Help us pick a boy name!!

Laurence with this spelling, shortened to Laurie.

@KarriTreeSullivan , it's well nigh impossible to convey sounds without English equivalents.

It must be such a difficult language to learn. If you go to S4C Clic, there are some brilliant programmes on there, with a good mix of accents. (There are subtitles but they're not word-for-word translations)

Ah thank you very much for that, that would have been difficult to explain in words! 😃

I'm not going to tell a stranger on the internet where I Iive, but to me that's northern Welsh, my husband and family say they can barely understand their version of Welsh! We lived in Aberystwyth for a while where north and south meet and he really struggled with the north Welsh talking to him or when I asked him to translate!

I'm also being taught southern Welsh.

'Rees' is a fairly common surname here and all versions are pronounced the same, though when a first name its always spelled Rhys and they're generally younger round here, under 40/45 tops I'd say.

I love the name, pronounced the southern way.

Lawrence is really lovely too, that gets my vote.

@KarriTreeSullivan , thanks. It would depend where in West Wales you are but chances are they all sound the same there. The Shîr Gâr (Sir Gaer) accent is strong.

It's a very popular name with the Welsh and has been for decades. Most of the ones I know are middle aged and from Welsh-speaking homes, and all say it the same and it doesn't sound like Rees.

West Wales and I'm learning with weekly lessons. My husband, in-laws, children and multiple friends speak Welsh.

Laurence is the feminine version of Laurent.

My son is called Laurence/ Laurie. A solid not too common name that suits all types of characters.
Laurence is a strong name as a professional but Laurie is absolutely great as well professionally and socially.
My son generally refers to himself as Laurie and he is rocking his career ,his colleagues including CEO call him Laurie.

@KarriTreeSullivan , where in Wales are you, and do you speak Welsh?

How is Rhys pronounced in Wales to you? Just curious, because I live in Wales and have only ever heard Rhys, Rees and Reece all pronounced exactly the same, with the exception of a bit of roll on the R in Wales. I know a Welsh speaking Rhys and he pronounces it the same way an English Reece/Rees would?

Not having a go or anything 🙂, genuinely a bit confused, and wondering if I have missed something or have got used to something I haven't noticed!

Maybe with Reece there's a it more of a linger on the 'ece' bit and Rhys is a bit shorter?

I agree with all of this, right down to Lawrence making me think of DH Lawrence.

I think something to remember, OP, is that your baby won’t always be a baby. Choosing what you feel is a “formal name” is not a bad thing because he will be an adult for most of his life and having a formal name is a good thing. And Lawrie/Laurie is actually a lovely sounding nickname when they are young.

I like Felix and Laurie. I know a Felix, it’s a lovely name.

I do not like Levi

Yes!! I didn’t even know this before my DS was born haha. I still love his name it’s so unique but not stupid and tends to be a first name more in America than here

Also Patrick Swayze's character in Roadhouse. Super cool!

Levi and Rhys are chavvy, the badly behaved kid at school. Arthur classic if a bit dull. My favourite is Felix but would also consider Rex if you like that one.

Rhys

Felix

If you're concerned about popularity, you can take a look at the statistics from previous years which can be downloaded from the ONS website.
Or use Baby name explorer to view the popularity.

If you're concerned about popularity, you can take a look at the statistics from previous years which can be downloaded from the ONS website.

In 2024 the amount of boys given those names in England and Wales:

Lawrence - 66 (more popular spelling was Laurence, 106 of them)
Rhys - 124
Arthur 3,368 (4th most popular overall)
Levi - 481
Felix - 810 (so plenty of parents don't worry about the cat connection, it's a name that's grown in popularity in recent years so I think it's lost some of it's association with cat food)

I like Felix and Arthur best. Though they are quite popular if it matters. Lawrence is ok but maybe a bit dated, same with Rhys. Levi is ok though would assume religious and also associate with the jeans. Nevertheless there are probably many Levi’s around!

And to add, I also like Lawrence, though it may tend to get shortened. Do you like any of the usual short forms such as Lawrie or Larry?

I love Felix. Maybe because I know a young Felix, a lovely boy, and there's no suggestion of any cat link!

I also really like Rhys and Arthur. I think any of Felix, Rhys or Arthur would be great. I don't like Levi, which I find the opposite of cool.

The name Fekix far proceeds the cat associations. I love this name, it’s cool af. And also cats are cool too, so…… that’s my favourite by a country mile.
I almost called my third boy this name, or Sasha. Major regrets because I let a bunch of weirdos tell me it was cat food.

Honestly not a fan of any but I’d pick Felix from your list

I like Rhys with that spelling! But it would be too popular for me.

I named my DS with my grandmas maiden name. Dalton. Do you have any suitable examples like that with family ties? I absolutely love my DS name - I wanted something uncommon but not made up or daft.

I love Rhys although all the Rhys’s I know are Welsh speakers which I am guessing you are not.