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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Opinions on the name Toby?

53 replies

Bellaholland · 01/02/2012 10:21

Hi all,
What do people think of the name Toby? My husband loves it and it's not a common name here in holland (35 last year). I was just put off by a few comments from people in UK that it's a dogs name! ???
Thanks
Annabelle

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TheGoddessBlossom · 01/02/2012 13:10

I have a 5 year old one so I love it. And I love calling him Tobes.

jaffacakehips · 01/02/2012 13:12

Sorry for the rant Bellaholland on your thread. Love you're DD's name...hhhm i wonder way

wadadlis · 01/02/2012 13:14

I'm afraid that when I had a long-term boyfriend called Toby 20 years ago my granny kept telling me that she 'had a lovely dog called Toby once'.

Not surprisingly she was never that popular with him.

strandednomore · 01/02/2012 13:14

It's a great name but I do know lots and lots of them here in England (not such a problem for you if it's not so common in Holland). I also have a grown-up brother called Toby, it's funny that it's come so much back into fashion because it was always quite unique when we were growing up.
Toby Jacob is nice too.

strandednomore · 01/02/2012 13:15

Oh and by the way, you get past the "pet" name thing. My nephew is Felix and when I first heard it all I could think of was cats (and cat food), but now when I hear of a Felix I just think of my lovely nephew.

Ephiny · 01/02/2012 13:16

I think it's a nice name, and I've never met a dog with it! Only met one human now I think of it, he was Tobias nn Toby.

Not that it should matter, as jaffa says some dogs have perfectly nice names. My older dog is called Sam and that's a nice/normal name for a boy as well.

Maybe it's the 'y' ending - thinking about it a lot of dogs names seem to have that sound. I can think of Judy, Lottie, Sadie, Alfie, Charlie, Cassie, Ollie, Kelly, Polly etc from the ones I know...but I wouldn't think 'dog' if I met someone with one of those names!

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 01/02/2012 13:36

I've never come across a dog called Toby, but there is one in my street called Dave.

Rhubarbgarden · 01/02/2012 14:27

I like it.

Original poster

Bellaholland · 01/02/2012 14:43

I like everyones comments! Jaffacakehips did you mean you like my daughters name? I don't get the DD thing! Not in the know!

OP posts:

nizlopi · 01/02/2012 16:16

Love the name Toby, it was 2nd on my list for my son when I was pregnant :)

Nettee · 01/02/2012 16:38

I like it and would call my ds Toby but dh doesn't. Don't know any dogs called Toby and I do know one 4 year old boy who is lovely.

ISpyPlumPie · 01/02/2012 17:04

Really like it - probably top of my list for any future DS. DS is Jacob so you obviously have good taste and I agree they go well together.

I'm undecided whether I'd personally go for Tobias. I do prefer Toby, but I think Tobias would go better with potential mn and also gives more options. I'm wary of doing this though as I was given a longer name with the intention of a nn being used and I insisted on the full version from the age of 9 onwards

pinkhebe · 01/02/2012 17:08

I have a young one but also know an older one (a paramedic) both are lovely and well behaved ( I may be biased with regards to the younger one ) I know 1 other, although have heard it in the park a couple of times (boy not dog!)

My Great Aunt (95) thought it was a dogs name

ChasingSquirrels · 01/02/2012 17:08

It is the name of my 2nd son. It is who he is, but I am not mad keen on it.
And I completely agree about it seeming like a child's name rather than an adult's, but is will just be him and his name as he grows.
We also call him Tobe and Tobes.

pinkhebe · 01/02/2012 17:09

I think Toby is the traditional name for Punch and Judy's dog

lurkinginthebackground · 01/02/2012 17:14

I wouldn't worrry about the dogs name thing either.
it isn't too popular so go for it.

jaffacakehips · 01/02/2012 18:48

Darling Daughter = DD. Your daughter and I share a name!

OneManWentToMow · 01/02/2012 18:53

Someone put me off Toby for DS2 because of the dog thing... I really regretted it later. I know two Tobys, both in their early 20's, both lovely and neither of them have ever had a 'dog' comment... I asked!

PopcornBiscuit · 01/02/2012 19:11

I haven't met many Tobys (not posh enough), just one man and one dog.

puzzletree · 01/02/2012 19:27

Popcorn Toby really isn't a posh name these days, I think lots of names have just become used by everyone. We live in a very unposh area and I know very unposh children called Sebastian, Tristan, Gabriel...

VintageNancy · 01/02/2012 20:27

I love Toby. If we hadn't already used it (um for the dog, sorry!) we would have it on the list for DC1. I didn't think of it as a dog name before we used it. And I know a little boy called Toby too. If you love it, go for it!

SlinkingOutsideInFrocks · 02/02/2012 05:07

My uncle (a farmer) has a succession of Jack Russell house dogs and they're always called Toby.

It's a nice name - my cousin has just called her DS Tobie. Not sure why the 'ie' ending instead of 'y'. Her DH is Dutch, funnily enough.

Likewise, I have to admit that I think of it as more of a boy's name than a man's name. James Bond, for example, just wouldn't have been as suave and debonair, nor had as much success with the laydeez if he'd been called Toby.

Montsti · 02/02/2012 06:26

I don't mind Tobias but really don't like Toby - it just sounds a bit wet to me...sorry but we all have different tastes so go for it if you love it! Yes I do know some dogs called Toby but also a lot of other names that are popular and not considered "dog's names" so I wouldn't worry about that...

Original poster

Bellaholland · 02/02/2012 09:08

I told my husband that I am now loving the name Toby thinking he would be chuffed. Oh great he said but I love Ben now too! Ahhhhhhhh! But he is not winning that one! To me Ben sounds too odd in Dutch "i am Ben" would be "ik ben Ben!"

OP posts:

JennaTailor · 02/02/2012 12:21

LOVE the name Toby (and Tobias) - I have one !! - i also have a Jacob (Jake)

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