Boy names - Lincoln?

[Charlie9S]

Hi there,
Really struggling for names for our second son. First is Elijah. We like traditional names but they always seem too boring for us with our surname of Smith. We love Elijah, has a good mix of character and interesting without being too weird. Randomly we like the name Lincoln but I'm pretty sure everyone we meet will not like it! What are your thoughts on the name Lincoln? DH likes Elliot and I do as well but it's basically a variant of the name Elijah. I like Spencer DH doesn't. Other names are Joseph, Leo, Jacob, Joshua and Oliver (some much more common names there) We liked Riley at one point. They all seem to go on and off the list but Lincoln has kind of remained even though we know it's a bit more unusual and our parents will probably hate it! Please help with your thoughts on the name (we are UK - Elijah is also a more popular name in America like Lincoln is) and any new name ideas? We have searched and searched and searched! Many thanks xxx

And yes, we had both Abraham and Lincoln on our list DS didn’t get either name in the end though.

I really like Lincoln

I also think you need to stop worrying so much about what your family will think. It's your baby and you are the ones that need to love the name you give him!!!

Thank you all. So on balance a fairly positive response to Lincoln. Its not that everyone has to love it. I knew Elijah would be different for my family too but felt more sure about it. Just nice when they do like the name and he's got to live with the name so don't want it to be too negatively recieved. Thank you for the name suggestions too a few there I like. I'd say its not a name i would expect to like or my dh to like especially. But its one he tends to come back to which surprises me. I wouldn't say i like surnames as first names just come across some I like. Some lovely traditional names I just seem to lean towards less popular ones but not too unusual. Think surname has made that more important. Anyway thank you I think Lincoln stays on the list and I'll have to tell family they'll learn to love it!

Hello, sorry to hark back to an old post, but if you don't mind could you say whether you named your son Lincoln?
The reason I ask is that following the recent death of my last surviving parent I have started some family research and my paternal grandfather was called Lincoln and I always thought that if I had a son I would call him Lincoln. Your thread came up when I googled his name and I was intrigued by your post especially considering my family name.
Yours
Jeremy Smith
PS I have it on good authority that my grandfather was a very good man do if you went with that name it's a good start you have given him.

I really like Lincoln! And I wouldn't expect to - I'd usually consider myself more "traditional" - James, Harry etc. Just saying as you are worried your family won't like it but perhaps they'll surprise you like I surprised myself!

Elijah Smith is great

If I had a brother Elijah and was called Lincoln or even worse Riley I would not be impressed. (Riley is a hard no OP)

Joshua or Jacob are my favourites - I'd go with Joshua as less common
Joseph Smith is a bit dull
Oliver and Leo nice but way overused
Elliot too similar

Alistair, Tobias, Zachary, Nathaniel, Dominic, Gabriel, Benedict, Jonathan, Sebastian, Maximilian, Nicholas, Gideon, Matthias, Barnaby, Julius, Cassian, Lucian, Jethro, Jerome, Nathan, Laurence, Silas, Lucus, Rufus, Jude, Guy, Joss, Seth