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Baby names

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Original poster

How dated is Colin?

270 replies

insidejobb · 03/04/2021 16:30

We are trying to choose a name for our first baby which will be a boy. We are almost set on Colin and have made the mistake of telling other people. Most of them have asked whether we are having a baby or an 80 year old man and making comments about how dated it is. One of my friends even said "who looks at a baby and think it looks like a Colin?"

I like to think it's a very traditional and timeless name and I know comments could be worse but they still get to me.

What are your thoughts on it?

OP posts:
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19thNamechange · 05/04/2021 20:45

@insidejobb

Okay so just going to let you all know that we are in fact going with Colin and it will be Colin Alexander. Thank you all and bye xx
I wonder why you bothered asking anyway?
WiganNorthWest · 05/04/2021 19:43

And I don’t understand it when people choose names because they’ll suit a baby-they’ll only be a baby for a short time and I think nice grown up names on babies (that suit children teens and adults) are much nicer than cutsie baby names in adults. I think colin is a nice name for any age

WiganNorthWest · 05/04/2021 19:40

I like it. It might be a bit odd for some people when you first introduce the baby but when he has his own personality it will just be seen as his name and it’s a nice classic easy to pronounce name, and there won’t be many about. I also like Alan. I also like Karen for girls as I think the whole Karen meme thing will blow over and it will just be a nice unusual name.

Smile19 · 05/04/2021 19:35

I think Colin Alexander is a great name. Don't let any comments get you down. Colin is one of my favourite names. All the best and good luck OP.

LilacTrees · 05/04/2021 15:11

@Wbeezer

Good for you, its completely illogical that one collection of letters is deemed unacceptable when another very similar one is fine : Colin v Colm or Callan for example. I have decided to suspend all name snobbery, even unusual spellings as what's the point?
I always find it funny that one letter can make the difference between modern and dated. Eg. Ryan - Bryan Harry - Barry Kian - Ian
ThereforeIAm · 05/04/2021 14:48

I assumed it was a wind up when it was a choice between Colin or Clive.

Skyliner001 · 05/04/2021 12:14

Love Colin 💕

imalmostthere · 05/04/2021 11:24

Poor kid

Edenember · 05/04/2021 11:11

I feel like it’s still in the dated bracket. It’s a generation too close to have come back around again (the equivalent of Susan, Kathleen, Linda for women). because they’re our mums and dads names, they aren’t far removed enough to have gotten past the ‘dated’ thing. It’s not the same as the yesteryear nostalgia of more old fashioned names. That said, it doesn’t seem to have stopped it gaining popularity in the US, and as ever, if you love it go for it. You might start a trend.

sistersnottwins · 05/04/2021 10:44

I'm thinking more and more that this is a joke. 😄

SpeckledyHen · 05/04/2021 09:51

@insidejobb

Okay so just going to let you all know that we are in fact going with Colin and it will be Colin Alexander. Thank you all and bye xx
Good for you OP . Take a look at this thread . I said in my earlier post that whatever you choose will be unpopular with some one ....

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4035544-What-name-s-do-you-irrationally-hate

Wbeezer · 05/04/2021 09:34

Good for you, its completely illogical that one collection of letters is deemed unacceptable when another very similar one is fine : Colin v Colm or Callan for example. I have decided to suspend all name snobbery, even unusual spellings as what's the point?

TheWaif · 05/04/2021 05:52

😂

Original poster
insidejobb · 05/04/2021 01:20

Okay so just going to let you all know that we are in fact going with Colin and it will be Colin Alexander. Thank you all and bye xx

OP posts:
trilbydoll · 04/04/2021 23:02

I think Clive is like Gary, endangered and might vanish in the not too distant future. They would definitely be the only one in their class!

I can't imagine baby Colin but hopefully he'll be an adult much longer than he'll be a child Smile

AnnieSnap · 04/04/2021 22:53

I have a dog called Colin. I picked it because it seemed to me an ‘old bloke name’ Shock

serin · 04/04/2021 22:38

I know a "Col" named after the scottish island. I quite like that.

SavannahLands · 04/04/2021 22:38

Colin reminds me of a big sweet Chocolate Birthday Cake in the Shape of a Caterpillar, which is a firm favourite, along with other Colin Treats, at lots of Local Children’s Parties!

Unfortunately, a local Tramp and Town Troublemaker when l was a Child was also called Colin, so for those memories alone l would not choose that name for my Son.

Another Vote here for Callum though, l know a Teenager with the Name and he’s a lovely Lad!

imalmostthere · 04/04/2021 22:33

It's really bad. Whoever said the comment about a baby Colin is 💯 correct.

AppletonP · 04/04/2021 22:31

The only Colin's I've known have been strong caring characters. The only names that's don't 'date' are biblical names. Anything else will date. If you don't want the conservative biblical names then just choose what you love. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the name Colin. Go for it OP, it's lovely.

Kikikoko1 · 04/04/2021 22:16

My 2 year old DS middle name is Colin after my late grandad. I really like it.

mum2jakie · 04/04/2021 22:12

You can use this website that charts the popularity of a name:

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/articles/babynamessince1904howhasyoursperformed/2016-09-02

A 'timeless' name will have a fairly flat trajectory. Colin has a hump in the forties and had died out by the eighties.

mum2jakie · 04/04/2021 22:01

@IamnotwhouthinkIam

Are you in England/Wales? I'm not sure about Ireland/Scotland (where Colin originates from as a variation of Nicholas, so it might be more well used there), but I think in E & W it is seen as more of a "dad" name (eg. for men 40/50 plus) like Alan, Martin etc. This isn't necessarily a bad thing as it means he will likely be the only one in his class/year whilst still having a nice sounding, well-known name, but if you want a more "classic" sounding name I'd go for Nicholas and use the nn Col/Cole.
I think these dates are slightly off. I'm in my forties (seventies child) and Colin was not a popular name for my generation at all. It wasn't even common amongst my parents' generation. It's definitely not a 'timeless' name in the sense of being a name that gives no clue to the age of the holder - such as Sarah or James.

As far as names grow, it's okay.

TatianaBis · 04/04/2021 21:51

We have a hamster called Clive.

TatianaBis · 04/04/2021 21:50

@SmellsLikeWineIGuess

My BF’s 6YO is Francis.

Look, a generation ago, names like Alfie and Archie were unthinkable, however much people might be trying to argue otherwise.

Names evolve.

They just do. Colin and its ilk will have their time again. The OP is just significantly ahead of the curve.

Good for her.

I know an Archie my age (50).

Names that are very old fashioned come back - they have a historic feel to them. Names that were popular recently like Colin but were, even then, geeky names, won’t come back for a long time.

OP is not ahead of the curve on Colin - there is no curve, it’s a flatline.

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