Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

William or Oliver?

31 replies

CheerfulYank · 08/02/2015 22:23

Little brother to Samuel (Sam) and Margaret (Maggie).

I'm American and those names aren't as popular in my part of the US as they are there. :)

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
ThehighcostofLying · 08/02/2015 23:25

William Smile

'Will' (nn) preferable to 'Olly' and goes beautifully with your other lovely names.

Try saying (all three) variations (in sync) out loud (as you would in RL)...then choose.

Will trips off the tongue imho.

BikeRunSki · 08/02/2015 23:26

Will

Cliffdiver · 08/02/2015 23:31

William.

NetballHoop · 08/02/2015 23:40

I'd go for an Ollie over a Billy.

Original poster
CheerfulYank · 09/02/2015 00:12

He would be Will, not Billy. Our last name starts with B so it wouldn't work.

OP posts:
fizzycolagurlie · 09/02/2015 03:41

Can you use both?

Blahia · 09/02/2015 04:56

I prefer Oliver/Olly

Original poster
CheerfulYank · 09/02/2015 06:55

No fizzy, it will be one or the other. :)

I'm leaning toward William but I'm honestly torn!

OP posts:
Eminybob · 09/02/2015 06:59

I vote for William, I am biased though.

Delilahfandango · 09/02/2015 07:02

William Smile

MyNameIsSuz · 09/02/2015 07:07

You say he'd be Will rather than Billy, but you can only control that to a certain point... if people want to call him Billy or Bill they will. So if you really don't like Billy B, I'd go for Oliver. I prefer William though!

Original poster
CheerfulYank · 09/02/2015 07:12

That's true Suz but I feel like if we always introduce him as Will, that's what people will call him.

Everyone calls our daughter Maggie, not Peg or Meg or Margo or any other shortening for Margaret, so maybe I have false confidence! :)

OP posts:
Original poster
CheerfulYank · 09/02/2015 07:13

Well, her grandmothers call her Margaret. But in this case they'd just call him William then.

OP posts:
reuset · 09/02/2015 10:30

Oliver

HollyBen · 09/02/2015 10:38

Oliver would be my choice of the 2. I like William but not the inevitable nicknames

Bowlersarm · 09/02/2015 10:44

William nn Will. Great name.

hidingunderthebed · 09/02/2015 13:39

DS1 is William so clearly I love the name. He has always been William but in the last year he has decided to call himself Will, this came about as he has been teased by kids in him class as his name has willy in it... Something I never thought would be an issue but it has been for him. he wishes he was named Luke Skywalker .

bienemaya · 09/02/2015 14:09

Do they use Willy in the US for penis? That would bother me about William.

Oliver is nice, if a little popular (in the UK).

Sophronia · 09/02/2015 14:39

I much prefer William.

skifanatic · 09/02/2015 14:42

Oliver.

William itself is ok, but I don't like Willi or Will (a word "Will, will you") as nicknames.

silveroldie2 · 09/02/2015 16:42

I prefer William - nn Will.

maryporter77 · 09/02/2015 17:03

Oliver.

o0 · 09/02/2015 17:07

William.

My Ds3 has William as one of his middle names. I really wanted it as his first name but my DH didn't.

squoosh · 09/02/2015 17:09

I'd probably go for whichever was rarest in America. So probably Oliver?

fizzycolagurlie · 09/02/2015 19:25

squash you find a lot more Olivers in the US than you do Williams. The most popular name from about 1967 till around 2006 was Michael.

Swipe left for the next trending thread