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Baby names

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

Original poster

Leo, Toby or Stephen?

51 replies

indigenoustothesofa · 01/03/2014 01:29

Ds is 3 weeks old, and we gave him one of the names in the thread title; however, I am now freaking out about it a bit and wondering if we have made a mistake. I don't know if I actually feel bad about the name or if this is how all my having-a-newborn-baby anxiety is manifesting, but it is really starting to bother me. The other names are shortlisted ones that I would most likely use if we decided to change it. Could you please let me know what you think of each of the names, and which you like most/least? I'm not going to base my decision entirely on the MN verdict, obviously, but it would really help.

Thanks Smile

OP posts:
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DaleyBump · 01/03/2014 01:40

I have a Tobias - nn Toby. Love it :)

crimsonwitch · 01/03/2014 01:46

I have a Leo and he couldn't be anything else. It wasn't my favourite name at the time, but when he was born it just fit. I like the other names too, but I'm massively biased on Leo. Grin

Chloerose75 · 01/03/2014 01:47

My favourite is Toby but I think they are all fine

Original poster
indigenoustothesofa · 01/03/2014 02:30

Thanks for the responses so far! Keep them coming, please. This is now bothering me to the point that, having woken up at about half 1 to feed ds, I now can't stop thinking about it and it's keeping me awake (despite being completely shattered). Arrrghh Confused

OP posts:
BurdenedWithGloriousPurpose · 01/03/2014 02:34

Toby is my favourite from that list.

AdoraBell · 01/03/2014 02:42

I'm biased towards Stephen for personal reasons. I love the name Toby though.

fruitpastille · 01/03/2014 02:45

Toby and Leo are great. Stephen a bit dated but ok.

catsofa · 01/03/2014 02:52

Did you only give him one of the names? Could you bung the others in as middle names in case you or he prefer one of the others later?

I think they're all great names, you won't have gone far wrong whichever one you've picked!

CalmTheFarm · 01/03/2014 03:18

Toby is a great name, Leo is ok and Stephen seems very 70s/80s

squoosh · 01/03/2014 04:09

I don't really like Stephen, grew up with loads of them so it seems very plain and dated to me.

Toby is nice although I think I prefer Leo best as it seems the more grown up name of the two.

Thiscarisreversing · 01/03/2014 06:26

Tobias or Toby. Lovely. Well behaved nice child. Good grades.

Leo. Bit naughty at school with lower grades. Loveable rogue. Great snappy name.

Stephen. Retro 60's 70's name. Not quite cool though. Ross or gus are cooler.

DrankSangriaInThePark · 01/03/2014 06:45

Stephen is classy and due a comeback. Will be the only one in his class.

Leo will be Leo A, B, or C as there are loads.

Toby is probably what Jake Brockman would really have been called. ie, he's a teenager with professional parents living in North London.

I really hope it's Stephen.

CPtart · 01/03/2014 06:47

Toby

Bowlersarm · 01/03/2014 06:53

Toby

tammytoby · 01/03/2014 06:54

Another vote for Stephen. Classic and not overused these days.

Both Toby and Leo are much trendy and will sound 'dated' like Stephen when our kids are adults.

BikeRunSki · 01/03/2014 06:58

Stephen, definitely due a comeback!
Good sturdy name. There are small Tobys and Leos all over the place.

Sparklysilversequins · 01/03/2014 07:00

Leo is my favourite - don't agree that it's dated at all. It's an ancient name. I think it's just become more accessible. When I was growing up it was a "posh" name.

Tobias - love it.

Stephen - I like it but not as much as the others.

Bowlersarm · 01/03/2014 07:01

I don't agree with tammy. I know/know of Toby's from children to sixties and all ages in between. It means it won't date.

wigglesrock · 01/03/2014 07:13

I like them all, I really like Leo, although where I am, it's an older man's name - I know quite a lot of 70 year olds called Leo.

S is my husband's name so I quite like it Smile , it's never shortened - no nickname, I know a 4 year old Stephen & it's really nice when you hear his mum call it.

I like Toby as well, probably not as much as the other two but probably because I don't hear it very often.

atthestrokeoftwelve · 01/03/2014 07:14

I think they are all good names. You can't go wrong with any of them.

SelectAUserName · 01/03/2014 07:19

I like all of them. Toby and Leo probably just edge ahead of Stephen as I'm not such a fan of "Steve" as a nickname.

TamerB · 01/03/2014 07:22

I like Stephen and really think it is due for a comeback. You can't really go wrong with any of them.

Shockers · 01/03/2014 07:28

I work in a primary school; we have no boys called Toby, Tobias or Leo, but we do have a Steven ( not Stephen).
There is one Toby that I know of in DS's year at high school.

TamerB · 01/03/2014 07:33

I bet OP has called her baby Stephen- just a hunch because it is unusual at the moment. I really like it and I like Stephanie too.

NadiaWadia · 01/03/2014 07:39

I really like Stephen, it's classic. Leo is fine, but maybe it should be short for something else.

Not particularly fond of Toby I knew a few dogs called this seems a little bit silly somehow to me. Makes me think of that bald bloke Toby Young who wrote 'How to Lose Friends and Alienate People'.

Sorry - probably not helpful!