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Baby names

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

We don't like any boys' names

27 replies

takethatlady · 25/11/2010 12:53

Hi,

DH and I just had the scan for our first baby :) (Only 9+3 (long cycles put my dates out) but wriggling about, waving and strong heartbeat Smile)

We have a few girl's names we like - we both like Tess and Isobel (mn probably Edith after DH's lovely gran who died shortly after we were married). We especially like Tess because it's simple, classic, pretty and yet barely inside the top 100. I'm actually quite surprised about that.

But when it comes to boy's names we're finding it really hard. Partly it's because people are so much more conservative with boy's names and so, while there are lots of lovely names like James and Charles and Harry and Thomas and so on, we know too many people with those names to be able to call our baby it. We have no less than six friends called Tom, three called James (including my boss), etc etc. We'd like something a little less usual, but still classic. We've toyed with Sidney after my granddad, but I think it's a little too much of a statement name, and DH likes Freddie (nn for Frederick). We both like Gregory but are a bit 'meh' about it.

Anyone got any ideas?

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DorisIsAPinkDragon · 25/11/2010 13:10

Arthur or Edward both on my list.

John and David, won'tt raise eyebrows but I know only one small baby of each name.

I agree that girls names are MUCH easier!

ChristianaCatesby · 25/11/2010 13:11

Arthur
Dashiell
Otto
Lachlan
William
Sam
Philip

mayanna123 · 25/11/2010 13:11

My favourite boys names are
Tobias
Quentin
Sebastian
Felix

Why is Sidney a 'statement' name Confused?

randomimposter · 25/11/2010 13:13

Congrats on your scan, hope all continues well.

You have great taste in names Grin. I LOVE Tess, but really would want a longer name for the BC and not at all keen on Theresa, and can't really think of anything else. Isobel is nice too (that spelling particularly).

Agree boys names harder - I am biased as Gregory is my DB name and I think it's really underused. Funnily enough I feel a bit meh about Freddie.

I also like
Jerome (Jem)
Benedict (Ned)
Ezra.....

Happy searching!

WanderingSheep · 25/11/2010 13:14

I think James is my favourite boys name! I like:

James
Joseph
Elijah
Lee
Isaac
Francis

MelinaM · 25/11/2010 13:25

CongratulationsSmile, Tess and Isobel are lovely names. My cousin's 3 year old DD is Tess, it's a lovely classic name that can't be shortened ..big plus point!
Freddie's a lovely name, I'd use Sidney as a middle name if you're not too sure about it for a first name.
Some other suggestions for you:

Alexander
Alastair
Arthur
Christopher (Kit)
Edmund
Ignatius
Jeremy
Leonard
Magnus
Maximus/Maxim ...etc
Nicholas
Rafe
Reuben
Sebastian
Spencer
Theodore
Winston

Hedwig3 · 25/11/2010 13:42

Tess probably doesn't show high on the stats because they are registered as something else, like Theresa, so there will be many more out there than you think!

I do like Gregory Smile

mopsyflopsy · 25/11/2010 13:55

Tess/Tessa is a lovely choice.

For boys, I too like Gregory. Also like Magnus, Quentin and Alastair.

Fimbo · 25/11/2010 13:59

I had the same problem when I had ds nearly 7 years ago. Dh came up with a name, that I went with and it does suit ds and I couldn't imagine him being anything else and whilst I like it, I don't love it. Tbh if I was pregnant now (there is no chance!) I think the same would probably happen as there is honestly no boys name out there that I think is fabulous and must have.

thereisalightanditnevergoesout · 25/11/2010 14:06

We were going to have Tess or Betsy for this one, but it's a boy and we have problems with boys' names, too.

DH would have James - as it's family name, but I'm not keen (because there are quite a few in his family with that name already) and we already have a Joseph - and I'm not keen on another 'J' name - besides Joe is named after his grandfather - so an indivual name is important to me for this one.

What about:

Patrick
Toby
Theo
Benedict

Hmm - I see that most of those have already been suggested by everyone else. Any good though?

takethatlady · 25/11/2010 14:24

Thanks guys. Really really like Arthur but DH not so keen. Reckon he can be persuaded though - it's just the lack of obvious nn (except Art/Artie) that puts him off.

