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Baby names

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

Original poster

Luke or Rory?

35 replies

Peachesout · 31/12/2023 09:37

Struggling with these two names.

Do you prefer one, if so why?

Luke has been a lifelong favourite but Rory is one I can't stop thinking about. Rory is no.7 where I live though!

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theduchessofspork · 01/01/2024 14:10

I like them both.. but would be put off by the popularity of Rory, Lucas and Luca

Any others?

sunflowerpinks · 01/01/2024 12:46

It would drive me mad hearing Wor-wee all the time from toddlers and young children.

Some adults even have a speech defect that prevents them from saying R properly.

Purplecatshopaholic · 01/01/2024 11:42

If I had had a boy he would have been Luke - lovely name. Rory was nice, but has been tainted by that Tory twat..

eatdrinkandbemerry · 01/01/2024 11:35

Definitely Luke.

Stressfordays · 01/01/2024 11:31

I have a Rory so obviously I'm biased. I've never noticed the 'wor-wee' when he was a toddler tbf. I like Luke too, strong and classic. Not popular currently but those names will be doing the rounds again soon so you could be just ahead of the surge (like I was when I named my Rory, he's the only one in school currently).

jellytots18 · 01/01/2024 11:25

Rory. Rory is my fave boys name ever. Husband doesn't like it so I can never use it 😭😭

NonSequentialRhubarb · 01/01/2024 09:54

Rory is very popular where I am, which puts me off. And Luke is less common but Luca and Lucas are very popular so it still feels too popular even though technically Luke itself is unusual.

Based purely off the names themselves as said correctly, I like Rory best. I think it has a friendly feel to it. But in reality I'd always choose Luke. It would drive me mad hearing Wor-wee all the time from toddlers and young children.

snackprovidersupreme · 01/01/2024 09:08

I love Luke and regret not using it for DS2.

Snugglemonkey · 01/01/2024 09:02

I prefer Rory. Such a beautiful classic name.

Strawberrycheesecake7 · 01/01/2024 08:59

I prefer Luke. I like biblical names though I’m not religious because I think they’re classic and timeless. My son has a biblical name as well. I do think Rory is nice as well though so nothing wrong with either choice.

twistandfart · 01/01/2024 08:51

I love the name Rory. It suits any age.
I'm not a huge fan of Luke though accept it's a classic. I love Luca, though.

tokesqueen · 01/01/2024 08:45

Luke. I have one.
Rory is a right mouthful.

ZoomerDinosaur · 01/01/2024 08:24

I like the name Luke but as someone with a slight rhotacism, Rory is a nightmare for me to pronounce!

I feel Luke is a little more classical and mature. Rory immediately puts me in mind of Rory Stewart and Rory Williams from Doctor Who. Luke doesn't have quite the same associations although I do remember a Luke from the Sarah Jane Adventures!

Theoldwoman · 01/01/2024 07:54

Luke is one of my favourites.
Not fussed on unisex names, lots of girl Rori’s.

romdowa · 01/01/2024 07:39

FayCarew · 31/12/2023 09:58

Luke but Lucas and Luca are pretty popular. Rory is nice but some can't say R.

It hasn't done Jonathan Ross any harm

Passingthethyme · 01/01/2024 07:27

I love Luke, Rory is nice too

Onelife2024 · 01/01/2024 07:26

I like both of them! I’d probably choose Luke as it’s a bit more of a classic choice where I live, whereas Rory feels more “of the moment” (I appreciate Rory is a classic in many other parts of the UK though)

user1492757084 · 01/01/2024 07:12

Luke

LuubyLuu · 01/01/2024 03:28

These names were number 2 and 3 on my list! We went with Rory in the end and 13 years on still love it - to me it's a name that suits a baby, a child, a teenager and an adult equally, its strong but also friendly.

liveforsummer · 01/01/2024 02:46

Both nice names. I had 2 names I couldn't choose between with dd. On day 3 and still no name we tossed a coin 😅

FayCarew · 31/12/2023 12:04

@arewedoneyet , it probably depends on how likely you are to hear the 'mispronunciation'.
Would you use Theo or Tabitha if you lived in an area where they'd be Feo or Tabiffa, or Peter or Natalie who'd be Pe'er and Na'alie?

BCBird · 31/12/2023 12:01

Luke

PickledScrump · 31/12/2023 11:59

Luke, Rory is quite popular

BoleynMemories13 · 31/12/2023 11:57

arewedoneyet · 31/12/2023 11:35

Surely that's not a reason not to use a name if you like it just because some people can't pronounce it

Show quote history

For you it might not be but I can understand why it might put others off. It's certainly not a ridiculous reason to discount a name (especially if you have another name you are considering which you also love). It's annoying to have people struggle to pronounce your name (this is an issue with all sorts of names and plenty of people are put off certain names for fear others might have difficulty pronouncing them, causing a lifetime of annoyance for their future child).

It might even be the future child themselves who struggles to pronounce the name when they're older if they have a speech impediment. I'd say it's definitely worth considering with certain names. Obviously it doesn't put everyone off, otherwise names like Rory wouldn't be popular, but I do understand why some people would discount it on those grounds.

FayCarew · 31/12/2023 11:50

Quite a lot of adults can't say their Rs With most of them it's not bad enough for them to have had speech therapy as children but it is noticeable when they say a word with a strong R in it.

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