What do you think of when you hear these names?

[PipFEH]

Hi,

I am 30 weeks pregnant with number 3, who we know is a boy. After a lot of stressing (I stress a lot about names) we have narrowed it down to a shortlist of 2. I am really looking for some totally impartial views on these names - not whether you like them or not, as I am confident that I like them and it will definately be one of these two - but what they make you think of. And also which goes better with my older childrens' names!

So it is a choice of Nathaniel (Nat for everyday, not keen on Nate) or Hugo. My older children are called Jude and Scarlett. Our surname begins with an H, so obviously Hugo would also mean an alliterative name. Middle name will be either Alexander or James to be decided.

I guess my main concerns are that Hugo is a bit 'rah' and Nathaniel is a bit of a mouthful, especially compared to the snippiness of my other childrens' names. I love them both but err slightly towards Nathaniel, my hubby prefers Hugo.

Thank you!

[AntonDuBurk]

I much prefer Nathaniel/Nat.

Hugo doesn't go so well with Jude IMO (too much "ooo" IYSWIM ) and personally I'm not mad on alliterative names either. (Your surname's not Hughes is it - if so see above re "ooo" )

Don't like to be offensive about names but do agree with your statement above re Hugo. Nathanial no more of a mouthful than Alexander etc....

[bagelmonkey]

I think with some names and surnames you can get away with both beginning with the same letter. Some go really well. I don't think H is one of them.
But it depends what your surname is.

[bagelmonkey]

I don't think Hugo is particularly 'rah' and I don't think Nathaniel is a mouthful. But that doesn't really help you much.

[Rosemallow]

Much prefer nathaniel.

[UndiscoveredApprentice]

I prefer Nathaniel, cos it is more versatile with a choice of short forms.

Hugo is lovely too, but Nat, Nate, Nathan, Nathaniel is nicer.

[pranma]

I like James as a middle name with either.We had a pony called Hugo so I find it hard to 'see' as a child.I taught a lovely Nathaniel[Chinese] who was called Nat.I think Nathaniel James is lovely.

[TheMonster]

Nathaniel is my preference out of the two. As undiscovered says, it is versatile.

[SloganLogan]

Much prefer Nathaniel to Hugo (I'm afraid I do think Hugo is a bit "rah" and if you're not comfortable with that perhaps best avoided).

[hollyw]

I prefer Hugo x

[pilates]

Def Nathaniel James and love Nat as a nn, sounds good with your other two children too.

Hugo is awful, sorry.

[Catsu]

Nathaniel goes a lot better with your other dcs names, esp shortened to nat.
Hugo does seem a bit rah to me as well, which doesn't seem to fit with your other dcs

[olddeuteronomy]

You asked what the names make me think of, so

Nathaniel - lovely, clever little dark haired boy

Hugo - quite posh, probably plays rugby, bit of a Rah, blond

obviously do not know what your likely hair colour will be though!

much prefer Nathaniel and it goes really well with your other kids' names. I would also avoid alliteration, so that would be the decider for me.

[TuesdayMummy]

I much prefer Hugo, especially with the other two. And I don't think the "HH" initials will be a problem at all.

[Cattleprod]

Nathaniel - tall, arty, a bit foppish, drinks red wine or absinthe, long dark hair, always wears leather shoes, lives in a top floor apartment of a Victorian townhouse, occasionally smokes one of those mini cigars, has snake hips, likes older women.

Hugo - Privately educated, a bit of a 'rugger-bugger', plummy accent, raucous laughter, slightly overweight, hairy arse, wears corduroy, bit of a snob, still lives with parents and expects Mummy to do his washing, cooking etc., wild curly blonde hair.

[kaluki]

Hugo is 'rah'. There is a Hugo on Made In Chelsea and I just think posh and pretentious whenever I hear it.
Nathaniel (Nat) is cute, and unusual.
Jude and Scarlett are lovely names.

[Dillydollydaydream]

Love nathaniel BUT it is ds2's middle name so maybe a tad swayed because of that :)

[PipFEH]

Well my kids do have wild, curly blonde hair and my hubby plays rugby (and I expect he'll want our boys to at least have a bash), but other than that it seems we don't really fit the 'Hugo' bill! As soon as I started getting replies I knew my instinct was right about it tbh - I was a bit worried that Nathaniel is a little bit long as I do generally prefer shorter names (we all have short names - well mine is longish I suppose, but I mostly use a derivative that is very short and I guess this will be the same for our new little boy as we're likely to use Nat most of the time).

Thank you for your input!

[Becaroooo]

Nathaniel

[wigglesrock]

Nathaniel, love it. I know a baby Hugo, kept thinking it would grow on me, hasn't really. You hear Hogo, you think Boss

[BulletWithAName]

Hugo sounds very poncy, sorry.

Much prefer Nathaniel

[DoctorX]

Nathaniel!

[razzlebathbone]

Nathaniel - Nat sounds like a lovely, cool little lad!

Hugo just sounds posh and a bit stuffy.

[SloganLogan]

Hugh is a bit less posh than Hugo IMO.

[Istillfeelseventeen]

Don't think Hugo sounds posh anymore - lots where we are, I think it's a beautiful name.

[BeattieBow]

I prefer Nat too. Hugo is more common (as in more frequently used) these days, but still has rah connotations to m.