Edward is SIL's ex, and it wasn't a good break-up, though we both like that name!

mayanna thanks! Love your names. My DH loves Felix but he made the mistake of telling our uni friends years ago and since we told them we were preggo last week they have been relentlessly taking the piss out of it! So we're going with not telling anybody in RL anything until the baby is born. I suppose I just meant that Sidney is quite unusual and a very strong choice - that it makes a bit of a statement (I'm not sure what) and that we're not sure we're brave enough. But it is on the shortlist.

jollster I initially thought that about Tess but am assured it's a proper name. Agree about Theresa.

Gregory is growing on me a lot. Patrick is DH's name thereisalight.

These are all great suggestions - thank you! Glad other people have the same thing with boy's names. I guess I'm waiting to hear one that will just suddenly jump out at me, but know I won't as there can't be a name I haven't heard yet, what with all the baby name books, websites and endless google searches!

OP posts:
takethatlady · 25/11/2010 14:29

Ps hedwig Theresa and Tessa are even less popular than Tess, if I remember rightly, so no real worries there - even when you add them up it doesn't get anywhere near the top end.

And congratulations thereisalight! When are you due?

OP posts:
Hedwig3 · 25/11/2010 14:33

Tess is definitely a name in it's own right, would't matter if it wasn't, though, if you like it.

Well done checking out Theresa etc.

thereisalightanditnevergoesout · 25/11/2010 14:35

Oh thanks and he's due NYE.

I suggested Patrick as I know someone with a Tess and Patrick (nn Patch) and always thought they sounded good together.

have you tried nymbler website? It does offer some suggestion based on what you already have or already like. Might be worth a play, at least.

here it is

takethatlady · 25/11/2010 14:39

Thanks hedwig. Just thought I'd better check I haven't misremembered that.

Only 13 people were called Theresa last year, and 52 called Tessa (95 called Tess).

Am a bit Shock I didn't think Theresa was particularly popular but 13! That's the same number as Tallulah, Sheikh, Saachi, Lucy-Jo, Kodie, Glory and Anjolaoluwa, to name a few. Not that those names aren't all lovely in their own way, but if I'd have had to guess, I'd have put them much lower down than Theresa.

Oh dear. I should be working, and now I'm just going to be reading the baby names lists....

OP posts:
takethatlady · 25/11/2010 14:40

Ooh thanks thereisalight, I was looking for another thing to do that isn't work Grin

Good luck for your NYE baby! What a lovely time to be due. Hope this means everybody else is doing Christmas and you are just going to be pampered Smile

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takethatlady · 25/11/2010 14:41

PS glad you think Tess and Patrick go well together, as that might be daughter and dad in our house Smile

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thereisalightanditnevergoesout · 25/11/2010 14:43

Yep - DH is doing Christmas - but then he usually does the Christmas dinner anyway!

RockinRobinBird · 25/11/2010 14:43

Oh alright, I'll let you have Dominic 'cos I was saving that Wink

takethatlady · 25/11/2010 14:46

Thanks rockinrobin! Very generous of you Wink

Am SO going to be bringing this list to DH. Bet he vetoes every one Grin

Loads of great ideas though, thank you!

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NeverEatYellowTaintedSnow · 25/11/2010 14:48

Congratulations on a healthy scan! I love the name Tess, so that's my vote for a girl! As for boys, my favourite slighty left of the centre name is Sebastian, there is only one in DN's school.

Best wishes for the rest of your pregnancy!

RockinRobinBird · 25/11/2010 14:53

Tessa is on my girls' list for the child that is proving as elusive as the scarlet pimpernel...

takethatlady · 25/11/2010 14:56

Thank you!

rockinrobin mine was a bit elusive too - my cycles are 7-9 weeks long and it took me ages to figure out what was going on with them, and once I did I had an early mc in August. I've been a bag of nerves this time around. But the odds are good after seeing a heartbeat at this stage so I'm letting myself think about names.

You'll get there and baby Tessa/Dominic will be bawling out its lugholes before you know it!

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aDarkStarWithStrangeWays · 25/11/2010 15:05

Hi ttl Grin DH and I were totally stuck for boys' names too, so after we found out that DS was a boy I started carrying a notebook around and every time either of us suggested a name I would stick it on the list so we could come back to it later.

Even then, it never got longer than about twelve - I think some of the also-rans were Conrad, Vincent, Jerome, Aaron, Dylan. I loved Edmund and still do but can't use it because it's my ex's name.

Eventually we settled on one of my choices, but in a such a way that DH thought he'd suggested it Hmm

RatherBeOnThePiste · 25/11/2010 15:08

Hold onto Tess for another time (!) and just call him Freddie
x

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