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Original poster

We're hippies at heart, and I regret choosing such a 'normal' name for DS1 - help please for DS2?!

142 replies

sushistar · 31/08/2009 21:49

DS1 is Ethan. We gave him a really really rare hippy-sounding middle name, but I wish we'd been braver and gone for something more unusual for his first name. I don't want to do the same this time...

I like Asher but I think it's about to become really popular. We also love celtic / old english names.

Suggestions?

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Original poster
sushistar · 01/09/2009 22:43

Well the Merlin I know seems ok.

OP posts:
Original poster
sushistar · 01/09/2009 22:44

BikeRunSki, Gaia for a boy? I always thought of it as a mother-earth name?

OP posts:
Original poster
sushistar · 01/09/2009 22:46

Aran, according to Wikipedia, is a Russian sumo wrestler, a place name, and from the Bible - but it means 'their curse' which sucks a bit. I don't want to give him a curse name!

OP posts:
seeker · 01/09/2009 22:47

Kester
Arthur
Tiernan
Rowan
Aiden
Ninian
Meryon
Fintan

All unusual names solidly rooted in tradition, and not very eyebrow raising. Apart from Meryon, which I hesitate to add to the list because it's too close to Marion, but which I love.

Rindercella · 01/09/2009 22:48

Speaking of unique (as someone did a few posts ago)...wasn't there an article in the Times a couple of years ago where 2 children in the same prep school class had the same name...Unique

Original poster
sushistar · 01/09/2009 22:50

rindercella

I've always wondered that with those 'virtue' names - what if your child called 'Innocence' is a terrible liar, or 'Chastity' is anything but? Or 'Hope' has terrible depression? It seems a bit of a gamble!

OP posts:
Original poster
sushistar · 01/09/2009 22:52

Thanks for the suggestions Seeker - tiernan is nice, and Rowan is really cool. Aiden is already onm DHs list!

Ninian is nice but sounds a bit too like ninny?

Tradition is good - we don't want a made-up name!

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Rindercella · 01/09/2009 22:56

I met a couple of lovely elderly ladies called Faith & Hope once. They were twin sisters and as mad as a bag of frogs...but I was taking one of the 1st flights out of the States following 9/11 and they were on the same flight and basically looked after me! I called DH (then DP) to say it was ok, I was travelling with Faith & Hope and he was much reassured!

Big gamble though, I agree.

Whatever name you pick, someone somewhere is not going to like it. So long as you & your DP do and you're not going to force a lifetime of bullying on your child, then you should go for it.

jemart · 01/09/2009 23:15

Hamish is a nice name.
I also like Arthur but it is perhaps rather too popular.
My DS was very nearly Cosmo (my parents suggestion!) I liked it but it got rejected by DH.

I have always liked Valentine too.

LilyBolero · 01/09/2009 23:22

If you like Celtic names;

Aidan
Bede
Cuthbert
Oswald
Wilfrid
Edwin
Oswyn
Hilda
Colman
Columba

GrendelsMum · 01/09/2009 23:37

I agree that going for a 'real' name but one that isn't used too often is a great naming strategy.

I think that Asaph is just lovely, as are Amyas and Asa. Amyas is probably the nicest of those old English names, imo.

Aren't Rowan and Aiden a bit too conventional (although very nice, of course)? I know loads of people called both of those.

Tiernan is also good. Ninian should be a good name but I think Georgette Heyer had it right when she used it for a really feeble young male character - it just has connotations of 'ninny' about it.

Sazisi · 01/09/2009 23:43

My friend's son is Ferdinand, a rather wonderful name he gets shortened ro Ferd or Ferdie

Sazisi · 01/09/2009 23:44

Oh, Brogan? Very sweet I think..

Original poster
sushistar · 01/09/2009 23:48

Love Aseph, taht's on the list! I don't know any Rowans or Aidens except famous people, but if you know lots GrendalsMum that's enough for me - they're scratched.

Brogan sounds nice but makes me think of .... shoes?

OP posts:
weegiemum · 01/09/2009 23:57

Hamish
Brodie
Harris
Lorn

for the Celtic look!

lowrib · 02/09/2009 01:00

I know lots of adults with unusual names - either from different nationalities or hippy parents - so much so that a work colleague once commented "do you actually know anyone with a normal name?!"

ALL of them say they love their unusual names.

seeker · 02/09/2009 06:25

A name from another culture is not necessarily an "unusual" name - it may be the Emily of that person's country of origin!

The name that caused my step-nephew so much grief has been suggested on here. It was given to him with huge amounts of love and care and hope for his future. His parents (both absolutely wonderful, caring people and excellent parents) felt that the symbolism of it would give him strength and wings.

He wasn't bullied - he was just teased. Often in a friendly way - he was a popular child and had lots of friends - but sometimes not. Often by kindly strangers who heard his name, and made a mild joke or comment with no intention to hurt him at all. It was just constant and it ground him down, and by the time he was 9 he didn't want to go to school any more. He was only persuaded to go to Secondary school by being allowed to change his name. His sisters followed suit in the years to come with their equally lovingly chosen names.

So please be careful.

Besom · 02/09/2009 06:59

The only Eden I've ever met was a man, so it can be both.

What about Toran (celtic I think)?

TwoPersephone · 02/09/2009 08:46

I would try and get something that sounds nice along side ethan, so that if someone says eg Ethan and Orc, Ethan doesnt feel bad because his name stands out. I know a lot of people dont like to match sibling names but I would consider Ethan's feelings were it me.

As already suggested Soren is unusual but would go well, as would Aiden and Saul.

LadyoftheBathtub · 02/09/2009 08:47

Hey Besom I wonder if that's the same male Eden I was at primary school with (in west yorkshire)? It's funny, he never got teased about it. He was a fun, funny, mischievous person and no one ever batted an eyelid at his name.

I think it may be true to an extent that if you value an unusual name for your child, you'll place a high value on individuality and ploughing your own furrow and your child may absorb those values and be happy with an unusual name. Whereas if you think fitting in is really important, you'll pass that message on to your DC and a vanilla name would probably be best for them, as they'll feel a desire to be normal too. Of course not in every case but there's probably a correlation.

CyradisTheSeer · 02/09/2009 08:53

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

BunnyLebowski · 02/09/2009 09:05

Hi sushistar.

I'm loving lots of the names on this thread but when I saw you liked Soren another name popped into my head.

How about Stellan?

As far as I know it's Swedish, there is a fab actor called Stellan Skarsgard. I love it. I think it's so strong and masculine. I think it would go really well with Ethan.

ilovesprouts · 02/09/2009 09:07

a pal of mine,who ive not seen for a while has kids called breeze,bracken,fern

GooseyLoosey · 02/09/2009 09:16

Ivo - both an English and a Breton saint. St Ives was named after the English one.

AramintaCane · 02/09/2009 09:16

I agree with Seeker. I was blessed with hippy parents and thus a hippy name. I have never met anyone with my name. It has always been commented on. I found it especially hard to be taken seriously in interviews. Be careful, I wouldn't wish my name on anyone no matter how pretty. There are plenty of articles online that show that sadly people can't help judging people as less likely to be sensible/hardworking/wellbehaved when they have an unusual name. Sad but true.

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