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Baby names

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

Original poster

Alexander or Christopher?

67 replies

Ellie02041994 · 14/06/2020 08:30

Hello, me and DH have two names narrowed down for our DS due in a couple of weeks - which do people here prefer? We will most likely shorten to Alex or Chris. Thanks Smile

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BatleyTownswomensGuild · 15/06/2020 07:28

Alexander

midsomermurderess · 15/06/2020 02:10

Kit is a traditional shortening of Christopher. It goes back centuries.

Aclh13 · 15/06/2020 01:37

Christopher 👍😁

Phoebeboo · 15/06/2020 00:19

Alexander, I don’t mind Christopher but really don’t like Chris.

drucillavanamstel · 15/06/2020 00:17

@Cindie943811A thank you! I actually thought it was a recent thing because the first time I'd heard kit was from that game of thrones actor. I can see how its linked to Christopher now Smile

EngagedAgain · 14/06/2020 23:16

Christopher/Kit. Chris is ok though.

Hockeyboysmum · 14/06/2020 22:54

Both names were on my list but I ended up going with benjamin. I think i prefer alexander to Christopher tho.

StarsOnAMat · 14/06/2020 22:48

I have a Christopher and we’ve called him Chris since he was about two days old. He’s nine months now.

Namechange8471 · 14/06/2020 22:42

Christopher

DramaAlpaca · 14/06/2020 22:40

I'd choose Christopher.

Twizbe · 14/06/2020 22:36

I like both.

I'd say wait until he is here to make a final choice. He might suit one more than the other

Cindie943811A · 14/06/2020 22:30

@drucillavanamstel Kit is a very old nickname for Christopher and a contemporary of William Shakespeare, Kit Marlowe, the poet and playwright was a Christopher. In fact I cannot recall hearing of anyone called Chris until comparatively recent times. One of my hobbies is genealogy so I see a lot of names in old documents and parish registers. Of course, people spoke differently several hundred years ago ( the London accent was more like today’s Midlands) and if the emphasis was put on Christ and the S was almost silent then you easily get to Kit.
I know a man who has been called Kit all his life (his father was an academic) and I find it much more pleasant than Chris

drucillavanamstel · 14/06/2020 21:20

I'm 32 weeks and naming my boy Christopher, it's much less popular than Alexander. However if you don't mind the popularity factor, they're both lovely names

I don't really get the Kit nickname either for Christopher, I can't think of any possible way that name could sound remotely like kit?? I'd love for someone who knows better to let me know where it came from?

MikeUniformMike · 14/06/2020 21:12

I much prefer Chris to Kit, and Alex is fine. I don't like Xander much.

woodhill · 14/06/2020 12:12

Chris is a great name, classic

skyblue27 · 14/06/2020 11:01

Christopher

123Dancewithme · 14/06/2020 10:56

Christopher as it’s more unusual for a child nowadays.

OddBoots · 14/06/2020 10:29

The name Chris makes me think of many fabulous people, it is a strong name. 😊

BananaSpanner · 14/06/2020 10:24

I like Christopher, Kit, Alexander and Alex. I don’t particularly like Chris, it is not a classic and I think of middle aged men (and women).

zafferana · 14/06/2020 10:24

Those names were both on our short list, but we already knew three Alexanders so we went with Christopher. It's such a great name and it really suits our DS. He loves it. Unfortunately, there is another one in his (small primary) year, but they are both known as different shortened versions of the name and it's fine. It wasn't even Top 100 when he was born, but it's Sod's Law that whatever name you pick, there will be another one.

babynamelover · 14/06/2020 10:21

I like Alexander more 😁.

Muddlingalongalone · 14/06/2020 10:17

Christopher- Alex has been very popular in recent times. Both lovely though.

Destroyedpeople · 14/06/2020 10:16

They are both lovely classic names but I prefer Alexander

Original poster
Ellie02041994 · 14/06/2020 10:13

@ttigerlilly thank you for the kind words, it’s much appreciated Flowers!

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Original poster
Ellie02041994 · 14/06/2020 10:12

@BeMorePacific is it a common thing for Christopher to be shortened to Kit now? I much prefer Chris see and don’t really like Kit.

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