Atticus, or Louie, or Tomas, or something else?

[Spink]

I'm wasting time when I should be doing something productive and losing myself in a baby name pit Pg with no2, not even sure if it is a boy... but we have a sort of short list already and want reactions!

we've got a definite middle name, dh's mum's maiden name, she died of cancer a few years ago so we want to honour her - it will be Cleary

So with our possible first names:
Atticus Cleary
Louie Cleary
Tomas Cleary

our surname is one syllable and pretty unusual. often have to spell it..

Any ideas?

[YeahBut]

I love Atticus.

[TillyScoutsmum]

I love Atticus as well (as you can probably tell by dd's middle name )

[hw2004]

Not keen on Atticus or louie but I do like Tomas.

[pinkcava]

Sorry, but I think all of these - but Atticus in particular - are a bit "try hard". If, as you say, you have an unusual surname which you have to spell, have you considered something a little more "usual" for the first name? It doesn't have to a top 10 name, of course, just something that the majority of people will know how to spell.

[overthemill]

we have the world's most unusual surname (I think anyway) and have given the two dd's less usual names and teh ds a bog stanard one. reckon an odd surname is enough for any child to be stuck with. love Thom for afirt name tho

[fryalot]

If you go with Atticus, every single person you meet will be split into one of two groups - there will be the ones who say "oooh, I loved that book" and there will be the ones who go ye wot?

If you go with Louie, it will always get spelt wrong.

If you go with Tomas, people will 99% of the time spell it THomas.

But... I like all of them.

[norkmaiden]

I like them all, but not sure I'm brave enough for Atticus. No reason why you shouldn't be though!

[jette]

Its not that hard to spell Atticus!

[LookattheLottie]

Don't like Atticus at all, sorry.

Thomas, well you'll get another 5 in the class but it's a 'safe' name I suppose. I think Tom is very sweet for a wee boy. Nice name, but popular.

I LOVE Louie, although you will spend lots of time spelling it for people.

[Ledodgy]

Louis and Thomas.

[overthemill]

had a friend who called ds Louis and he was always called loo - is. but she wanted it loo - ey

[Ledodgy]

But lewis is spelt lewis. Louis is spelt Louis.

[flowerybeanbag]

Not Atticus.

If Louie spell it Louis
If Tomas spell it Thomas

[LullyOfShallot]

Atticus is lovely

[cyteen]

Tomas is lovelier!

[Spink]

I don't mind spelling Louis or Louie actually, want the pronounciation loo-ey and would go with whichever spelling is easier for people I think

Tomas would be spelled like that because of my nationality and that is the way we spell it! I have a valid reason for a diff spelling, not being poncey honest

I've always had 2 unusual names, had to spell both of them, and now I'm married I've got another name I need to spell (thankfully a short one). It didn't ever particularly bother me, tbh, and for that reason I'm not too concerned about giving a 'safer' first name.
Having said that I don't want my dcs to have unusual names for the sake of it, as LookattheLottie said, there are lots of Toms, and that is fine, I just want a name that we like!

Don't suppose this list have made you think of any others we might like?

and hello squonk! - I've been lurking on Franny's overdue thread and silently applauding your doula-ness. Can you come to my giving birth thread please??

[Spink]

Do you think people are likely to pronounce louis loo-is rather than loo-ey? if so, is spelling it "louie" the best shot at getting it pronounced the way we want??

[Ledodgy]

I don't know really it depends how daft people are.

[flowerybeanbag]

If Tomas isn't for a poncey reason then that's lovely.

I think trying to accommodate people's daftness isn't a good reason for going with Louie. The correct spelling is Louis and I think most people know how it's pronounced, you might have to correct some people but if you spell it Louie, you'll be continually correcting people's spelling of it.

Imagine if he's a high court judge or a newsreader or something and it's spelled Louie. Louis much better imo.

Disclaimer: my dog is called Louis and when we went to the vet the other day we were called in to our appointment as 'Lewis'. Louis didn't even look up and she had to say it twice to get my attention!

[Ledodgy]

I agree and at least it will help you sort out the weeds from the chaff if people haven't heard of Louis Armstrong, Louis XIV or Louis Theroux they aren't worth knowing.

[flowerybeanbag]

Well quite.

[Spink]

argh, yes what am I thinking. thanks for the reality check, ledodgy & flowerybeanbag
I will not bend to people's daftness in the future. It is their daftness. let them have it.

[LadyThompson]

Yeah, but Louis Armstrong used to pronounce his OWN name Loo-iss, it was everyone else that called him Loo-ee.

[Ledodgy]

Well he was daft then.

[fryalot]

spink - ooooh yes, I would love to come on your birth thread

when are you due? (not that it matters, I'll be there anyway)