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Baby names

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

Original poster

Willem or Miles

59 replies

twizzlesss · 17/10/2023 10:34

Stuck on Willem or Miles. Nn for Willem would be Bill. Anybody know any? Thoughts welcome!

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PumpkinsAndCoconuts · 18/10/2023 04:53

are you in the UK or an other majority English country?
I do suspect that there will be a lot of William/Will.
But I actually really like the name!

user1492757084 · 18/10/2023 04:30

I like Bill. I would use William.
Willem is fine enough though and people would easily adjust.

Then I also like ..
Jim for James
Tim for Timothy
Mike for Michael
Bob for Robert

Daisybuttercup12345 · 17/10/2023 23:53

Miles is nice.
Willem sounds like a toddler trying to pronounce William to me.
Wilfred?

ZinniaB · 17/10/2023 23:36

Willem is beautiful - strong, elegant, familiar sounding but unusual, like Maxim. Probably my favourite boys names. Miles just seems a bit less special.

People will get on board with Willem just as they’re doing with other currently used choices which have traditional variants (like Matteo from Matthew). Id definitely do Willem.

Starrystarryfight · 17/10/2023 22:21

I love Willem. Please could you give him a brother called Jude?

SemperIdem · 17/10/2023 22:19

As pp’s have said - if you don’t have Dutch heritage, you’re making life unnecessarily difficult with Willem rather than William.

I like Miles.

CrystalDay · 17/10/2023 22:06

Miles

JohnThorntonsOverbearingMother · 17/10/2023 21:53

Never heard of a dog called Bill. Dave seems to be a popular doggie name these days, have also met a canine Steve, but no Bills.

theduchessofspork · 17/10/2023 21:46

twizzlesss · 17/10/2023 19:16

@WillWillem do you have Dutch heritage if you don’t mind me asking?

I just prefer slightly more unusual names and Willem feels nice and compact/ stand alone whilst having nickname potential so I guess that’s why it would be Willem over William.

Thanks so much for all your replies. Although I’m still torn! They’re both great names!

… although I have to say if you don’t have Dutch heritage using Willem rather than William seems a bit pointlessly difficult - like spelling Hannah Hana or Nicholas Nicolas

theduchessofspork · 17/10/2023 21:43

Mistressanne · 17/10/2023 10:58

Gosh. You’re rude.
Bill is a very standard first name, more so than Miles.

Not heard Willem before OP but I like it and Bill is a good solid name.

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I am pretty sure there are more Mileses than Bills around right now. Bill is v unusual on anyone under 60.

Anyway they are both nice OP. I prefer Miles but if you are using Bill day to day the Willem spelling won’t bother him.

Steev · 17/10/2023 19:40

Do you say it like Will umm?

Steev · 17/10/2023 19:39

Fooshufflewickjbannanapants · 17/10/2023 12:36

I guess willem Defoe passed you all by?! I like both but whatever you choose as a nn they choose their own or their friends do!

Whaaaaaat? I have always called him William

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 17/10/2023 19:24

I know several Willem’s/people who names their child Willem but I don’t live in the UK.

How are you pronouncing it - with a W like William or more of a V sound at the start?

Original poster
twizzlesss · 17/10/2023 19:16

@WillWillem do you have Dutch heritage if you don’t mind me asking?

I just prefer slightly more unusual names and Willem feels nice and compact/ stand alone whilst having nickname potential so I guess that’s why it would be Willem over William.

Thanks so much for all your replies. Although I’m still torn! They’re both great names!

OP posts:
Bumcake · 17/10/2023 18:11

I know two human Bills and a cat Billy. And Billie Piper.

Miles is a horrible name.

Delphigirl · 17/10/2023 17:59

I’ve got a Miles. It’s been a great name for him baby boy and now man. My DD has a friend called Willem in his mid-20s. He is always called Willem, not shortened. I like it. I have always assumed he must be half Dutch or something but actually that is maybe my assumption.
I do tend to think that if you plan on calling him Bill you might as well just call him William, though.

Ontopofthesunset · 17/10/2023 17:55

Do you have Dutch heritage? I don't dislike Willem, but it's the Dutch version of William. All the Willems I know are from the Netherlands or Belgium. If you're going to call the child Bill it seems a bit unnecessary to give an uncommon (in the UK) version of a common English name - why not just William?

And I know several Bills, ranging in age from 18 to 88 and no dogs called Bill at all. All the dogs I know are called things like Finn and Poppy and Alfie and Ted - in fact the same names as most of my children's friends.

nle · 17/10/2023 17:44

I love Willem.

Jewelspun · 17/10/2023 16:06

Miles is a lovely name.

Willem is awful.

KirstenBlest · 17/10/2023 15:06

I don't like the Myles spelling at all, but I do like Miles.

Zone2NorthLondon · 17/10/2023 14:54

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Viviennemary · 17/10/2023 14:48

Dont like either of the names very much.

WillWillem · 17/10/2023 14:46

We have a Willem. Other than a few repeats of “no, it’s Willem” he’s had no issue reaching late teens. Likes his name. Resists most attempts made to shorten it.

CommonSenze · 17/10/2023 14:42

Miles is a good name - only spell it Myles if he's going to be a banker or MP maybe.
Willem Dafoe, great name, great actor.

WetBandits · 17/10/2023 14:38

JohnThorntonsOverbearingMother · 17/10/2023 14:37

I once met Willem Dafoe and he was the loveliest man.

I prefer the name Miles though.

I can imagine him being absolutely lovely!