WHEN it comes to picking your baby’s name, almost everyone will have an opinion – even your family and friends.
One mum has been slammed for her son’s very unusual name online, but she says it suits him and wishes more mums would use it.
However, only 31 children in the UK were given this moniker in the year her son was born.
Unsurprisingly, mum-of-five Rachael has gone viral for her son’s unique name – with over 2 million people seeing her explanation on TikTok.
Ironically, not all her kids have uncommon names.
According to the content creator, her other son is called Noah which is one of the most popular boys’ names in the UK and took the top spot in 2022.
Like many other parents, the mummy influencer often draws inspiration from her favourite TV shows and films.
Rachael explained: “I’m a mother of five boys and we named all of our boys through TV shows and films…that’s how we found all of their names.”
She added: “I loved naming my children. People say that boys’ names are much harder than girls but I haven’t found that at all.”
A fan of unusual names, the mum-of-five claims she’s never met a child whose name ‘didn’t suit them’ and says her sons’ don’t have the most unusual names in school.
Living in a bohemian part of the South West, Rachael says she known children named Cottontail, Khaleesi and Tiger.
With so many unusual names at the school gates, the influencer decided to name her youngest son Leaf Ocean (Yes, really).
Not only does his unusual name ‘really suit him’, the mum-of-five says her two-year-old is a ‘very calm and chilled out little nature explorer’.
Needless to say that the name has caused a bit of a stir in the comments, with endless comments about the moniker.
One unimpressed viewer wrote: “Leaf Ocean is FOUL.”
To which, the influencer responded: “So are your manners!”
Another complained: “I refuse to believe 31 other children are named Leaf Ocean.”
Meanwhile, a third argued that the little one could struggle in the workplace, because of his unique name.
They pointedly commented: “Leaf Ocean! Really?!?! Imagine when he is older trying to get a job.”
Others claimed that the mum-of-five hadn’t consider how the unusual name could affect the rest of his life, with some even stating that her son was ‘set up’ for bulling.
Some even said he would have to change it, especially as he got older.
However, there were plenty of followers who loved Rachael’s unique choice.
“My daughter is called Khaleesi and my son called Oscar,” revealed a fourth, adding: “I live in Wales so there is mixture of common, welsh & unique names. I grew up in Cornwall but don’t hear unique names often.”
A fifth had also had also had the baby name as a backup, saying: “Leaf was on our name list! we ended up calling him Rune.”
“I think Leaf is adorable. I have Aaron & Zander….my little A-Z,” added another.
As the debate rumbles on, we wonder what unusual girl names are out there.
According to the Baby Centre, these are the top 10 baby names of this year.
Girls
Boys
Many parents are opting for meaningful names in 2024 with unisex names on the rise due to their unique element, it's hard to categorise them.
With celebrities at the forefront of this growing trend, after Ed Sheeran named his latest addition Jupiter Seaborn, and Kylie Jenner who named her newborn Aire – it would seem having a unique, unisex name is more common than you think.
Unusual baby names documented in 2024 include:
