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Having wobbles about name

37 replies

BeanoNoir · 22/11/2013 15:41

Ds is 3.5 months. We always knew we weren't certain on name but went ahead knowing we could change within a year. I love dd's name and always have and just haven't felt the same about ds's. Now if I say his name out loud it feels weird iyswim.Is this normal or a sign I should change it?

When people ask dd's name they often comment on how nice it is but people don't seem to do this with ds, which makes me paranoid it's not a good choice. But maybe this is a difference in how people respond to boys and girls names?

When I think about the name I do like it but just not sure. I wanted something a bit unusual but not too out there and something that would fit any walk of life/profession etc. I'm not sure now if this name does this.

The name is Leon. We also liked Ronnie, Dexter and Archie.

Has anyone else had doubts about a name? Is this normal or should I listen to niggles before it's too late? Dh says he also has the odd wobble/niggle about whether the name is right or not. I was just so sure with dd and this feels different.

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BeanoNoir · 22/11/2013 15:43

He's so lovely and sweet I just want to feel right about his name.

I am also quite exhausted and emotional looking after toddler in the day and up feeding baby a lot in the night. Maybe I'm just generally overtired and pinning a bit of anxiety on this? I'm not sure.

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ToffeeJungle · 22/11/2013 15:48

Love love love the name Leon!! It's on our shortlist!!

Much better than Ronnie (Kray / O'Sullivan??), Dexter (dog) or Archie (Archer / Archibald?? - not keen anyway!!)

Leon would fit any walk of life or profession - it is strong & masculine, and not too common / popular.

HOWEVER, if both you and DH are having doubts then maybe you should consider changing it to what you feel more comforatble with.
Though maybe you should discuss when you are not tired / emotional / drained physically and mentally!

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BeanoNoir · 22/11/2013 15:54

Ah, thank you! That's what I like to hear, a bit of Leon love!

It's funny because before I had ds I met a baby Leon and thought what a cool name it was. But now I'm having wobbles...

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BeanoNoir · 22/11/2013 15:54

Nothing wrong with Ronnie O'Sullivan though Grin

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superzero · 22/11/2013 15:56

First of all,Leon is a lovely name and was on my short list for DS3.He actually has a much more unusual name and I have, on occasion ,thought,maybe I should have called him Leon.So I too have had slight doubts.
I like his name but don't love it.It seemed right at the time and I found it hard to come up with a great boys name.
I've got 3 boys .When asked their names and I say,XYZ,the usual reponse is " Y&Z,what cool names." Y & Z are more unusual and that is why people comment on them rather than X.
Is your DD's name unusual?May be why that is why they comment on it more than Leon which is a good,solid ,classic choice.

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BeanoNoir · 22/11/2013 15:57

I can't think of another name that does it for me either. I have started trying out the nickname 'Lenny' in private to see how that feels. Or sometimes I call him a completely different name to see if that feels better.

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BeanoNoir · 22/11/2013 16:00

I'm glad you've said it's a good, solid choice. Where I live I know babies called George, Freddy, Hugo, Harry and I have started to think that Leon sounds less classic than I thought it was when I compare it to these names. I don't gush over anyone else's name though, even if I think it's lovely, so I don't know why I expect people to do it to me.

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wannabedomesticgoddess · 22/11/2013 16:02

Leon is a really lovely name, but when I think of it I don't see a baby. I see a really cool toddler growing into a boy. It also fits an adult really well.

It just doesn't fit a baby iyswim. And obviously his time as a baby is the shortest bit of his life, so that's a really good thing IMO. Maybe he will grow into it?

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HeyJudith · 22/11/2013 16:02

Rest assured, Leon is the best name out of all of those, please don't worry, it fits every bill and more :)

He will thank you when he's older that you didn't change it as the name is also quite alluring and cool (no matter how popular it gets it has... style and elegance.

Go enjoy your new baby

:)

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BeanoNoir · 22/11/2013 16:04

Thank you. I've been really nervous about posting here, nearly did then didn't for weeks. I think it's a good point about it not really suiting a baby as much as an older child.

