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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

the current shortlist - describe these people!

110 replies

purlease · 30/01/2009 15:17

Got a shortlist of four girls names and four boys names.
Saw a thread before which asked what pictures names conjured up so tell me a bit about the following people; are they fun, obnoxious, pretentious etc.

Any other suggestions welcome too.

Boys:

Aaron
Arthur
Lucas
Malachy

Girls:

Cara
Lucy
Marian
Zoe

OP posts:
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poppysweetie · 01/02/2009 16:40

I love the name Zoe think its a funky name for a cool girl! Marian to me is a little older, Malachy is unusual but nice

hotCheeseBURNS · 01/02/2009 16:43

Aaron - a bit stupid
Arthur - a bit old
Lucas - luke rhymes with puke
Malachy - gay

Cara - pretty, kind
Lucy - sensible, mature, feminine
Marian - matron
Zoe - cute but dumb

cece · 01/02/2009 17:51

Aaron - youngest of a large family
Arthur - hippy parents
Lucas - lives in a council house or housing association house
Malachy - naughty but lovable

Cara - blonde sullen girl
Lucy - likes ponies
Marian - spinster aunt
Zoe - lots of fun and popular, will become an hairdresser

LolaTheShowgirl · 01/02/2009 20:50

Boys:

Aaron - Hate this. Reminds me of a naughty boy I used to teach.
Arthur - It's cute but cute in the way I picture an old man with walrus-like moustache smoking his pipe in his armchair.
Lucas - I'm on the fence with whether I like this name but I used to teach a Lucas and he was the most adorable child you could ever meet. Just scrummy!!!
Malachy - Would you pronounce this Mal-Ah-K-Eye? Nice, mischeivous Irish lad.

Girls:

Cara - Lovely and feminine. Isn't the new judge on American Idol called Cara and she is very pretty!
Lucy - Pretty but a bit cheap sounding.
Marian - Old woman nearing her retirement. Works in a nursing home.
Zoe - Too modern and bolchy. How many posh Zoe's do you meet? Will probably grow up to be a stripper.

IamLeticiaDean · 01/02/2009 21:06

Thanks Fanjo! I can honestly say I am not some boring middle aged lentil weaving grey haired bag from hell, even if my name says otherwise.

sleeplessinstretford · 01/02/2009 21:38

Aaron and Lucas are both horrid sorry-really council
Arthur is great and i love Malachi.

Your girls names are good- my daughter is Clara (what do you think of that?) she's a really feisty,curly haired bundle of energy but oh so cute.my fouls sister (mother of Esme,Hugh,Wilfred and Teddy) accused us of pretension when we said baby was going to be a clara i almost bit my tongue in half
Lucy is quite common
Marian is an unusual one although I wanted to call DD2 Rosemary and was really vilified for that-if you like it then go for it, just don't discuss it beforehand with anyone and introduce her as Marion.
Zoe is great,my friend called her baby Zoe just before Xmas so is it becoming popular??

LadyArden · 01/02/2009 21:47

Aaron Kevin the teenager
Arthur rotund old man as in Lowe
Lucas overlooked
Malachy Trouble

Cara cheeky Irish girl
Lucy goody two shoes
Marian MIL from hell
Zoe Darcey Bussell

DivamakesKimchi · 01/02/2009 21:50

Boys:

Aaron- always think big athletic man
Arthur- classic posh name, may be too posh unless you are posh iyswim
Lucas-curly hair dark skin very italian, spanish, unless you have that origin
Malachy- not sure, geeky to me

Girls:

Cara- loud, chavvy
Lucy- very common name, any cats called lucy
Marian- like marian or marianne etc...
Zoe - cute, girly

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 02/02/2009 07:17

IamLeticiaDean - me neither, maybe we can prove 'em wrong!

mamadiva · 02/02/2009 07:40

Aaron - 17YO and a total nob manipulative and full of himself, also looks like a bulldog chewing a wasp He is my male cousins boyfriend if that makes any difference LOL.

Arthur - One of my childhood friend's dad, very kind man but a bit hot tempered.7

Lucas - Very snooty child I used to look after, horribble judgey parents though very self obsessed at 7

Malachy - Don't know anyone butn I looooove the name Malachy

Cara - Wild child 21YO and sleeps with anything man/woman/animal possibly haha nice enough but is the clown of the village and is usually found passed out on someone's sofa after consuming several ecstasy tablets and alcohol

Lucy - Don't know anyone don't like

Marian - Nice woman I used to work with is mostly described as mutton dressed as lamb by people.

Zoe - My friend's niece lovely name and nice enough child.

dddd4 · 02/02/2009 10:15

I love Marian - think of Maid Marian - brave, beautiful etc
Cara - a bit dated now?
Lucy - a safe name but probably be another Lucy in her class at school.
Zoe - I like this, I think a small person

Aaron - quite popular name now
Arthur - great name but has become a pop middle class choice recently
Malachy - great name if you grow up being the only one around but how did you come up with it? I know one where I live and he is lively and friendly
Lucas - A good name and can always call himself Luke if he hates it when he gets older

Gorionine · 02/02/2009 10:21

I will describe to you little boys and girls I know with some names you shortlisted:

boys

Aaron : nicely balanced boy, a bit cheeky, great fun according to Ds

Lucas : nice boy, a bit shy
Malachy : little monkey but we love him

Girls

Cara : sorry, next door neibours...cat!
Lucy : verry chatty little girl, very friendly
Marian : my name so absolutely perfect!

