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!

Shivster, am very confused at your post.

I would like to add in my defence that I know some very nice Bradley's and some very shocking Ben/Benjamins.

at the moment though I can't get the image of Bradley Walsh out of my head, and I really don't have a problem with him just his face on a baby.

I am sure whichever the names you choose will suit your baby, they grow into their names. DH chose ds' name and I was not sure I would choose it as I didn't think it would suit him but it does!

And I have read far more vitriolic baby name posts about dd's name than anything written here.

Benjamin, definitely. Bradley isn't very nice.

Benjamin. I love this name and would be top of my list for dc3 if it wasn't ds1's middle name. Duh that was a mistake.
Ben is the best nn ever

Bradlamin.

Or Benjley!

Like GoPoldark suggestions!

I'm surprised by the anti Bradleys. I suppose I should have have said what are your opinions on the reasons, not so much the names, as I like both!

DS 1 has a name that I've seen on here people say is a naughty boy name, so maybe I should have a pair! Agree with what others have said about going with what I like, not what others think (which I would probably normally say if I wasn't so hormonal!)

Can't remember who wanted to know but girls name will probably be Jasmine (although this is changeable), although have a few others.
My poss celeb middles are either Jensen or Adele.

The final name will not be decided until after birth anyway, I'd like to meet baby first. With DS1, it was the name that in my head when going through labour & it just worked. We had other names as a possibility, but it was right at the moment & has been ever since!

More sensible - I don't like Bradley either, it seems new, faddy, a 'fashion' name. It's a surname as first name, which a lot of people don't like (me included). It sounds a bit made up, although I know it isn't really.

Even if you don't think this, I would say that if you were going for a 'celeb' middle name, then I'd go for the more trad first name. Benjamin is a really good choice - strong, and with a good short nickname, familiar to everyone.

Also - your reasons - sounds like there's a lot more negatives to Bradley for you anyway! It's not popular enough for me to be ok with another one in the same street, for example. It'll look like you copied!

Also, Bradley WILL date more than Benjamin. Ben won't date!

I'd say to your OH that you just remembered that you once had a fling with a Ben - does it matter? I'm sure it won't. Then go for BEN.

I wouldn't bother mentioning the old boyfriend. If it ever did come to light, I'd just say "Good Lord, I'd forgotten all about him " :)

As a teacher, I've come across more than my fare share of, shall we say, 'challenging' Bradleys. As reluctant as I am to stereotype, in my experience there do seem to be some names that tend to be attached to less than perfectly behaved children, and Bradley is one of these.

Benjamin, though not my taste, is much nicer imo.

PercyFilth he was pretty forgettable!

Well I've been given lots of opinions... Still don't know which one to go with!

I can't believe you are asking.

Benjamin.

But seeing as you are asking, go with Bradley.

Benjamin

Almost wish I hadn't mentioned the names now!
I don't care what people think of the names, I like both of them! more would any of the reasons effect you decision

Name meaning influences me too - if I like a name but not the meaning I wouldn't chose it.

A quick google for meanings (which I know can vary, depending where you read)

Bradley - broad meadow
Benjamin - son of the right hand.

Does meaning make any difference to you, OP?

Name meaning infulences me too.

I chose a name meaning "hardworking" over one I liked equally meaning "lame".

Right then. Reasons.

Another Bradley in the locality. Yes, I think this would put me off a bit because, as someone else said, it's a more unusual name than Benjamin.

Old boyfriend. Nah, doesn't matter if it was only casual.

Nicknames. Kids will always find something if they want to, so I wouldn't be too bothered.

Benjamin is lovely, although I know 2 Bradleys who are absolute sweethearts, but I just don't like the name.

Benjamin is a million times nicer than Bradley.

However..

Benjamin Jensen doesn't go, but Bradley Jensen does.

I have a teenaged Bradley,named after a lovely man in his 40's.Not fashionable or datable imo, just nice.

On reasons,When discussing names for dd,I was pushing for one name and dh said he liked it but didn't want it.He eventually admitted it was the name of a girl he was seeing casually when he met me!! I would never use it knowing that.

Much prefer Benjamin to Bradley.

But as someone else has said it sounds as if you prefer Bradley.

You need to choose the one you like best, don't worry about the other stuff. And you don't need to be sure until DS, if baby turns out to be DS, is 6 weeks old anyway. :)

Benjamin, definitely.

I think Bradley is possibly more negatively stereotyped whereas Benjamin (apart from being a lovely name) crosses all types and is what I call an "accessible" name, meaning that it would rarely provoke a generally negative response (as can be seen from the responses here for Bradley) so it removes the barriers that an awkward or stereotyped name can present for the owner. Ben is a "good guy", one of the lads, could be a street worker or a barrister. Bradley is a subtle indication to some people (rightly or wrongly, obviously wrongly to judge a name badly, but people have opinions) of a certain type of person. When it comes to application forms for jobs in the future, those predjudices could persist.

I have what I consider an awkward first name - it's just a bit unusual, people aren't sure of the spelling, it's short, not very pretty or particularly feminine - and I know for a fact that had I been a Sarah or a Kate (female "accessible names") then things would have been easier for me. I just know.