What do you think: Wesley or Julian?

[amitymama]

These boy names are not extremely common but also not 'out there' where I'm from but I wondered what their popularity and associations are in the UK? There have been names I liked that my (English) DH informs me are too poncy or too common or too weird so I wanted to run these two past some other UK natives for perspective.

DH likes both names but thinks one might be considered odd and the other too popular. What do you think?

[cornsilk]

Julian.

[AgonyBeetle]

Julian = gay.

Wesley = American gangster.

[LookattheLottie]

If I had to pick one then Julian

[pointydog]

I'm guessing your dh thinks Wesley might be a little odd. Which it would be in my neck of the woods.

Julian would be considered a bit Fotherington-Thomas round here.

Do you live in a large urban area?

[ButterflyBessie]

Wesley Snipes

Julian Lloyd Webber

Both horrid imvho sorry

[cyteen]

I had a lovely friend nicknamed Wes, so have good associations with that - Wesley sounds a bit wet, but Wes is good.

Julian: always makes me think of thoughtful, geeky, eccentric, shy boys and for this reason I quite like it! I had a teenage romance with a Julian, he was very sweet. It does sound weird on a baby though, but that's not the end of the world.

[amitymama]

LOL @ Califrau -- those 20yo Julians started off as babies at some point!

pointydog, yes I am in a large urban area.

ButterflyBessie -- who is Julian Lloyd Webber, is that Andrew's son or something?

I don't really mind if people have associations with some movie star they don't like as that can't be helped. Want to know more about the social or mental associations like AgonyBeetle so kindly pointed out. LOL

[AgonyBeetle]

And there's Julian Clary. I rest my case.

[OrmIrian]

I must admit I only know slightly irritating and very posh Julians. One I work with
But not a bad name in itself. DH wanted to call DS#1 Julian after Julian Dicks.....

Not keen on Wesley.

[cornsilk]

Isn't John Lennon's son called Julian?

[amitymama]

Eh, gay doesn't have a negative association for me so that doesn't bother me much. I truly don't think that a person could become gay based on what name they were given so a bit silly to worry about that, IMO.

[cyteen]

But on the other hand, there's Julian Cope (mental druid drugfucked spacecase rock star and generally v amusing fella)

[OrmIrian]

Not gay though! Definitely not gay.

[cyteen]

You sound like you know something there, Orm.

[ButterflyBessie]

wesley church website here, you could name your son after a methodist church

Julian Lloyd Webber is Andrew's lesser known bro, who iirc a cellist

[amitymama]

cornsilk, yes he is.

[pointydog]

well, in a large urban area you might just about carry these names off. In fact, Julian in particular would probably be very easy to carry off.

[amitymama]

See, I think that's my problem. I really like the nicknames for both of these (Jools and Wes) but don't know if it's a good idea to name a kid something just 'cause I like the nickname, KWIM?

ButterflyBessie, that is just freaky because my own name is apparently a branch of the methodist church so if I name my kid Wesley ppl are gonna think we're in a bloody cult!