Final two, decision needed - please help!

[LLJ4]

After a bit of a hormonal cry yesterday DH and I have decided that we do need to narrow it down to one name. I am having big problems bonding (for which read "realising I'm actually pregnant") and we think that having The Name will help.

So we have narrowed it down to two. Popularity isn't a big problem - I used to get hung up on it until I read a very calm blog post about it - although trendiness would be.

So:

Charles Andrew
or
Oliver Andrew
?

Middle name fixed and not negotiable; child hugely likely to be known as Charlie/Olly respectively; DS1 is Adam Matthew.

TIA!

i vote oliver!!

Oliver is top name for 2009. So it's the most popular name in the country right now. Are you sure you want your child to have the same name as everyone else?

Charles Oliver

I prefer Oliver but agree with Nightstar - it's now off my list due to such popularity. I think Charlie is a lovely name and can be quite suave in later years (as well as being cute for a toddler etc) so overall I would vote Charles.

Am with you on the 'struggling to realise I'm pregnant' by the way - how many weeks are you? I'm 23.

Lots of people I have spoken to have said that it's best to have a couple of ideas and then see which one fits once the baby is born. We call our bump Sprout, which I think helps with the whole bonding thing! I was Squirt before I was born, and it was an affectionate nickname for a few years after that!

Both names are lovely but I think I'd go for Charles nn Charlie.

Oliver I prefer, and Olly to Charlie too!

But think about what nightstar said.

Sorry, meant to say - can you not just wait until the baby arrives and then decide whether he looks like a Charlie or an Olly?

Like both lots!

Charles

Oliver is indeed THE most popular boys' name and so 1) your ds will most likely have at least another in his class/school and 2) the name will date as it falls out of favour again.

Charles is a litte more 'classic' although Charlie is quite trendy, along with all the other -ie names (Alfie, Archie etc).

How about Andrew as a first name?

Oliver!

Thanks everyone for your messages.

nightstar re: popularity, I take your point. But where we live there aren't that many (unlike James, of which I know four born in the last thirteen months to the same toddler group). Additionally, since only around 1% of boys are taking the top choice name each year that still leaves very high odds of his being the only one in his class. Not like the 1960s where the top ten names for each sex accounted for nearly 50% of births.

My only horror for popularity is being thought an obvious choice

ChessyEvans I am 24+3 and being kicked a lot. I think it's largely because I already have a DS, tried not to get too attached to this bump too early after an April m/c, and find it hard to associate an identity with a baby without a name.

BornToFolk this is also why we can't just wait. I need a name soon in the hopes it will stave off another crippling dose of antenatal depression.

Thanks all, food for thought.

Both names are nice.

On balance I'd go with Oliver/Oli.

However, would point out that your middle name - Andrew - is actaully a lovely lovely name - could use as first name?

Charles/charlie - it is a nice name, but I slightly don't like the association with Prince Charles as he is a bit of a ninny. I think I would actually go for charlie.

Andrew Charles

Love Charles/Charlie! I also love Oliver/olly... They're both classic. FWIW I have an almost 6 year old Charlie and he is the only one in his class and he's only one of two in the whole school. Only know of one Oliver in his school too. But there are millions of Noah's and Jacobs.

Oh, I see. Well, I don't think you'll go wrong with either choice, both good solid names!
I hope all goes well with the rest of your pregnancy.

I'd go for Oliver/Ollie (my daughter would have been an Oliver 15 months ago had she not ended up being a girl, love the name).
It has been popular for a long time and I can't see it dating particularly.
On the popularity thing - DS aged 6 is Thomas - which was either the 1st or 2nd in the lists when he was born. Didn't realise that was the case at the time, and don't care. There are 3 in his class - Tom, Tommy and him (still Thomas). And it really doesn't matter. There are also 3 James' and they quickly were nicknames James X, James Y and James Z. Not an issue in the slightest (amusing to see birthday cards to a James, being addressed to James X even when he is the only birthday child!)
Good luck with it all.

Even if you pick a name now, it doesn't mean you have to stick with it..

I called DD Megan for months whilst pregnant, then just before she was born realised I didn't like it anymore..

We called her Jessica.. and I still love it, luckily as she is now 7

Charlie is lovely. Much nicer than Olly.

charlie for me

Charles. Make sure your surname doesn't make it into something teaseable.

Friends of mine have a surname beginning with K.
First child Nicholas Ian
Second Nathaniel Andrew
Next child was to be called Patrick/ Patricia. This was when the wife realised that she was going to end up with a Nik, Nak, Paddy.... which was the husband's idea all along, for fun.

Charles Andrew Kelly = Cak

Oliver Andrew Kelly = Oak (quite sweet)

The dangers of having a vowel in the middle.

Both are lovely classic names.

I'm with you on the popularity front. We chose and named our son a lovely uncommon name but I quickly felt it just wasn't the name for him. We ended up calling him by his middle name Oliver/Oli. I will be switching the names on his bc before he turns one.

Like you say, the actual percentage of boys with that name is quite low.
People make names their own. For example, i know several Caths but their names seem as different as the people (if that makes sense!)

All the very best with your decision. You can't go wrong

I like Oliver, both are nice though

Charlie