I'm down to 2 boys names, both love but have a but....

[houmousandcarrotsandwich]

I'm mixed between Benjamin or Bradley.

Love both of them, but have slight things that put me off both...

Bradley - really wanted this for DS1, but DH wasn't keen. This time he's said yes! However, lady in my road has just adopted & one of the boys is called Bradley. It's a very small village, although they will be 3 years apart. I know they have no intentions on moving for a long time, so there would be 2 bradleys. Would this put you off?

Benjamin - I have an old 'casual' partner with this name. DH unaware of this & I don't know him anymore & don't share any friends who do either, so only me aware. It was never serious.
Also DH used to work with a Ben, who was nicknamed 'bender' (mature huh?!), nothing major I know, but hate the thought that my little boy could be given such a nickname.

(probably will be a girl now!)

Also both my girl & boy names look like they may have 'celeb' middle names. Not because they are celeb, because we like them. Would the celeb aspect put you off?

Baby due on Tuesday so need to stop being hormonal & have some idea what DC2 will be called!

Definitely Benjamin. Benjamin is lovely.Bradley is horrid.

Go with the names you love despite
(a) any possible future nicknames (kids will find any excuse with any name!)
(b) an old casual partners name (Im sure this means absolutely nothing to you now and Benjamin will become your son's name and nothing else)
(c) another Bradley in the area (your child, whatever his name, will probably come across someone with the same name at some point in his life. No-one owns a name so if you like it, use it!)
(d) regardless whether its a celeb name or not, again if you love it, use it! (celebs wont be around for ever nor the connection with your childs name).

Basically, if you havent got my drift - go with whatever names you love reagrdless of anyone or anything else!!

Good luck and congrats!!

I think you should tell your DH about the casual partner thing before you decide on Benjamin- I would be gutted if we gave a DD a name and then found out DH had a fling with one of the same name and hadn't told me!

Definitely Benjamin - I love it! Really don't like Bradley esp. Brad...the fact that there is another one in your village wouldn't bother me. I suspect you will come across more Ben/Benjamins than Bradleys over the years...

I think it could (maybe not..) be a bit weird if you had a serious ex with the name Benjamin but I wouldn't worry about a fling particularly as Ben/Benjamin isn't super unusual in that that will be the only person you think of when you hear the name...if you went out with a Cuthbert and then named your son Cuthbert that could potentially be weird/awkward...

Prefer Benjamin to Bradley. Or how about Benedict?

Agree that you have to choose a name YOU love. It sounds like you have concerns about Ben (ex boyfriend and nickname Bender) and that you like Bradley more - I think you should choose that then. Does one go better with your surname?

The Benedict I know got called Bendy-Dick .

I prefer Benjamin as I find Bradley a bit 'american'. I don't think having two bradley's in the village is a problem and I wouldn't give it a second thought. I've known lots of ben's and never heard them called bender. Lots of names have possible associate ions/ nns so I wouldn't let that worry me. Middle names are rarely used so pick whatever you want. Ultimately pick a name because you love it and don't worry what other people might think - your baby your choice

Benjamin is classic and classy.

Bradly isnt.

Both very common names, I wouldn't avoid just because somebody in the area/your past/your extended family had same name, really, not good enough reasons.
I know loads of Bradleys age 4-12. It is an Old English name.

Bradley is name that shoould be scrubbed from all baby naming books.

Bradley should never be inflicted on an innocent little bundle of joy.

Benjamin it is.

agree with innit

Benjamin is classic and classy.

Bradly isnt.

Bradley - i hate this name - it's old fashioned and generally horrible.

Benjamin - is a nice name, best of of your choices --> benedict would be better though

But don't you think the DH should know, though? If you think it's a non-issue, why would you not tell him? You can still use the name, but don't have that association with the name and not tell him.

I wouldn't worry about nicknames tbh, none of my family nn have anything to do with out original names and the school one - well it wasn't so bad

All I can think of when you say Bradley is a teeny baby with Bradley Walsh's face on it that I really don't want to see

Benjamin.

Bad experiences of Bradley myself.

I much prefer Benjamin out of the two you have settled on, as just the thought of Bradley one day being shortened to Brad makes me want to vom.

Sorry.

However, I prefer just plain Ben to the longer version.

What are your girl options and your middle name options?

Brqdley's a naughty boy name!

Gosh I wish I had never opened this thread.

My son's birth mother chose his name, it's not a name I can imagine choosing but it is his name, it suits him. As I read the opening paragraph I thought how lovely it was that the op would choose the name for your boy. Then the vitriol started.

I suppose it is baby names, but it was in active convos that is why I opened it.

Vitriol? Really?

Benjamin.

I say Benjamin out of those two. Bradley is a surname.

I don't get the anti-Brad prejudices, either.
I used to know a bloke whose middle name was Benjamin and he said it was Goddawful, he had no end of teasing about it as a child (council estate childhood). He literally considered it the naffest name in the universe.