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Baby names

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

Original poster

Help us with something along the lines of Joseph/Jesse

32 replies

PickledElectricity · 31/03/2025 23:23

DP and I are expecting DC 2. Have a girl name picked but struggling with a boy name.

I am 35 weeks so feel like time is running out but also haven't seen anything I really love.

DP has floated Joseph.

I think it's ok but the more I think about it the less I like it, because:

  • not keen on Joe as a nickname and that's probably inevitable
  • Joseph Stalin, Joseph Fritzel, I can't shake those connotations off now that they're in my head.

I quite like Jesse. DP not keen because:

  • it sounds like a girl's name (Jessie)
  • doesn't like Jess as a nn

DS1 name starts with R.

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sashh · 03/04/2025 04:48

Joseph in another language? Giuseppe or Yosef or Joscha?

It's a shame about the associations because I don't think either were actually called Joseph. I think Stalin was Lozeb and Fritz with a 'z'.

What about combining it with a middle name, I'm sure I heard of a John Joseph known as Jo Jo.

What about Jude?

Tbrh · 03/04/2025 04:22

Jacob, Joshua, Jonah

PrincessOfPreschool · 03/04/2025 03:39

I like Gabriel /Gabe
Sebadtian/ Seb

user1492757084 · 03/04/2025 01:50

John - Johnny, Jack, Jock
David - Dave
Christopher - Chris, Christy, Kit
Michael - Mike, Mick
James - Jim, Jimmy, Jimbo

Emanwenym · 02/04/2025 19:33

Samuel

Ab1ga1L3 · 02/04/2025 18:59

Jonah
Jacob
Theodore
Lawrence

DisforDarkChocolate · 01/04/2025 13:24

I love Joseph, Joe as a nickname is pretty inevitable though. That's also a plus side.

Jesse - to close to the girl equivalent for me.

How about -

Matthew
Isaac
James
John
Jacob
Joss (one of my favourite)
Robert
Raymond
Reece

AllFours · 01/04/2025 13:21

Jonah ❤️

mrsbookwormery · 01/04/2025 13:15

I have a Joseph and he is always Joseph to us. Now he’s an adult his mates call him Joe but doesn’t bother us, and he’s always Joseph.

NormasArse · 01/04/2025 13:12

Jethro.

Or Joss as a nn for Joseph.

Our Joseph was called Joey by his baby sister and it stuck. He’s a 37 yr old Joey now!

Mumofgirls2017 · 01/04/2025 13:02

Jude
joshua
jonah
jasper
joel
caleb
elias
jacob
isaac
michael
lucas
rowan
felix

Busted2006 · 01/04/2025 11:45

I love Jospeh but yes he will be known as Joe. I wouldn’t worry about the namesakes as it is such a well known name, I doubt anyone would think of them.

I like Jesse but it is a tad soft and feminine for me name taste

Original poster
PickledElectricity · 01/04/2025 10:59

Enough4me · 31/03/2025 23:34

You mentioned you're other child's name starts with an R, so you like the R sound?
Robin
Robert

Or J names with R in them?
Jeremy

Yes our first child is called one of those names!

OP posts:
BatsInSpring · 01/04/2025 07:14

I really like Jonah, Joel, Jacob, James, and Julius (Jules). So many great J names.

BoleynMemories13 · 01/04/2025 04:41

I much prefer Joseph, but then I also like Joe so that helps. Jesse isn't for me at all.

Joel is a nice compromise. Jonah, personally, I feel will inevitably be Joe one day too. There's Josiah too, but again Joe is likely inevitable.

Jacob is another J favourite of mine. Jude, James, Joshua, Jared are all nice.

Babbitbaddit · 01/04/2025 03:55

What about John, it is due a revival

Asyousayit · 01/04/2025 03:34

My son is a Jesse (I wanted Albie but it was my husbands turn this time as I 💯 picked my last child's name) and his second name is Dean (my choice) so Jesse Dean seems to roll off the tongue but we call him everything... Jesse! Jesse Dean! Jess! J! J Boy! JD! Second names can definitely make the first sound great 👍

Fintoo · 01/04/2025 03:31

Jude
Seth
Nathaniel (Nate)
Theodore (Ted or Theo)

Pandimoanymum · 01/04/2025 03:28

Julian
Jack
Jonathan
Jerome/Jem
Josiah
Jonty
Jayden
Joel
Jared

Pandimoanymum · 01/04/2025 03:21

Aww, my grandad was Joseph Jesse. Not that that’s relevant, but it made me think about him, so that was nice!

PiggieWig · 01/04/2025 02:36

J names are my favourite for boys.

Joel
Jake
Jacob
Joshua
Jonah
Jonjo
Jethro
Joby
Jack
Jamie
Jay
Jude
Jim

mathanxiety · 01/04/2025 02:14

Jonah is lovely.

Suggestions (apologies for repeats):
Jerome
Josiah
Jasper
Julius
Jordan

Francis
Leo
Matthew
Luke
Samuel
Nicholas
Henry

FancyBrickPoster · 01/04/2025 00:55

I think Jonah is less likely to get shortened to Joe than Joseph, and I like it more anyways. Other J names that could work I think are Jace, or maybe Jem for James. If you want a full name for Jace there's obviously Jason, but if you don't like that then I know a teen named Jasper who goes by Jace.

I like Jesse a lot, I don't really think it sounds like exclusively a girl name at all, especially with that spelling. I don't understand why Jesse/Jessie is one of the only unisex names that people can't appreciate as being unisex. I always see people wanting to name their son Jesse but being worried that people might think he's a girl, when Jesse has been an established male name for as long as it's existed.

username462025 · 01/04/2025 00:41

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

tinkitonki · 31/03/2025 23:38

Jae ?

Jory? (Cornish George)