Is this name crazy?

[Avocadosmoothie]

Honest opinions please, what do you think to River for a boy? My husband and I absolutely love it. My concerns are that I can't imagine the name River on a man and that it's so 'out there' he could hate it. What do you think? Thanks for the help!!!

its getting quite popular - i like it :)

gets shortened to riv

When I was a teenager many many years ago, I planned naming my hypothetical future DS River after River Phoenix. My actual DS's have names which are far more traditional and well established.

So I do have a soft spot for River, but it is a bit far "out there". I'd agree with a pp that if you're in doubt, it's probably not the name for you.

Love it.

Definitely avoid if your surname is Trent, Medway, Dee...

Personally, I think it's one of the more unusual names which blends quite well with safer choices.
To me, it conjures up someone strong-minded and capable...Dr River J. Smith, for example, sounds fine.

Considering how often we hear Bear recently, I think River won’t seem so strange to our children’s generation. They are at school with a MUCH wider variety of names than us. My kids are at school with children who have names like Zeus, Ocean and Meadow so unlike us adults, wouldn’t raise an eyebrow at River.

I think River for a boy is a great name

I don't think River is particularly out there. It was mid 300s for popularity for both boys and girls last year, with over 140 Rivers born of each sex. Plus Jamie Oliver's new son will likely give it a further boost. It feels a bit "celebby" now but I do quite like it. Maybe a middle name if you're not sure?

I wouldn't use it myself but it's definitely doable as a name that's not too crazy!

I think the reason that you can't imagine a middle aged man introducing himself as 'River', is that there are no middle aged men called 'River' atm. By the time your DS is middle aged, there will be... and it's better than Bear.

It's no different to other nature names.

Not crazy but a little quirky and 'out there'.

If you love it then use it but consider a more traditional middle name(s) as an option if he wants to be known as something else later in life.

I wouldn't - it might be cute on a kid but not on a grown-up. Jamie Oliver got a fair bit of stick for choosing it. Why not go for something safer and use it as a middle name? I love nature names but can't think of any boys' ones we would dare use!

I don't mind it. I much prefer it to old fashioned names which are popular on here eg Quentin, Gilbert etc.

Love it

I like it! I'm sometimes a bit disappointed in myself/dp for naming our kids such "normal" names!

Angel-Mae, though?! Ffs.

I actually quite like Meadow as well.

It's great.
I'm giggling a bit at the conservativeness of some of these posts. It's not that unusual sounding, and it's a lovely sounding name - I really like nature-based names.

It's bit like the name Fox in my opinion.

We've picked it for ds2 who is due in 2 weeks so obviously I love the name! It's underused which I like and goes well with ds1 name. We've gone for a more well known biblical middle name to balance it out.

I think it's great! I can absolutely see it suiting an adult too whatever their profession.

No op!!!!! I admit I'm dull with names but please just call him William or something!

Love it. It's a bit hippy but I am a bit hippy, so it works for me.
If you're worried about professionalism, give him a sensible middle name, like James, that he can turn to if he prefers.

Aw, river phoenix. It suited him And his hippy dippy family.
If you're similar go for it. But with a normal surname and both standard family it does not really work

I don’t particularly like it. A friend of mine named her DD river and I just feel it sounds a bit try hard. It is better for a boy though and as PPs have said it’s growing in popularity and certainly better than bear !

I don't think it's that out there.

It depends on the family though. I know a family and they gave their children names like this but they live on the coast and surf and all look very bohemian.

If you're accountants who look like you rolled around in the next catalogue then yeh, River is going to seem out there, for you

Which is it? Be honest with yourselves.