children's names

[Tusky]

I'm fascinated by what people choose to name their children (proper names rather than nicknames I mean) -has anyone chosen a name that they now regret or have 'gone off', or named their child from a tv program or celebrity etc... ?

Its a huge responsiblity naming a child. We've got a Maximillian, usually called Max unless he's been very naughty!

I have visions of his name in full on a gold plaque outside his office when he grows up with me, his batty old mum, going and polishing it with me hanky!

It was my hubby that insisted that if we were going to call him Max he should be a Maximillian. We just found it in a baby name book and liked it. Couldn't give him hubby's name as a middle name though because his initials would have been MAD. (although now that seems wholly appropriate for a little boy who went to bed the night before last cuddling a biscuit - don't ask)

Twinsmum, surely it was a compliment?! I don't think the little girls would have minded, it would be rather nice to think that you got your name because of your mums being friends.

While in the park one day I heard someone call out "Oi Heathie, Heathcliff, come 'ere now" Also have heard of a Candice Caprice, and a bloke called Dwayne Pipe!!!Me and my pal always have a giggle at names which sound really daft.Although from experience children will make fun of the most sensible of names. My two are called Nina and Anna(not after anyone particular but because I didn't know anyone with that name) and am sure will be subjected to as much grief as Chardonnay,(which, had you never heard of the wine could sound fairly sophisticated!)Destiny or Harmony Angel.Good Luck to all those children with wild names and a pat on the back for their parents for being bold enough to go with a name which at least they like.

Years ago I knew a Tennersee Williams and more recently a Dali. Both girls.

Had a school friend who couldn't say her 'r's - and had a bad lisp. Her name was Sarah Russell.

did you know that there was a pianist called
Wayne King ?

Tusky, surely you jest!

I think it is a compliment to your own good taste when someone else names their child the same name as yours - but very annoying when you have had a favourite name lined up for years then someone you know gets in before you.

Once, on a trip to Paris, we visited 'Pere la chaise' (cemetery, probably not spelt like this). One of the names on a family grave read "Hugo Finaly". My friend thought this hysterical i.e. "You go finally". It took me a little longer to get the joke and we got several looks of distaste for tittering in a graveyard. I know this has strayed off the point, but it has always amused me.

Jodee - honest,Wayne King was real, I believe he's dead now....was on Opportunity Knocks I think -

My wifey & me argued for months and months about boys names - she wanted something unusual, I wanted something he wouln't get beaten up for in the school playground - I wanted Stan (she hated it), she wanted Jasper (I thought it was a bit poncy).

After yet another despairing argument about it in the car, we drove past a solicitors called "Morgan & Cole", and hit on "Cole" - it's not in any names book we've ever found, we don't know any other boys called Cole but there's Old King, Nat King, Cole Porter and the little boy from "Sixth Sense" - so our little boy is called Cole and we love it.

One of the wierdest ones I've come across is Gary & Phil Neville's dad - they play footy for Manchester United & England. Their dad's name?

Neville Neville.

???

My hubbie and I went through 5 baby name books and lots of mind changes before we decided on Benita - latin for Blessed. Just after I'd got her registered, a friend told me that Mussolini's first name was Benito! So now she gets called Mussolini - just as long as she doesn't get any of his traits!

I always liked the name Morticia though, from the Addams Family, and ours was conceived on Halloween! Should I have stuck to my guns?

Twinsmum - I know how you feel. We decided on 3 boy's names for our prospective first born and friends "used" 2 of these for theirs born 3 weeks before! I was dead miffed, especially as it had taken days of argument to reach the names and combination in question. In the event we had a girl. When we finally did have a son we used one of the 2 names - which was also my grandfather's - and I was quite glad in the end as every child I have met with the other name we didn't use has been a right little... I won't offend anyone by saying what the name is!
Our 2 daughters were effectively named after presenters on the radio! They were names we liked and maybe hearing them regularly increased their appeal.( I was in labour with the second when we heard the name on the world service at 2 in the morning - we knew she was going to be a girl and we had chosen that name for the baby who turned out to be a son but had put it to one side for the third child in an attempt I suppose to find something better).

