Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Baby names

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

Can’t decide between two names

85 replies

chriss232 · 20/08/2026 20:56

I really love the name River but can’t tell if it sounds overly strange with our last name (Berger) like low hanging fruit for bullying or jokes. Also not sure if most people think of it as a “normal” name nowadays or if it’s a name that would make people roll their eyes or consider wimpy for a boy?

I also really like the name Jonah. And could potentially want to use the nickname Joey.

Trying to avoid name regret but now I feel like I’m just obsessing and getting nowhere.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
PancakeCloud · 21/08/2026 16:28

Bunnybigears · 20/08/2026 21:22

Because rhymes work on the last stressed syllable not the first. RivER BergER or JonAH BergAH depending on how you pronounce Berger.

That’s not how rhymes work, but I can see how you don’t like the matching final syllable. I don’t think it’s a particularly big deal tbh.

HighburyHope · 21/08/2026 15:01

I prefer Jonah with your surname, but like Jonas even better.

Likeiloveyou · 21/08/2026 14:53

Joey is great.

River doesn’t go with your last name.

countrylifeorcitylife · 21/08/2026 14:29

I prefer Jonah in this circumstance

NuffSaidSam · 21/08/2026 14:23

itsgettingweird · 21/08/2026 13:56

I agree Joseph Berger nn Joey

You could even have

Joseph River Berger
Joseph Jonah Berger

similar name

Noah, Issac, Joshua, Caleb,

I also really like the idea of

Elliot River Berger

I like JJ Berger. He sounds like a film director.

areandare · 21/08/2026 14:20

Aww OP, River is my all time favourite name. I really wanted to use it for my little boy last year but my DH wasn’t on board. Beautiful name and I think it sounds fine with your surname!

Edenmum2 · 21/08/2026 14:12

7238SM · 20/08/2026 21:09

I really like the name River, but I'm afraid I don't like it with your surname. Is it pronounced like burger? Maybe as a middle name then he can choose if he prefers to use it.

Same. River Berger really does sound odd I’m afraid even though I love the name

itsgettingweird · 21/08/2026 13:56

I agree Joseph Berger nn Joey

You could even have

Joseph River Berger
Joseph Jonah Berger

similar name

Noah, Issac, Joshua, Caleb,

I also really like the idea of

Elliot River Berger

itsgettingweird · 21/08/2026 13:53

Charis1503 · 20/08/2026 21:05

I have a Reuben and a Noah and had I had another boy he would have been Jonah!

I love the name

You have excellent taste!

WonderWeeksArentReal · 21/08/2026 13:50

HumptyDump · 21/08/2026 12:45

I can’t believe no one has said Jonah is a jinx name. I couldn’t use it.

eh?

clarrylove · 21/08/2026 13:48

Neither work with your surname. And Jonah is used a bad omen.

AnnaQuayRules · 21/08/2026 13:43

Do you pronounce your last name with a soft or hard G? If it's pronounced like "Verger" then River would work ok.

schnubbins · 21/08/2026 13:39

Berg means mountain in German so his name means River Mountain .I'm sorry but that would be very unfair on any child in the globalised world in which we live

SunshineAndFizz · 21/08/2026 13:38

Sorry but River Berger is terrible.

Love Jonah.

gogooutdoors · 21/08/2026 13:29

If you love Joey why not just go for Joey, although personally I’d go for Joseph and he can be Joseph,Joe,Joey as he pleases.

Illicililly · 21/08/2026 13:13

I love Jonah ❤️

GoodGraciousGeorgie · 21/08/2026 13:11

HumptyDump · 21/08/2026 12:45

I can’t believe no one has said Jonah is a jinx name. I couldn’t use it.

What's a jinx name?

RoseField1 · 21/08/2026 12:47

I think any name with an 'er' or 'uh' sound doesn't work with Berger. Neither of your names sound great together. It's too rhymey matchy.

HumptyDump · 21/08/2026 12:45

I can’t believe no one has said Jonah is a jinx name. I couldn’t use it.

LittleGreenShoots · 21/08/2026 12:39

I don't think either of these work, sorry OP. The rhymes at the end and the two syllable repeat.

With your surname I would go for a strong long first name to avoid anything sounding like a 'burger'.

E.g. Nathaniel Berger, Alexander Berger, Jonathon Berger

Specialneedsnightmare · 21/08/2026 12:39

How about Matthew, Henry, Simon. Or maybe Callum or Connor? All would work with Berger.

SupaStah · 21/08/2026 12:36

River is nice but not with your surname Im afraid! Jonah is marginally better with your name but the end sound is what isn’t working the ‘uh’ or ‘er’ sound.
back to the drawing board I would say!

Specialneedsnightmare · 21/08/2026 12:32

River Berger is not good, sorry op. I think thr child would have thr royal piss taken out of them.

NuffSaidSam · 21/08/2026 12:30

River Berger is a terrible name!

River is fine, but not with Berger as a surname.

Jonah is a nicer name than River imo. It also goes much better with Berger.

lottiegarbanzo · 21/08/2026 12:26

Berger also conjures the German burger as in townsperson. So ‘River dweller’, Joe Berger from Jo’burg, though that’s getting silly.

But mostly Joe Berger sounds fine, Jonah Berger ok. Joey Berger could be a burger made from young kangaroos. River does sound like a type or location of burger.