Honest opinions please!

[mersmam]

We're having trouble with boy's names this time round... dh likes Francis but I'm not sure (have always preferred Frances for a girl). I like Reuben but dh isn't sure. We both like Bede - we'd like to have a saint's name and it goes well with our surname - but I'm not sure what the rest of the world will think! Honest opinions please - will he get beaten up in the playground??

LambethLil - how old is your Bede? Does he like his name? It's great to know that one really exists

My Bede is 8, and TBH sometimes finds it a bit of a trial- he says he'd rather be Pete- after his very lovely, naughty best friend. FWIW I've noticed over the last few years unusual names becoming much more usual- I'd say that easily 50% of DCs friends have names that need spelling and or explaining. Also consider your surname, we have a very common but very english surname, so an unusual English first name fits well.

Aidan has a similar feel- North west and christian origin. Benjamin means youngest child, so always jarrs a little with me, Ben from Benedict is lovely but strongly Catholic.

Bede goes really well with our surname which is partly why we like it! I agree with you about unusual names becoming more usual... did you get many comments from people when Bede was born about his name? It shouldn't matter I know - but I am such a coward when I think about people's possible reactions.

OOps, North East, there's even a Bede's World in Jarrow.

Dh does not like Aidan or any 'Ben' name - we are Catholics so any strongly catholic name is great by us!

Francis is lovely - I really like Frank or Fran for a boy

I really woudn't worry about comments, we had a few questions about derivation and pronunciation but nothing extreme. DD2 has a slightly trendy name, was in 2 soap operas at the time and we got a lot more grief for that. Every Tom Dick and Harry is called Ptolemy...can't think of witty other examples. The only person I know who hated her name into adulthood had a very plain name.

Re Catholics, I've remembered the only other Bedes we met. A Friar attached to our local church and an electrician in Sydney where it is a little more known as it was the name of one of the first Archbishops there. That s another thing about names- you might move to somewhere where its very popular or a famous or notorious one might turn up later. Go for Bede!

Lambethlil - you are convincing me

What about Sylvester? If you can get over the Tweetie Pie connection, it might be a winner? (Since you're already into unusual names)

Or Laurence, slightly more realistically.

I like Reuben.

don't like Bede and not fond of Francis (my grandmother was called Frances so it's firmly fixed as a girl's name in my mind )

Bede sounds OK to me, but I know someone also names after St Bede and he is lovelyhere

There are 93 adult Bedes in the UK

www.yournotme.com/testaspnet/default.aspx

Call him Fabio.

Gregory and Leo are two other popes' name. Dominic seems quite catholic to me too, although come to think of it Dominic Lawson is Jewish of course...

Mind you, I never assume.

LuluBai - the link says he is called Pendabede which is just ridiculously outrageous - I love it Do you know where the name comes from? Is he English?
mrsboring - I'm not keen on Sylvester and I know dh wouldn't go for Laurence... I'm actually loving Bede again after the few positive comments (didn't expect ANY!) I think if I want an unusual name I'm just going to have to accept that everyone won't like it immediately. I was looking at ds1 this morning and imagining he was called Bede and I think he'd suit it!
I do love Reuben but purely for the sound of it and I don't know if that's a bit of a shallow reason for a name... our other children's names all have meanings which are important to us.

Mersman the 'B' is capital. As far as I remember his mother was reading a book about Bede, written by someone called Penda when she was pregnant and joined the two together. His sister is Boudacca (not sure if they spell it like that - can't remember). And yes the family are English.

Was wrong way round - Bede wrote about Penda see here for details

Maretta - that's an excellent link. It's quite reassuring to know that there are 90 odd other Bedes! Apparently the link shows that there is only one PendaBede, that really is a unique name! Do you know if he has always liked his name LuluBai? His sister's name is lovely too.
Not too sure about 'Fabio'...was there a St. Fabio?
Dh quite likes Dominic but I'm not overly keen. Bede is still winning...

As far as I know he has always been happy with his name. It's obviously a talking point and he's always been happy to provide explanations on the subject. Never tried to change it at school or anything.

What about Columba? Colm for short...

I like all your names too, I am considering Gilbert and Ambrose. Never thought of Bede but I think it is fab. I do know of 2 baby Reuben's which puts me off that one though. Not a fan of Anselm either come to think of it, doesn't feel nice to say iykwim
Ambrose Francis Bede would win it for me, Amby for short. Or Francis Ambrose Bede F.A.B!!

A bit late to this, but I love Bede.