Sebastian or Samuel?

Georgia324 · 2025-09-16T20:58:33+00:00

Struggling for a name for a sibling for our 4yo son Alexander. We have narrowed to Sebastian (nn Seb/Sebby) or Samuel (nn Sam), or potentially Oliver (though it’s v popular). Thoughts? I’m worried Sebastian is a bit pretentious and we can’t carry it off. I love Sam but I don’t love Samuel. Thanks!

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Maxorias · 24/09/2025 01:36

I was going to say Sebastian goes much better with Alexander.

I was also going to suggest Maximilian but I see you've already made your mind !

Firsttimebabymummy · 22/09/2025 21:03

Bloodyscarymary · 16/09/2025 22:04

I think Sebastian and Alexander are lovely together and both have the same level of gravitas and masculine elegance. To me Samuel is much softer and doesn’t quite match Alexander in energy? I don’t think Sebastian is pretentious, especially if you feel you can pull of Alexander, which is equally pretentious given its history of emperors!

This! Alexander and Sebastian sound great!

miserableandworried · 19/09/2025 20:54

I really dislike the name Samuel. Alex and Seb sounds nice together.

Allswellthatendswelll · 19/09/2025 20:37

Georgia324 · 19/09/2025 18:53

@Janet1990 i absolutely concur 😂😂 we’ve been calling him SebSam for the last 24 hours. Sadly we are back in hospital as he has some breathing difficulties and on the chart above his bed it said SebSam until this morning when we finally aligned on Sebastian and I asked them to update it. I actually prefer Sam to Seb, but our surname clashes / rhymes with Sam. It has two syllables and both rhyme so it just sounded odd, with regret. I’m not 100% sold on Sebastian but I think this is okay. We played with Benjamin but it wasn’t quite right. He does carry Sebastian and there we are! Thanks all for your feedback.

I think it's a great name! You could look at other nicknames like Sebby/Baz/Bastian/Bash as well.

I know quite a few Sebastian kids and they are not wildly posh it's just a classic name.

Hope you get back home soon.

Original poster

Georgia324 · 19/09/2025 20:28

Not the kindest, I agree, but perhaps she thought my mind could be changed!

OP posts:

Calliopespa · 19/09/2025 20:08

BigHouseLittleHouse · 19/09/2025 19:19

I don’t like Sebastian at all, it brings to my mind someone fussy /floppy and to me it does sound very posh.

Sam is a good reliable name.

I don’t like Alexander either though so I’m not the best person to comment perhaps!

Um... weird time to drop that comment.

Original poster

Georgia324 · 19/09/2025 19:24

Thanks @Moreteaandchocolate
Alexander is the best name ever to me, so I’ll stick to my guns @BigHouseLittleHouse !

OP posts:

BigHouseLittleHouse · 19/09/2025 19:19

I don’t like Sebastian at all, it brings to my mind someone fussy /floppy and to me it does sound very posh.

Sam is a good reliable name.

I don’t like Alexander either though so I’m not the best person to comment perhaps!

Moreteaandchocolate · 19/09/2025 19:14

Georgia324 · 19/09/2025 18:53

@Janet1990 i absolutely concur 😂😂 we’ve been calling him SebSam for the last 24 hours. Sadly we are back in hospital as he has some breathing difficulties and on the chart above his bed it said SebSam until this morning when we finally aligned on Sebastian and I asked them to update it. I actually prefer Sam to Seb, but our surname clashes / rhymes with Sam. It has two syllables and both rhyme so it just sounded odd, with regret. I’m not 100% sold on Sebastian but I think this is okay. We played with Benjamin but it wasn’t quite right. He does carry Sebastian and there we are! Thanks all for your feedback.

I love the name Sebastian and the nn Seb is lovely, especially looking ahead to the teen years and adulthood - I know some very cool, handsome Seb’s.

