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Baby names

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

Original poster

Rueben or Meyer? Or something else!

33 replies

LotusPalm · 04/04/2012 10:35

that's it really. DS2 due in the next couple of days, but not likely to name him until he's been around for a bit.

DS1 is Hector.
Double barrelled surname, starts with L and 5 syllables in total.

Meyer is pronounced may-er and is an old school Jewish name. DF is Jewish, but we are non-practising.

Which do you like? Do you like either of them? Other possible name suggestions?

Thanking you kindly in advance Grin

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Stellan · 13/04/2012 09:44

I really like Reuben. I think it poses less pronunciation problems than Meyer (Mayer, Myer?) and I like personally prefer names that are easy to say. I like the sound of May-er but I think it would bug me having to correct people pronouncing it My-er or vice versa. I've heard the surname pronounced both ways.

And worth a read but make of this what you will: newsroom.melbourne.edu/news/n-751

Petrean · 13/04/2012 09:35

The one I know is pronounced May-er.

Original poster
LotusPalm · 13/04/2012 09:29

Hi - how is it pronounced?

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Petrean · 13/04/2012 09:28

Incidentally the Meyer I know is not Jewish and I was totally unaware it was Jewish until you said it was.

Petrean · 13/04/2012 09:27

I know a Meyer, he's 3, it really suits him. Is go for Meyer.

Original poster
LotusPalm · 13/04/2012 09:25

Still trying to decide!

Just spoken to my dad and said we were thinking of using Meyer (or Mayer / Myer) and he was concerned that this would open our little boy up to anti-Semitic sentiment as the first part of our surname is very Jewish as well. My dad is from a very different generation where this would have definitely been the case, but I said I didn't think that would happen now.

But it's made me a little more Confused even than before!

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sparkle12mar08 · 10/04/2012 21:43

No not at all, Some might say M-ay-er first off but it's not difficult to correct and not acutually difficult to say, such that even if they get it wrong once I think people will easily remember it for the next time. I guess you've still got the girls name issue with the Maya (pr My-a)name, but I think Meyer (pr as M-eye-er) is a lovely name for a little boy with Jewish heritage. And people will get used to it - there was a Mia (pr Mee-a), a Maya (pr My-a), and a Maya (pr May-a) in my son's nursery across two different years, I see no reason why Meyer for a boy wouldn't be as easily absorbed!

Original poster
LotusPalm · 10/04/2012 20:40

Thanks again sparkle - would you have any concerns about the pronunciation thing? And it being mispronunced as a girls name?

He does look a bit if a bruiser at the moment though, so not a problem at 25 hours old!

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sparkle12mar08 · 10/04/2012 19:20

Well I still love Meyer!

Original poster
LotusPalm · 10/04/2012 15:44

Anyone else have any thoughts?

DS2 born last night and still strugglIng with names. Have a couple of others on the short lost, bit they lack the 'special' meaning of these two:
Ezra
Jonah
Arthur

Thanks!

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Original poster
LotusPalm · 07/04/2012 21:39

sparkle - I think it can be pronounced both ways, but is traditional may-er for the male version. Difficulty with pronouncing it M-eye-r is it then gets confused with the girls name Maya!

Which is a whole other problem isn't it...

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sparkle12mar08 · 07/04/2012 21:23

I love both and but would automatically assume that Meyer stemmed from some sort of Jewish heritage rather than a surname preference of the parent, if that's any help! But I'd also tend toward pronouncing it with an 'eye' sound rather than an 'ay'. I think I prefer it over Reuben tbh, which is increasingly popular.

welliesandpyjamas · 07/04/2012 19:52

Reuben. I know a fun Reuben at DS1's school.

racingheart · 07/04/2012 19:50

Love Reuben. It's a name in our family and it is just the right degree of unusual without trying too hard.

Original poster
LotusPalm · 07/04/2012 08:44

Shameless bump Grin

2 days overdue and bored!

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Original poster
LotusPalm · 05/04/2012 17:47

You said it very nicely, I'm just a fool and can't spell it appears!

With you completely on alternative spellings!

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mumbaisapphire · 05/04/2012 17:39

oh good - I was trying to say it nicely! Glad it's just attack of the hormones.

pixiestix · 05/04/2012 16:57

Reuben is quite common around here (North London) so I would go with Meyer as having the same kind of unusual feel as Hector.

Original poster
LotusPalm · 05/04/2012 16:55

Brain! Not rain obviously

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Original poster
LotusPalm · 05/04/2012 16:54

Please can we blame my pregnancy rain for the fact that I speke Reuben wrong!

I wasn't intending it should have a 'novel' spelling, just being a bit dumb.

Would go well with Hector though. As in the verb form...!! Hmm

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mumbaisapphire · 05/04/2012 16:52

Reuben is a nice name. I'm not keen on your spelling though. It feels like a mistake whereas Reuben seems the more correct way and is the classic spelling. IMO;)

happybigbump · 05/04/2012 13:13

Meyer is not popular as a surname in the UK, although it is in Germany. So he should be fine in the UK.

Actually Rueben is the plural of Ruebe (Rübe), parsnip in German.

margoandjerry · 05/04/2012 12:51

I like both those. I wanted a jewish sort of name for my DS but I'm not Jewish so it just would have been a bit of a statement! I wanted Manny (Immanuel) but I couldn't quite get away with it.

thereistheball · 05/04/2012 12:47

I like Reuben, but spelled that way, not yours.

Original poster
LotusPalm · 05/04/2012 11:28

Thanks again folks.

Ellen - are you based in the uk? Is Meyer a common surname here?

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