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NadiaWadia · 22/11/2013 16:48

It is a good name - cool, international, unusual without being weird, and a proper name, not one of these surname type names that are inexplicably popular at the moment, or names like Teddy that are a bit cutesy and should really be short for something else.

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ClovisWrites · 22/11/2013 16:52

Leon's a fantastic name. For what it's worth, it is easily my favourite of the ideas you listed.

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ClovisWrites · 22/11/2013 16:58

P. S. I've known one Leon in my life and he was an Olympic athlete! And a nice bloke!

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Spaghettinetti · 22/11/2013 18:32

I love the name Leon and certainly wouldn't change it to any of the others you've mentioned. I can see Leon as being a name that would suit any professional...I don't think I'd want to see a solicitor called Dexter, but Leon, yes!

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TooTryHard · 22/11/2013 19:17

I think Leon is a marmite name.

One dd has a name everyone loves and the other has a marmite name. I wobbled about that one quite a lot until she was a year or so but I'm so glad it's her name now. I love it! I don't care what others think now.

I think reactions are also different to boys' names which aren't obvious choices too. People are much more likely to use names outside the top ten for girls than they are boys. So people expect a boys name to be more conservative.

Congratulations by the way - I like it! It's very international too which I think is a good thing these days.

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Quodlibet · 22/11/2013 19:22

Leon is a brilliant name. I think it suits a baby through to adulthood. It would be very high on my short list but doesn't work with our surname am a bit jealous you can use it

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orangepink · 22/11/2013 19:48

I LOVE the name Leon! It was our first choice for a DS3 had we had one! A classic, strong name IMO.

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ProphetOfDoom · 22/11/2013 20:09

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Anjou · 23/11/2013 11:48

I understand how you feel. Leon might be liked by some people and disliked by others, but the important thing is whether it feels like your sons name or not.

I was 100% about DS1's name but not as certain with our choice for DS2. For the first 4 months I was really unsure so (when it was just me & DS2) I would sometimes try the other names that we'd considered out loud. It helped me realise the name we gave him WAS the right choice.

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LCHammer · 23/11/2013 12:01

It's a good name. Don't doubt yourself over it. You can call him Lenny as a baby but no doubt he'll have the coolest name in his group of friends when he's a teenager.

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squoosh · 23/11/2013 16:02

Love the name Leon and thinks it's miles better than the other names on your list. It isn't a babyish though so maybe that's why you're having difficulty reconciling the name with the ball of chubby cuteness that is your son. But he won't be a baby for long and will grow beautifully into his name.

Having said that he's still so young, so if you both decide you've made a mistake it's better to change it sooner rather than later. Lots of people do this, don't worry what people might say.

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MamaLazarou · 23/11/2013 18:36

Leon's much nicer than those other names. He'll grow into it.

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BeanoNoir · 23/11/2013 18:44

Thank you for all your replies. Chatted with dh and went over the reasons why we chose the name, very similar to what's written on this thread. I think I was imagining a boy and a man with this name, not a baby. Also, despite wobbles, am pleased it's considered slightly more unconventional than the other boys names I listed. I look at him now, and even though I may not be 100% certain, it kind of is his name already, so I think I'll grow to absolutely love the name because it's his iyswim.

I think if I could think of a different name I preferred, or really regretted not giving him, it would be different, but I can't. I think maybe this time no name was going to be 100% perfect for us, but we went with the one that was the closest to it.

I'm hoping I don't keep having the wobbles, but I'll keep looking at this thread because the comments on it are really lovely Smile

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SS3J · 23/11/2013 20:29

Yes Leon is a great name, you shouldn't worry about that! Maybe reconsider in a few months when you will probably be a bit less tired and overwhelmed. You have up to a year to change the name with the registrar rather than deedpoll. The wobbles might be from the emotional turmoil of a new baby! I hope you feel more comfortable with the name soon.

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Coconutty · 23/11/2013 20:36

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