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Baby names

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Alternatives to Theo?

39 replies

bamboobuddha · 15/04/2012 07:55

After much squabbling, DH and I have stumbled on a name for DS2 that we both actually like - Theo. No mean achievement given DH's tastes usually run to things like Thor or Marmaduke (I kid you not), whereas I prefer slightly more normal names (not Tom, Edward and the like, but names like Laurence, Alistair and so on).

Unfortunately, one of our friends has a 3 year old called Theo, and we would both feel uncomfortable about "copying" her. We see this friend and her DC about every 3 months, do occasional joint holidays and have a reasonable circle of mutual friends.

So, any suggestions for alternatives to Theo? I'm actually not wild about the name Theodore (but would prefer to give the long version of a name on a birth certificate and could probably live with it). DH and I have vaguely agreed on Alexander as a fallback name if we can't come up with anything better, but we're both a bit meh about it (no offence to anyone with DC called Alexander; it's a perfectly nice name).

DS1 is called Hector. If DS2 had been a girl, name would probably have been Iona.

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nooka · 17/04/2012 02:48

Jago is a form of Jacob btw

nooka · 17/04/2012 02:47

What about Jonathon, nn Jono (or Johnny or Jonty)? I really quite like Leon too.

I was going to be a Cosmo, and we had Hector on our potential name list too :)

bamboobuddha · 16/04/2012 21:38

Interesting that Jago keeps coming up here. I quite like it, but I think it's the Cornish for James (?) and that's DS1's middle name, so not sure about using it for DS2.

Would consider Barnaby. Like Alasdair (but DH not keen) and Xander ties in with our fall-back / if all else fails name, Alexander.

Never heard of Dia before (or Theon Smile )!

Have to start putting some of these to DH...

OP posts:
DottieRose · 16/04/2012 19:17

What about Dia?

FanjolinaJolie · 16/04/2012 18:08

Xander
Alasdair

FanjolinaJolie · 16/04/2012 18:08

Huw
Inigo
Ted (Theodore)

RoadToNowhere · 16/04/2012 18:04

Thaddeus
Ned
Barnaby
Silas
Milo

minipie · 16/04/2012 12:12

Rory

Robin

Rufus

Rowan

Jago

Bryn

MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic · 16/04/2012 10:44

Oh poo

Theon

MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic · 16/04/2012 10:43

Ooooooooooooohhhh and going along those lines and maybe being a tiny bit influenced by Game of Thrones how about http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Theon_Greyjoy Theon instead of Theo? I have no idea if it's a 'real name' or not, but it sounds good Grin

MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic · 16/04/2012 10:40

I love Lysander but agree it could be too much, which is why we used it as DS2s middle name rather than first name (and Greek-theme works for us, culturally Smile)

How about Leon as a compromise between Leo and Leonardo? We know two - one who is just plain Leon and one where it's a nn for Leonidas.

thegreylady · 16/04/2012 10:35

Second one should be Jago

thegreylady · 16/04/2012 10:34

Milo
Ago
Dylan
Jake
Finn

mrswoodentop · 15/04/2012 22:08

What about Cosmo,Theo popular here too(not London) but has been for a while ds1(18) has three Theos in his year

Blu · 15/04/2012 21:49

Hector and Lysander would be too much. IMO.
It reminds me of a song we had to sing at school - the British Grenadiers.

survivingspring · 15/04/2012 21:48

I really liked Theo but DH didn't so we settled on Lawrence funnily enough! I like Felix too (didn't work with our surname either) and I also like Alistair. How about Huey if you like Hugo?

bamboobuddha · 15/04/2012 21:43

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

Quite liking Sebastian and Felix (but the latter doesn't work with our surname). Jasper was on our shortlist last time round, but I've gone off it for some inexplicable reason. I like Oliver, but would prefer not to go for a Top 5 name (I had one of those from the 70s, and always found it a bit annoying to be one of 4 in a class).

Ajax and Theseus probably a bit heavy on the Greek theme for me, but don't mind going down this route with some more slightly Anglicised names. I like Jacob, but DH doesn't. I think Lysander works with Hector, but it just seems a little "try hard" to me.

TeamEdward - are you in London by any chance?

OP posts:
5madthings · 15/04/2012 20:10

Arlo is also lovely, my ds4 has it as a middle name, he is Rudi Arlo :)

TeamEdward · 15/04/2012 19:40

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Auntiestablishment · 15/04/2012 19:38

Lysander would go with Hector.

ThereisaBLUhillfaraway · 15/04/2012 19:37

I would stick with Theo, if you really like it.

Arlo, Seth, Jacob, Gus, Arthur?

mrswoodentop · 15/04/2012 19:36

Also love Rufus and Hugo,what about Ajax or Theseus to continue the Greek myth theme.

Also like Giles and Guy

5madthings · 15/04/2012 19:33

Rufus is a great name, as is Theo, i have a Theo :) but mine is 12 and there are none his age near us, it seems popular in the under 4's now, we got in there first Grin

nemno · 15/04/2012 19:32

Timo (Teemo). The name really grew on me after my son made friends with a Timo. It isn't short for Timothy (or anything else) in his case.

SLVC · 15/04/2012 19:25

Love Rufus and Hugo.. How about Thaddeus?