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Baby names

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

Original poster

Seth, Keston, Duncan, David

54 replies

Occasionalnamechanger · 11/10/2024 12:32

Follow up from my last post - I'm struggling massively with boys names.

I like David and Robert but am worried they are a bit dull and any son would be one of many. I like Keston but am unsure if it's too unusual. Seth is a definite favourite but then I run out of ideas.

Any suggestions at all? Ideally a little bit retro - anything that would have worked circa 1800-1930 I think.

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SprigatitoYouAndIKnow · 11/10/2024 18:38

I like Robert most. Would nickname Bert, but Robbie is cute for a younger child too.

CookieMonster28 · 11/10/2024 17:57

Can't believe how many people are saying Duncan is nice! It's my DFs name and I cannot for the life of me imagine a baby boy called Duncan!! Isn't it funny how different everyone's tastes are!

Seth would be my favourite choice

PreggersWithBaby2 · 11/10/2024 17:48

Pick a name that you like. You will be the one using it the most throughout his life. If you like David or Robert, then use David or Robert. So what if you know a few others with the same name. I would much rather have the same name as a handful of other people than be called a ridiculously unique name! David and Robert are solid names! FWIW I'm a teacher of the 12 - 18 age bracket, haven't had a Robert in a long time, I might have one David per year but can't recall any time I've had more than one together!

WaltzingWaters · 11/10/2024 17:46

Not a fan of David or Robert. But I grew up in a time where they were everywhere! It’s quite unusual now.
Seth and Duncan both really nice.

Firsttimebabymummy · 11/10/2024 17:43

David is my favourite and don't know of any young David's.

TheBirdintheCave · 11/10/2024 17:39

There's a three year old David in my son's class. It suits him :)

Mandarinaduck · 11/10/2024 17:36

I really love the names David and Robert.

similarly retro but very solid old names are
Paul
Mark
Richard
Michael
Stephen
Stuart

what sbout
Leonard
Linus
Raymond
Ivan
Cedric
Alban
Roland
Nathaniel
Adrian

TimPat · 11/10/2024 16:04

I know a 7 year old Robert and a 10 year old David. Both are fine enough names and certainly not common in this generation.
Never heard of Keston before, strongly dislike it sorry.
Seth is ok, more common than the others on your list at the moment I'd say.
Duncan is great.

RainyJuly87 · 11/10/2024 15:59

David and Robert are lovely and classy names. Traditional yet sound fresh as there won't be many around at his age.

Duncan sounds dated to me
Seth is awful sorry

Other suggestions:

James
William
Christopher
Henry
John
Alexander
Edward
Daniel
Jonathan

@Sparklyhat I agree 100%. If I hear of another frigging Jaxon I'll scream. Seems to be all Teddy/Arlo/Alfie/Archie everywhere too. 🙄

muddyford · 11/10/2024 15:57

Robert is my favourite boy's name and I love David too. Seth is nice, Duncan the same. Keston sounds like services on the M4, though I think they are Heston!

Sparklyhat · 11/10/2024 15:54

I do like David and Robert. So much better than Jaxon/Huxley/Wilson/Jet/Oakley/ and the other new style names which are in my kids class. How about Edward?

99point9FahrenheitDegrees · 11/10/2024 15:40

I've got a David and he has always been the only one in his class! I've only met one small Robert in this country in the last 10 years too, ditto Matthew and Christopher. I really like Keston, but you will definitely have to spell it a lot.

Theoldwoman · 11/10/2024 15:10

Albert
Elias
Lyndon
Roman
Edward
Zachary
Kane
Adam
Lincoln
Vincent
Saul
Jonathan
Cameron
Peter
Joseph
Simon
Benjamin
Stephen
Andrew

Waterboatlass · 11/10/2024 14:45

Love Robert and Duncan.

Dislike Seth. David is nice and solid, nothing wrong with it but not overly exciting

I much prefer Kester if you're Scottish to Keston

TheLittleOldWomanWhoShrinks · 11/10/2024 14:36

Jonathan also great. (Why on earth hasn't John come back, when there are so many Jacks everywhere?)

TheLittleOldWomanWhoShrinks · 11/10/2024 14:35

David's very underused atm. If you call your ds it you'll be about 10-20 years ahead of the curve, I suspect. I also like it a lot.
Robert's also very much fallen out of use. Same category/vintage and (IMO) nice names: Christopher, Matthew, Philip, Simon.

I'm not keen on Keston, and I feel I should like Seth and Duncan but I don't for some reason.

DramaAlpaca · 11/10/2024 14:34

Interesting list, OP.

I like David and Robert. Keston is different but quite nice.

I don't like Seth though, it's sort of... lispy and slithery.

butterfly0404 · 11/10/2024 14:21

My friend's young boy is a David, or Davey as he's known, it's a lovely name.

Duncan has always been a favourite of mine, that would be a great choice.

Ralph , Malcolm, Steven, Grant for your list

GoodVibesHere · 11/10/2024 14:21

Sebastian / Seb
Christopher
Hugo

stopringingme · 11/10/2024 14:20

Ronald
Gerald
Brian
Andrew
Nicholas
Wilbur
Wilfred
Sidney
Burt
Lionel
Eric
Bruce
Geoffrey

HotSource · 11/10/2024 14:18

I love Seth

Theo, Isaac, Stan, Gus, Frank?

DreamingDaisies · 11/10/2024 14:10

I actually know two under 10s called Keston; and none called either David or Robert. Those would be much more unusual. (I have primary school aged children)

Moreteaandchocolate · 11/10/2024 14:10

I actually love David and Robert, and there aren’t too many around atm! Seth is great too!

How about

Ralph
Laurence
Leonard / Leon
Russell
Peter
Lester
Harvey
Everett
Victor
Hugh
Jay
Roscoe
Julius
Vincent
Wesley
Nathan
Rufus
Franklin
Amos
Aaron
Perry
Calvin
August

Nicebloomers · 11/10/2024 14:07

You’re not going to find many Davids or Roberts around these days. So while it might be a bit pedestrian to my ears it will be fresh-sounding to his generation.

Duncan is a great name.

Gregor
Peter
Jonathan
Benjamin
Geoffrey
Richard
Bruno

Christwosheds · 11/10/2024 13:03

Frozensnow · 11/10/2024 12:34

There are not many Davids and Roberts these days. I’m a big fan of David so would go for that one. I’m not keen on Seth or Keston or Duncan.

only issue you might have is David might get called Dave which you might feel is a bit dated. Although saying that there’s a David in my daughters school who is ten and he is not a Dave

Agree with this. I don’t know any under 25 Davids or Roberts, and they are both timeless names but rare at the moment.
I think Seth is hard to say somehow. Also Seth Starkadder ! I haven’t heard of Keston, is it a surname ? I know a Kester.