keating?

There is an Irish baritone called Roland Davitt, but hat would be a fairly niche association.

One for the oldies, Jethro was also a 'local yokel' character and father of Clarrie in Radio 4's The Archers. Killed by a falling tree branch in the mid 1980s. Chainsaws were involved so a bit of backwoods vibe there too.

agree.

Roland - wet and posh but could be cool if the person was cool

Isn't that the case with ALL names? It's the person owning the name that is 'cool' or not?!

Op, I like all three names, they're solid names that aren't faddy or fashionable so likely won't date

Think they mean Ronan keating

The only non-rat Roland I can think of is Roland Gift, great lead singer of 80s band Fine Young Cannibals. Very cool.

Roland is a rat. (Or a bins wearing chubby kid pronounced Ro-LAND from Grange Hill)

Jethro is a shit comedian or prog rock band (named after an inventor)

Barnaby is a bear, Barney is a Flintstone

There's Rowland Rivron. Different spelling. 80s comedian. Not cool.

Jethro - cornish comic ( a bit of an acquired taste), inventor of a seed drill and rather fab but strange prog rock band - take from that what you will - nn Jeth is rather cool.

Barnaby makes me think of Bear

Roland - keyboards, a bit of risk of being Roly otherwise not too bad.

Was going to say the same!

Friend's HUGE cat was named after the band, though (the band was named after the inventor, obs)

Ha ha ha Roland Keating! That’s a great image.

"Song of Roland" - that's what made me think of it as a medieval name.

My ex-BIL is German, and said that Roland is considered a farmers' name there (so a sort of Teutonic Jethro, I suppose)

Why on earth can’t you combine a first name from one parent’s culture and a surname from the other? It’s a lovely idea.

Lewis Capaldi springs to mind.
I had a lovely friend at school called Pablo McBride.

Or Roland Orzabal from Tears for Fears?

Also Roland Barthes, literary critic, philosopher and semiotician who died when he was run over by a laundry van.

Another vote for Barney or Jethro

As pp said Roland is a rat, Barnaby is DC Barnaby from midsomer murders, and Jethro tull is a band.

Bugger you, @GreenLampLight - I'd just remembered him and was going to show off, but you beat me to it!

I liked Rowland Rivron.

Jethro reminds me of that duelling banjos scene in Deliverance 😬