Are there any usable Victorian/Edwardian names?

[bipbopdo]

Pregnant with my first (at last!). I’ve always had a soft spot for faintly eccentric names, but I’m conscious of the fact that my baby with be a real person that has to live with the name and I don’t want to saddle them with something just because I like it. So, I thought I’d get some feedback on my fairly chaotic list of favourites:

Boys -

• Algernon (Algy)
• Montague (Monty)
• James
• Hector
• Albert
• Auberon
• Rollo
• Rufus
• Peregrine (Perry)
• Inigo
• Ivo
• Benedict
• Rafferty

Girls -

• Clementine
• Felicity
• Petra
• Imogen
• Matilda
• Alice
• Eleanor
• Cecily

Boy names seem to be so much harder to pick compared to girl names.

I know a small Hector, and he is an absolute delight! Auberon... I prefer Aubrey, and I like Ivo.

I like Clementine, Felicity, Alice and Matilda. Matilda has been quite popular for a while now, Felicity shot up the charts, and my Alice occasionally gets, "Who the f* is Alice?" <insert eyeroll here>.

Algernon (Algy) - too like algae or a storybook bear
Montague (Monty) - good name particularly Monty
James - very popular in real life and on mumsnet, just not a fan, like Jamie though
Hector - ok vibe, not a fan of the sound
Albert - good name
Auberon - not a fan
Rollo - yes! So underused. Great name.
Rufus - prefer Rupert. Don't like the 'fus' bit
Peregrine (Perry) - not sure. A bit Iris Murdoch/theatrical
Inigo - I've known a little one, just sounds so much better in a Spanish accent and odd to me in English
Ivo - fine. Rollo miles better, or Otto, if you want an 'o' name
Benedict - not bad
Rafferty - not popular on here as it's a surname name but I like the sound

Clementine - not a fan but quite trendy
Felicity - wet blanket name, not a fan of virtue names
Petra - good name
Imogen - yes, great name
Matilda - fine. Love Mattie as a shortening.
Alice - ok. Prefer the Welsh spelling Alys
Eleanor - fine, classic. Not a fan of accents which pronounce it 'or' at the end.
Cecily - good name.

I'd go for Rollo or Albert, or Imogen, Petra or Cecily.

Of the girls’ names, I like Petra, Alice and Eleanor.

The boys’ names are more difficult. I know that not everyone can be named after a king or an apostle but some of them would be a burden. Perhaps not so much for a child but more for a young adult. If someone’s reaction to being told that the guy over there is called Montague, Algernon, Auberon, Rollo or Peregrine is to assume they are joking, that is a hard work name. Having said that, I do know a couple of men who changed their names as adults because their names just didn’t fit with who they were.

Algernon the doctors son
Was playing with a loaded gun
He pointed at his sister
Pulled the trigger
And missed her

So that name is out
Personally I like Ernest

Ooh - I love names like these!

• Algernon (Algy) - It’s the algae thing that would stop me from using this.
• Montague (Monty) - I love this! My late grandfather’s name. Do it!
• James - lovely. Very normal.
• Hector - cool.
• Albert - good.
• Auberon - mmm I could get on board, but I’m not sure your son would appreciate being named after the king of the fairies though.
• Rollo - don’t do this. Too close to Rolo.
• Rufus - fine.
• Peregrine (Perry) - good. Brave, but good.
• Inigo - I like this but it could be seen as pretentious.
• Ivo - love this. Slightly different vibe to the others.
• Benedict - fab
• Rafferty - I like it but it’s not as classy as the others.

Girls -

• Clementine - personally this makes me think of a tangerine.
• Felicity - fine.
• Petra - I love this, but it has a different vibe to the other names.
• Imogen - nice but boring.
• Matilda - great but too popular.
• Alice - a good name if a little drippy and very normal.
• Eleanor - great but very popular.
• Cecily - perfect.

I like Benedict and Alice from those lists.

Is Alice drippy? I think it is just a good solid name. Pretty. Normal but not over-used.

Benedict is more unusual but I really like it. It was on our lists.

You will get plenty of people coming to say Bendy Dick or that they don't like the religious feel. But lots of nice names can be made fun of for example Nicholas/Knickerless

What about Petronella, Nella for short? (As in The Miniaturist)

Petra on it's own always sounds as if it is short for Petrified to me! Though as I said above, lots of names make people think odd things.

I know a few Montys, who are really Montague, but it never really gets used in full.

For Victorian, how about Adamantine, Euphemia (Effie) or Cordelia?

My great grandmother who was very much born in the Victorian era was Rosina, always thought it was a rather lovely name

My favourite from your boys names are James and Benedict, Felicity from the girls.

Well, it just so happens I spent last night in A&E and met a rather charming gentleman named Monty. So I say, go for it!

I agree. Not sure it would have been used with any regularity at all in the 19th century. I personally find it a bit wet-sounding.

I like Horatio

Not sure "Petra" is particularly victorian, if you're looking for that vibe specifically. It seems more 1930s hockey-sticks style.

Or Rafferty, as above...

Perry makes me think of the teenager sketches by Harry Enfield

I like James, Rufus, Rafferty and Eleanor and Felicity

I always think of Rafferty as Primrose Hill set, not posh. Isn't one of Jude Law's dc Rafferty? I think that is what started people off using it more.

I'm not a great fan, as it does sound a bit soft and hopeless. I'd rather have a Rafferty designing my curtains than as my barrister or surgeon! But I do like Horatio. Why not...

Queen Victoria had a Leopold. A fabulous Victorian name that can be shortened to the more modern Leo, if preferred.

Victoria and Edward spring to mind.

Ivo and Petra are the best out of those lists