Please rate my boys' names...

[SurreyWithAFringeOnTop]

We have a shortlist of boys' names but are now going round in circles trying to decide on our final choice. Could you please rate them for me, with reasons if possible:

Henry
Arthur
Charles (Charlie)
Rufus
Laurence (Laurie)

I am so overthinking this and would appreciate some impartial opinions; thank you!

[dementedma]

My favorite of your options is Laurence, but not Laurie

[Hassled]

Charles, then Laurence, Arthur and Henry are a tie and Rufus is last place.

Rufus seems a bit try-hard. Rufus (to me) has an association (very public school, a bit Tim-Nice-But-Dim) which might be hard to shake off as an adult in the real world one day, although cute on a little boy. I don't think you'd ever take a Rufus particularly seriously.

[lou4791]

Arthur- love it
Henry
Rufus
Charlie (not keen on Charles)
Lawrence- dislike

[mathanxiety]

Henry -- love
Arthur -- prefer the East European Artur for some reason I cannot understand
Charles (Charlie) -- love
Rufus -- a bit fussy, try hard, reminds me of 'rumpus'
Laurence (Laurie) -- don't like Laurie (having lived in the US this sounds like a girl's name to my ear, and I don't like Larry either), and I see Laurence as a nice French girl's name too..

So I suppose Henry and Charles (Charlie) would be the ones I really like from your list.

[baskingseals]

oh i really like Rufus. it reminds me of that Nick Hornby book.
also prefer Artur to Arthur. quite like Charlie, and for some strange reason i don't like Henry at all. but i realise it's a perfectly nice name.

[baskingseals]

sorry, missed Laurence - yes i like it, but prefer Rufus. so my top two would be Rufus and Laurence.

[SurreyWithAFringeOnTop]

Thanks all. It really does help hearing others' views. I do love Charlie but think it may be a bit overused...

DH loves Rufus but I worry it's not 'us' of you know what I mean.

Arthur and Henry are pretty much my favourites, Laurence a bit of an outsider really.

Any more views welcome!

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

Laurence by a million miles and love Laurie. Then Charles. Don't like the others, sorry.

[LynetteScavo]

Henry - lovely
Arthur - not my cup of tea
Charles (Charlie) - I love Charles, not keen on Charlie
Rufus - fabulous. Definitely the best by far.
Laurence (Laurie) - not keen.

[PickledFanjoCat]

Henry arthur or rufus are all my favourites.

Not Laurie or Charlie.

[PickledFanjoCat]

Oh the exact opposite of you remus

[GoOooooooooonatic]

Laurence, Laurie defo. Would have had a Laurence but had two DDs!
My fave boys name.

[exoticfruits]

Henry much the best.

[HoratiaWinwood]

OP your name has got Hugh Jackman's voice stuck in my head, for which

We rejected Charles/Charlie partly because we couldn't love the full version but wouldn't put the short version on a birth certificate.

I don't particularly like Laurence but maybe because it is unusual and I can't picture one.

I like Rufus but I know what you mean about its needing to "go". To me, Rufus would play rugby and work in the City.

Henry is nice but there are a lot of them here. I am very bored with Harry but Henry is better.

Arthur is good. Not sure if it would suit a very small person so I'd be looking at a family nickname like Mouse or something!

[Nospringflower]

My aunt had a dog called Rufus so think dog when I hear it . From your others I like Charlie best - not keen on any of the others

[Alisvolatpropiis]

Arthur
Henry
Charles
Rufus
Laurence

Arthur is a real classic gem,yet to become popular in the mainstream again.

[cece]

Henry - nice and safe
Arthur - again nice but not as nice as Henry
Charles (Charlie) - really, really popular here. Loads of Charlies (boys and girls in my DC school)
Rufus - terrible
Laurence (Laurie) - like Laurence but not keen on Laurie - sounds too much like Lorry

[AuntieShirley]

Laurence is my favourite by a long way. Laurie is a really cute nn.
Then Rufus.
Charles is lovely, but not Charlie.
Then Henry.
Not keen on Arthur at all.

[SurreyWithAFringeOnTop]

Hmm none of them is coming out as a clear favourite - which justifies our indecision! Though my reservations about Laurence and Charlie are growing, so I think we will discount them.

Thank you again.

[SecondhandRose]

My Dad was Arthur, I wasnt brave enough to use it but wish I had now. Artie for short.

[survivingautumn]

Laurence - Laurie is my fave by a long way!!
Rufus - also really like
Henry - bit meh
Arthur - quite nice
Charles - Charlie is just too popular

[Leonas]

Henry/ Arthur are my favs - nice, traditional names
Charles/ Charlie is ok but a bit more common these days for boys and girls (I am a teacher and see it more for girls)
Laurence I am just not keen on
Rufus is a bit too pretentious for me, plus my friend has a dog called Rufus!

[PickledFanjoCat]

Secondhand - I'm having that dilemma now!

[MadameCastafiore]

Rufus is the best name ever, I want to have twins called Otto and Rufus. (If I didn't have to actually do the pregnancy thing that is).