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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Did you pick name before birth or have a shortlist?

16 replies

BananaHammocks · 14/01/2014 06:59

I'm really indecisive and I keep flitting between a few names that I like and am finding it hard to settle on one. I'm just wondering whether most of you who have already had children decided on a definite name before birth or had a shortlist?

If you had a shortlist how easy did you find it to pick a name from it once the baby was here if you couldn't decide before?

A lot of people say you need to meet the baby and see what he/she looks like first but I'm not convinced newborn babies look like a particular name! Do you think once the baby is here it is just more real and you realise which name you are most comfortable calling an actual baby?

I can't see myself ever making a decision at this point!!

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HeyMicky · 14/01/2014 07:00

DH thinks we had a short list but I always knew

gruffalosfriend · 14/01/2014 07:05

We picked the name each time once we knew the gender at the 20 week scan.

BonaDea · 14/01/2014 07:29

We didn't find out gender and had a short list of each sex.

DS was a boy and in retrospect I think we had pretty much settled on his name without realising although we did have a strong number 2 name which might have been used if he had not looked like an 'X'.

With girls there was definitely a short list mainly because we couldn't agree.

FamiliesShareGerms · 14/01/2014 07:31

We decided on a boy name during labour, having failed to agree previously. The girl name was decided long in advance, though not needed in the end!

DessieLou · 14/01/2014 07:49

We had a shortlist only because we couldn't agree. But I'm glad we did it like that as the only name of 14 on the list that she suited wasn't even top ten. It was just her name. I can understand the need to find 'the one' and I didn't believe that a newborn could look like a name either but it's true, honest! Have a list ready and spend a few hours with your little one before you decide.
And congratulations!

MyNameIsKenAdams · 14/01/2014 07:52

We had a short list but as I was in the bath in those early stages of labour I still went through the baby book shouting out possible suggestions.

In the end we had three names and I was dedperate to name her as soon as she arrived. Settled on giving her two of the three names as first and middle, and have tucked the third name away for next time.

Grumblelion · 14/01/2014 08:09

We didn't find out the sex and had one first & middle name ready for each. We loved our girls name, which we got to use . The boys name we have kept for next time if we are lucky enough to have DC2 - although we never fell in love with it like we did our girls name.

Melonbreath · 14/01/2014 09:43

Shortlist here, we wanted to wait and see who she was.

TaurielTest · 14/01/2014 09:46

Had a boy shortlist and a girl shortlist.
Met DS1 and within a few hours "knew" his name - and it wasn't on the shortlist .

kiwiscantfly · 14/01/2014 09:52

We found out the gender because I couldn't think of any girls names. We had the middle name (my mums name) and just had to find one to fit. It came down to four names, two strong, and two real backups. We did end up going with our number one choice in the end.

Strangely now I'm pg with DD2, my choices have changed, DH can't understand why we just don't use that other name, we'll see in May!

wigglesrock · 14/01/2014 11:06

I had one boys & one girls name decided on from about 7 months pregnant. I never really moved on them (I have 3 daughters). I just picked my favourite name. I'm a chronic underthinker when it comes to baby names . I didn't check if initials spelt anything inappropriate, I didn't check name statistics or do the will it sound them when they're older stuff.

I've always loved my kids names, they're popular names but I've never even had a second thought about them. Middle names - I've always picked family ones (ie granny, great granny)

OhCaptainDarling · 14/01/2014 11:14

With DD we didn't know the sex before hand, but had sort of agree that if DC was a DD we'd call her X. We had no boys names at all, not one we could both agree on. DD's middle name DH suggested afterwards. However I had a huge wobble and wasn't sure in the hours post birth. DH put his foot down and said, no we agreed and your knackered. He knew I utterly loved the name, so glad he did, otherwise she was going to be something total different.

I'm due this week with a boy, we did have a name we both like for ages and had sort of agreed on it, with the we'll see when he arrives etc. However over the last few weeks, however now I'm not sure on our 'front runner'. Therefore, yes this time we have a short list of 4 names.

InfiniteJest · 14/01/2014 12:02

We had a shortlist of 4. W both had the same favourite name but friends of ours had used it so we had 3 other options. But when DD was born our favourite name won, because in those moments nothing mattered except giving her the name we both loved.

MrsPatMustard · 14/01/2014 14:38

Haven't given birth yet but DH and I have only been able to agree on one boy's name in the end, so it's become a bit of a no-brainer...

Wishfulmakeupping · 14/01/2014 14:40

We had dd's name picked out from the 20 week scan.
My sister however had one name picked out and changed it to something completely different when dn was born as the first name didn't suit her

Oriunda · 14/01/2014 15:18

We didn't know the sex and had a deal. DH would name if a boy, I'd name if a girl. Only thing agreed on was that the first middle name would be a family mn. Neither of us discussed names with the other beforehand, and for so first time I heard DS's names was when they were sewing me up! If DS had been a girl, I had 2 other backup names in case DH didn't like my first choice.

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