Thanks to everyone who responded to my first thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/baby_names/1208667-8-days-old-and-at-this-rate-were-going-to-be-stuck-with-Nigel-Help
Baby boy is two weeks old now (took us three weeks to name DC1 so we're not doing so badly..) and we really have narrowed it down to two names - Raphael and Gabriel with possibly "Flynn" as a middle name. Not really considering any other first names at this point.
Raphael pros:
- Love the nicknames (Rafe/Raffi etc) and feel they suit him
- It's quite unusual
- Love the meaning ("God has healed") as it reflects the journey to get him
Raphael cons:
- Doesn't go so well with our existing children's names
- Might sound a bit "foreign" - baby boy is fair skinned and has red hair but I've heard people say they think of a Raphael as dark haired at the very least - often a bit Mediterranean in appearance.
- Does not go as well with "Flynn"
--
Gabriel pros:
- Love the long version
- Goes with our other children's names better as it sounds less "foreign" despite both of these names being almost identical in origin
- Goes better with "Flynn"
Gabriel cons:
- I really, really HATE "Gabe", and "Gabby" sounds too feminine - this is my big issue really
- It's a lot more common, especially in the US where we may move (#24 or something)
- Sounds more religious and we're not religious
- The name meaning doesn't mean a whole lot to me
This is so hard! Honestly, it was easier to decide whether or not to get an amnio than it was picking his name..
Any thoughts welcome!! We're pretty much stuck and need something to help tip us one way or the other without regrets.