Disagreeing with OH about boys names...

[lisakell]

With 10 weeks left we're still disagreeing about boys names. For a girl we're keen on Elizabeth Grace but we each have a different view on boys names.
OH likes Joshua James, I like Joseph James. Really liked Joshua to start with but hear the name everywhere I go. (Growing up in the 70's and 80's being called Lisa i know what its like to have 3 other people in your class with the same name). What does everyone think? We have started considering a 3rd option of Samuel Joseph which I think we may both be happy to accept.

Also a bit off the subject - how do I tell MIL that I don't want Elizabeth shortening to Beth? Nothing against Beth but if thats what we wanted to call the baby we would go for Bethany - started to wish we had never told her our choices!

Elizabeth Grace is lovely.
Like both Samuel Joseph and Joseph James, but not so keen on Joshua. Well, actually like Joshua but not Josh and I think the shortening would be inevitable really.

Re MIL..just tell her, or get OH to! I've learned to not tell people in RL the names you're thinking of as they often give you their unwanted opinion!!!
I would just be straight and say she'll (if it's a she!) be Elizabeth not Beth, and would have been Bethany if you'd wanted Beth, like you said. Good luck!

I don't think Samuel will be much better. I teach at a secondary school in outer London and every other boy in my classes is called Sam, Josh or Joe. In fact, in one class last year I had 4 Joes. I have 2 Sams in my Y9 class atm, and a Josh and a Joe too.

All gorgeous names though.

I like Samuel Joseph best of your options. Joshua James and Joseph James are too sing-songy for me with the alliteration, and James is pretty much becoming a default middle name for boys.

I like all your names. The thing is, there's only a max of 30/32 in a class - you can have a really common name and not have a double in the class. Alex is the big one in our area/ds's age, but there's only one in his class, likewise Samuel. No Olivers or Jacks at all in his class despite the fact they've both been ridiculously popular for years, in fact that's why we didn't call ds Jack!

I guess what I'm saying is, use the name you really like - Samuel is terrific, use it.

All nice names and all popular. I like Samuel James or James Samuel best.

All nice names - I thought you were going to say one of you liked Mark and JAne and the other wanted Rupert and Tallulah!

Thanks all - more or less decided on Samuel Joseph now - nice to know its well liked :-)

I much prefer Joseph James to Joshua James.
Even though both are old names, Joseph appears more traditional and classic because it has far more usage in the past.
Joshua has soared in popularity over the past 20 years whereas Joseph has been in common usage in a far more consistant way.
Also Joseph james flows better than Joshua James. I think it must be down to the vowel "a" at the end of Joshua.

I like Samuel Joseph, biased as I have a Samuel (Samuel Dexter). He is the only Samuel in a nursery of 50+ kids. I never call him Sam but other people do (annoyingly). FIL calls him Sammy

I know lots of Samuels under 5, no Joshes and no Josephs though.

All lovely names though

Tell MIL that you hope she won't call her Beth, as it won't be the name used at home and you'd hate to think of the baby seeing MIL as an outsider who doesn't use the nickname that the immediate family use. Make up a story about a cousin who went through a phase of not wanting to see Granny because she 'called her a funny name'. That should do it...

I have a dgs called John Joseph and I think alliteration works well.

I love Elizabeth. Great choice

Joseph is very very popular, and I think will continue to be.

Samuel is lovely

I like John, Jonah,

or what about Matthew, Patrick, Michael

We really struggled with boys names. Couldn't agree so a week before due date started from scratch and both seperately came up with new lists, wrote them down and then compared notes with open minds. It worked. After all that effort we had a girl!

All of them are good solid names but I will say I know several of each one in the school age kids I know so I would expect there to be others with that name in your sons school.

Re Mil if she calls her Beth simply tell her " we do not intend to use Beth as a nn" if you want to use another tell her but if not then dont respond when she uses Beth

I have an Elizabeth

Prefer Joseph to Joshua but I think you'll find Joseph will be pretty popular too in years to come.

Love Jacob and Jonah if you fancy those.

Or you could let MIL have Beth as her special name for her grand daughter? Nothing wrong with that.

You will not, I promise you, be able to stop people shortening Elizabeth. Not should you- it's not your name. She will decide in time she wants to be called. Until then, you call her what you like, and accept with good grace that other people important in her life will can her other things.