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[Opinions] What do you think of these names I'd consider naming my (hypothetical) son?
I'd love it if you tell me what you think of these names! I know some of them aren't particularly common, but I personally love them. I have included my opinions on the names as well.Ambrose - It just feels so elegant! I also love the nickname "Bo".
Briar - It feels fun, yet still reasonably professional.
Florus - A lovely floral name. It's cute!
Gael - It's a cute and simple name. Yes, it kind of sounds feminine, but Gale from The Hunger Games has really made me love it as a masculine name.
Kaolin - Elegant, young, mature, and fun-loving at the same time! Perfection
Lachlan - Lachlan feels youthful and mature at the same time. Plus, I have some Scottish heritage!
Mochán - A pretty name. Unfortunately, I can't think of any good nicknames for Mochán, but it's still fine.
Theodore - I love the sound of "theo/thea", so naturally I love Theo!

This message was edited 11/11/2024, 5:54 PM

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Ambrose makes me think of brocade loungewear - also I feel like I have to drawl when I say it - not bad necessarily but not totally natural feeling for me. I do think it'd be interesting to come across.I kind of want to like Briar. It's ascetic and familiar sounding. I'm not sure how I feel about it, though. I've never met one. I'd put it in a category with Rue, Nettle, Bryony, Thorn, Brian, Sage, Wren, Sawyer, Brooks, Bridger.Florus would be interesting to come across IRL. I can't quite picture it. I picture Flora as a spunky Italian great grandma or a little girl with fairy wings but no idea who Florus is. Maybe it'd seem vaguely like Vardan or Faustus? Idk.I would spell Gael as Gale if I didn't want the Spanish pronunciation. I have a youngish teenage cousin named Dale, and that seemed mid-century type retro to me, but I feel like Gale is a generation or two older, maybe because I've heard Galen as a contemporary of people born around 1900. Anyway, I think Gale is quaint but still works ok as a modern unisex vaguely nature-inspired name. The Spanish pronunciation is ok (current, sounds fine) but a little awkward for me, and that meaning interests me less.Kaolin - I don't like it much.Lachlan is ok. I vaguely associate lochs (idyllic?) and Robin of Locksley. I prefer it to Logan, Landon, Declan but get that same type of vibe.Mochán is one of my favorites listed but mainly because I like Mo.Theodore is cute in a stuffy/traditional way. It has a positive meaning and seems in style now.

This message was edited 11/12/2024, 9:35 AM

I do agree that Gael does feel a bit old, but name cycle out of young and new across the generations. Mildred seems old to us, but in 10 years people will start using it again.
Yeah, but I meant that since I perceive it as a certain age (same age as Maude, since I think of a married couple named those), it seems a different aesthetic to me (when people do use it nowadays) than what otherwise would seem similar names. Gale or "gayl" seems more stoic to me than Dale partly for this reason, for example; and it seems quiet in part just because I associate it most with a pre-telephone/TV era.

This message was edited 11/12/2024, 3:57 PM

Ambrose - It's not terrible. It does make me think of ambrosia salad and I don't think Bo is the logical nickname. I think kids would change that to just calling him bro. Briar - I like for girls. I only think of it as a girl's name, probably thanks to Sleeping Beauty, so it's associated with Disney Princesses for me.Florus - Just doesn't quite sound like a name, a character or a brand, maybe. I also tend to think of Flor- names as more feminine.Gael - Where I live, I have only heard this pronounced the Spanish way "guy-EL." That's the only way I see this name. Hearing gale with any spelling, I think of a girl first, but seeing it written down I think of Gale as the masculine and Gail/Gayle as the feminine. I have a male relative named Gale and know many women named Gail. However, they are all over 60, so I think of it as a dated, old-fashioned name. I like Gael with the Spanish pronunciation, if culturally appropriate to use. Kaolin - Looks a bit out there. I'd struggle pronouncing it at first, and just not a good association.Lachlan - I agree that it works on all ages. It's not a bad name, just not my style.Mochan - I don't know how to type the accent mark on my computer, which loses points for me. I don't know how to pronounce it. I would think Mo would be the nickname, if it had one. It's definitely making me want a mocha. Theodore - I used to think this was stuffy, but I have come around to it. It's classic and Theo is a good nickname.
I totally understand seeing Briar as a feminine name, but I like how it's usable both ways despite being more common when used femininely.
Oooo "guy-El" does sound good!
Mochán is definitely hard to pronounce, with some sources online saying Mo-han, but others saying Mok-on. I personally like the nickname "Han", but Mo is good too!
I don't see why it wouldn't be the same ch as in loch.

