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Baby names

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

Original poster

Short go-anywhere boys' names. Adam? Simon?

166 replies

MrsBadger · 27/09/2009 14:43

we have tight criteria and are low on ideas.

Must be one or two syllables, not too easy to shorten and not an abbreviation of a longer classic (so not Tom, Ben, Joe).

Erring slightly on the side of poncey rather than ch modern or unique.

So far ideas include
Adam
Simon
John (tentative as is an uncle)
Alex (tentative due to Alex / Alexander rows)

wish we could use James but is already bagged.

middle name will be Henry, surname is one long syllable (think Stone or Rowe).

bring it on, oh wise MNers...

OP posts:
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IWantCleanCarpets · 28/09/2009 17:26

John gets my vote...but then it would as that's what we called ds

Jamieandhismagictorch · 28/09/2009 17:26

Oh, I forgot Leo, too.

Jamieandhismagictorch · 28/09/2009 17:25

Evan - cool name IMO, and not easily shortened

FimboFortunaFeet · 28/09/2009 17:21

Btw congratulations and have I missed something is the new baby definately a boy?

FimboFortunaFeet · 28/09/2009 17:19

Mrs B,
I love you, my ds is Adam and my dd is Rachel (which I know was on your short list for your dd).

Fraser
Myles
Scott
Blair

GrapefruitMoon · 28/09/2009 17:06

Have you got any "forriness" in your family you could choose a name from? Imo unusual/foreign names can be less prone to shortening as there is no well-known pet name for the name here...

Original poster
MrsBadger · 28/09/2009 16:04

ok, when I said James was 'already bagged', he'd end up being called exactly the same, first name and surname, as a close family member. Not going to work.

OP posts:
brimfull · 28/09/2009 16:03

yup James is afab name

BiancaJackson · 28/09/2009 15:59

I'd just go for James if you love it. It's a very common name. You can't really 'steal' James from someone, come on!

Jake? Jacob?
Carl
Victor
Rohan / Rowan
Saul (love this name)
Aidan
Silas
Ellis

KerryMumbles · 28/09/2009 15:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
MrsBadger · 28/09/2009 15:53

think we have already discarded Luke

OP posts:
catinthehat2 · 28/09/2009 15:01

OK, Graham/Grahame/Graeme

NB Luke is ALWAYS Lukey IME

catinthehat2 · 28/09/2009 14:59

Loz

Original poster
MrsBadger · 28/09/2009 14:57

nope, all Laurences these days become Loz

awful but true

OP posts:
GrapefruitMoon · 28/09/2009 14:51

He would become Laurie (which I love) or Larry!

catinthehat2 · 28/09/2009 14:45

Laurence

Original poster
MrsBadger · 28/09/2009 14:44

re shortenings, they must be shortenings that no-one in their right mind could mistake for a given name, iyswim.

So to their friends Adam and Simon might be Ads or Si but they would never use those to (eg) fill in a form or sign a document, unlike Dave, Andy, Mike, Pete, Ed and Charlie.

does that make sense?

we worked really hard to give DD an unshortenable name and it has come off brillantly (think Rachel, Sally, Zoe) - but finding the same for a boy seems much tricker...

OP posts:
brimfull · 28/09/2009 14:38

Piers

Jude

GrapefruitMoon · 28/09/2009 14:37

Sorry but all the Marks I know were "naughty" boys so couldn't bear to use it myself!

How about

David
Andrew
Michael
Peter
Edward

for something classic that is not currently over-used (but they can all be shortened...)

I've heard of a Hector recently which I like... is that sufficiently poncy?

bellissima · 28/09/2009 14:34

Hamish.

Okay possibly a bit Scottish - but in fact I know a wonderful Northumbrian Hamish. And you just smile saying it.

Original poster
MrsBadger · 28/09/2009 14:29

no no, Grant, Craig and Luke were not poncey enough

I want a little bit of ponce, or at least the possibility of ponce, in case he gets a schol and ends up a chorister with Sebastian and Christopher

OP posts:
NellyNoNorks · 28/09/2009 13:51

I wouldn't have thought any of those was in the slightest bit poncey, MrsBadger (and I am an expert on so-called poncey names, as my children and I have plenty of them). They all sound very straightforward and solid to me. John is nice; so is Charles. George is also nice and straightfoward. If I had another DS, I'd campaign very hard for him to be Humphrey.

BlueChampagne · 28/09/2009 13:46

Agree Marcus might be a good solution. Otherwise:

Justin
Ross
Alasdair
Jonathan
Niall

gladders · 28/09/2009 12:22

Marcus?
Lucas?
Nathan?

OtterInaSkoda · 28/09/2009 10:59

Oh, and John