A few questions about Henry...

[lurcherlover]

We are considering Henry for dc2 (if it's a boy that is - sex as yet unknown). We already have DS who is Edward, and these are my questions for you wise MNetters to ponder...

1. Would having Edward and Henry make us sound incredibly pretentious/like obsessive royalists?!
2. I really want Atticus as a middle name. What do you think of Henry Atticus? Too pretentious again? DH thinks so but his main concern is he thinks the names slur together when you say them ("Henryatticus") and it comes out sounding like Henrietta.
3. What about nicknames? While I love Henry I don't particularly like Harry so wouldn't want to use that. The only other one I can think of is Hal, which feels a bit too Shakespearean (and "Hen" is a bit daft, no?)

Your thoughts on these questions welcome ladies!!

I know an adult Henry who is called just that. Not Harry nor Hal nor Hen. You and he can make of it what you want.

Henry is only 2 syllables long - does it really need a nickname?

All our DSs have king names, including a Henry. Very few have noticed or commented on this either because they think it's naff but are too polite to say or most likely because they are just beautiful classical names that don't make much of a splash.

I think Henry Atticus is lovely. Our Henry is called Henry and, erm, HenHen but I expect him to ask us to stop that at some point.

If we had another it would be Edward or Arthur.

Thanks ladies. I suppose it doesn't "need" a nickname as such - it's just that most names end up being altered affectionately at some point? Edward is usually Eddie, which is obviously the same number of syllables so not a shortened version, just more informal/intimate (and I guess the reverse often happens with short names - eg Sam becomes Sammy for affectionate reasons?) I would want to have the option to do that with dc2's name as well.

@ pretentious/like obsessive royalists comment...NO WAY!

2 lovely names for I'm sure 2 lovely wee lads.

I know several Henry's who are just Henry. All the Harry's I know are Harry only.

Atticus is a fun middle name, but maybe a bit of a mouth full with Henry. I'd pop another middle name and have Henry Alexander Atticus or Henry James Atticus etc etc.

Any help?

Both great names.

Love Henry, how about "H" for a nickname?

Good suggestions from jaffacakehips for middle names.

Henry nn Hank?

I have an Edward and Henry is no1 on the list is this one is a boy!

He is an Edward Arthur and it would be Henry George :)

I love Henry and Atticus. No, it doesn't make you sound like Royalists and yes, it does sound ok together.

TBH after the initial introducing baby stage no one ever asks about middle names. I don't have one and I always hope people will ask me what my DC's are, but they don't. (And no, I'm not going to divulge them on here!)