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Baby names

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

Theo, Rowan, Finlay or Louis?

24 replies

cashmere · 28/06/2012 20:28

Just pondering boys names (hopefully finding out gender in a few weeks).

Which of these do you like? :-
Theo
Rowan
Finlay
Louis

How would you spell Finlay/Finley?

OP posts:
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Olive28 · 28/06/2012 21:00

Theo is the definite winner :)

RubyFakeNails · 28/06/2012 21:24

Rowan I can't abide Theo or Finlay.

poppydaisy · 28/06/2012 21:57

Rowan. Definately!

Theo and Finn are very, very widely used and quite trendy at the moment. Louis is ok but a lot of people may pronounce it the French way (without the s).

tammytoby · 28/06/2012 22:02

Agree that Theo and Finlay are indeed very fashionable and may sound dated as they fall out of favour. Louis is nice, as is Rowan. Does any one go better with your surname?

burleyburley · 28/06/2012 22:10

I have a Rowan. Great name. I also like Louis and would pronounce it without the s. I think Theo sounds like a nickname and DH and I fell out about how to pronounce Finlay, so couldn't use it.

I also like Hugo and Alexander. What girls names are you considering?

rachel234 · 28/06/2012 22:13

I like Rowan the best. Finley and Theo are indeed a little overused imo. Louis is ok but I'm not keen on the French pronunciation.

Hugo is lovely too, or how about Ronan, Quentin or Dominic?

puffberto · 28/06/2012 22:16

No, no, no and no. Nice names but too many about.

CrunchyFrog · 28/06/2012 22:19

I have a Rowan, haven't met any others. Makes me happy every time I holler say it.

I liked that it was unisex too.

PinkChampagneandStrawberries · 28/06/2012 22:20

I like Rowan and Finlay Grin

CharlieBoo · 28/06/2012 22:37

Louis... Love it

cashmere · 28/06/2012 23:16

Thanks we like Louis (French way) and Rowan best. Louis has some family connection (not why using it though) and prob goes with surname better. However, either go.

Still keeping an open mind though. Boys names are hard I think a lot are what I would call dull, boring and 'classic' or a bit different but faddy. I think Rowan isn't lumped into either category which is good.

I also like Alexander, Alec and Laurence DH doesn't.

Girls- I like pretty names!
Isla (maybe common a few years ago??)
Anya
Amelie (love but common)
Rosalie
Meredith
Holly

OP posts:
EllenParsons · 29/06/2012 02:27

Rowan. I do like the others too but prefer Lewis to Louis.

Your girls names are nice too, love Isla.

HolyCameraConfusionBatman · 29/06/2012 02:55

Theo is too popular.
Not keen on Rowan.
Love Finlay, but too popular.
Love Louis (the French way)

bananamummy · 29/06/2012 11:01

They are all too widely used and very 'trendy', with the exception of Rowan. I never know how to pronounce that one - Row (as in cow) an or Row (as in roe) an?

And I think English speakers should pronounce the name Louis phonetically English - Lou-is. Just like the Spaniards and Germans do - why do we need to copy the French way?

CrunchyFrog · 29/06/2012 11:07

We say "roe." like the tree.

cashmere · 29/06/2012 11:14

Only I don't like Lewis and do like Louis. It was also said that way in family connection 80 years ago.
Rowan would be row as in row the boat. I don't like it the other way.

Names are so personal I can't stand names like James, Thomas, Daniel as first names but would use as middle names.
I'm not keen on shortened names like Alfie, Charlie and Archie as I don't like the full versions of these.

Boys names are tricky! I do quite like Old Testament names but these are also getting very popular.

That said names are often popular for a reason- I love Oliver!

OP posts:
Stellan · 29/06/2012 11:30

All of your names are very current, which I don't think is necessarily a problem. They have all been used before and, like most names, will come in and out of fashion.

In the future, people may be able to say, as they do with Sharons and Traceys, Claires and Kevins, 'Ah, yes, he was born in 2012!' but does that really matter?

My own personal tastes generally incline towards names that have been:
-- consistently popular for the last few decades (the Benjamins, Christophers, Daniels, Thomases - i.e. not undateable but not recently prone to massive fluctuations in popularity);
-- were once very popular but are no longer as ubiquitous (the Philips, Alistairs); and
-- those that have been used historically but aren't currently particularly in favour (the Barnabases, Bartholomews, Francises, Percys, Rolands).

But then I like the odd white-hot name (Noah, Oscar, Leo) - you like what you like and as long as it's not a ridiculous choice, why not?

The main risk of picking a name in the top 50 is that another child is more likely to share your son's name at school than if it were a more obscure choice but if you know that, go for it. I'd only really advise against picking a popular (i.e. top 25ish) name if your surname is really common (such as Smith or Jones).

From your list, I like Louis (Louie) the best followed closely by Rowan. I don't really like Finlay (seems a bit downmarket these days and I tend to like 'everyman' names - doctor or docker, lawyer or labourer) and only like Theo as a nickname for Theodore.

shoobidoo · 29/06/2012 13:00

Yes, all very trendy names. I think Rowan is the most classic one.

Even if you choose to pronounce Louis the French way, lots of non-French speakers will pronounce it with the 's', like the Americans call the city of St Louis.

smokeandglitter · 29/06/2012 13:46

Finlay Grin

I think Rowan is ok. I like it when it's Row-en sound though, really don't like ROW-ann.

Matsikula · 29/06/2012 14:44

I like Louis (pronounced the French way, we have Lewis if we want to be Anglo Saxon about it) and Theo.

I personally think these are both less faddish than Rowan and Finley, and I know a couple of people from entirely different generations with both of those names, all English, not French.

TwoBedsAndACoffeeMachine · 01/07/2012 11:01

I LOVE ROWAN!! I may be biased though as my 6 month old Rowan is laid gurgling watching me! Grin

I also have a Joseph and I love that name too.

Really not keen on Theo or Louis. Finlay is a nice enough sounding name but there's hundreds of them about at the minute which makes me think it's an 'on trend' name so may date. That might not bother you though, it wouldn't put me off if I loved a name.

Like Isla of your girl's names. My Rowan would have been an Isla had he been a girl.

WillowTheWitch · 01/07/2012 12:10

Theo

Dinosaurdrip · 01/07/2012 17:46

Rowan all the way, I also maybe slightly as DS1 (4) is a Rowan. DS2 is Sebastian and we now have to decide on a dc3 name hence me lurking around the baby names board. It's too hard.

Dinosaurdrip · 01/07/2012 17:47
  • maybe slightly biased
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