Animal Names?

[cosmos-calling.livejournal.com]

What do you think of naming a baby a name that is also the name of a species of animal?

I am thinking specifically of the name "Kestrel", (for a boy).

By the way, Kestrels are a type of falcon. Is it weird to name a child after an animal? I first thought of this name without knowing if it even existed on any level, and was surprised that is was bird, and more surprised that I may have even seen an American Kestrel, since there are plenty of birds like that around here.

What do you think of the name Kestrel? Does it make a difference that it is an animal name? (I don't know of any humans being named Kestrel.)

Comments

[qalanjo.livejournal.com]

I think it's pretty unlikely that many people will recognize the word, and even if they do, that kind of animal name doesn't sound weird to me at all. If it were "crocodile" or "mouse" then yeah, those names are difficult to associate with anything other than the animal. But Kestrel is obscure enough that I think it would be just fine.

[th3-unicorn.livejournal.com]

Wolf is a legit name, Lupo and Orso were popular with royalty in Italy around medioeval times, and they respectively mean "wolf" and "bear".
Ursula also means "little bear".

I especially don't see anything wrong with a name that isn't an obvious animal name.

[aquilinum.livejournal.com]

I think "female" — but that's mainly because of the fabulous Queen of Wands (http://www.queenofwands.net/d/20020722.html).

[janenx01.livejournal.com]

Kestrel is AWESOME, for either gender. DO IT.

[sunshinefleur.livejournal.com]

this.

[cielamara.livejournal.com]

Agreed SO HARD.

[cosmos-calling.livejournal.com]

Yay! Thanks!

[calamitysxchild.livejournal.com]

wow! I think that's a pretty cool name, actually. how unique without being obnoxious! ;)

[harinakshi.livejournal.com]

It sounds like a really cool name, and I doubt many people would realize it's a bird.

I knew a Simba.

And I knew two brothers named Hawk and Falcon.

Kestrel is by far more normal then those!

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

To be honest? Unless there's some history of the animal's name being used it comes across to me as either a bit pretentious (as I'm afraid Kestrel does to me) or trashy (as, for instance, Fawn). And in nearly all cases, totally soap-operaish.

It's very very hard to pull off, and rather rough on the child who has to. There are a few that are used enough to work (Raven, Robin come to mind) but usually they work for other reasons.

It's not ghastly, just... trying way too hard.

[cosmos-calling.livejournal.com]

I live in a city that is very diverse, and has some incredibly strange hippie names, and all sorts of other kinds of names. I don't think it will considered "pretentious" in my area, nor do I think it will make my child's life hard in any way.

Also... trying too hard...? I didn't even know it was a name of any sort until I looked it up online, and I think most people would not know if they were introduced to a person named Kestrel.

[tiphanism.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised that people wouldn't recognise Kestrel as the name of the bird, but I take your word for it. I like the sound of it, but it's the bird of prey foremost to me. There are precedents though - Robin and Merlin spring to mind.

[amaterasa.livejournal.com]

I have a very good friend named Kestrel, but she is a girl, so I always associate it with a girl's name. I do like it, however, for a girl.

[cosmos-calling.livejournal.com]

Me, too. I think it really could go either way. I don't know the gender of my baby yet, so I could use it either way, I suppose. I just suspect it's a boy, you know, mother's intuition and all. :)

[mrssubee.livejournal.com]

it's not like you're naming him Giraffe
Kestrel is nice
and I wouldn't have known it was a species(I've been to many zoos, wildlife sanctuaries, etc. and have never come across that bird)

[isoldereverie.livejournal.com]

I love it. I do think it's better for a boy, but people that have never heard of the falcon kestrel probably wouldn't assign a specific gender.

[beepandetch.livejournal.com]

It makes me think of 'menstrual'.

[cosmos-calling.livejournal.com]

LOL. Ummm, yes, that is funny. I hope this is not a common reaction, should I choose to actually name my baby that, lol.

[kilobites.livejournal.com]

I think that animal names can be pretty hard to pull off without seeming pretentious or silly, but Kestrel is one of the better ones out there. I definitely think it's better for a boy.

[monkey-fruit.livejournal.com]

Depends on the animal. Most of them just sound...awful/trashy/pretentious. *thinking* I can't come up with a single one that I like. =/

To me, Kestrel, if used on a person, is definitely male.

[mudinherblood.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... I like it. :) I don't think it would be weird at all.

[duckmole86.livejournal.com]

I like it, and while I know of the bird (have probably even seen one), I think of Lloyd Alexander's book by the same name.

[laura-anne.livejournal.com]

I'm going to go against the grain here, and say my (unvoiced) reaction to meeting someone called Kestrel would pretty much be "WTF, why are you named after a bird? What were your parents on when they named you?"

Bird associations aside (and for me they are *hard* to put aside), I don't actually like it as a name, I'm not fond of the way it sounds.

But hey, most people seem to like it, and you can't please everyone.

[karatelunch.livejournal.com]

I like it a lot, but it's more of a female name in my mind. There was a character in a book I read once called Kestrel, and she went by Kess.

[cosmos-calling.livejournal.com]

Well, since I don't know the sex of my baby yet, I may use it either way. And I like the name "Kess", too. Do you happen to remember the title or author of that book? Just curious.

[karatelunch.livejournal.com]

The Wind on Fire trilogy, by William Nicholson. They are awesome and I definitely recommend them.