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

Help with boys names - Clem, Louis or Leo

55 replies

Penny19 · 23/07/2023 19:31

After years of miscarriages and IVF, we are finally going to have a baby boy in November. My name was always rare and loved being the only one. I know it is a little harder for boys names, but I would like it to be a little unique but not out there. I like Leo and Louis but I know they are so popular right now (despite not being that common when we first started to try!) I also like the name Clem which is obviously less common (clement, which i am less keen on, but could always be called clem) I know someone lovely with that name, so maybe I am a bit biased. Would love any thoughts, open to honest (but kindly expressed!) thoughts. 😂

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Daisybuttercup12345 · 26/07/2023 23:19

Not Clem.
Leo is nice. Prefer Lewis to Louie.
Lucas
Leon
Liam or William
Wilfred
Calam
Craig
Clive
Jack
Kyran
Cameron
Jonathan

Original poster
Penny19 · 26/07/2023 09:23

Thanks for your suggestions everyone - very kind of you to respond. Always so nice to have others to consider.

@Scottyme - that is really lovely of you, thank you. It is has been so hard but will make it all the more sweet when he hopefully arrives safe and sound! You are so right, I will def go with my gut - this was a helpful exercise to see if negative responses worried me, and they haven't!

After 20 odd years of calling someone close to me Clem, I personally have never made the association with phlegm 😂But names are so subjective, as are the associative sounds and meanings.

@Songlines you are right - Clemo is a cornish version! I do like all those 'o' ending names they have.

thanks again all :)

OP posts:
Groutyonehereagain · 25/07/2023 03:20

Leo ❤️

Flipflops123 · 25/07/2023 02:52

What about Rory?

mathanxiety · 25/07/2023 02:47

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 24/07/2023 16:45

Tbh it sounds like an American hillbilly name to me.

Show quote history

To me it's the opposite of hillbilly.

I know it's not the same name, but any American association I have that's remotely close is Samuel Clemens.

I see it as a rather RC name. There have been fourteen popes named Clement (and a few antipopes too). I see Louis and Leo as quite RC too fwiw, Leo maybe a bit more than Louis.

Theoldwoman · 25/07/2023 02:12

No to Clem, sounds like phlegm to me.

Love Louis and Leo.

What about Lincoln or Lleyton?

Sockmate123 · 24/07/2023 18:29

Clem is awful, sorry but makes me think of phlegm 🤢 Leo & Louis both gorgeous names, 2 of my favourites and suit a little boy as well as a man 💙

BestIsWest · 24/07/2023 18:24

Clement/Clem is lovely. I also like Leo more than Louis.

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 24/07/2023 16:45

babysharkdoodoodedoodedoo · 24/07/2023 03:58

Clem is horrid - sorry. Just a horrible sound and the only Clem I know of is a member of the Manson family so not a great association! Leo and Louis are lovely.

Tbh it sounds like an American hillbilly name to me.

user1492757084 · 24/07/2023 09:22

Clement - Clem is great.

Louis and Leo are also but they are very popular, as you say.

Other handsome C names ..
Claude
Clive
Clyde
Cedric
Clancy
Crawford
Clifford
Craig
Colin
Columbus
Chester
Charles
Cecil
Cahil
Caspar
Cassius
Caleb
Cuthbert

Vexxa · 24/07/2023 09:07

I like Clement (less keen on Clem). I also love Giles for another idea.

Stygimoloch · 24/07/2023 07:30

I have a Leo. He’s 10. I absolutely love the name and there aren’t too many in his age group although there are younger ones popping up everywhere!

I would say go with a name you love regardless of popularity.

Purplemoons · 24/07/2023 07:20

Leo is very popular to the point it does feel overused to me (it’s number 6 currently).
I like Clement but really dislike Clem.
Louis is gorgeous, I’d go with that.

Remaker · 24/07/2023 05:03

I think Clem/Clemmie is becoming increasingly popular as a girls name, so that’s something to consider if it would bother you (or him).

MissedItByThisMuch · 24/07/2023 04:33

Oh I love Clement/Clem please use it!! Agree that if you want unusual Louis and Leo are out although both lovely.

I feel like Clem has exactly the vibe you describe and as you say names can be made to rhyme with anything - Louis/pooey, Kit/shit, Bertie/dirty just to take some examples from this thread.

mathanxiety · 24/07/2023 04:24

I love Clement. It's a gorgeous name.

Louis and Leo are very nice. I don't think you can go wrong between the three of them.

crew2022 · 24/07/2023 04:10

Clem

babysharkdoodoodedoodedoo · 24/07/2023 03:59

Also Clementine is an extremely trendy name for girls recently so a little boy Clem might be displeased to find he shares a nickname with a lot of little girls

babysharkdoodoodedoodedoo · 24/07/2023 03:58

Clem is horrid - sorry. Just a horrible sound and the only Clem I know of is a member of the Manson family so not a great association! Leo and Louis are lovely.

Homebird8 · 24/07/2023 03:16

There was a lovely Clem in the book The Diddakoi (televised as Kizzy). He was the only one of the big boys to stand up against the bullies.

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 24/07/2023 03:10

Louis
Lawrence
Liam
Leonardo

gingerrcat · 24/07/2023 03:08

Clem sounds like an std

Songlines · 24/07/2023 01:55

I was trying to work out why Jago had come to mind, then realised that Clemo is another Cornish name.

strongcupofTea · 24/07/2023 01:54

Not keen on Clem tbh. Sounds soo much like phlegm. Leo or Louis is much better.

Songlines · 24/07/2023 01:52

I love Clem and have known it used for both boys and girls.
If you want slightly more unusual names how about Jago?