Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Who gets the final say?

39 replies

SharonBotts · 02/04/2014 10:35

Dh and I are expecting a baby in the next few days. We have finally agreed on a girl's name but cannot settle on a boy's name. We both like the final two names that we are down to - Michael and Samuel - but we each prefer a different one. What do you do in this situation? How do you make the final call? Should we go on the popularity of the name (i.e. choose the less common one) or solicit opinions from family and friends? Really stuck. Anyone got any tips or advice on how we make the final choice?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
scarletforya · 02/04/2014 11:21

Samuel.

Original poster
SharonBotts · 02/04/2014 11:19

Nicknames are another sticking point. My preference in both cases would be for the full names to be used. Are nicknames inevitable? I know of an Elizabeth who is only ever called Elizabeth. Ditto a little Joseph.

OP posts:
Lweji · 02/04/2014 11:10

In choosing, consider what other names the boy would be called.
Sam
Sammy

Mike
Mick
Micky
Mickey

Which would you prefer to live with?

yomellamoHelly · 02/04/2014 11:05

I got my way with the boys; dh with our daughter. Still don't love her name tbh, but doesn't really matter in the overall scheme of things.

notso · 02/04/2014 10:58

We ended up having a choice of two for our three boys. DH got his preference all three times as I was too knackered from giving birth to think!
I picked the middle names the day after when I'd had a chance to recover.
I love all my boys names though. I don't think babies really look like a name but they certainly grow to be their name.

I prefer Samuel to Michael.

squoosh · 02/04/2014 10:53

Tossing a coin would seem like the only option unless one of you gives in.

I prefer Samuel to Michael. Never met a Sam I didn't like.

shakinstevenslovechild · 02/04/2014 10:52

When I was pregnant we said if it was a girl I would choose, if it was a boy he would (not always that way round though) with each pregnancy I had an inkling before the gender was confirmed by scan though so I always swung it my way Grin

Original poster
SharonBotts · 02/04/2014 10:51

Does anyone have a favourite from our final two names?

OP posts:
Original poster
SharonBotts · 02/04/2014 10:50

Do babies really 'look like' names though? With dc1 we didn't make a final decision before the baby arrived, thinking we would just 'know' when we saw them what they should be called. We didn't. And I hated the stress of trying to find the right name on top of everything else that comes with caring for a newborn. Just want to be prepared this time.

OP posts:
curiousgeorgie · 02/04/2014 10:49

We disagreed on DD2's name so we compromised and I got to choose the first name and he choose his favourite as a middle name.

WhatsTheWordHummingbird · 02/04/2014 10:44

Wait til you hold him and see what comes naturally?

Original poster
SharonBotts · 02/04/2014 10:44

Don't want to resort to tossing a coin if there is a sensible way to make a decision.

OP posts:
Lweji · 02/04/2014 10:41

Toss for it.

isisisis · 02/04/2014 10:40

If it's a girl it's a non issue so I'd wait until they arrive. Do not ask friends/ family for opinion. It won't end well. Good luck with the baby.

Swipe left for the next trending thread