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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Re baby names?

45 replies

rabbitheadlights · 27/05/2019 22:04

How do you decide? Does the name need to 'fit' with their siblings names? Do you imagine calling the name in a park etc and what it might sound like? Or what it looks like at the top of a future C.V ? What's the most important factor for you?

OP posts:
goose1964 · 28/05/2019 06:33

We decided on a name for DS1 but when he was born decided it didn't suit him so we changed it.

junebirthdaygirl · 28/05/2019 06:37

In my experience boys like to have regular names and prefer short names. I have had this discussion a lot with lads and always found this. So we might want unusual names but they prefer regular.
That's why the classic names have become that.

2beautifulbabs · 28/05/2019 06:59

Hi OP

Made a decision based around our surname as it's foreign sounding we didn't want to give either of our children silly names that they could end up being picked on I think I was more self conscious of that than my DH I kept thinking how children can be cruel etc for the record I suppose it's not a weird surname it is German
I remember saying both our children's names out loud a few times fully with middle names and then when shortened to the initials made sure they still looked good and a big factor was that the names would suit them from babies right through to adults should either of them end up in a very professional career they wouldn't sound daft

Also Op as cheesy as it sounds you'll know that name or find a name that suits your DC as soon as you meet them Smile

SaltedCaramelEverything · 28/05/2019 07:12

**Peccary what’s the app? Sounds fab

b0bb1n · 28/05/2019 07:20

My son's name is a very sentimental one to us and it was actually my DH who thought of it very early on in pregnancy, it felt just right so we didn't really consider any other names.

I've been trying to think of names for hopefully future kids (most likely will all be boys judging by his family) but I can't decide on any. It will be hard to pick a name now without a sentimental meaning I think.

BikeRunSki · 28/05/2019 07:27

I wanted names that are easy to spell and pronounce and wouldn’t sound daft in the playground of our former pit village. I didn’t realise how many ways there are of spelling DD’s name though, until I had her.

PantsyMcPantsface · 28/05/2019 07:32

Went for something that didn't focus on sounding like it would suit a lovely cute toddler girl but would also suit a professional, got their shit together, confident young woman. Didn't want matching sibling initials as I have that with my brother and it's been a nightmare with nosy siblings and parents opening my post when I lived at home and various names were eliminated because I'd taught various kids with the name that had made an impression for life. Actually DD1's name was pinched from a lovely kid I was doing regular supply with at the time and just really took a liking to the name!

Didn't bother at all with matching with siblings - although I later found my name shortlist for DD1 and DD2's eventual name is right next to DD1's name on the list - they were obviously meant to come as a double act!

Also wanted fairly straightforward to spell as I've got one that's constantly mis-spelt and it drives me barmy.

Grasspigeons · 28/05/2019 07:40

We were living across 2 countries and wanted names that were easy to spell and say in both. My DH wanted names that were not biblical. I took part in some communications training that said something about only 'hearing' the end bit of something said out the blue so i picked sibling names with very different sound endings so they could work put who was being shouted at across a park.

CaitlinsYellowSocks · 28/05/2019 09:28

We made a spreadsheet of all the boys' names in the ONS stats and both had a column where we marked the ones we liked. There were only about 20 we both liked so we went through those and discussed our favourites.

Criteria

  • sounded good with surname
  • didn't place them in any kind of box socially or professionally
  • nickname/shortening options - also that we both liked the other's preferred nickname option
  • fairly classic because our families would have raised an eyebrow otherwise
  • went with the middle names we had chosen (family names)
  • we just liked them
  • not top 10

In the end we ended up with fairly popular top 30/top 40 names but we like them and the only duplicates are with children who have different nickname variations.

Shitonthebloodything · 28/05/2019 09:36

I like traditional names that don't go out of fashion and have a strong 'full name' and a good shortened version as we always shorten everything. Top 10 or not wouldn't bother me. E.g. Alexander/Alex.
I don't like names that can't be shortened, I find it too formal to full name someone all the time.

Stifledlife · 28/05/2019 10:39

The tip I was given is make sure it sounds good with Sir or dame in front of it.

eg. Sir Duncan Jones vs Sir Zowie Bowie.

It actually works.

PepsiLola · 28/05/2019 12:59

I used a baby name app, and selected my faves (I think it was a bounty app?)

My DH did the same

Then we compared lists and wrote down any times that appeared on both lists.

This was our short list... then some things happened when I was pregnant that swayed me to my end choice.

  • royal baby was born, our son was going to be George but I didn't want to "copy"
  • close friends/family using names etc
MinisterforCheekyFuckery · 28/05/2019 13:14

We have a boy and a girl and found it difficult to agree on a name each time. We used a baby name app, got some good ideas off the baby name board on MN and various other websites. We each made a shortlist independently and then shared it. once each of us had the opportunity to veto anything we really didn't like we made a combined shortlist. For us it was important that their names were slightly unusual (I was one of 5 in my year with the same name at school and hated it!) but not enough to be considered "weird" or anything they might get bullied for. I work with kids so that made it harder as I didn't want a name that I associated with a child I've worked with, which did rule out some names DH liked unfortunately. When we had our second we didn't worry too much about their names 'going' together but we didn't want them to have the same initials for practical reasons.

Peccary · 28/05/2019 21:59

@salted caramel
It was just called baby name, its picture is a white egg with a yellow background. It really worked for us as DH was dismissing all my suggestions without offering any .

dustarr73 · 28/05/2019 22:05

I think first and foremost you have to like the name.I dont believe in "chav" names.Anyone with any name can become a D,lawyer.Its not the name that makes that.
Also does the child "suit " the name.I have seen some kids and the name doesnt suit them

SaltedCaramelEverything · 28/05/2019 22:13

@peccary thanks so much, just downloaded and it looks great! Your DH sounds exactly the same as my (not so “D” when discussing baby names) H Grin

ColdTattyWaitingForSummer · 28/05/2019 22:16

I spent a long time flicking through an old fashioned baby names book! Dd always goes by the short form of her name, but I gave her the full version officially to give her more choices as an adult. Ds1 I was going to use the short form but he actually better suits the long form. Ds2 has the Gaelic form of a common boys name. It’s probably the most “out there” of the three and I don’t regret it (although it is frequently misspelled). Both boys have family names as middle names.

hammeringinmyhead · 28/05/2019 22:30

We also used the baby name app. Criteria was basically correct spelling, not made up, not the names of the kids who bullied us at school, not Brayden, Kaiden or Jayden, and would sound ok for any profession from a solicitor to a bass player. We agreed on about 7 names and they were fairly traditional - Nathan, Oliver, William, Joseph, etc.

dustarr73 · 29/05/2019 05:37

@Stifledlife.Duncan Jones is his real name.Zowis is his middle name.Theres some real snobbery on this thread about names @.ColdTattyWaitingForSummer i hope you spelled the Gaelic name right

Pinkprincess1978 · 29/05/2019 06:25

When we were having our first my DH would randomly shout out a name we were trying out to see how it sounded 😂

It worked though and the name we chose passed the shout test!

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