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Strange baby names

(255 Posts)
Grammaretto Tue 19-Mar-19 15:40:51

I've just read the list of names chosen last year in Scotland. There's a Lucifer and a Corbyn.
Why would anyone inflict such a heavy burden on a baby?
I have no objection to unusual names or old fashioned ones and I appreciate you don't want the child to be one of 4 or 5 in the class with the same name - as I was, but really awful to name your child after the devil. Perhaps Corbyn's sister is May.

Grammaretto Sat 23-Mar-19 07:01:16

grannyactivist you remind me that name associations must influence our preferences.
A girl who was nasty to me at school was called Edna. Sorry any nice Ednas out there.
Then the baddies in girls' comics, Girl's Crystal and School Friend. There was Ursula who generally got her come-uppance at the end.

DanniRae Sat 23-Mar-19 08:15:35

My daughter and her partner, who are teachers, are expecting a baby boy. When it comes to choosing a name for him lots of boys names that are suggested by the family are rejected because one of them has taught a little horror with that name! So no Benjamin, Matthew, Daniel then........hmm

Luckygirl Sat 23-Mar-19 08:37:19

I once cared for a child whose name was Astrid Railway Station Smith (not her real surname). Apparently it related to her place of conception. And the same reason related to a boy called Hawthorn (thank heavens it was not a rose bush!).

Definitely old names coming back - one child of my acquaintance is called Agnes. I think that is such a harsh name for a little girl- apologies to all Agnes's out there.

HiPpyChick57 Sat 23-Mar-19 08:46:07

I called my dd after a surname that is also a Christian name. The way I spell it has turned it into a very pretty name.
The original can be used for a girl or boy but she’s the only one with it spelled this way.

If she had been a boy her father wanted to call her Maximus Aurelius after a character in his favourite film. That was never going to happen!!!
Although in our school we have a Maximus everyone calls Max.

BradfordLass72 Sat 23-Mar-19 09:42:46

Doesn't Agnes mean 'lamb' ?

tanith Sat 23-Mar-19 09:49:54

I went to school with a girl called Barbara Watts-Liquorice you only imagine the ribbing the poor girl got.

One of my GD is called Tegan I think there is a journalist with same name.

Miep1 Sat 23-Mar-19 10:16:42

When my eldest daughter was young, she (and I) knew a family where the children were called Freedom (b), Truth (b) and Promise (g). I can just about stomach the first one, but have always imagined what would happen if Truth turned out to be an inveterate liar and Promise...well , use your imagination!

Grandma70s Sat 23-Mar-19 10:19:50

BradfordLass72, I think lamb is Agnus, not Agnes, as in Agnus Dei, Lamb of God. I expect the words are related, meaning ‘pure, innocent’. (‘Purity’ was very much valued in women. Not so important for men!)”

SueDonim Sat 23-Mar-19 13:38:18

Luckygirl my mind is boggling at the thought of a child being conceived in a hawthorn bush! That must have been a bit painful. grin

I'm reminded of a woman my mum knew when we were young. This lady had her babies very easily and gave birth to her fifth child en route to hospital, in a pub car park. To commemorate the auspicious occasion the poor child was named Tia Maria, her mother's favourite tipple!

paddyann Sat 23-Mar-19 14:26:52

My son and his partner have just come from their scan,they're having a girl ....at least thats BOB ruled out..a huge relief from big sister to be .

MissAdventure Sat 23-Mar-19 14:42:19

Bobette? smile

SueDonim Sat 23-Mar-19 14:47:42

Roberta, Paddyann!

paddyann Sat 23-Mar-19 14:51:45

we have a friend called Roberta ,known as Bobby but we'll stop tormenting wee madam now and let her find names she'll like to add to the list .She's relieved its a girl though as apparently boys fart all the time and she's got to share a room with it for now so a non smelly weeone would be more welcome.Little does she know how badly nappies can pong .

annsixty Sat 23-Mar-19 14:58:55

I once worked with a girl named Roberta.
Her older sister who I also knew was called Josephine, they were followed by Francesca, Michaela and finally when all hope of a boy was gone, Melanie.

Grammaretto Sat 23-Mar-19 15:35:54

Lovely news paddyann
I understand how big sister feels. Although we didn't know in advance, my sister and I badly wanted a baby sister but got a brother instead. Could never appreciate why DM was so thrilled to get a boy.

I knew of a Thomasina Andrewina and a few Georginas. In Scotland you get Senga too which is Agnes backwards. Agnes tended to be Nancy when I was young.

annodomini Sat 23-Mar-19 15:38:23

I had a student called Liberty, otherwise known as Libby.
In Africa, there were lots of girls called such names as Faith, Hope and Charity as well as numerous obscure Old Testament names.

SueDonim Sat 23-Mar-19 16:34:48

I know a William Williams in Scotland. He was a fifth boy and I suspect his parents had given up by then. grin

MamaCaz Sat 23-Mar-19 16:47:57

I think I might have mentioned this before, but will repeat it anyway - if we had named one of ours after the place of conception, he would have been called 'Fools Nook'!
Needless to say, we didn't.

Jalima1108 Sat 23-Mar-19 18:58:09

Thomasina
Perhaps they should have used the derivative Tamsin, Grammaretto!

There are quite a number of Williams Williams's and also David Davies's.

Jalima1108 Sat 23-Mar-19 18:59:44

Robyn? Bobbie for short paddyann?

PamelaJ1 Sat 23-Mar-19 19:15:22

In Nigeria children were often named for the day of the week they were born on.
An earlier poster has a DGD called Sunshine. I only hope, for the child’s sake, that she is small, blond and cheerful.
I think it must be difficult to have a name that has to be lived up to.

SueDonim Sat 23-Mar-19 19:18:26

Yes, we had staff in Nigeria called names like Blessing, Precious, Glory and Victory as well as days of the week.

PamelaJ1 Sat 23-Mar-19 19:23:56

Sorry it wasn’t sunshine, it was Summer. Not so hard to live up to.
Sue- we lived in Ikega near Lagos.

paddyann Sat 23-Mar-19 19:24:37

A friend told her mum if baby was a girl they would call her Bonnie,mum asked what will you do if she's not? They changed their minds and called her Sarah .

SueDonim Sat 23-Mar-19 20:23:30

We were in Ikoyi, Pamela although when my dh went back after retirement he was on Lekki.

When were you there? Dh started there in 2005 and we singularly and together were there until 2013. I still miss it!