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Original poster

Poncey Names?

306 replies

WinkyWinkola · 28/09/2006 19:11

I'm nearly 12 weeks pregnant with my second child.

DH and I have chosen names already but I'm starting to think they could be the source of mockery for the baby but I love these names. They're unusual (apart from my hearing lots of dog owners shouting, "Barnaby!," recently!) and dunno, I just like 'em.

What do you think? Am I going to subject my child to misery?

Boy
Atticus Elijah or Barnaby Elijah

Girl
Ophelia Pearl
Gretchen Violet

WinkyWinkola

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belgo · 03/10/2006 12:33

What's your name tillybee? [intrigued]

belgo · 03/10/2006 12:33

Sorry, Tillyboo!

allhallows · 03/10/2006 12:52

Almost forgot: my mum wanted to call me Zoë but my dad hated it. Still, mummy's v. stubborn and when I was born, our dear old GP said, "you have a beautiful baby daughter! what are you going to call her?" Fortunately my mother started to reel off the names alphabetically. I love my name. Begins with an A.

lapsedrunner · 03/10/2006 13:32

None of them would be on my list

Oracle · 03/10/2006 13:49

Gretchen Violet sounds far to similar to Gentian violet to me

"A dye that is a mixture of violet rosanilinis with antibacterial, antifungal, and anthelmintic properties."

But then I am ancient

Blandmum · 03/10/2006 13:51

Ah yes the sisters, Gentian Violet and Cresyl Violet

lululemon · 03/10/2006 14:14

think about what names also say about the parent. Some children's names shout "my parents are wannabe intellectuals (who've never actually read shakespeare)" or aspiring members of the primose hill set.
I think it is very important to try names out loud before the birth and get a feel for how people will respond to them.names do provoke reactions good or bad.
the worst i ever heard was Mermaid. but that's what happens when you hang around the Hampstead one oclock club

WriggleJiggle · 03/10/2006 14:31

Love Atticus, Elijah and Barnaby.

Have you considered giving your child one of these names, combined with something a little less unusual, then when they are older if they didn't like it they could still use their middle name.

bakedpotatooooowoooh · 03/10/2006 14:37

Winky, I'll wager that if you live in an area where people call their dogs Barnaby none of these names will be unusual

Elibean · 03/10/2006 15:09

Mermaid

sunnydelight · 03/10/2006 16:45

We did exactly what WriggleJiggle suggested - gave DS2 a slightly unusual name but a very traditional second name in case he grew up really straight and hated us for it His name has now become really popular anyway, and it really suits him.

cece · 03/10/2006 16:48

Tillyboo are you called Rae?

meysey · 03/10/2006 16:51

Kids really grow into their names. I couldn't beleive the names some of my friends gave their kids, yet now them seem just fine.

DO remember though that the name will inevitably get shortened, by you or by friends in the playground etc, so choose something that will work and you are happy with

e.g. Gretchen might become Gret or Gretty, Atticus - Atty, Barnaby - Barny

spagbol · 03/10/2006 19:16

Just read this and want a ds4 now so I can call him Barnaby.

How about Ondine instead of Ophelia?

norkmaiden · 03/10/2006 19:22

ohh, Ondine is beautiful!

There's also Undine. Think there's a poem by Seamus Heanry titled this.

mammaduck · 03/10/2006 20:17

I like them all except Gretchen, which makes me think of a wretched little street urchin.

Also, stop maligning Hamlet's Ophelia. She was NOT mad. Just grief-stricken. Give the woman a break!

3andnomore · 03/10/2006 20:27

One of my favourite girls names is a french name which is probably pretty poncy, lol...Odette...I think it's a gorgeous name!

MellyMum · 03/10/2006 21:11

I had a first and middle name for whether I had a boy or a girl. When dd was born she didn't seem to suit the girls name at all so I had to start all over again - even backup names didn't suit! Didn't name her properly til after about a month - got a letter from registration people that I would have to go and register her! Anyway she is Ruby, partly because it's her birthstone but mainly because when it was mentioned(for this reason) it seemed perfect for her. Unfortunately it also means that I wont be able to use the boys name I had chosen originally as this was Murray (family connection), imagine....Ruby, Murray
My point is even if you think you have decided on a name it is sometimes best to wait until you have the baby to make a definite decision.

Kaz33 · 03/10/2006 22:31

Gosh I was wishing that I was having another child so that I could name them. Do like Atticus, would have suited DS1 perfectly.

Have an Alex and a Cameron (Cam) now, if we had a girl she would have been Eleanor or Rosemary.

tearinghairout · 04/10/2006 09:31

How about a compromise with Barnabus? Not really, you should just go for it. I wish I hadn't been swayed by DH at a vulnerable time (straight after the birth) into agreeing to a name which is nice but now incredibly common. Need to take time over it.

Just one thought about Violet, a friend has a DD called Violet. She's a bit of a tearaway, and I always think of her as Violent.

tearinghairout · 04/10/2006 09:40

Just reading about the proposed return to the 70s names (Malcolm, Lorraine etc) reminds me of someone I knew who had a little boy born on the winter solstice (21st Dec) so she called him Solstice, and his sister was called Wilhelmina. Then we found out that their cats were called Brian and Ken!

izzybiz · 04/10/2006 09:47

I like Elijah, and Barnaby.

Not too sure about the choice of girls names though!

My Dd is Isabelle Amy, and my nieces are Felicity, Gracie May, Freya Rose, and Libby Hope.

I think they are all lovely names. I like pretty girls names, something classic but not too common.

Watching c beebies there was a birthday card for an Amethyst?? she also had a sister called Breeze.

Dawnybabe · 04/10/2006 11:29

Brian and Ken for cats is absolutely brilliant! We always wanted to have two dogs and call them Ralph and Dave. We've actually got one dog so far and he's Barney, which is really cute and suits him perfectly. So Barnaby to me does sound a bit like a pet name, but then what's wrong with that? Perhaps you'll project that cute persona onto your son and he'll grow up to be cheeky and lovable!

gingerninjasmum · 04/10/2006 13:57

I like strong names for boys.nothing too long or something that can be shortened. My boys are Luke and Tomas.Lukes half brothers are Ashton and Jaydon which I love.Would have loved to have called Ds2 Gabriel and have shortened it to Gabe though as Gabriel byrnes is my fave actor lol. Think Atticus sounds a bit like a learning tool ie.abacus.sorry !! But totally agree that you should do what you want.

foxtrottingtotransylvania · 04/10/2006 14:05

Trevor was my grandmother's suggestion for DS1!