Janet1990 · 19/09/2025 18:56

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Original poster

Georgia324 · 19/09/2025 18:53

@Janet1990 i absolutely concur 😂😂 we’ve been calling him SebSam for the last 24 hours. Sadly we are back in hospital as he has some breathing difficulties and on the chart above his bed it said SebSam until this morning when we finally aligned on Sebastian and I asked them to update it. I actually prefer Sam to Seb, but our surname clashes / rhymes with Sam. It has two syllables and both rhyme so it just sounded odd, with regret. I’m not 100% sold on Sebastian but I think this is okay. We played with Benjamin but it wasn’t quite right. He does carry Sebastian and there we are! Thanks all for your feedback.

OP posts:

Janet1990 · 19/09/2025 18:33

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Bluelilacbella · 19/09/2025 10:00

Emanwenym · 19/09/2025 09:58

@Bluelilacbella , I think you quoted the wrong poster.

I was agreeing with your comment that Sebastian is not cool..!

Emanwenym · 19/09/2025 09:58

@Bluelilacbella , I think you quoted the wrong poster.

Bluelilacbella · 19/09/2025 09:56

Emanwenym · 19/09/2025 09:40

What's a handsome name when it's at home?
I don't like Sebastian, or think it cool. I'd expect him to either be my age and privately-educated, or under 18 with a brother called Jenson.

Sebastian is definitely not ‘cool’ imo

But each to their own!

whatevenwasthat · 19/09/2025 09:46

My oldest is called Samuel and I still love it, although he's normally Sam to me.

However, he gets called Sammy a lot, at school, by his sister, by random people. And I reallllly don't like Sammy so maybe consider if that would bother you. (although it's not really my business now, he can tell people if he doesn't like being called Sammy).

Emanwenym · 19/09/2025 09:40

What's a handsome name when it's at home?
I don't like Sebastian, or think it cool. I'd expect him to either be my age and privately-educated, or under 18 with a brother called Jenson.

Poirot1983 · 19/09/2025 09:29

Sebastian, definitely. It's a very strong, cool and handsome name.

Plastictreees · 19/09/2025 09:25

Bluelilacbella · 19/09/2025 09:17

I don’t think Sebastian is a classic like Alexander. Only a few years ago it was seen as ‘posh’, ‘pretentious’ and was outside the top 100.

I also don’t like the nicknames, Sebby or Basty

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Well each to their own. We ended up preferring Alexander over Sebastian for a middle name. But it’s still a good, strong name and timeless imo. It probably is still seen as pretentious in some places, as is Theodore and that name is absolutely ubiquitous now.

Apollonia1 · 19/09/2025 09:24

I've a Sebastian. Inspired by reading Brideshead Revisited as a teen. Everyone calls him the full Sebastian, but his sister calls him Seba sometimes.

Samuel is very nice too. You can't go wrong with either.

Emanwenym · 19/09/2025 09:24

Same here. Sebastian was not mainstream until recently and it's popularity is probably something to do with F1.
Baby name explorer

Bluelilacbella · 19/09/2025 09:17

Plastictreees · 19/09/2025 09:08

Sebastian! We almost went for it but then chose something else, with Alexander as the middle name. I like Sam too, but Sebastian sounds stronger and ‘Seb’ is a good nickname. It’s classic and suits all ages.

I don’t think Sebastian is a classic like Alexander. Only a few years ago it was seen as ‘posh’, ‘pretentious’ and was outside the top 100.

I also don’t like the nicknames, Sebby or Basty

Plastictreees · 19/09/2025 09:08

Sebastian! We almost went for it but then chose something else, with Alexander as the middle name. I like Sam too, but Sebastian sounds stronger and ‘Seb’ is a good nickname. It’s classic and suits all ages.

Busted2006 · 19/09/2025 08:56

Samuel over Sebastian

Benjamin over both

Jemimapinotduck · 17/09/2025 19:40

My Samuel is now 20 but as a newborn he was called Samuel ( I was adamant he was getting his full name! 🤣) he then became Sammy, Samson, Sam well... All sorts of things! 🤣 He is now predominantly Sam, although when he's annoyed me, he still gets the full name!
I still love it so would choose that over Sebastian