Arkady, Anatoly, Artem

[sillydecision]

These are very old school (apart from Artem) Eastern European names, you wouldn't see people using them now, but I have started to think they are actually quite nice sounding?

Artem - nn Artie
Anatoly - nn Toly
Arkady - nn Arky?

What do you honestly think of those?

They sound like IKEA furniture

Fine for an Eastern European. Andrew is nice if you are after a name beginning with A.

I really like Artemis for a girl. I like Anatoly but unsure about Arkady.

Sorry but I'm clearly wanting a more of an unusual name

Plus when I hear Andrew I just have a face of prince andrew staring at me.

I think giving a child a very obviously foreign name is setting them up for a lifetime of explaining that no, neither of their parents is Russian/Eastern European.

They sound like poncy toilet model names. Or ikea items. Are you from that heritage ?

If you go for a name from a different country, I think that you need to check if there’s an accepted shortening in that country before assuming that your given nicknames are respectful and correct.
For example Sasha is the shortening for Alexander in Eastern Europe

If you’re in the UK then you need to consider what British people would shorten the names to. For example Arkady could end up as Arcade because computer games are very popular with kids

How do you feel if people pick different shortenings? For example Arkady is as likely to be called Arkie as Kady

Anatoly is too close to the English word Anatomy IME. (Hope your surname isn’t Grey)

Arkady is odd reminds me of arcade like in a fun fair so can imagine the fun the kids in school may have with that one. Toly could be mistaken for Tony so not sure that’s a good idea either.
I agree with PPs about heritage, if EE is your heritage then go ahead.

No - unless you are Russian or a French descendant of a White Guard officer.

Also - they are not "old school", they are contemporary and very common. They all have standard shortened forms commonly used:

Artem - Tema (Artem is already a short version of Artemij)
Anatoly - Tolya, Tolik (this is a dead common name tbh)
Arkady - Arkasha - this is super popular name, used a lot

I'm from Estonia and my husband is British.

Thanks but what I really wanted to know is: what do you think of the names.

Why not use Estonian names, why Russian?

Yes, I'm from Estonia.
Thanks

Is it Ar-kaddy or Ah-cardi?

Are you planning to pronounce them as you've written them, or as they'd be said in Eastern Europe? Artem or Artyom etc?

I'm in a mixed EE family and having people mangle one of my kids' names daily is a pain.

Why does it matter what people on Mumsnet think of the names? You like them.

I like the sound of them. But I'm not sure they're quite right.
I want the easiest spelling for the reason you mentioned.

Personally, not keen. my kids had unuasual names and people were forever asking how to spell them or how to pronounce them, so am not a fan really. (I did not think my first born's name was unusual but other did!).

But to your choices.

Artem - nn Artie - the best of the three.
Anatoly - nn Toly - not keen, makes me think of anatomically correct. Not that I think kids would think of that.
Arkady - nn Arky? - not keen, makes me think of arcade, which I think kids will think of.

Just watched the original Overboard film an I love the name, Arturo, which is a boy's name of Spanish and Italian origin, meaning "bear" and a variant of the name Arthur.

I think in Estonian, and many Romance, Slavic and Germanic languages the name is spelled as Artur. And the Estonian version of the name Andrew is Andres. Which I really like.

Anyway, above all, Congratulations on your baby.

"my kids had unuasual names" i should clarify my children are alive and well but one has changed their name which is why I said 'had'!

I work with an Arkady (he's Lithuanian) who goes by Ka (car).

Your Estonian heritage was a massive drip feed. I assumed that you were British based on the way that you shortened the name and Brits generally liking nicknames.

In English speaking countries, Artie is a shortening for Arthur. Would this assumption annoy you? Personally I would call him the full name Artem which is a nice short name anyway or use the last syllable “Tem”

Very much this. Can’t underline it enough times. Don’t saddle your kid with your wishes/dreams/desires.

change YOUR name instead.

I like Artem but it will never be pronounced correctly in the UK. And Artyom looks so inelegant.

Child is going to get the micky taken out of them at school with any of those names

I know an Anatolii, nice, sound, dependable guy so Anatoly has my vote. I think Toly as a nickname is cute.
The rudeness in the replies is unbelievable and really makes me sad to see.

My polish neighbour is called Arkady, a really nice guy.
so that’s a positive from me. A name is a name, and as it’s not typically English, has no inbuilt associations like posh or chavvy.
if anyone comments, it’s the Eastern Europe equivalent of George, William… the traditional, rather than the Jaxon and other ones that are around at the moment!