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Original poster

William or Ambrose

51 replies

BlueWhiteGreen · 07/11/2025 22:09

Hi all, baby boy due this Christmas.

Top 2 are William and Ambrose, just can’t decide which!

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Username2167 · 06/01/2026 22:48

Zitroneneis · 17/11/2025 16:58

Are you suggesting the name Ambrose suits geeky, gay men? Shock Wow!

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Yes this made be laugh - DS (middle name Ambrose, came very close to being first name) is the absolute polar opposite of that posters description 😂

YourWildAnt · 06/01/2026 14:26

My DS is Ambrose. I'm Catholic and love the history of the name. He mostly gets called Ambie. We often get compliments on his name, but my mum was the worst for the custard jibes 😒 kids will be picked on for a whole host of things at some point, no matter their name. My son is very young but already has a rugby players' build, so balances out the femininity some people think the name has.

RaraRachael · 17/11/2025 17:06

Definitely William. I've never encountered an Ambrose IRL.
It makes me think of tinned rice or custard.

Zitroneneis · 17/11/2025 16:58

OldTiredMum1976 · 17/11/2025 16:33

My DS has a best friend called Ambrose but he has definitely grown into what his name suggests - clever, posh, geeky and will no doubt be gay.

Are you suggesting the name Ambrose suits geeky, gay men? Shock Wow!

OldTiredMum1976 · 17/11/2025 16:34

Will also add, Ambrose goes to private school so fits in well. He would likely be annihilated in state school.

OldTiredMum1976 · 17/11/2025 16:33

My DS has a best friend called Ambrose but he has definitely grown into what his name suggests - clever, posh, geeky and will no doubt be gay.

Zov · 17/11/2025 16:31

Zitroneneis · 17/11/2025 12:14

He won’t thank you when he gets teased with Willi!!

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Yep, this happens. He is far more likely to get teased by being given a name like Ambrose! I mean really?! 😂

DemonsandMosquitoes · 17/11/2025 16:29

William.
Yes, Ambrose is effeminate to my ears.

VikaOlson · 17/11/2025 14:52

Zitroneneis · 17/11/2025 12:14

He won’t thank you when he gets teased with Willi!!

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I don't think that happens 😂

HugoYorway · 17/11/2025 12:27

Of all the Williams I know, I don't think any get teased with Willi.
Ambrose will probably get called Rosie.

Zitroneneis · 17/11/2025 12:14

VikaOlson · 17/11/2025 11:37

Ambrose is cute but I think he'd thank you for going with William!

He won’t thank you when he gets teased with Willi!!

BillieWiper · 17/11/2025 11:40

Ambrose is not good. It almost sounds like a slightly lower class woman's name, Amber-Rose.
That or a very twee looking chubby Victorian child from a Beatrix potter book wearing shorts and a cap.

VikaOlson · 17/11/2025 11:37

Ambrose is cute but I think he'd thank you for going with William!

HugoYorway · 17/11/2025 11:35

That's the thing though! Cat names do take off, look what happened with Noah. ???

LancashireButterPie · 17/11/2025 08:44

Words · 08/11/2025 14:44

Ambrose is a great cat name.
William is lovely.

That's the thing though! Cat names do take off, look what happened with Noah.
I agree with the poster who said it was quite "Catholic", my first thought was Ambrose Barlow. It wouldn't harm his chances of getting into a Catholic school 😂

RichPetuniaAgain · 11/11/2025 15:07

William.

VioletMatilda · 11/11/2025 11:02

I knew a William Ambrose and thought it was a great name. I liked the combination of "safe" first name and gorgeous middle name. Is William Ambrose Surname a possibility?

Alexandrine · 11/11/2025 06:12

William is lovely - a timeless classic that suits all ages and backgrounds. It’s very international too which is a bonus. I disagree that he’ll get called “Willy”…well possibly once or twice by very young kids, but it’s hardly a sophisticated or clever shortening that adults or even teenagers are going to bother teasing with is it? It’s a bit like calling a girl named Pooja “poo” - only impressive/funny if you are a four year old.

And I disagree that there will likely be 2 Williams in a class these days. 2 or 3 in the whole school maybe, but ime it would have to be a fairly big all boys private or naice grammar school to get 2 Williams in a class today (because as with other similar “timeless classics” like Edward, Alexander etc, these sort of names are all rapidly dropping down the popularity charts compared to even 20/30 years ago). More likely to be 2 Noahs or Theos in a class if there happens to be any repeats at all in most of the schools I’ve been in.

Ambrose is personally too feminine sounding to me. I suspect it might be why it hasn’t made the “Great-Grandad” hipster comeback in the way that similar style names like Ernest, Percy etc have. Though I do love the sound of the Welsh variant- Emrys. Now that has definitely made a comeback, as I know a few young Emrys.

Jeschara · 08/11/2025 16:36

100% William.

Words · 08/11/2025 15:35

"Bro" is horrific. That alone would deter me, despite my frequent insistance that diminutives bestowed by others can just be corrected.

NameyMcnameChange2 · 08/11/2025 14:57

I have an Ambrose so naturally I voted that.

He’s 6 and we are in Croydon so not a natural Ambrose area.

He makes a beeline for the Ambrosia tins in supermarkets and likes to have them on display in his room. I called him Mr Custard when he was small. We’ve kind of embraced the connotations!

Maybe one day he’ll hate me but I love the name!

DappledThings · 08/11/2025 14:53

Ambrose is a great name.

Zitroneneis · 08/11/2025 14:52

ThatsNotAKnife · 08/11/2025 14:16

Ambrose would easily end up as 'Bro' once he's a tween. There's a lot worse nicknames out there.

Ammy or Bro are SO much nicer than Willy!!

Will is such a confusing nickname imo as it’s a noun and verb - “Will Will’s will be written” or “Will Will come?”

Words · 08/11/2025 14:44

Ambrose is a great cat name.
William is lovely.

ThatsNotAKnife · 08/11/2025 14:16

Ambrose would easily end up as 'Bro' once he's a tween. There's a lot worse nicknames out there.