Oliver or James

[user1471523301]

I am 6 months pregnant and struggling to think of boys names! The only two DH and I agree on are Oliver and James, but they are both really popular. Any preferences between the two? Any more suggestions of names we might like?

It has to be a fairly classic name as we have quite a long, unusual surname.

[user1471523301]

Thanks everyone! Think I will have to wait and see which one he looks like. (I will consider River if he doesn't look like an Oliver or a James.)

[Peanutbutterpussycat]

I have a 13 year old Oliver and in 2003 it was not popular ( he was named after a cat ) and he was the only one in primary and now in secondary as far as I'm aware but I love his name and he suits it though does like to be called Ollie, my dp only ever calls him Oliver though as he doesn't like Ollie so much!

If my dd had been a boy then would have named him Oscar, it's a marmite name but I absolutely love it.
Good luck op.

[InLoveWithMattSmithsQuiff]

James is gorgeous.

[OvO]

James.

I have one who's almost 12 - never been known as anything other than James or an unconnected nickname.

And for a name in the top 10 we rarely meet others. No other James' in his school.

[Jenni2legs]

Both are so popular, Oliver is more so. I'd call him River instead

[Notso]

I know 5 males called Oliver James. So I'd go James.

[hels18]

We are in the exact same position, we both love Oliver and James, but feel like every little boy I meet is one or the other. I really want to go for Oliver but I am worried he will forever be referred to as 'little Oliver' or 'Oliver B' or 'ginger Oliver'..

[FindingNemoFindingDory]

Oliver

[MrsHathaway]

This is why not Oliver James, by the way.

Ours is Oliver James for that reason.

[Hagothehills]

James. My DS is an Oliver, we picked because it was one of the few names we could agree on and thought it wouldn't be too popular. Now feels like every other little boy we meet is an Oliver! Also my little cousin James is really awesome person

[Sugarpiehoneyeye]

James.

[Sophronia]

James

[user1471523301]

We did think of that but not going to bother with a middle name. There are so few names that we both like that we thought we'd better save one for a second child!

[GoNorthDarren]

James for me! I always seem to love people called James. All the ones I know are really fun and mischievous (in a good way). As well as that, it's less popular, (where I live at the minute anyway), and I'm not keen on the 'liver' sound in Oliver. It makes me think of... well liver. I also knew an Ollie who got called "Ollie the wally", which has put me off the nn Ollie.

[WottyMcWottFace]

Why not have both and call him Oliver James. Both lovely names

[ElliotTheCat]

Oliver I love it!

[MotherDuckSaid]

i have a real soft spot for oliver on toddlers and boys, but i think James suits all ages nicely best, IMO :)

[LastGirlOnTheLeft]

I love James - DS2 is James and never Jim, Jamie, Jimmy, Jimbo or anything else!! Just James.

[Laineymc7]

James

[Ankleswingers]

I prefer James, although Oliver is lovely too.

To you, they'll be the only Oliver or James, so don't worry about them being popular.

Good luck OP

[FoxesSitOnBoxes]

Both good names. Oliver my favourite

[MrsHathaway]

Incidentally I don't know an Oliver who has escaped being Ollie somewhere. That's my sole regret for using it (and I never call mine Ollie although DH and DC1 among others do).

[MrsHathaway]

Oliver is more popular and more trendy.

I think James is far more likely to be Jamie or maybe Jay than Jimmy nowadays.

I have used both so here are some others we used and nearly used.

Charles (Charlie)
Robert (Robin)
Matthew
Edward
Adam
Luke
Alexander
William

[Natsku]

Oliver. But that's because my best friend throughout primary school was an Oliver so I'm a bit biased. Never met a bad Oliver.

[eatingtomuch]

My ds is called James. He is never called Jimmy by his friends.
We have always called him James and he has always introduced himself as James.