This message was edited 11/12/2024, 12:32 PM

From the research I did, in Scottish Gaelic, "ch" is silent if before "a", but I could be wrong
The three names I love are Ambrose, Theodore and Lachlan.
Agreed!
do you know what kaolin is?It's a kind of clay, and it's one of the main ingredients in Kaopectate, a very popular diarrhea medicine.
I knew Kaolin was also the name of a certain clay, but I didn't know it was used in that... unfortunate, but it's still a decent name
I love Ambrose and Theodore.
Florus has potential but I prefer Flores like the last name
Flores is nice!
Ambrose, Lachlan and Theodore are the only names I'd even consider. And of the three, I much prefer Lachlan. Wouldn't Ambrose shorten to Bro?
Briar is too thorny and I prefer Brian
Florus is OK, I've got nothing against Latin names, but Florence is more familiar and could cause confusion
Gael is female. End of story. Try another spelling, perhaps?
Kaolin? The clay that porcelain is made of? Why, just: why?
Mochán is definitely coffee-flavoured, and names with diacritals are more trouble than they're worth

This message was edited 11/11/2024, 11:30 PM

I mean, much less sensical nicknames than Bo for Ambrose exist (Dick for Richard, in example), so I think it's fine.
Gael is traditionally masculine.
Mochán does remind me of the Caffe Mocha, but it's pronounced differently (if I am correct).
Ambrose - It's okay, but I strongly tie it to a character from a TV show (Monk), so I can't really see it on anyone else. I prefer Anthony. They feel like they're in a similar category. The nickname Bo is pretty cute. Overall, probably like a 5/10
Briar - I like Briar. For girls, it's my 35th favorite name. I haven't thought about it much on guys, but I think it could be cool! 8/10
Florus - It looks cool. As the name of a character, it would be perfect. On a real person, I'm not sure. Unfortunately, I tend to avoid most 'Flor-' names because they just make me think of fluoride. But that's just me. 7/10
Gael - Like the name, don't really like the character. 7/10
Kaolin - I like it to an extent. Again, maybe better for a character, but either way it's pretty nice. It reminds me of the type of names a knight in a fantasy book would have. Like Kaladin. 7/10
Lachlan - I've been intrigued with this name for a while. 8/10
Mochán - I'm not entirely sure how you pronounce this. It looks nice, but probably not something I'd use. 6/10
Theodore - It's decent. No strong feelings but I have some fondness for it. Although I like the sound 'Thea/Theo' I think I prefer the nickname Teddy for Theodore. 7/10
Overall, I like your taste in names!
I've never heard of the character from the Monk(or even of Monk), so I can't speak on that personally. Anthony is a good name, but I feel like it's a bit common... then again I like the name Theodore, so I really shouldn't be talking.
... Now all 'Flor-' names are ruined... kidding, but that is unfortunate.
I'm 99% sure Mochán is pronounced "Mo-han", but plenty of people pronounce their names differently than how they are traditionally.
Teddy is a super cute nickname, and I love the association with Roosevelt!
I'm glad you like my taste in names! :)
I don't like Ambrose. Its pronounced "Am-brahz." I wish it was "Am-broes."
I like Briar a lot.
I don't like Florus.
Gael is okay, I prefer Gale even if its a girl spelling.
Kaolin, if said like Caelan (kee-lin), it's nice. I wouldn't use that spelling though. No one where I live would know how to say it or spell it.
Lachlan's easiest pronunciation for me is the British one.
I don't know how to say Mochan so I can't say anything about it.
I like Theodore a whole bunch, Theo as a nickname and full name too.
I personally would pronounce Ambrose like "Am-broes" even if it is wrong, since most names have been "bastardized".
I do like Gale, but I just like Gael a bit more.
Mochán is really confusing. I believe it's "Mo-han", but some people say "Moch-on", so I'm not sure.
Ambrose is pronounced to rhyme with Rose in British English; neither version is even slightly bastardised, it's just a regional variation.
Oh yes, that's why I used the quotation marks, since I couldn't think of the right term.
It rhymes with Rose in my General American accent too.
I don't think it's surprising that most of them are not popular.Lachlan is a good name though. Agree with you that it's not too boyish, not too daddish, just right.
Theodore is a pretty standard name, although I personally don't care for it. I like Theodora for girls, though.
Gael is alright. Not really distinct from Gale if it's pronounced the same, imo. It's sort of retro virile sounding to me, like Dale or Wade, not too square like Walter.
Those three seem the most generally likeable.Florus, I could kinda like, depending on the way it fit him. I prefer Florian, which seems like a name you'd like.
I might like Mochán, if I could figure how to pronounce it. Mox might be a nick, depending on what he is like. (please not "Moxy" though!)
(If you don't want to read reasons I dislike any of them, you can skip reading the rest of this post.)I think Caolan (Keelan) is a decent name, but I'm not a fan of Kaolin. It's ruined for me because I have a bit of niche knowledge about uses for kaolin clay - not a big concern. Mostly I think it sounds way too much like Kaylynn, which is not only un-masculine, but forgettable to me.
Ambrose feels stuffy and delicate to me, and Briar - I just don't care for the sound or my association with thorny thickets.
I completely agree on Florian!I haven't researched uses for kaolin clay, so now I'm kinda scared to... Ambrose does sound delicate, but that's part of why I love it! I get the distaste for Briar, but I like the association with thorny thickets personally (I'm weird).
I don't think it's that weird to see it positively. I vaguely associate Briar with "freedom in adversity" or endurance type symbolism because of a kids'/folk story.

