Name suggestions for DS2

[NameForDS2]

Currently expecting DS2. DH and I have a couple of possible names but I am still not entirely certain that they are right, iyswim.

DS1 was easy - from the time we found out we were expecting (and even before) we knew what boys name we would use (also had a name for a girl). Given we have used our top choice for DS1, everything else seems a bit strange.

So I thought that I would see if the lovely MNers would make some suggestions.

So DS1 is called Spencer - what would you call DS2?

P.S DH has already done all the possible variations of the Mark(s) joke.

Louis
Marcus
James
Harrison
Bernard
Tobias
Samuel
Luke
Henry
Percy

a variety there to get a feel for what you like...

I also think Luke goes well.

Thanks for the suggestions

Louis - like as Lou-ee don't like Lewis (which tends to be the default pronunciation these days I think)
Marcus - ruled out due to the 'Marks' thing
James - too popular
Harrison - doesn't suit our surname
Bernard - don't like (too baby-boomer era)
Tobias - was on our long list but DH discounted
Samuel - nice but too popular
Luke - don't particularly like
Henry - nice but too popular
Percy - reminds me too much of Percy Wesley from Harry Potter

I tend to subscribe to the can it be called out in the park/[insert supermarket of choice] / does it suit a doctor / lawyer / global ceo school of name tests. Also, I don't want to use anything too popular (lots of little Freddies/Sams/Jacks etc.) around here. I like those names (one is a middle name for DS1, but I would prefer DS2 not to be known as his name+initial all through school.

Charles
Craig
Jeremy
Philip
William
Hayden
Oliver
David
Rupert
Benjamen
Joseph

Laurence
Dominic
Fraser

I like Rupert, Philip and Laurence.

I also like David but it is already used in extended family.

I don't particularly like Craig and Dominic.

Charles, William, Oliver Benjamen and Joseph (or diminuatives) are all pretty popular.

Fraser is nice but it would feel strange to use it - I automatically think that a boy named Fraser is Scottish (or has strong family ties) - whilst I have some Scottish heritage it is several generations removed.

Some more;

Reuben
Asher
Felix
Edward
Jonty
Jude
Harry
Cassius
Zachary
Simon
Vincent

Another poster asked about a boys' name to match her son Spencer a few days ago. You can see the replies here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/baby_names/1409984-Brother-for-Spencer. I mentioned some of the names below there but I've tried to amend the list a bit to suit your very sensible tests!

You might like another surname name - e.g. Alden, Blake, Carter, Cole, Digby, Fraser, Griffin, Huxley, Lincoln, Logan, Nolan, Nicholson, Parker, Porter, Rafferty, Reed/Reid, Truman, Vaughan, Willoughby, Wyatt, etc. Maybe there's a gem in your family history you could use. Worth looking into?

Equally, one of these might fit the bill - Alastair, Albert, Anthony, Arthur, August, Barnaby, Bruce, Conrad, Crispin, Dashiell, Dexter, Dominic, Edwin, Emmett, Everett, Fergus, Francis, Gideon, Graeme/Graham, Gregory, Guy, Hector, Henry, Holden, Hugo, Isaac, Ivo, Jasper, John, Jeremy, Julian, Jonah, Laurence/Lawrence, Miles, Milo, Orson, Otis, Pascal, Patrick, Peter, Roland, Roman, Rowan, Rupert, Timothy, Tristan, Wilfred, Winston, Wesley.

I really like Spencer & Lawrence for you - they have a nice ring together. Spencer & Tristan or Spencer & Rafferty sounds nice to me too.

Stellan I hadn't seen the other thread - tbh I tend not to click through to the Baby Name topic much (regular lurker, sometime poster with a name change as I prefer DSs name not to be known iyswim) - thank you for linking it.

Funnily enough, even though we used Spencer, neither DH or I are very keen on surname names. We had only one on our long-list, which we like (but not love) and I think that one feels very American.

A lot of the other list that you have suggested (and most of the names suggested by HolyNo), appear on our long-list. Thinking about it, they were mostly eliminated by DH rather than me.

Starting this thread has actually really clarified the issue for me, which is that prior to DS1, DH was always really keen to use the name Spencer and I liked it well enough, but didn't have an overwhelming preference for a different name so I was happy to use the name (and it actually really does suit and belong to DS and has since the minute he was born). There are actually a lot of boys names that I like, but none which I overwhelmingly feel is 'the one', so I guess that is the reason I feel as I do.

As I said, we currently have a top two - one begins with B and the other with a C. The B name is a very solid, recognisable name (but I am not very keen on the shortening). The name beginning with C does not appear on the ONS list at all (although it is a very valid Old English name, easy to spell and pronnounce) - which gives me some wibbles about whether I can actually use it for DS2. The third name (which I would actually quite like to use) is Gabriel - again DH likes but has said no, mainly for the unkind nickname potential.

Hmm - I really need to sit down with DH again don't I?

Gabriel is a lovely choice. I'm sure if he emphasised that his nickname (if he were to have one) was Gabe it'd be fine. I certainly wouldn't worry any more than if I were naming a child, say, William.

Really interested to hear what your other two possible names are - particularly the one beginning with C!

Good luck!

Benedict
Hugo
Hugh Huw
Theodore
Edmund

Boys names are so hard. We wanted something that was unique, unpretentious, yet classic, would equally suit a lawyer, astronaut or a market gardener. Impossible to tick all boxes. Gabriel was on the list, but when he was born, it just felt ridiculous, and he was sam. Not unique, but a strong name yet not something that will limit him or give people expectations of his accent, background, profession. I feel that its a name that will let him carve his own path. To be completely honest, if i met someone called gabriel now id probably think "his parents are pillocks". i like aidan, and unfashionably, peter.