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Baby names

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Original poster

Can I really not use William...

37 replies

Antonsalovelyguy · 19/12/2017 18:07

if my surname's Lee?! Honestly, you wouldn't think it was such a difficult surname to work with.

I'm pretty sure it needs to be a longer first name, else it ends up just sounding like one word. But so many longer names are either a bit too gap yah or total snooze fest.

I have my bingo card ready for the helpful suggestions of Bruce, Frank etc etc Grin

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Ham69 · 21/12/2017 16:12

I don’t think so. Will is a great nickname but not with Lee as previous posters have pointed out.
How about Wilfred? Wilf Lee works.

pipilangstrumpf · 20/12/2017 23:13

No, you can't have Will Lee, Bill Lee or Billy Lee imo.

I'd choose a 2 syllable name that doesn't get shortened generally eg
Nathan Lee
Marcus Lee
Quentin Lee
Otis Lee

MimiSunshine · 19/12/2017 21:57

I know a Jenny Taylor too 🙊 I also once knew a Christopher Peacock, only he tried very hard for his surname to never be known and we knew him as just Chris.
one day a professor called out ‘Christopher sorry Chris. Chris Peacock’ and yes we did laugh 😊

Someone at some point would call your child Willy so I just wouldn’t do it.

londonfeather · 19/12/2017 21:35

I went to school with a William Lea - so essentially the same thing and it didn’t seem strange and he wasn’t picked on or anything. I think it’s a nice name.

Ontopofthesunset · 19/12/2017 21:14

But if you just google Bill Lee you'll find several fairly famous ones out there. What's wrong with it? It's a perfectly normal name.

I can see Will Lee might be difficult, but, as I say, the one I know was never teased.

Sugarpiehoneyeye · 19/12/2017 19:35

Of course you can, no problem, William Lee, mighty fine ! 😄

Lindy2 · 19/12/2017 19:23

Will Lee or Bill Lee just don't work well I'm afraid. Perhaps use William as a middle name but I think you need to find another first name option.

Unicornwhiskers · 19/12/2017 19:22

Definitely a big NO.

DiegoMadonna · 19/12/2017 19:16

I can't help but think you're being a bit picky. Yes, William is a no-go, but 90% of names are just fine with the surname Lee.

Oliver Lee
Jack Lee
George Lee
Noah Lee
Jacob Lee
Oscar Lee
Henry Lee
Joshua Lee
Ethan Lee
James Lee
Thomas Lee
etc.
etc.
etc.

PinkAvocado · 19/12/2017 19:05

No you definitely can’t! I usually am the first to say children are more open minded about names but this just lends itself too easily.

Tinselistacky · 19/12/2017 18:57

William Connor Lee
Nn Billy Connolly?

haveacupoftea · 19/12/2017 18:56

Bruce?

NC4now · 19/12/2017 18:53

My son (15) is a William shortened to Will. He loves his name. I just read this to him and he said “Will Lee? Nah, you can’t do that to him.”

AuntLydia · 19/12/2017 18:50

What about Liam as a short version?

marywasneeavirgin · 19/12/2017 18:47

David
Robert
Rupert
Lincoln
Laurie
Louis
Marcus
Michael
Nigel
Nicholas

horatioisabrick · 19/12/2017 18:45

Forrest is a great name imo:)! Maybe Robert, Asher, Glenn, Caleb, Cormac, Adam, Rhys, Linus, Griffin, Alaric, Alfred, Edwin, Eric, Arvid, Jonas, Henrik, Marcus or Ulrik?

RatRolyPoly · 19/12/2017 18:41

If you like Billy couldn't you just call him Billy Lee and not bother with the full version?

Tinselistacky · 19/12/2017 18:37

Ds had a friend called William Bone. The poor lad was a laughing stock.

Original poster
Antonsalovelyguy · 19/12/2017 18:33

Thanks @Ontopofthesunset Good point! I was with you up until "bill when he's older". Then it just reverts to running into one word!! It just doesn't work I don't think Sad

OP posts:
Original poster
Antonsalovelyguy · 19/12/2017 18:31

@Thebluedog I genuinely don't think I ever would have heard that with poor old Jenny's name! I probably can't give my child this shit to deal with.

OP posts:
Ontopofthesunset · 19/12/2017 18:31

Firstly, I know someone called William Lee and he didn't have any problems all through school.

I know people on here always say you can't control what your child is called but you can up to a point. If you always call your son Billy or Bill, then when he goes to nursery and school you tell them he's known as Billy, so they put Billy on the name tags and the coat hook and he calls himself Billy and learns to write Billy on his drawings and thinks his initial is B.

He may decide he wants to be called William or Will later but he probably won't as his name is Billy and likely to be frequently Bill as he gets older. No one else will decide to call him Will as they will always be introduced to him as Billy.

Now what you can't control is people calling him Sploshy because he once fell in the stream on a schooltrip and that nickname sticking into adulthood.

Original poster
Antonsalovelyguy · 19/12/2017 18:30

@TammySwansonTwo ha, I'm aware Forrest probably falls into the hipster wanky category. But I'm totally with you. Boys names are just so dull in general. I feel for you needing to choose two!

OP posts:
Thebluedog · 19/12/2017 18:22

William is a lovely name, but with the surname Lee you’re setting him up for a lifetime of piss taking.

I’ve a friend called Jennifer Taylor and everything be calls her Jenny (genitalia) poor girl went through hell at school. Thankfully she’s a great sense of humour and now rolls with it.

strawberrypenguin · 19/12/2017 18:20

If you don’t shorten it it will be be fine. Will is out and Billy Lee is s bit of mouthful but just about ok if you really wanted too

TammySwansonTwo · 19/12/2017 18:20

We have twin boys and I really struggled to find two boys names I liked generally, let alone factoring in surname. They're all either a bit dull or massively hipster wanky (IMO - others can do as they please obviously!)

I don't think it needs to be short or long, it really depends on the name
Harrison Lee sounds quite nice
Joshua
Alexander
Oscar

I think it sounds good with a lot of names!

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