How many people hadn't decided there child's name before birth? It was a good thing I had a girl (Lauren Amy) as we could not agree on a boy's name. I wanted Tom husband wanted Jake. I am now trying to get SiL to call her child Jake if it is a boy so that I cannot use it!

Is it a coincidence that many boys I know named Thomas are naughty?

When I gave birth the midwife asked me what we were going to call our son. When I said Max, she said that all the Maxs she knew were naughty!

I suppose some names sound more mischievous than others. Thomas makes me think of Tom & Jerry! Harry always says 'cheeky' to me, Katie is another name I associate with 'naughty', from the book 'What Katy Did' I think.

Kate71, yes I have naughty Thomas! But he's lovely too with very long eyelashes and big brown eyes and a crew cut!

For years I've had the idea to call my daughter a variation on the theme of Rosy (Rosemary, Rosalind, Roseanna, Roisin), hence my nickname. (I got the idea from Rhiannon). But because of this, my husband vetoed it, he wanted a name we chose together. We both wanted a "normal" name, our acid test being could we have gone to school with a child named this? I'm afraid I really don't go in for this idea of giving your child a name that's very unusual. (Sorry, Tom). I also didn't want to have the child having to spell out their name for everyone for the rest of their life. At 38 weeks I'd dismissed every one of my husband's suggestions, so anything that was half-decent I added to my short list. When my daughter was delivered "Laura" was the only name we'd agreed on, so that's what she's called. I don't think a name's that important though - once your child has that name you like it because it's theirs. And I always tell expectant parents not to discuss what names they're considering - once he's born people will probably be too polite to tell you they think Barnaby is an awful name!

Rosy, I had wanted a 'Rosie' for years but DH vetoed it too. I ended up naming one of our gerbils Rosie instead. I know someone that called her cat Chloe only to regrett not being able to use it 2 years later when she had a little girl.
Our daughter , Lauren, probably gets confused because she has a couple of pet names. Lolly or 'Poops'are OK at one but I'm sure she will object when she gets older.
Do any of you wish you had a different name? When I went to Uni I took the oppertunity to shorten Kathryn to Kate (don't think my mum was impressed).

Always a difficult one for a teacher - you always remeber that little tyke called....... and swear blind you'll never call yours that! Kate71 - ALL the Thomases I've known have been naughty! I had a Jake and he's also named after DH's dead brother. Number 2 is caled Zachary, Jake wanted Zombie, I wanted Otto (my grandfather who disappeared on the Russian Front in WW2), so Zachary was DH's choice in the end! My Dad wanted to know if we were going to carry on the family name of Herbert!!! I felt pretty smug when I decided that my brother should have that responsibility!!! Did hear about a Dwayne Pipe, A Russell Hobbs and a Bracken Liner - honest, Brownie's Honour!!!

I've met twins called Ariel and Calypso in a North London sandpit! Mine are much more boringly named Dan and Joe so you can see why I was shocked!

My DH and I disagreed on the order of names (I wanted Henry George and he wanted George Henry). I waited until I had just given birth, then asked him in that 'I-dare-you-to-deny-me-anything-after-what-I-have-been-through' voice - "Can't we call him Henry?" It worked

Before I had no. 2, we were discussing the names and we decided that if it had been a girl it would have been: Arianne (after the space rocket, Columbia (after the space shuttle), Electra (Just such a fab name!). You see the space theme/trend? In retrospect, I'm greatly relived that it was a boy, how would you explain to the poor girl that she wasn't named after anyone in particular, just that her father was space mad??!!

Mel - What is it with fathers...when I was pregnant we could only agree on boys names so we were a bit stuck when we had a girl. He was insisting she should be called Ramona after the Ramones - you know that old punk band, possibly the ugliest band that has ever been - so I said NO. We eventually decided on the name Alice but now he tells people that he chose it and that she is named after Alice Cooper!

bexi, have you come across the ramona books by beverly cleary? she is a complete hoot. (ramona, not b.c.) i think if i'd read them before having a daughter i would have seriously considered it...

Completely agree, Janh! Ramona is the fabbest of the fab. I was completely addicted to her as a kid. If I ever have a wee girl I will bear her name in mind. Can't say I like the name "Beezus" though...and "Willa Jean" leaves something to be desired too!

I worked with a Yiggon Yiggon and a Johanna Mapianna. What were the parents thinking of?