Arthur - Opinions please :-)

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Hi everyone,

My partner & I are expecting a little boy and both love the name Arthur (Artie for short) but friends reactions to this have been..... lukewarm.
We've already decided his middle name will be William and I think Arthur William is lovely and strong.
What is everyone's opinion on this? We were considering Henry as we like classic names but I think Henry is far to popular now.

Be gentle and thanks in advance! :-)

It's very very popular just now - three out of last four boys I've heard of have been called it.

But it is also very nice . . .

First up I would say don't tell your friends/family your name choices, they will always have an opinion and in my experience aren't backwards in letting you know they 'don't like that name' (with a screwed up cats bum face!)

Secondly, we have an Arthur so I cannot give you an unbiased opinion! our little boy has really grown to suit his name, he is strong and cheeky and very characterful and I love that his name matches so well with him! however when we picked it it wasn't featuring on any of the top names lists.. I think it does now though. And I do hear it reasonably frequently around here (south east london).. but it's a great name! BTW I think of it as more 'King Arthur' rather than 'old man'. Hope that helps!

I really like it but it's extremely popular.

Love love LOVE Arthur.

(But not Artie)

No small Arthurs round here, BTW (South London)

MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE BOY'S NAME OF ALL TIME :)

I have two DDs. But if I ever have a DS, this is what I would like to call him.

DH, though, is not so keen, and says it doesn't have a one-syllable abbreviation. Apparently all men need this, for the pub. My DH is about as far from being blokey as it is possible to be, so I have no idea why he thinks this. He likes Frederick, and I'm not keen. So at the moment our compromise name is Alfred NN Freddie.

But Arthur is just gorgeous - it makes me think of somebody strong, kind, dependable and loving :)

I don't know anyone named Arthur, everyone seems to be using surnames as first names where I am!

It's a lovely name

Swancourt, does your surname work as a nickname?
My brothers name doesn't get shortened so his friends call him by a shortened version of our surname!
That's how you can get away with having an Arthur haha

I like it, but it is very popular where I live. I know about 4 Arthurs born recently.

I only know two around our area- both are 5/6 yrs old and really suit their names ( strong , bear- like , loving boys ( I think Arthur means Bear ?) anyway - yes it's gaining in popularity but if that doesn't bother you it's a fab name and also ageless :)

Arthur is great.
Sorry but Artie isn't great, think of the rhyme.

I like Arthur, love nn Art. Go for it!

My DHs number 1 choice for our unborn baby but I'm more lukewarm towards it.
I keep hearing it's really popular, especially on mn, and it's been leaping up the name charts the last few years - at about number 50 now but expected to jump up again when the next list is published. However that being said I don't know any and I work with children and young people, and know loads of people having kids!

Like a lot, know several, it's very popular now!

However nn isn't great - don't really like Art or Artie. The baby ones I know are always called by full name.

The only adult Arthur I know rejoices in the 'pub name' of Furry...

My baby will be an arthur if it's a boy! I love it and not very popular where I live x

I like it a lot, Artie is cute too. I know one who goes by Bear as a nn, since Arthur means bear.

Love it. Really like Artie too. Go for it.

It's not my cup of tea at all, I know quite a few, a couple of people in my husbands work have toddler and baby Arthurs and I know 2 at a toddler/baby group. There are none in my dds primary school and I didn't go to school with any. Apart from these under 4s I only know a 70 year old man and a man in his forties with the name - they both actively dislike it.

4 of the last 6 babies born to people I know were Arthur. Massively popular here.

Arthur is ok - I really like the nickname Artie though!

It doesn't seem hugely popular in here in the SE. I've only met two under 4s.

If you like it, go for it!

Love it.

Love it.

From Glasgow and not heard of any Arthurs born around here that I know of anyway

Love it (but knew a lovely one growing up) but not Artie at all.

MN always States Artgur is really, really popular but it's not in the top 50 names (I think it's mid 60s). I have three primary/pre-prinary aged children in Londin but I've only come across two small Arthur's across all the schools, nurseries and playgroups I've frequented.

I know one 20 year old Arthur whose nn is Thor!

FWIW I love the name: it's classic, classless (used by kings and flat caps) and strong.

Arthur is OK but I prefer your original choice of Henry. I don't know any little Arthurs or Henrys.