This message was edited 11/12/2024, 9:51 AM

I don't think it's weird either. I think it might be weird of me to see it as negatively as I do. Symbolically a briar seems to always be at least as much a defensive barrier as an obstacle, in literature. I appreciate the positive aspects of the concept! I don't think it is namey, and the sound isn't to my taste.I don't assume others share my personal negative association. Most people don't call the invasive Himalayan blackberry a "briar" - it's just that I happen to think of it when I think of "briar." That association is probably just idiosyncratic to me and I'm not saying it should put people off the name. It's just a data point.
Hm - if I make an effort to think of it as namey and positive, it seems more appealing as a feminine name to me. Naming a guy Briar would strike me odd in a similar way to how naming a gal Craig would. However, that's about *naming,* and not about how I perceive a *named person* - I would not give it any thought at all if I met a guy Briar. I'm just rambling on about why I personally don't find it appealing to use.

This message was edited 11/12/2024, 11:02 AM

I like lachan, Theodore and Theo
I'm glad you do :D
Ambrose - Like it a lot. Nickname if for a kid only is cute. I also like Ambrosy or Ambrozy (without polish "Ż").
Another nicknames could be: Ambi/Amby, Ambro, Ross, Roz.
Briar - I was thinking it was only feminine name, this confused me. Never met a man named Briar so I'm not sure how to feel about it.
Florus - Sounds like character from fantasy game or an elve, I also only know "Florian" from real life. But looking at some name trends: it's not so out of space?
I'm not sure where are you from and how names sound there, if kids would mock it or not. Overall I like it but not favourite.
I hope it doesn't sound rude. I'm sorry, I'm just unfamiliar with culture.
Gael - Really like it honestly, for me it isn't that feminine. I prefer it over Gabriel.
Kaolin - love it!
Lachlan - Great!
Mochán - I don't know how to pronounce it, but it doesn't look bad at all.
Theodore - I like all previous names way more, because they are more unique. Theodore I see a lot here, looks like it's trendy for past...
a while and I just think you have beautiful other options!
Thank you so much for your response! After I made the post, someone pointed out how much better the name "Florian" is over Florus, and I wish I had chosen Florian instead lol. You didn't sound rude at all! :)
Ambrose- its alright, but I don't like the nickname Bo. Briar- it's okay. Florus- I prefer Florian, florus sounds like scientific classification. Gael- I don't like it. Kaolin- kah-o-leen? Lachlan- are you going to say it with a kh or a k sound? I prefer in with the kh sound. It also kind of looks like the region Lapland in Finland. It's a fine name, though. Mochán- I don't like it. Theodore- a nice name! Theo is a good nickname as well.
Ooo, I 100% prefer Florian! I totally forgot that was a name XDI agree with the "kh" sound for Lachlan :)
I love Ambrose and Lachlan the best.
Briar I hate with a passion. Florus sounds kind of feminine. Gael also sounds feminine to me. Never heard of Kaolin or Mochan. Theodore is way too popular and needs a break.
Theodore is definitely very popular, but I feel like for good reason. Gael and Florus do sound feminine, but plenty of popular names sound feminine when they're masculine and vice versa. Understand the hate for Briar, since it's also the name of plants.
Yes, a prickly thorn. I don't understand how Briar ever became a name.