Tags
Australian name trends, choosing baby names, dog names, name image, names from movies, Sacha Baron Cohen
Helene and her husband are expecting a baby boy in the new year, and have the name Bruno as a front-runner on their shortlist.
For several years they have been living and working in the UK, but they plan to return to Australia in the near future, so they are interested in knowing how the name Bruno will go down in their home country.
The people they know in Britain strongly associate the name Bruno with the character and 2009 movie by English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, and therefore it makes them wince a little. It also seems to be a reasonably popular name for dogs there, or is considered a “doggie” sort of name.
Helene is wondering what the image of Bruno is in Australia, and if we might see it differently. So I am throwing this question open to anyone who is Australian, or has lived in Australia, or knows lots of Australians, or is hip to Australian name trends.
- What do you think of the name Bruno?
- Do you think the name Bruno is cool or uncool?
- Has enough time gone by that the Baron Cohen character no longer has a significant effect on the image of the name Bruno?
- What about in six year’s time, when Helene’s son starts school? Is it a name which risks playground teasing in 2019?
- Is the name Bruno too much of a “dog” name?
Okay, the floor is open – share your thoughts on the name Bruno!
Waltzing More Than Matilda 
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Thanks everyone for your comments; I think they were all genuinely helpful and encouraging to Helene.
I love the name Bruno!!
Yeh it may be a little bit canine-ish, but so is Rex, Buddy, Ralph and all or most these names http://www.petbabynames.com/populardognames.php
I think the coolness of a name is in how you wear it, I’m quiet and reserved and my name matches me.
I didn’t even know there was a SBC character named Bruno, if you were picking Borat, well that’s a different story.
I personally don’t remember any name bullying in school and my last name contains a farm yard animal and not the cute ones, sure there was a little bit of banter and usually from the teachers. And by the end of prep most kids will think that every kid has a friend named Bruno, just like the suprising looks I get when I talk about my uniquely named friend Bridie, yet each of sister and I have a friend Bridie.
And lastly Bruno Mars although not his real name, gives the name a little swag.
I am a Gen Y child, and I have no association with Bruno and Sacha Baron Cohen. I have no association with Bruno and anything to be honest! I suppose it could be viewed as a dogs name, but so can heaps of names! I don’t think it’s overly doggie 🙂 I don’t hate the name, but it doesn’t hold great appeal for me either. I do appreciate it for it’s uniqueness factor though. I’m on the fence about this one!
I like unique names but personally not a fan of bruno for a boys name
What do you think of the name Bruno? I personally dislike it, I don’t associate it with Sacha Baron cohen (hes married to Isla Fisher right) as I have never seen the movie, it just sounds really old to me.
Do you think the name Bruno is cool or uncool? I think it is VERY VERY uncool sorry.
Has enough time gone by that the Baron Cohen character no longer has a significant effect on the image of the name Bruno? I don’t really know as I have never seen the movie or know anything about it.
What about in six year’s time, when Helene’s son starts school? Is it a name which risks playground teasing in 2019? I don’t know it really depends all names can have teasing potential if a bully tries hard enough.
Is the name Bruno too much of a “dog” name? Not really
I’m Australian, and have lived here for most of my life, as well as spending several years in the UK and Europe, so hopefully that makes me qualified to weigh in with my two cents worth! 🙂
I LOVE the name Bruno!!! It’s a name that I probably wouldn’t have given much thought to a few years ago, but it’s really grown on me over the past couple of years. I think it’s got a cool European flavour, but also sounds quite arty and hipsterish, which I guess makes it a ‘cool’ name!
I also know a very cool Australian blogger who has the most impeccably named sibset – Raphaela Daisy, Bruno Stefan, Theodora Pearl, Philomena Iris and Cosmo Wolfgang! I think she’s probably positively influenced my opinion of the name Bruno too.
Although I’m a fan of Sasha Baron Cohen, I don’t think the association is too strong in Australia, although I just mentioned the name to my partner, and he disagrees… However, I don’t think it’s a character that Sasha Baron Cohen is likely to revive, so I don’t think it is likely to cause teasing potential amongst the child’s peers or anything.
And no, I would never have considered Bruno a dog’s name.
In short, I think Bruno is a fabulous choice!
The first thing to my mind is Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. The O ending is very on trend.