How much does a name cost?

[MrsWembley]

I have a short list of boys names and we're probably going to wait until he arrives (little b is late already...) and see what he looks like. Did that with our DD and it worked well. But my partner dislikes most of them (only 5!!!) and the name I have at the top he says we can't afford...

What's the general concensus about Gabriel? Does it mean paying for an education or the poor little bugger gets the crap beaten out of him in state? (Btw, I'm a teacher and I've heard some much weirder names that have had no apparent payback).

Oh, and what's the opinion on the rest of my list:
Alexander
Nathaniel
Daniel
Thomas
?

Thanks in advance for all the shit I'm about to get...

[TheOriginalFAB]

Why would you get shit?

All the names are lovely. No idea what you are on about with what a name costs.

[DamselInDisarray]

My friend's son is Gabriel (Gabe for short). He has absolutely no problems. It's a lovely name.

Every name on that list is absolutely normal and fine, nice even. Your LO will have no problems with any of them.

[thumbwitch]

All lovely classic names. Not so keen on Gabriel (and really don't like Gabe as a nn) but don't know that it would necessitate private education to save him from being bullied.

[Bandwitch]

Gabriel is a completely normal name. Is this your first child? I think sometimes people perceive a name to be 'unusual' because it is amongst their own generation, but actually there are lots of young ones. BUT you are a teacher................ so I don't know how you could think Gabriel was a really unusual name.

I'd pick Daniel from your list.

[Bandwitch]

ps, the 'how much does a name cost?' is an interesting idea. Imagine if the names at number one were the cheapest and you had to pay for an unusual name.

Or if they were trying to make names be used more evenly so you had to pay a fine to use a really really popular name but an unusual name was free.

just imaginin' out loud here.

[MrsWembley]

Sorry, just assumed shit would fly at my presumption that Gabriel was an upper class toff's name. I don't actually think it is but it's not usual either. I think that's what worries my DP ( though he's voting for Stanley or Albert...)

[evamummy]

What is it with this British concern about names being too 'chav', too 'posh', 'too boring', 'too popular'.....

In my experience kids couldn't care less what their mates are called (unless it's popoohead or something silly). We've got all kinds of foreign and British names represented at our school and no one bats an eyelid.

Personally I'm not keen on any of your suggestions, I find them a little dull and already very widely used, but I'd choose Gabriel because it isn't so common as the others.

[TheOriginalFAB]

Stanley is a fabulous name.

[MrsWembley]

My DP worries that it will get shortened to Gay!! I have to say, that never even crossed my mind. Surely Gabe is the only nickname people use?

[puzzletree]

I know two Gabriels, both in state schools, seems a normal name to me.

[pilates]

I wouldn't for the same reason your husband has said about the shortening to "Gay". You have some nice names on your list, particularly Nathaniel with nn Nat.

[Carrotsandcelery]

Gabriel is a very popular name where my dh grew up and it is as rough as anything (stabbings and murders on a near weekly basis it seems) so I doubt very much that it is a private school only name, if you see names that way.

[PrettyCandles]

I know a working-class Gabriel, who will probably go to state school, and there are Alexanders, Nathans, Daniels and Thomases in my dcs' state school.

The only flaming you're gong to get is for your snobbery!

[PrettyCandles]

Poo! Your snobbery, in thinking that there's anything wrong with those names, not in giving your ds any of those names.

[BuntyPenfold]

Your list is all nice ordinary names.
I do know a Gabriel who is teased, but he is the most whiny tearful high pitched sniveller ever, which I think is what the problem really is.

[MrsWembley]

Candles, I don't think they're upper class names, I'm not being snobbish, but my DP worries that others will see Gabriel as too unusual and give him a nn he can be bullied with! Honestly, I have tried explaining to him that some kids can be evil and if they want to bully they will find any excuse....

The rest of the list are just nice normal everyday names that I/we like. We have a policy in our house - the name needs to be able to fit whatever our DCs chose to do in life, be it porn star or prime minister...

[captainbarnacle]

Mrs Wembley - we have similar taste! DS1 is Nathaniel, DS2 is Alexander (Xander) and DS3 - well, OH really wants him to be called Gabriel :) It's me who has the problem with it....

[Katiekatiekatekate]

bandwitch I don't think you got the credit you deserved for your excellent musings there

[Bandwitch]

Thank you katiekatieKate!

[MrsWembley]

captainbarnacle thank-you!

bandwitch sorry, no I didn't thank-you for your contributions - and for not calling me a snob!!

[BuntyPenfold]

bandwitch - your idea deserves a thread of its own.
How much for Jane now, for instance, compared to 50 years ago?

[Bandwitch]

Hmmm, well what do you want to do? when charging for names and imposing fines do you want to encourage people to use lots of different names? I think that's the route I'd go down. So I'd say Jane was free, in fact you'd be paid to use Jane, but you'd have to write six weeks in advance begging for permission to use Jack (for example) and you'd have to pay a fine (to me).

[BuntyPenfold]

ok, you owe me.

[Bandwitch]

Ok. fill in these forms! It's ok, I can afford to pay you. There are a lot of Jacks

OK, before anybody gets cross with me there's nothing wrong with the name Jack!