Are we being too cruel / poncey / pseudo foreign??

[MumfieMagic]

Me and DH have a short (4 letter) surname that is quite 'memorable'. We also both have very 'memorable' first names!

Are we being too cruel to our unborn child to continue with this lack of convention by naming him Rafael/Raphael when he arrives??

We are both very English and are in no way French / Italian / connected to the teenage mutant ninja turtles but we both love the name and adore the shortened versions of Rafe, Raffer and Raffi.

Let me know what you really think and, if it's a goer, how we should spell it.

Thanks guys!!

I'm intrigued as to what your 4 letter "memorable" surname is

Raphael is quite mainstream now, I think - thanks to Turtles and Rafas Benitez/Nadal (sp?)

love it.....but then I have a child called Artemus Somerset!!

I have one of those surname ones too!

'memorable'? Oh pleeeeease let it be Kunt or something!

Raphael sounds fine to me.

Love Raphael. Very dashing.
Is that really your DSs name posie? If so, I salute you! Art is an excellent nn too!

Not very keen on Raphael I must admit. But I adore Aretemus Somerset! That is a fabulous name.

i dont think it is too poncey these days - quite a few Raphaels around and I love Rafe

Give us a clue about your surname

I know a 16 month old called Raphael.His surname is Irish , but it works.He is a little cherub.
Raphael is a beautiful name

Raphael or Rafael -- lovely name, not a bit forrin or poncey, cruel, etc. Go for it!

My friend has a very cool Raf,I love it.

Good idea to test-drive names on here -
I reckon the secret with baby names is don't ask your real-life friends or rellies for opinions before the birth, you're inviting negative comments which may sway your decision. Just tell them when he's arrived and they won't comment.

Raphael is nice, as is Raf or Rafe, Raffer is not nice, sorry.

My dad's uncle was called Rafe though may have been spelled Ralph and they were from the North East.

Met a girl the other day called Fina, short for Seraphina, thought that was lovely.

Go for it, Raphael not poncey.

My nephew is called Rafael, admittedly he is Portuguese but it's a great name. Love Rafe too

I know a Raphaella, which is very swish. I like it.

Plenty of posh older Brits called Raphael.

I wouldn't dismiss it because of its pseudo-foreign-ness, but I would because of its girly-poncy-ness I'm afraid.

Love Raffaella though. Any chance you're having a girl?

I know a Raffi (he's half Armenian) with an Irish surname and I think it's lovely. Go for it!