What to call our boy...

[TheFillyjonk]

We thought we were settled on a name, but now it's getting closer to the due date I'm wavering...

We had the name Francis, which I do like. It's not used too much, it's pretty classic and it's pretty versatile. It's DP's grandfather's name. In terms of nicknames, we were leaning towards Franco.

However:

1. It doesn't feel very creative using a family name. DP never knew his grandfather.
2. Franco may make people think we're closet fascists with its Spanish connections.
3. MIL is making noises about using Franco when we're "not Italian" and favours Frankie, which I don't like.
4. Francis has a very boring meaning: Frenchman.

We DO have a middle name - Jackson (any guesses what DP's name is? ) It started off as a joke name but it's well and truly stuck. The surname is two syllables.

The name I really like is Felix. I like the meaning, the sound, its Latinness and I love cats.

So we could have:
Francis/Franco Jackson
Felix Jackson

Other suggestions are more than welcome! For the record, I don't like the old man chic names going around like Algernon or Bertie. I'm also not a fan of very traditional ten-a-penny boy's names. I am half Greek but I don't think I want to inflict Stavros or the like on my kid (though I do like ancient greek names).

Thank you!

Felix Jackson is great.

How about Zachary or Zacharius?

I agree about the nickname thing. I'm being drawn closer and closer to Felix but definitely open to other suggestions.

Neither of us like Zachary but weirdly can't explain why...

Watching with interest as we like Frank too but DH doesn't like Francis, prefers Franklin, which sounds American to me. We actually know a high court judge called Frank!!

I don't think of the dictator, I think of the actor Franco Nero ....

I like Francis, it's much less common atm than Felix which is very popular. My cousin has a grown-up Francis who has never been called anything but Francis, so nn's aren't inevitable. It's good to have a bit of leeway though, as one of the nn options may really suit him. It's not really something that can be determined in advance.

Just as an aside, if your husband's name is Jack, then that must jar with the surname in the same way as you say Frank would do!

What is the high court judge thing all about, anyway? Frank is a perfectly distinguished name.

I do like Francis. It just doesn't feel "ours" because it's already been a family name. Doesn't mean much to me, although it sounds nice. I like the fact it's not popular too, I've always been the only one with my name and I thought it must be rubbish to grow up with so many others with the same name as you.

Yes, Jack does jar a bit with the surname. But he can't help it.

I don't get it either Filly. It seems to be a purely MN thing. "Give your child the full version of a name on case they become a high court judge". It's so silly.

Anyway, my Frank is more likely to be like Sinatra than a stuffy old judge so it suits him just fine .

Fergus? I love this but it was vetoed by my DH

Ferdinand. Nickname Ferdie.

Francis is lovely.

It's that elusive underused classic.

Along the same lines may I offer...Gregory?

Felix on the other hand is more faddy//now/of the moment albeit very nice.

The "high court judge" thing is just a shorthand way of saying that a name should ideally suit an adult in a respectable position or a serious context. You could say MP, brain surgeon, headteacher or anything like that, it's just the HCJ seems to have become proverbial here.

HCJs aren't even referred to on a first name basis, surely?

Fergus is okay, a mixture of fern and fungus (don't mind a bit of botanics!)

I don't like the sounds in Gregory, sorry.

Felix is maybe a bit "now" but there don't seem to be any mini ones knocking around here yet. Definitely no little Francises!

I prefer to imagine a DCI heading up a murder enquiry and speaking at a press conference, something like "DCI Tinkerbell Robertson" would sound ridiculous. I think that's what they're getting at.

Francis is more popular than you might think. It was ranked 214 in 2013. Uncommon but not really unusual.

Like you it was my grandfather's name hence the popularity. Plus its the current Pope's name.

It won't feel like your name until your son arrives whatever name you think of imho.

I have never liked Francis - it always seems a bit drippy and I know a lot of female Franceses so I see more as a girls name although of course it is a classic boys name as well!

My younger brother is a Felix and has never had any issues with his name, his surname also starts with 'Dick....' so I suppose would obviously lead to the jokes mentioned earlier but he has honestly never had anyone say anything, even a snigger. It just doesn't register with people.

Popularity wise, Felix is much more popular than Francis (Felix is number 91 with 666 of them born in 2013, Francis is number 241 with 210 of them born in 2013) but I'm not sure if that affects your decision.

I have never liked Francis - it always seems a bit drippy and I know a lot of female Franceses so I see more as a girls name although of course it is a classic boys name as well!

My younger brother is a Felix and has never had any issues with his name, his surname also starts with 'Dick....' so I suppose would obviously lead to the jokes mentioned earlier but he has honestly never had anyone say anything, even a snigger. It just doesn't register with people.

Popularity wise, Felix is much more popular than Francis (Felix is number 91 with 666 of them born in 2013, Francis is number 241 with 210 of them born in 2013) but I'm not sure if that affects your decision.

Hmm, plenty to think about there! I'm glad your brother had no issues with his name, jenny. Felix is definitely more popular (and climbing the ranks, it seems). But will it ever be like Sam and Ben and Tom?

You are right ToothBrush, it will feel different when he's born. I'm hoping he comes out and announces his name to take the decision off our hands, but of course that won't happen.

Oddly I have always really disliked Frances as a girl's name. And the spelling seems peculiar, as though it's a plural.

I don't think it will TheFillyjonk, no. I think some people are still put off by the cat association so I think it may peak in the 60s perhaps.

I agree about Frances. My paternal grandmother was a Frances and I always thought it looked odd. She was known as Fluff though.

I love Felix (hubby doesn't like it :-() but then I'm also a crazy cat lady although I love Latin names

Love Felix for all the reasons you do, OP. But I do like the family connection of Francis, too.

Thanks, all.

DP doesn't like Felix because he associates it with a snotty nosed drip of a kid from his childhood, and an arsehole from his punk days. Fair enough!

I'm not sure about Francis anymore either.

Aaargh! Any more recommendations?

Marcus
Lawrence or Laurence
Anthony

I have to say I definitely would associate Franco with Franco the dictator...

Go with Felix!!! Love it!! Would be on our list for DS but my cousin has used it for his son.