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Baby names

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

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Baby Boy

40 replies

shiveringtimbers27 · 12/11/2026 21:13

Fenn
Joseph (Seph)
Caleb
Aaron
Laurence

I love Bram too but wouldn’t be brave enough to use 😳

Fenn Laurence is my first choice, DH likes Caleb but perhaps a little biblical for my taste.

I like all of these options, but Fenn is the only one I absolutely love.

I find it so difficult to find names that aren’t ‘too’ common but still known/easy to pronounce/classic

interested for opinions!

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Eileen101 · 12/11/2026 21:14

Ooh Caleb or Joseph!

maddiemookins16mum · 12/11/2026 21:14

If I was 30 years younger and having a wee boy, I’d call him Alec.

BrinkWomanship · 12/11/2026 21:19

fenn seems more like a girls name to me. As if it’s short for fenella or similar. I like Laurence though.

HughManity · 12/11/2026 21:21

I like Alec too.

From the list. Caleb.

REALLYbigpigeon · 12/11/2026 21:25

Laurence is my favourite from your list!

Mari3333 · 12/11/2026 21:26

Love Fenn. Also Bram and it doesn’t seem too out there to me. And Joseph is my third favourite.

Original poster
shiveringtimbers27 · 12/11/2026 21:38

Ooh, a mix of preferences!

Thanks @Mari3333 for the Fenn love 😁

I hadn’t considered Alec, but I really like it- will add to the list and see what DH thinks. My only worry is it might sound to ‘harsh’ or rhymey? with our surname which ends with an ‘at’ sound

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gardentwig · 12/11/2026 21:41

Never heard of Fenn so I would go with that.

With Joseph- the nick name 'Seph' to me sounds like 'seth' with a lisp. Otherwise lovely too

Ikeameatballs · 12/11/2026 21:43

I like Laurence and Bram

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shiveringtimbers27 · 12/11/2026 21:43

@gardentwig funny you say that, we liked Seth but my husband doesn’t pronounce ‘th’ properly 🙄

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Freshrain · 12/11/2026 22:04

Never heard of Fenn. Not keen. I suspect there would be a fair bit of confusion with Fin.

I like Joseph - but personally I would shorten it to Joe.

Not particularly keen on Caleb, Laurence or Aaron, and of course with Aaron you get the confusion over pronunciation. But they are 'nice enough'.

I too, like Alec.

DramaAlpaca · 12/11/2026 22:14

I like Fenn but honestly I see it as feminine, short for Fenella.

Bram is nice - be brave and use it!

Raiderofthelostbattenburg · 12/11/2026 22:47

I love Bram! I like Laurence and Joseph too.

yonem · 12/11/2026 22:50

I think Fenn would get constantly mistaken for Finn. I’d go for Laurence Bram - you can go for something a bit braver for a middle name!

Mumofgirls2017 · 13/11/2026 04:31

fenn is too similar to Finn for my taste. Go with Joseph!

Daffodilsinthespring · 13/11/2026 06:19

Love Joseph with a shortening of Seph

Firsttimebabymummy · 13/11/2026 07:54

Daffodilsinthespring · 13/11/2026 06:19

Love Joseph with a shortening of Seph

Me too!

Rooooooooooaaaaar · 13/11/2026 08:13

Bram is fine, my DC have a friend called Bram.

MinPinSins · 13/11/2026 09:52

I personally like Fenn, but having a name that is like a super trendy name with one letter different sounds like a lifetime of having to correct people.

After that, I love Bram and think it is very usable. Names today are so much more diverse than they used to be.

plasticplate · 13/11/2026 10:02

Out of Fenn and Bram I prefer Bram. Fenn sounds like a nickname for Fenella and could get confused with Finn. I would probably go with Abraham as the full name but Bram is perfectly fine to use alone.

TheeNotoriousPIG · 13/11/2026 11:16

I like Joseph and Bram. The latter reminds me of Bram (Abraham) Stoker and the name Bramwell, which I've probably come across in a book at some point.

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shiveringtimbers27 · 13/11/2026 13:14

@TheeNotoriousPIG it may be Bramwell Brown from Old Bear in the 90s!

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LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 13/11/2026 14:11

I don’t think Bram is too out there, so it you like it go for that.

For Alec, you can go with Alexander and have Alec as a shortening.

from your list I would go with Aaron (if pronounced A (as in a in cat) - run rather than air- run. Or Joseph with Joey as a shortening.

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 13/11/2026 14:13

I don’t like Fenn. Never heard of it before but just doesn’t sound right - unfinished (Fenna) or mispronounced

greenchalk · 13/11/2026 14:33

Bram 🙂