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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

Oliver or Jack?

40 replies

beaditAli · 02/09/2010 15:15

I know both are top of the names lists but they really are the only two we both love and agree on. I only know one Jack and he's nearly 10 now however, I know so many baby Olivers. Just wondering what opinions anyone has.....
I have a feeling Oliver is more popular nowadays than Jack......??? Help DD is a week on Tuesday!

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Tortoise · 04/09/2010 15:02

I have a 13yr old Oliver.
And DS2's middle name is Alexander!

weepootle · 04/09/2010 15:00

Love both and care not about their popularity. Dd has only 1 Oliver and 1 Jack in her whole school. Oliver is my favourite.

shoobidoo · 04/09/2010 14:57

And Boeing is probably not a name on that list .

shoobidoo · 04/09/2010 14:56

"Well if only the unusual boys names around weren't so ridiculous it would be a lot easier"

Isn't there a middle ground between a top 10 name like Oliver and Jack (in 2008 alone over 8000 babies were named Jack!!) and a classic, proper name. Have a look at the ONS lists which list all the names given in a year - I'm sure you'll find plenty of lovely boys' names which aren't ridiculous.

Jazmyn · 04/09/2010 13:28

I have a Jack too.... love both names :-)

Original poster

beaditAli · 04/09/2010 13:27

Have some imagination!..... Well if only the unusual boys names around weren't so ridiculous it would be a lot easier! Girls are definitely easier. Also, who knows what will popular in 10 years. I'll bet there are more Finlays and Sams than Olivers.

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Monkeytoo · 04/09/2010 04:13

'Dear god have some imagination' - I love it. I'm promptly changing Ollie's name to Boeing Roiboosh. Also I'm busy putting the artex ceilings back up in my house as they're bound to come back in in a couple of decades and I'll be suitably imaginative now :)

shoobidoo · 03/09/2010 14:54

Jack and Oliver will be the Steve and Mikes of today in 30 years time.

tammytoby · 03/09/2010 14:44

"They're the name equivalents of stripped floorboards, off white walls and a feature wall. Yes it looks very nice, but dear God have some imagination."

Well said .

VirginOnTheRidiculous · 03/09/2010 12:29

They're the name equivalents of stripped floorboards, off white walls and a feature wall. Yes it looks very nice, but dear God have some imagination.

But you don't mind the popularity, so just choose a name you like.

FWIW, dd's name is quite popular and becoming more so, but I picked it out as a small child and so I care not.

kveta · 03/09/2010 12:28

love Oliver :)

popularity depends where you are in the country - Jack more popular in the north apparently, Oliver in the South East. We have an Oli in the south east, and it's incredibly common here - but he could not have been any other name when he was born!!

zozzle · 03/09/2010 12:16

Love Jack

tammytoby · 03/09/2010 10:38

Very popular round here. Yes, they are nice names but they are very very common. Some people are more bothered than others. I would be, because I hated being one of 3 in my class and because my name 'dates' me to the 1970s.

Monkeytoo · 03/09/2010 03:40

Also forgot to say - I think traditional names are nice for boys anyway. Like if you meet a James you don't think 'wow that's such a common name' really do you? Well I don't anyway :)

Monkeytoo · 03/09/2010 03:39

I have an Oliver Richard James but live in the US (moving back soon though so glad it's not Olivers all over the place as I was worrying it was!). We were going to call him Oliver James but here it would result in him being called OJ hence putting the Richard in the middle (Dad's name).

Love Jack too!

Clary · 03/09/2010 01:02

I know lots of small (ie primary age) Olivers.

There are 3 in DS2's school year out of about 25 boys, for example.

One in most classes/yrs in our school.

Jack oddly enough seems less popular here - I know 4 or 5 at school. But it is and has been top of the charts nationwide for yrs.

They are both very nice names tho so don't let this bother you unless it does IYSWIM - ie yr child will know others with his name but if that doesn't matter then go for it!

(PS it matters to me hence my DCs' bizarreo names )

CharlieBoo · 02/09/2010 18:58

I dont know any Oliver's and only one Jack! Love them both, but prefer Oliver. I agree, they are number 1 and 2 for a reason, both gorgeous! Good luck.

MollieO · 02/09/2010 18:38

My Ollie was the only one at his nursery and the only one in his school year. There are 2 in the year below and one in the year above.

rachel234 · 02/09/2010 18:31

I know loads and loads of Jacks and Ollies.... too popular for me personally.

horatia · 02/09/2010 17:17

Much prefer Oliver to Jack.

I know Jack is the no. 1 baby boy name but I still think of it as a nickname.

Original poster

beaditAli · 02/09/2010 16:05

I know Oliver goes better with James but who ever gets their middle name used?? Not too worried that Jack James sounds a bit J ish.
Oh.... I do wish he'd hurry up!

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facebook · 02/09/2010 16:03

Oh I love Matthew too! Matthew was going to be ds1's name but our surname starts with Mathxxx so it was not an option really! Still love it though. I think if it was up to me then Jack slightly tops Oliver but they are both so nice. If James is your decided second name then u may be better going with Oliver as it seems to flow better with James. Totally your choice though!

Original poster

beaditAli · 02/09/2010 15:58

Keep looking at baby pics of DH and trying to think what he looks most like..... I think if he hadn't been a Matthew he'd suit Jack more than Oliver. He's a Matthew James which I think is lovely even if he is 31!

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herbietea · 02/09/2010 15:57

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facebook · 02/09/2010 15:53

Aww thank u, never been called sane before . I know what you mean though, I sometimes do wonder what people are thinking when they name their children but I know it's all personal taste and someone may well hate the names we love. I think sometimes the most popular names are always best to go with because they are generally the nicest names! We are ttc dc2 and we love Thomas James if we have another boy but so many people have said it's too common. Each to their own eh?!

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