Thoughts on my list for a baby boy, please!

[soundsystem]

Baby boy due imminently. We have some names we like, but nothing we love, and nothing new has been added to the list in a while. Just feeling a bit uninspired! Would welcome any suggestions based on this, and thoughts on the list so far. A couple have been all but ruled out, but leaving them in here in case they spark suggestions for alternatives.

Elijah (probably Eli day-to-day)
Zeb (but Zebedee on the birth certificate we're not sure about)
Caspar
Otto
Ludo
Dylan
Ivo
Caspian
Torin


Other info that may be relevant:


Surname is double barrelled: part Scottish, part Ashkenazi Jewish, generally assumed at first glance to be German. Almost always has to be spelled out. When we had DD the midwife asked if she was having my surname, and when I said yes said, "poor child".

Middle name will be James.

We're in London.

[1horatio]

We're also in London :)
Elijah (probably Eli day-to-day): it's nice, nothing spectacle but a perfectly fine name.
Zeb (but Zebedee on the birth certificate we're not sure about): ultra religious imo.
Caspar: I love that name :)! My favourite of your list.
Otto: nice
Ludo: I prefer Ludovicus/co nn Ludo. But Ludo is really fabulous. My 2nd favourite.
Dylan: I don't like it.
Ivo: it's probably really nice but I don't like it. I'm not sure why...
Caspian: it's ok.
Torin: I'd think of a dwarf? But the name is lovely. Probably my 3rd favourite your list ;) Do you like Torquil?

DH's and DD's surname is awful as well. Double barreled and the pronunciation is weird. And DH simply refused to give up one of his names... but I got exclusive baby naming rights instead. So, it's fine imo. But my surname is now a mess.

[SausageSoda]

I like Otto & Torin from your list.

Gus, Grayson, Flynn, Edison as suggestions?

I met a baby called Lorcan yesterday - not to my taste but others like it.

[MiniMaxi]

We have similar taste! My faves from your list are Caspar, Ludo and Dylan. I also like Zeb but we too thought Zebedee was a bit much..

Some random suggestions
Cassian
Felix
Isambard
Orson
Tobias
Arlo
Levi
Zad

[MarmiteDoesYouGood]

We have really similar taste!

Elijah - Was in our top 10, but ultimately it's becoming a liiiittle too popular for us. I still love the name though.
Zeb/Zebedee - Okay here's one we differ on, not a fan I'm afraid.
Caspar - LOVE this and will be the name of our next DC if he/she is a he.
Otto - Love it (that's why we chose it for our DS1!)
Ludo - Not a big fan, just because the shortened version would be Lu/Loo :-/
Dylan - Was high on my list, but OH vetoed it.
Ivo - Really high on our list, but didn't quite make the final cut. I think it's super cool, not unheard of but nice and unusual still.
Caspian - It's okay, but it's basically an inferior version of Caspar.
Torin - Don't like.

So ones I love: Otto, Caspar and Ivo
Ones I really really like: Dylan and Elijah

[Glitterous]

I love Otto.

Zebedee is a bit hard to pull off. If you like Zeb what about Sebastian (Seb)?

[Allalonenow]

My favourites from your list are Caspar (really like this very much) and Ludo.

Elijah is now the new Noah.

Not at all keen on Dylan or Ivo or Zeb/Zebedee. Two names from The Magic Roundabout on a short list?

Random suggestions, Balthazar Basil Rolo Jasper

[Sugarpiehoneyeye]

From your list, I like Ludo and Dylan.
Suggestions ;
Bruno
Quinn
Adam
Rex
Arlo

[Difficultyear2015]

I like all apart from Ludo

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

I like Zeb. Lots of Sebs around though so might cause confusion.

Dylan and Otto are good.

[Loyly]

Elijah is fine.
I love Caspar, Otto and Ivo.
I really dislike Zebedee.

[CarrotCakeMuffins]

I like Caspar and Torin. Neither are too popular either.

[ThoraGruntwhistle]

I like Elijah and Dylan. Torin is okay ish. Don't like the others.

[buttercup54321]

Brishan
Crispin
Studley
Tylan
Lyrell
Zane
Jared
Travis

[MollyHuaCha]

From your list I like Zebedee (Zeb) and Otto. Enjoy choosing!

[MikeUniformMike]

Zeb is great. Newsreader Zeb Soanes is a Zebedee and I love his voice. Zebediah is ok too.
How about Edgar?

[Pluto30]

Caspar James.

Lovely name.

I don't like Zebedee at all. It'll sound made up to anyone who isn't super religious.

[BackforGood]

I don't in any way have the same taste in names as you - personal taste and all that - but I would give serious consideration to giving him a fairly common, easily recognisable name for a first name, if he's going to have to go through life spelling his surname at every turn.
Is there a reason 'James' can't be the first name?

[oldlaundbooth]

Casper.

[oldlaundbooth]

Caspar obv

[soundsystem]

Thanks all! Think we've ruled out Zebedee, much as we like Zeb.

Minimax we definitely do have similar taste! I suggested Isambard already but DH thought it was a bit much!

Allalonenow Haha I didn't even think of the two Magic Roundabout names! Jasper was on the list originally and was the name for a while, until we thought of Caspar instead. Balthazar (and Melchior!) have also been removed from the list by DH!

[soundsystem]

Backforgood James as the first name hasn't been completely ruled out, but I don't like Jamie (or Jim, or Jay) and it would annoy me if it got shortened.

Agree that an easy-to-spell first name is desirable, that's definitely a consideration. That said ,my own first name is one that always has to be spelled out, and even with the monster of a surname I still prefer my name to a more common one...

[FiaMarrow]

Eli is not just short for Elijah - it's a name in its own right. So I'd go for that

[AtiaoftheJulii]

You have my ds and my dog on your list Love Ludo. Others I liked were Cosmo, Bruno, Milo, Ezra.

[happynewyearchum]

I know an adult Elijah so I think it's tried and tested, goes with James too.

[1horatio]

I love Eli!!
www.behindthename.com/name/eli-1

It isn't a nickname of Elijah, btw.

Anyhow, I don't think 'fussy' names are an issue. My name is super fussy and I've never had issues. DD's name, Clarissa, is really unfussy compared to mine, actually ;) just go with the name you love. None of the names on your list are unforgiving.