MissGreatBritain · 02/02/2009 12:02

Aaron - bit of a nothing sort of name. sort of person who'd never be noticed.
Arthur - strong, individual
Lucas - girly, pale and a cry-baby
Malachy - pain in the arse

Girls:

Cara - dark, pretty, maybe a prima donna
Lucy - quite plain, but intelligent
Marian - has parents who are trying too hard
Zoe - likeable, maybe a bit alternative

pingviner · 02/02/2009 12:16

rather amused since my RL name is being assessed here! amazing to see what associations people have for it! I wont do the girls names then cause it will be obvious[

Aaron - large for his size, clumsy, pale
Arthur - grave, calm, quiet, polite
Lucas - precocious, snotty
Malachy - irish scamp with charm

purlease · 02/02/2009 12:28

dddd4, I knew 2 Malachys at Uni and they were both lovely in different ways. I think it is probably more Northern Irish than Southern. I would like to use a name which has some Irish connection but living in England, I think there will be problems with pronounciation. I think of Cara as being a bit Irish as well which is why it made the list. As some people have commented the list is a bit random - no good reason for most of the choices

OP posts:
Harri1 · 02/02/2009 15:36

Boys:

Arthur -dependable, kind
Lucas - naughty cheeky little boy arrogant man
Malachy -Irish blue eyed scamp with a heart of gold

Girls:

Cara- love this name, lovely friendly girl with a cheeky side

sorry no real feel for the other names

pureeandpearls · 02/02/2009 15:45

Cheese and pickle- you totally have to get back into witing!

Pendulum- great call on Islington names. I used to work as a nanny there ad looked after a girl called Madeleine.

Aaron - never correctly pronounced but that's OK because his footie mates call him Buzz (after the time he turned up to a school event in a Buzz Lightyear costume and got suspended!) He works as a plumber and spends his weekends in the pub watching football or playing it.
Arthur - calm and gentle, he was a promising cyclist until the accident but the months in physio gave him time to write and now he's got a fab book deal.
Lucas - way too good looking for his own good and spoiled by his single mu. Luck follows him around and he made a killing in the stock market and retired at 27 to go into property developing, and replaces Sarah Beeny at the end of the year.
Malachy - not an easy name to live with, but that's what happens when your drunken Irish dad registers the birth. Of course Mal had the last laugh when he became a solicitor and helped his ma get everything in the divorce.

Girls:

Cara - a big ball of trouble, since she was the popular good looking girl in school. Not so bright but that doesn't matter because she's going to be the next Cheryl Cole.
Lucy - quiet, calm and unassuming with a brilliant mind and an amazing body buried under the dreadful clothes. She's the one who gets the guy, gets the part and gets the Oscar, but nobody minds because she's so nice.
Marian - lumbered with her granny's name and resents it, she pronounces it Marry-anne, like the French?! She works in customer service, though is not very good with people, and has a boyfriend named Carl who drives a BMW.
Zoe - gorgeous, with coffee-coloured skin and legs that go on for miles. She's a yoga teacher and eats lunch with her parents every Sunday. She's dating Arthur, who she met whilst volunteering at the rehab centre for the newly disabled and doesn't know it, but he's going to propose tonight!.

Duffy2 · 02/02/2009 16:01

What about the following names:

BOYS:
Finn
Dylan
Cameron

Girls:
Amelia
Alana
Zara

Would welcome some opinions please!

BalloonSlayer · 02/02/2009 16:14

Interesting that people are getting Marian confused with Marion.

The latter is an old lady's name. The former is a beautiful name, I think.

I suggested Marian for DD but was overruled - just as well as obviously no one but me can see the blardy difference and she'd have been called Marion all the time.

ScottishMummy · 02/02/2009 16:26

Aaron-dependable,swotty
Arthur- reliable
Lucas-cheeky blonds lots of lucas around
Malachy-spends whole time pronouncing his name

Girls:
Cara -name sounds like a chocolate substitute.cara with mint sold in planet organic
Lucy- teased as juicy lucy
Marian-and her hearty men
Zoe - nothing springs to mind

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 02/02/2009 16:43

BalloonSlayer - imagine being called such a horrible old ladies name all the time, how terrible

BakewellTarts · 02/02/2009 16:50

BalloonSlayer, my "difficult" MIL is Marian in her 70's with greying hair so sorry for me neither spelling works...

poddy · 02/02/2009 18:52

Boys:

Aaron - a bit average academically, lots of friends, but possibly a little chavvy...?
Arthur - middle-class, nice boy, bright, good at physics and music
Lucas - footballer, likes polishing his souped-up hatchback and has a shaved head
Malachy - nice chap, big hearted, liable to rebel by becoming a historic stonemason and living in a caravan in the woods

Girls:

Cara - quiet, studious, but maybe a bit bland and liable to being overlooked
Lucy - good at hockey, loads of friends but a bit of a follower of the crowd
Marian - bookish, slightly shy, but probably Oxbridge material
Zoe - great fun, bright, shiny and the life and soul of the party

TwoIfBySea · 02/02/2009 20:06

Boys:

Aaron - blond brat
Arthur - bookworm type
Lucas - fun-loving
Malachy - a little bit weird

Girls:

Cara - popular girl
Lucy - a touch smarty-pants
Marian - old fashioned
Zoe - dark haired, slim, mediocre

loobylu3 · 02/02/2009 20:48

I have an adorable little Lucas. He has big, brown eyes, and is shy but so lovable! I think of it is a v multicultural name which is used across the classes also. We have always had positive reactions to the name and haven't met any others here so far.
I also like Arthur a lot. Would definitely think that Arthur would be the choice of middle class.
Malachy sounds like a cheeky, red haired Irish boy and don't really like Aaron personally.

Of the girl's names, Lucy and Marianne are the most classic. I would say they all conjure up quite positive images for me although I don't especially like Cara and Zoe as names.

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