What's the Most Pretentious Name You've Ever Heard?

[closetoshore]

After reading the other thread I thought it might be interesting to see and list the different names we all think are pretentious.

Eek I like most of these names and considered a few for ds's...also my cousin is called Jolyon and is utterly fab...so there

My DS's name has shown up a few times on here, and I'll admit to feeling more amused than offended. (Mental note: name next one Tarquin to match.) Are there really so many sensitive mummies out there who are hideously wounded by other people's opinions of their naming choices?

I was al college with a guy called Wesley. His surname was Hiscock. Everyone called him Wes....

I do have a distant relative named Farquhart!!!His family is Scottish but you can imagine what it was like for him here.

Gulliver

One of my school friends named their child (get ready for this)

Amaylayah

To be pronouced Amelia, to be pronounced like you've had far too much champpers and can't get your mouth round it!

i heard a name recently that suprised me. THe old man (whose name it was) was lovely and gentle. A real gentleman. So I dont think it actually was pretentious in his case because I think it was probably fitting for his background. But Ill mention it because it suprised me and is rare: Eggerton.

lol at Gulliver. Sorry..

Octavius

Thyme (a boy)

Ottaline

These are all in one class I go to. They look nice on paper, but sound so odd when spoken to a toddler.

I like Octavius for a boy! But not sure about Thyme.....

Ottaline is a nickname for Ottilie, I think. That's quite cute imo.

I know an Octavia, so Octavius doesn't sound too far off for me.

PMSL at Crispian - it's like his parents couldn't decide between Crispin or Caspian - or maybe the mum just loved Crispy things when preggo.

TBH, loads of these (perfectly normal a couple thousand years ago) Greek names wouldn't be heard in the US where I come from - there aren't a whole lot of pretentious names there...mainly words superimposed as names (Maverick, Ever, True, Blue, etc. are considered quite trendy and cool as opposed to pretentious), ditto the surname trend which is still going strong (Turner, Carter, Newton, Robinson, Quindlen).

SO long way of saying 'I don't know' - hehe I lose

Thaddaeus

I encountered a little girl called Horatia (female of Horatio?) recently, she was a little, erm, spirited. Mother was a Loud Parenting devotee.

I am another who adores some of these names- Calypso being a particular favourite (not least because i have a friend whose daughter has it as a middle name.) I do recognise that some names have pretentious connotations to some people but personally I don't care whether you call your children tom, dick, harry or sky-blue-pink-with-yellow-dots. :D

This thread really goes to show how our tastes and attitudes differ....

I really love many names on here (incl. Monty, George, Benedict, Octavious, Hermione, Calypso, Antigone (Tiggy)), and am quite surprised how some of you find such names so surprising/unsusual.....

I've lived in several countries and have not met such an 'obsession' with unusual names as in the UK. I have also never seen children teased purely due to their names - most children are surprisingly accepting of different names (unlike some mumsnetters ).

I love reading the Times baby notices and the best one I ever saw was Melisende A-Go-Go Frenegonde. OK, so Melisende is a lovely name but once you add the others it does seem a bit tosspotty.

Sebastian!

Are Antigone, Persephone, Artemis, Prometheus etc still pretentious if the parents are Greek?

Mind you, I'm of Greek origin and I still fail to understand why you'd want to name your DC after such tragic myths - I mean, buried alive, abducted by Hades, the eternal virgin, liver as bird feed?

OTOH, I know a Sophocles, a Pericles and an Achilles, all named after their grandparents.

Are any of the names on this thread 'pretentious' if they reflect their parents heritage, tastes and style?

Because a name may sound pretentious to one family but perfectly acceptable to another. Sebastian, for example, is a perfectly acceptable name for me. So, those who find it 'pretentious' may simply have different taste in names. And I probably wouldn't like their name choices .

But that's ok, its ok for us to have different tastes!! Why is it such a big deal? And why 'label' names??

Guinevere

Good point, Annabelsmummie.

Perhaps if we knew what some of these anonymous' posters looked like, what clothes they wear, what names they chose, etc, we might be relieved that they don't like the names we do .

'China', Christ you can bet that's a limerick waiting to happen when she starts school!

someone told me there was a Sturgeon announced in the Telegraph last week.

I mean, that is a fish...not a boy! Belongs in the sporting pages not the birth announcements!

Sapphire Penhaligon

apologies if you are said woman. I met you as a child in a drama workshop.