I recently met a young professional named [name_m]Kent[/name_m]. The name struck me as English, established, dependable, likeable, handsome but just so… effortlessly so. No frills in the name, yet it is a bit soft, still masculine, a bit cool, but without meaning to be.
Unfortunately I think it has a lot of teasing potential, and my husband therefore doesn’t like it. Can you think of any names that are similar to this? Names that are all at once:
a bit English
effortlessly handsome
established
yet uncommon
no frills
masculine yet a touch soft
@leslie marion
It’s great, isn’t it? But would you use it? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you know what I mean about the teasing potential?
So many of the names I like… when I put them next to [name_m]Kent[/name_m] they seem a bit long, or too trendy or too boring or too stiff… [name_m]Kent[/name_m] is just really, really good!
@oiseau
I thought [name_m]Clive[/name_m] might pop up… here in Australia there’s a prominent person with the name so I could never use it, but I think you’re right about this one. I didn’t expect [name_m]Grant[/name_m] though… I’ll have to mull this over. I know a few Grants, so never thought of the name in this way. Hmmm.
What is the teasing potential? I am sitting here trying and I can’t figure it out. I think [name_m]Kent[/name_m] is nice. I don’t know if I would choose it, but it is definitely a name I could see on a dashing character in a book.
I don’t understand why [name_m]Kent[/name_m] would cause teasing potential.
I went to school with a boy named [name_m]Kent[/name_m]. His surname was [name_m]Clark[/name_m]. That’s right…[name_m]Kent[/name_m] [name_m]Clark[/name_m]. His parents were foreign and apparently had never heard of Superman.
If we’re going to discard [name_m]Kent[/name_m] because of cnt, why not discard [name_u]Nick[/name_u] because of dck? [name_u]Asa[/name_u] because of ass? [name_m]Mitch[/name_m] because of b*tch? [name_m]Kent[/name_m] is perfectly usable.
@ sarahmezz
Oh I am laughing so hard right now. Ahh… [name_m]Kent[/name_m] [name_m]Clark[/name_m]. It’s funny, I was thinking the other day that if someone posted on NB “I’m thinking of [name_m]Clark[/name_m] [name_m]Kent[/name_m]… WDYT?” (and assuming the character didn’t exist) most people would say, ‘no, the sounds don’t work together, too many “CK” sounds’… and yet, it works for superman…
@sarahmezz and boyandgirl
Yes, it’s like oiseau said. DH mentioned it straight away… turn the “e” into a “u” and you get a particularly unpleasant word.
@nono
Great list! Of these, I think the following fit:
[name_m]Hugh[/name_m] (definitely. Shame I can’t use; family member has it)
[name_m]Clark[/name_m] (almost… sounds a little young, and couldn’t use because a ‘clerk’ (pron. clark) is like a trainee in my profession.)
[name_u]Tate[/name_u] (this one is already on my list, but I’m not sure it sounds as ‘established’ as [name_m]Kent[/name_m]… still, I’m really happy to hear it has these connotations for someone else. Big tick for that name.)
[name_m]Heath[/name_m] (Except, I can’t stop seeing “health” and “hearth” in that name)
[name_m]Harvey[/name_m] (just about the only two-sylable name I would let onto the list I think… but my mother would say “like the rabbit?” Actually, there was a baby [name_m]Harvey[/name_m] in the room next to me when my babe was born; I’d forgotten about that. My midwife kept calling my baby ‘[name_m]Harvey[/name_m]’.)
I want to put [name_u]Gene[/name_u] and [name_m]Burt[/name_m] on here too, but the first just sounds like ‘[name_u]Jean[/name_u]’ so isn’t masculine enough for me; and [name_m]Burt[/name_m] is gorgeous, but in the nickname camp for me.
Thanks for that list, it was great fun!
I’m mostly on board with you here. It’s my husband’s reaction this time, not mine. (Though there is something particularly nasty about being called [name_m]Kent[/name_m] the cnt; [name_u]Nick[/name_u] the dck doesn’t seem nearly as bad, to me anyhow) (Yeah, I’ve seen the vagina monologues, yes, I’m all for reclaiming the word c*nt, just not in this way!)
I hate to bring it up, especially since you’ve been thinking about [name_m]Kent[/name_m], but what about [name_m]Clark[/name_m]? Although if you do use [name_m]Clark[/name_m], you’d never be able to use [name_m]Kent[/name_m] for a future child. Ahaha
Perhaps [name_m]Trent[/name_m]? Although it is a bit more common than [name_m]Kent[/name_m]. Also, [name_m]Kirk[/name_m] comes to mind. And [name_u]Seth[/name_u].
I’m trying to keep up with this thread because I think I’m in love with these sorts of names! I thought of two more. [name_m]Bram[/name_m] and [name_u]Niall[/name_u] fall into this category for me. I love them and would definitely use them. As for [name_m]Kent[/name_m], I would think cnt teasing wouldn’t be as obvious for a boy. Although, I can imagine a girl [name_u]Kennedy[/name_u] might get Cntedy.
I think [name_m]Kent[/name_m] is absolutely brilliant and I really don’t see any teasing potential. It sounds like you might like strong, one-syllable boy names, how about one of these?
I’ve met/known three Kents (a teenager and two grown men), and they wore the name quite well. However, it did not come across as “English” to me—all three Kents are completely American (one of them is from a very small town). I really like this name and I’m not sure where the teasing potential would be (Superman references? That would only happen if you paired it with [name_m]Clark[/name_m]).
very much agree with [name_m]Grant[/name_m]! I’m biased, that’s my DS’s name, but he’s always getting told what a handsome name it is. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a gorgeous little man either
Other ones they made me think of:
[name_u]Jesse[/name_u]
[name_m]Cole[/name_m]*
[name_m]Bertram[/name_m], nn [name_u]Bert[/name_u]
[name_m]Cyrus[/name_m]
[name_m]Cyril[/name_m]
[name_m]Brendan[/name_m]
[name_m]Neville[/name_m]
[name_m]Edmond[/name_m] / [name_m]Edmund[/name_m]
