Comments on: Name of the Day: Hamish

By: Baby Name of the Day: Seamus | Appellation Mountain

Baby Name of the Day: Seamus | Appellation Mountain — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 11:24:36 +0000

[...] evergreen James haven’t attracted much use: when’s the last time you met an American Hamish or [...]

By: Shannon

Shannon — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:14:24 +0000

definitely needs the right last name to go with it.. just not too fond of the sound of it..I think it’s the ish, but also too “hammy” although it is Hay-mish, not Ham-ish, right? Been a while since I’ve seen Four Weddings and a Funeral

By: Katharine

Katharine — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:36:18 +0000

Thanks for making Hamish name of the day! I simply adore him – I imagine a curly headed, cheeky, cheerful little boy. Using Hamish would also be a lovely acknowledgement of all the James’ in my family but I just don’t think I’m quite Scottish enough to pull it off!

By: Cat

Cat — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:48:47 +0000

I can’t warm to Hamish. I usually love it in Lola’s combos, but elsewhere I am just not feeling it. It’s too breakfasty to me as well. Reminds me of ham and hash browns. =( And I would be honored to be on your blogroll, thanks!

By: photoquilty

photoquilty — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 03:45:13 +0000

Aw, thanks Verity! My boy’s a charmer.

By: photoquilty

photoquilty — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 03:43:56 +0000

EmmyJo made me actually laugh out loud. I think she’s rather “hammy”. (I used that word in a different way – get it?)

By: appellationmountain

appellationmountain — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 03:40:27 +0000

Photoquilty, I keep meaning to mention – love your Ethan icon!

I really hadn’t thought about the -ish factor. It’s an interesting point. And even if Hamish is undeniably different than Aiden and Jayden and Braeden, it’s true that “ay” feels worn out.

For me, Hamish is forever the guy that Andie MacDowell marries in Four Weddings and a Funeral. It makes it difficult to picture Hamish on a child. And I think that sums up Hamish for me – I love the idea of meeting an adult Hamish, but it’s difficult for me to imagine a baby Hamish. (Though surely they must exist!) Now Seamus? I know the most adorable baby Seamus, and that one works.

By: Emmy Jo

Emmy Jo — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 02:46:36 +0000

I’m with photoquilty on this one. Hamish sounds a bit too “hammy” to me (though I know the vowel is different), and the common adjective ending “-ish” certainly doesn’t help things. I could imagine an old British man saying, “No, I shan’t have sausages this morning. I’m feeling rather hammish instead.”

By: Lola

Lola — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:25:53 +0000

Photoquilty, It’s nice to have a dissenting voice in any discussion. It makes it more like an actual discussion rather than an all out gush fest. It takes a certain sort of courage to do so. Thank you for being the dissenting voice most often.

By: photoquilty

photoquilty — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:38:59 +0000

I don’t like it! (Is anyone surprised?) It’s the AY sound, that I really detest; am just so sick of that sound in boys’ names. The other thing is the -ish ending. It’s generally a descriptive ending: Jewish, British, English… I read this online,and I think this is a good definition of what I’m talking about: “The suffix –ish is used to form adjectives from nouns. These nouns have a sense of “belonging to” (Danish, British, English) “having characteristics of”, “after the manner of”, “like” (babyish, girlish, mulish). It is “inclined or tending to” (bookish, freakish) “near or about” (fiftyish, redish, sevenish)
It is a suffix used to form adjectives from other adjectives from other adjectives. It also has a sense of “some what”, “rather” (oldish, lateish, sweetish). The suffix –ish occurring in –stem verbs borrowed from the French like ravish.” http://www.blurtit.com/q631278.html
So to me, the name Hamish sounds like: Sort of Hamey. A little bit Hamey. This ends up sounding like a rather weak name (weakish, if you don’t mind) and not at all as strong as simple James (which I also wouldn’t use as a first name, but that has more to do with the seven gay men I know named James and its particular association therefore).