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Baby names

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

Boys names: final 3 - which would you choose?

56 replies

Allium16 · 01/10/2021 12:31

I honestly feel like I should be awarded some sort of degree for the amount of time, effort and research I've put into coming up with this final 3. All 3 have their downsides, which I shall explain below. Bearing those in mind, which would you go for?

Nathaniel (really love the long form, but I feel it's a bit, well, long, and neither Nat nor Nate do it for me)

Elijah (the popularity bothers me as I want to try to avoid him being one of several in his class. It's a really nice name though)

Evan (not sure it goes as well with DS1's name (Jude) as the other two).

No idea about a middle name as I don't care as much about those - feel free to make suggestions with your preferred choice. Surname starts with a W, for initials purposes.

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bloominglovelyorange · 02/10/2021 18:02

@Allium16 yes is great when we get an update
best of luck

NameChange30 · 02/10/2021 10:44

Elijah was ranked 38th in 2019. There were 329,107 baby boys born that year in England and Wales, and only 1,621 were named Elijah. Less than 0.5%. It's possible but statistically very unlikely that there would be more than one Elijah in a class of 30 at school.

RandomWordGenerator · 02/10/2021 10:18

Evan

Goes perfectly well with Jude. Your reservations on the other names are harder to overcome. He won’t spend his whole life being the end of “Jude and…” in any case.

SirChenjins · 02/10/2021 10:16

My vetoed-by-my-rubbish-DH boys names were Josiah, Benedict and Magnus - pick one of these, they’re brilliant!!!!

NameChange30 · 02/10/2021 09:13

Elijah. Love it. I don't think it's too popular either, it's not top 10 is it?

Don't like the other two.

PrudenceDictates · 02/10/2021 09:09

Oh, I love Elijah!
Then probably Nathaniel, which I also love, then I'm a bit meh about Evan.

it has strong religious connotations for me and doesn't go with Jude at all

I don't understand this... children don't need to "go": they're not paint colours or appendages of each other and will be living their own separate lives, mostly apart.
I just picked what I wanted when naming my DC, as long as they didn't sound too alike.

In any case, Elijah and Jude (and Nathaniel) are biblical, so arguably go better together, and Evan is the odd one out.

wombforanotherone · 02/10/2021 08:19

Evan goes best with Jude, that's a nice pair. Hope you choose that!

I like Nathaniel but if you don't like any shortenings I think that's a problem. I really don't like Elijah, it has strong religious connotations for me and doesn't go with Jude at all.

17caterpillars1mouse · 02/10/2021 07:49

Nathaniel, like you I love the full name, but not so keen on the nn but I feel like Nate could grow on me, it's probably quite a cool name on a teenager. Definitely not Nat

Elijah is OK. I prefer Elias. Love Eli. I'd be tempted to choose Elijah but always call him Eli

Evan is nice and goes fine with Jude. I do know more Evan's than Elijah's though but it has a more classical feel. I really love Ewan / Euan though

Allium16 · 02/10/2021 05:43

Goodness I can't believe how evenly spread the votes are! You're basically no help at all Wink Grin

Thanks for the alternative suggestions - already been through every name under the sun and Ezra, Nathan, Ethan, Elias etc just aren't my cup of tea. Isn't it funny how names can be so similar in vibe/meaning/background/sound yet we can love one and not the other?

I guess I will take the advice of the PP who said to meet baby first and see which name he suits. You never know, we might look at him and instantly think "CLIVE!" or something.

Thanks for your input all. If I remember I will update this post with what we went for - it's quite rare to find out what a baby eventually gets called!

OP posts:
DramaAlpaca · 02/10/2021 00:56

With Jude, definitely Evan. I love short, neat names and they sound good together.

I don't like Elijah at all, far too religious.

Nathaniel is nice, but too long with Jude. Nate is good, but you don't like that of course. Nathan might be an option instead, and it sounds nice with Jude.

LeeHarper5 · 02/10/2021 00:13

I really wanted Nathaniel but my husband thought it was to long so we agreed on Nathan with Nate as a nickname. We never actually use Nate as my son doesn’t like it although we think it’s cool.

itsraininghere · 02/10/2021 00:13

None sorry

Nathan or Ethan

PaolaDiLorenzo · 02/10/2021 00:03

Evan is my favourite and it goes really well with Jude.

SleepingStandingUp · 02/10/2021 00:03

Not Evan, its awful.

SecretKeeper1 · 01/10/2021 23:58

Jude & Elijah

Or how about throwing Ezra into the mix?

FeedMeSantiago · 01/10/2021 23:01

Evan for me, followed by Elijah, followed by Nathaniel. I think the latter will be shortened and I also don't like Nate. I know a Nathan who shortens his name to Ned which could be an alternative nickname for Nathaniel too?

If you go with Evan or Elijah avoid a middle name beginning with W, or his initials will be EWW.

Fivebeanchilli · 01/10/2021 22:45

I adore Nathaniel. But I also love Nat as a shortened version. It's quite a long name without a nickname.
Elijah - is ok. I find it a bit meh if I'm honest.
Evan - I think this fits best with Jude. Both feel "cool" and slightly edgy but mainstream enough too. I actually much prefer Euan but Evan would be my pick from your names. I really dislike sn names normally but I don't see this in that light.

Lightswitch123 · 01/10/2021 22:38

@Shmithecat2

Nathaniel. Love that name. I don't like either of the other two.
Snap. Really don't like elijah
Skyla2005 · 01/10/2021 22:36

How about Ethan

WeasilyPleased · 01/10/2021 22:27

Jude and Elijah sound best together.

lifesnotaspectatorsport · 01/10/2021 21:54

Ha ha, I had Nathaniel and Elijah on my list for DS1. Similar objections to you.

I prefer Elijah I think. Did you consider Elias?

Evanna13 · 01/10/2021 21:51

Evan is lovely. I think it's the most classic.

Onlinedilema · 01/10/2021 21:47

Nathaniel.

GoodnightGrandma · 01/10/2021 21:45

I only like Nate 🥴

poodlepip · 01/10/2021 21:44

A bit of an old school idea but I have found it helpful for me, knowing what you mean about putting so much time into thinking about the options... Could you have these three ready and see which one suits when he arrives?