Mumsnet Talk

For DS2, we are thinking about the following:
Owen
Ewan
Hugh
Milan
What do you think? We are finding it hard to agree, boys' names are so difficult!
We don't want a name that is too common and would prefer a name that can not be shortened.
Any other suggestions are welcome. Thank you.

They're all cool, but to be totally honest I'm not keen on Milan, is it a name he could grow old with?

Owen - not to my taste, but a good name
Ewan - prefer to Owen
Hugh - no
Milan - absolutely not. awful. awful.

Hugo? Dont like Hugh much, always think of Grant

Ewan - dont like, sorry
Owen - ok
Milan, bit odd

Owen - ok
Ewan - don't like, sorry
Hugh - lovely
Milan - lovely (but would assume Slav ancestry)

I only like Hugh from those, sorry.

Like Owen the best of all them (possibly a bit biased though!)

Owen

Milan is diabolical.

I like all bar Milan.

Wow! No idea Milan would be a marmite name!

I like Ewan and Owen a lot

Ewan or Owen, then Hugh. I'm another who doesn't like Milan, sorry.

I also think Milan is awful, sorry. I like Owen, but I'm biased. He still gets shortened to O.
Evan?

Milan is awful. How about Milo?
hugo better than Hugh?
Prefer Owen to Ewan.
What about Ian? Rory? Fergus?

only Ewan (Rory and fergus are good though!)

Hugh my favourite. Milan is awful. The other two somewhere in between.

Like the first three, Milan definatley not, sorry

Hugh is a good name. Best of the bunch. I'd have used it given a chance.

Ewan is OK, is it a bit 90's, or not?

Owen - there was a nasty one on the archers, then one on EE, can't judge fairly [easily influenced]

Milan is a top 3 name in Holland ATM, I hate it and it's everywhere. Maybe you could use it as a middle name if you love it? Can't see it coming over too well in the UK as a first name.

If you want shortish names, how about Leo or Jonah?

Hugh is a problem as people pronounce it very differently - It can be anything from You to Huge depending on where you live. So check the local accent

As someone said, Milan would be alright if you or your DH is Czech. Other than that, it sounds pretentious. People would ask you if he had been conceived there!

Owen is nice although I am personally put off because I know at least 3 horrible Owens. Not keen on Ewan and Hugh but don't love them either.

Sorry

I like Milan, pronounced Mee-lan with the emphasis on Mee, like Milan Kundera.

Not keen on the others, but would say Hugh if I had to.

Owen - fine
Ewan - lovely
Hugh - fine - tho I do immediately think of Four Weddings, floppy fringes and prostitute-shagging unforch.
Milan - hell no.

Leo is a fine name. Excellent.

Variation in pronunciation is massive with Hugh, took it out of the running for me. I knew a welsh Huw (prn Hugh with a welsh accent) but that doesn't work here, maybe there?

Yes, Milan is nice if it's the Slavic name prn mee-lan (not the Italian city!). But I wouldn't use it unless there was some ancestry.

Hugh is classic and timeless. Not so keen on the others, they can be a bit faddy unless there is Welsh/Irish/Scottish ancestry respectively.

Owen - Fine.
Ewan - Fine.
Hugh - Not my style but I do rather like Hugo - the 'O' sound makes an otherwise boring name interesting.
Milan - I'm not familiar with this as a given name but I don't care for it much.

You might like:
Adam
Barnaby
Barney
Eli
Ellis
Finn
Francis
George
Harvey
Jack
Joel
John
Leo
Luke
Mark
Martin
Max
Miles
Milo
Otis
Paul
Rhys
Seth
Victor

I've tried to lists names that can't really be shortened as even with a name like John, you might get Jack and Johnny, or Frank from Francis.