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Baby names

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

Original poster

Tristan or Nathaniel?

38 replies

babylily · 30/04/2011 21:56

keeping in mind that we live in scotland...my family think that we are setting up a boy for a lifetime of bullying if we name him Tristan!
I imagine a nathaniel to be quite a sensitive little lad, but a tristan to be more boisterous...?

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megbess · 01/05/2011 16:23

Love tristan don't like nathaniel.

ragged · 01/05/2011 12:21

What other names do you think are the worst ever, Collision, and which are the best ever?

Collision · 01/05/2011 12:04

Sorry but I do not like either

Tristan is awful - imvho one of the worst boy names ever!

Nathaniel is OK but only cos I like Nat as a nickname (which you might hate!)

Original poster
babylily · 01/05/2011 12:01

Think would have to be:
Nathaniel Tristan...or
Tristan Nathaniel...

Nathaniel would be shortened to Nat by english relatives (in our part of scotland at least they don't seem to go for nicknames...). I always think of Puritans when I think of Nathaniel though (just because of Hawthorne and the Scarlett Letter)
DH's family are cornish, so we like the celtic/cornish connections of the Tristan & isolde story....

If I could just see what he will look like in 5 years time it would be much easier!

OP posts:
ragged · 01/05/2011 10:18

Nuh-than-yul, "than" rhymes with flan, no? I'd use Nat as nn.
Both names I quite like too. DS2 is Tristan, not at all arty, quite boisterous but a big cry-baby, too.

evamummy · 01/05/2011 10:05

Tristan is too close to Triste (sad) for me, I'm afraid.

How do you pronounce Nathaniel, like Nathan with -iel at the end?

MelinaM · 30/04/2011 23:59

I much prefer TristanSmile Nathaniel is nice, but I absolutely hate the shortened Nathan, Nath etc...

albania · 30/04/2011 22:43

I love them both, but it'd be Nathaniel for me

Sirzy · 30/04/2011 22:41

Love nathaniel not as keen on Tristan

Kyrie · 30/04/2011 22:38

I love Tristan, I think of it as a strong name - I think romantic hero as in 'Tristan and Isolde'. Not easy to shorten Tristan either so you wouldn't get lots of nicknames like you would with Nathaniel which would be Nat, Nate etc.

thisisyesterday · 30/04/2011 22:32

ooooh hard one, i really like both names

hmmm... do you have middle names yet?

Greenwing · 30/04/2011 22:26

Nathaniel is stronger and more classic.

Tristan is a bit 'wet' and weak sounding to my ears, as well as ultra 'posh'.

MayBankHoliday · 30/04/2011 22:11

They're both great names, I love them both!

Tristan I think of as a bit more of an arty name, Nathaniel more of a classic.