Opinions on our boys shortlist please!!

[teacher1984]

DS is due next week and we can't commit to a name. The names I love DH won't even entertain. Here's the list he likes which I don't hate...

Jack
Theodore (Theo/Teddy)
Rafferty (Rafi)
Archie
Alfie

Thoughts?

I love Alfie and Archie and Theo.

Love Jack . Not keen on the rest really

Jack is lovely, though there gazillions of them. Theodore is also nice.
Rafferty is a bit OTT, and makes me think of a conman for some reason.

Archie and Alfie are cute (specially Alfie) but maybe a bit too cutesy for a grown man's name, and too popular right now.

I love Jack, but as it's been top of the charts for about 20 years now I'd only use it with a rare surname, to make his name original.

I like Archie and Teddy.

I don't like Alfie.

Theo is very very popular here.
I think Archie is the nicest.

Do you think a name will grow on me? Will my boy become his name?

I don't love any on the list but it's all DH will entertain.

They're all ok apart from Rafferty. That's a bit common.

I don't really love my son's names (well, I do like ds1's name, which is Theo). I think boys names are sooooo hard.

Just wait til he is here and see what suits him/sticks. We didn't name ds1 for five days, and ds2 for a week or so! (Big family and all the nice names had been taken).

Theodore.

If you want an Alfie give the child the dignity of Alfred to use in his future professional/adult life. Same with Jack - it's a nickname of John - and Archie, which is short for Archibald. They won't be infants forever and names that are cute on a three-year-old are a handicap to adults who want to project a bit of gravitas. "Judge Alfie" "Dr. Alfie" - "Dr. Rafi"

Rafferty sounds weird for a first name. "Rafferty, Rafferty, time to come home for dinner!" Can you really envision shouting that out? I suppose it depends on what surname it's juxtaposed with. Rafferty Smith or Rafferty Jones perhaps, if there really is no other alternative. Rafferty Pargeter or Rafferty Kowalski or Rafferty Maloney - just, no.

And I agree with a PP, Rafferty has a connotation with raffish and Raffles (the fictional thief or whatever he was) - just fyi.

Raphael if you want a Rafi or a Rafa or a Rafe.

Jack is the only one I like. I like Alfred but not Alfie.

All nice bar the raffish/ clownish Rafferty but as pp says, I'd go with John, Theodore, Alfred, Arthur or Archibald. They are also all v popular at present in the UK.

Jack is the best from your list.

Rafferty is my least favourite.

I'm not keen on shortened names such as Archie and Alfie, although schools are full of them so I'm obviously in the minority!

Love Theo. Also love Jack but there are a lot of Jacks about... Which may or may not bother you!

all these names are on my shortlist apart from Rafferty. My personal fave is Teddy.

Theo. I wouldn't worry about a name being popular. All these people desperately seeking an original name are just buying into the current popular trend for 'unique' names. The anthropologist Kate Fox calls this trend 'eccentric sheep'.

eek, the only one I like is Jack and there are lots of them about. Rafferty sounds ridiculous to me and the others are pet names in my family so remind me of cats!

Theodore is fab, Archie OK, don't like the others. Jack is a respectable name (though I would be tempted to do John for the birth cert) but will date him.

What names do you love OP?

I think you should both compromise so there should be names on the list that DH doesn't love too.

He doesn't get to decide which names won't be entertained by himself.

Any but Rafferty it's really not a good name for a boy it's wet weak and going to be like Ashley a little common. Alfred will give you more options than Alfie i.e. you could use Freddy or Fred , Archibald instead of Archie, Jack is popular but a solid boys name, Theodore is nice could be Theo or teddy/Ted.
What did YOU really like?

Theodore.

Lovely name :)

Jack is the best on your list.

Thanks so much for all the replies which have actually been really helpful.

The names I love are traditional, classic names like Samuel, George, Joseph, William etc, which all sound brilliant with our surname too. I think DH wants something more modern and dare I say 'cool '

I really can't win DH round. He's convinced HE should name our son

Anything but Archie or Alfie. I can think of many words to describe them, but neither are 'cool', and they're far too overused.

What about Arthur? It's similar in feel to Archie/Alfie but a but more solid?

I like Samuel on your list op, that's my favourite. Your dh's list is alright but all those names are so popular atm which puts me off a bit.