Ray, Aubrey, or something else?

[Knittingteapot]

Nearly 36 weeks pregnant and these are the only two names that we can vaguely agree on if we have a boy. We could potentially use my surname - lead singer of Pulp - but I'm not as keen on using it as my partner is. We're sorted for girls names; the difficulty there will be narrowing it down! I just don't feel like I love either Ray or Aubrey. OH loves Ray, that's the one he would definitely choose. Anyone got any more suggestions?

Jarvis is very cool! Not keen on Aubrey or Ray tbh. Otis?

Ray and Aubrey are very different types of names - Ray is an older, middle aged man; Aubrey is an older middle aged posh man!

What was it that you liked about each of them?

I would have said Jarvis, until you said that you still use the name yourself. Sorry, I do think that would be too confusing (think of the form filling and almost certain mix ups as schools, doctors and everyone else assume that you filled out the form incorrectly and your baby is actually called Jarvis)

You could use Jarvis as a middle name, though, if DS is definitely not going to have it as a surname - that way it's not completely lost from yuor family tree

Jarvis is awful as a first name. I like Ray, Aubrey is reasonable.
Jared
Craig
Trey
Graham nn Gray
Brandon
Arthur
Reece
Riley
Ross
Ryan
Ashley
Aaron
Russell
Jayden
Andrew

Ray is dreadful. To me it's similar to Frank, Barry or Alan.

Aubrey isn't much better sorry.

See to me, Ray is verging on 'cool' , a bit like Ronnie and Reggie were a few years ago, they are both fairly established 'fashionable' names. I can imagine Fearne Cotton or similar calling her kid Ray.

Aubrey is a girls name to me?

I don't know why, but I'm not sure about Jarvis if your surname is Jarvis. Did Miranda in SATC call her kid Brady when her partners surname was Brady? I thought that was weird!

Sonny
Scott
Justin
Cary
Spencer

Ray is cool and I like Jarvis. Aubrey, not so much.

I can't stand Ronnie or Reggie either
Fearne Cotton has a Rex, now I do like that!

I like Ramon instead of Ray.
Know a guy called Aubrey and like it. Not common so would be a good choice.

I love Aubrey.

How about Lawrence?

Aubrey is a popular girls' name in the US. For young people who spend a lot of time online this will be more apparent, so would avoid it for a boy.

Agree with PPs that as names like Frank, Ronnie and Reggie are becoming more popular again, Ray would work (though do use Raymond as the full name!) It may take a little getting used to for some people, but a few years ago everyone thought that about names like Archie.

Hard to say what future teenagers will think of Jarvis Cocker but Jarvis as a first name does seem to be strongly associated with him. (Uniquely so for anyone who doesn't remember the Newman and Baddiel character.) You could still use it as a middle name.

I have known 3 rays in my life 2 were lovely and one was awful. I knew one Aubrey he was a heroin addict and a mess . Are you purposely looking for Old man names? If so I love Arthur :)

Thanks again for the thoughts and opinions. My partner pointed out, lots of boys get given the same name as their dads and no-one thinks that's weird or awful. Nor does it seem to cause confusion on forms.

Good question from @Olennaswimple about what we liked about each name. OH came up with Ray as he thinks it's like 'a ray of sunshine'; I like Aubrey because of a Midcentury illustrator I like named Aubrey Rix. Jarvis is my name.

Not specifically looking for an old man's name. Neither of us like anything like Ronnie, Reggie, Archie, Alfie so it's interesting that Ray could be lumped in with them.

Our 3 year old has suggested Gilbert and 5 year old came up with Goliath... Maybe we'll get some rabbits they can name

Of the suggestions so far, we like Lawrence. Otis is good but it sounds similar to daughter's name, and love Rex but it rhymes with our son's! Not keen on any of buttercup's or slightlyjaded lists, sorry.

I love ray but as a girls name.

What about

Avery
Austin
Cassius
Troy
Leo
Asher
Ronan

I'm sorry but I really dislike Ray. And I wouldn't call a child Aubrey (but I don't dislike Aubrey as much as I dislike Ray).

Ronan (above) - an excellent name.
Martin
Leo (not short for anything but as a name in its own right?)
Bart
David
I know only 1 John (who is a child) - that is an underused name!
Edwin

Love Cassius and Edwin. Cassius is really similar to our daughter's name unfortunately and OH doesn't like Edwin.

Fingers crossed we have a girl and it solves our problem!

I like Ray. I used to teach one. He was great.

If you went with Jarvis, in the hospital where babies take their mother's surname, he'd be 'Jarvis Jarvis'.

I don't think you should let the fact that people call their DDs Aubrey put you off using it for your DS.

Don't know why Aubrey is getting such a hard time I think it's such a lovely name

Every man I know asked me to think what our son would be called on the school playground or by his footie team mates.. They were right and I wasn't. DS's name became shortened to something I loathe. All his teachers then followed suit. IME your ds is unlikely to be called Aubrey. Whatever we like will be altered to fit in with boy world, whatever that will be for him. Some will say you are setting him up with a whole lot of teasing. Maybe the next Bear Gryls or Jordan Pickford will be called Aubrey and make it all ok. If he is very bright, not sporty or at all geeky you are going to make it extra hard for him with that name. Why not give him three names and include something traditional like James Jarvis Aubrey? Then he can choose what suits his identity as it emerges?

Ralph

Sorry I have nothing to add but all throughout reading this thread I have thought the same as @dissapearingninepatch while in hospital your baby could be known as Jarvis Jarvis.

I know 2 little Ray's. I think it's on the up. I wasnt sure at first but now i actually quite like it.

Not so keen on Aubrey but I do quite like Ainsley which is quite similar

I like Ray.

Really like Lawrence. Much nicer, cooler and more sophisticated than Ray or Aubrey. The latter I agree is now a girl’s name.