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Baby names

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

Original poster

Classic and underused boys names

57 replies

SofaLion · 13/01/2024 13:32

We really struggled to name our first boy and now looking for inspiration for number two! We want something classic but outside the top 20! Any ideas very welcome…

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ChristmasFullHouse · 13/01/2024 22:53

Ferdinand is lovely!

Comedycook · 13/01/2024 22:41

John is so underused...I'm amazed it hasn't seen a comeback yet.

Theoldwoman · 13/01/2024 22:38

Austin
Ayrton
Tobias
Lincoln
Lleyton
Marcus
Evan
Richard
Samuel
Curtis
Seth
Saul
Derrick
Phillip
Gulliver
Wade
Quentin
Ryan
Drew
Joel
Christopher
Aidan
Daniel
Bradley
Kieran
Elias
Joseph
Carl
Anthony
Eric
Kyle
Dane
Stephen
Caleb

StSwithinsDay · 13/01/2024 22:28

Names from my childhood.

John
David
Brian
Gerard
Michael
Barry
Robert
James
Anthony
William

MrsW9 · 13/01/2024 22:26

I have been a teacher for a number of years and have only ever taught one John. I think it's a lovely name!

KThnxBye · 13/01/2024 22:09

Timeless classic names can also be very unpopular at times.

Case in point - Anne is outside the top 1500 names.

mathanxiety · 13/01/2024 21:19

Ivo
Douglas
Bram
Edmund
Giles
Hugh
Ansel
Eugene
Fergus

marshmallowfinder · 13/01/2024 19:18

Adam, Ashley, Murray.

ginasevern · 13/01/2024 18:28

Simon
Stewart

Gaggley · 13/01/2024 18:20

Bartholomew
Craig
Gordon
Eric
Rodney

tokesqueen · 13/01/2024 18:06

Adam

Mumsnut · 13/01/2024 17:56

John

Strong, plain, unpretentious.

Jack is the usual nickname

mathanxiety · 13/01/2024 17:45

Ambrose
Conrad
Clement

CoffeeBeansGalore · 13/01/2024 17:44

A bit out of the box but I like these:

Milton
Murray
Tudor (Welsh I think)
Aaron
Darwin

tadpolelove · 13/01/2024 17:36

Quentin
Everette
Audie

Original poster
SofaLion · 13/01/2024 17:33

Thanks for the fab suggestions everyone, definitely some to go on the list.

Being popular doesn’t concern me, more that I’ll pick a name that ends up being fashionable for a short period then becoming dated very quickly. My toddler has a name just outside the top 20 but it’s a classic that’s been in the top 50/100 for a long time.

Some suggestions that I love but can’t use due to being used by close friends and family are:
Nicholas
Nathaniel
Patrick

Adding to the list are Laurence/Lawrence, Alistair, Jasper and Sebastian.

OP posts:
Onelife2024 · 13/01/2024 17:25

I love
Sebastian
Nicholas
Christopher
Benjamin
Tobias
Peter
Thomas
James
William
Louie
Alexander
Edward
Zachary
Joseph
Samuel
David
Ellis.

BeaLola · 13/01/2024 17:11

Peter - my lovely Dads name

CurlewKate · 13/01/2024 17:03

I have a Patrick. He's 22 and had only ever met one other under about 60. Lovely, lovely versatile name.

Mumofgirls2017 · 13/01/2024 16:27

Vincent
wilfred
spencer
douglas
leonard
jasper
christopher
peter
john
ralph
silas
lawrence
frank
nicholas

FayCarew · 13/01/2024 16:11

Richard
Simon
David
Andrew
Patrick
Michael
Philip
Stephen
Mark
Matthew
Luke
John
Paul
Jonathan

aintnospringchicken · 13/01/2024 16:04

Andrew
David
Robert
Jonathan
Christopher
Nicholas
Stuart
Douglas
Magnus

Erinrose82 · 13/01/2024 16:00

The best people 😂

KThnxBye · 13/01/2024 15:42

I like to look outside the top 1000. A top 100 name is really a very popular one.

Here are some outside the top 100- Elliott, Luke, Matthew, Robin, Vincent, Robert, Nathaniel

Outside the top 250 - Nicolas, Julian, Angus, Dennis, Richard, Timothy

Stephen is only just inside the top 500 at (joint) 496. Outside the top 500 are names like Lawrence, Brian, Noel, Edwin, Brandon, Aubrey, Caspian, Raymond, Alistair, Samson, Benedict.

For actually underused, let’s get outside the top 1000. Antony, Florian, Percival, Everett, Kenneth, Neil, Gerard, Quentin, Gilbert, Eugene, Derek, Gary, Gavin, Graham, Lucius, Wallace, Bertram, Barnabas, Cedric, Ferdinand, Jeffrey, Lionel, Maurice, Clyde.

MissyB1 · 13/01/2024 15:38

Erinrose82 · 13/01/2024 15:30

My middle son ( and my easiest child ! ) is called patrick. Love the name still.
he’s paddy to his friends though 🤦‍♀️😂

My youngest is a Patrick - also my easiest! His friends call him Pat.

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