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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Boy names - 1970s or too old man?!

76 replies

StuckonBoyNames · 11/11/2018 17:30

Help, DH and I are expecting and cannot agree on a boy name AT ALL.

He likes names like:
Simon
Robert
Gregory
Steven
Peter
I think these are very 1970s names but he thinks they are classic?

On the other hand I like names like
Alfred (Fred)
Oliver
Albert
Rupert
Henry/Harry
Frank(ie?)/Franklin
Percy
Theodore
Wilfred (Fred...again!)
He says these are old man names...even when I told him some of them are in the top 10 now!! Confused

Do what do people think would any of these work?

OP posts:
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SuperstarDJ · 11/11/2018 17:33

I agree with you - your DH’s name choices are 60s/70s rather than classic and the likes of Simon sounds very dated imo.

Gregory is just about OK. I like Wilfred best from your list though prefer the nn Wilf rather than Fred.

Shadow1234 · 11/11/2018 17:34

Sorry, but I do not like any of your DH names. From your list I really like Franklin (nn Frankie). Theodore with nn Theo is also lovely.

Not keen on any of the others.

BertramKibbler · 11/11/2018 17:35

The names you like are very fashionable currently and I think in years to come will be very late 2010s!

Some of your DHs choices are more classic IMO

InfantaSybilla · 11/11/2018 17:36

I agree with both of you, they are 1970s and old man names (except Oliver)

I have however come across a couple of newborn Peters this year so maybe it's in revival mode already.

sunshineandshowers21 · 11/11/2018 17:36

i dislike all of his and like most of yours. i don’t think i know anyone under the age of about 40 (aside from steven) who has the names your dh likes, whereas a lot of the names you suggested are quite popular now. the only one i’m not keen on from your list is percy but i love the rest.

MikeUniformMike · 11/11/2018 17:38

I'm with your DH, but am not mad about Gregory, and I would use Stephen not Steven.
Yours:
Alfred (Fred) - No. Don't like Alf, Alfie or Fred
Oliver - Classic, very popular.
Albert - no. Like it even less than Alfred
Rupert - not keen.
Henry/Harry - same as Oliver
Frank(ie?)/Franklin - no. Like Francis.
Percy - no,
Theodore - really dislike it. Theo isn't too bad but there are loads of them.
Wilfred (Fred...again!) - I like Wilf.

parrotonmyshoulder · 11/11/2018 17:39

My 6 year old DS has one of your 70s names and I still love it. DH, DBIL and my brother have the other 3!

Polkasq · 11/11/2018 19:02

I think your DH's choices are fine and actually a nice change from the currently popular names.

ivykaty44 · 11/11/2018 19:08

Simon biblical
Robert the great
Gregory
Steven biblical
Peter biblical

I think the bivalves was written around 2bc so would say these names are classics and a tad earlier than 1970s 😅

DramaAlpaca · 11/11/2018 19:08

I'm with your DH. His choices are classics that are underused these days & I really like all of them.

Yours are, to me, unattractive (sorry) vintage names, apart from Oliver & Henry which are popular classics.

I'm sure you'll be able to find common ground as the two lists aren't that different.

gilmoregal · 11/11/2018 19:12

I'm afraid i don't like any of your husbands list and agree they're very dated rather than classic.

I think many of your names are classic my favourites from yours are are Oliver, Theodore and Harry.

hungryhippie · 11/11/2018 19:14

I prefer the names from your husbands list. Mainly because a lot of yours are done to death (Oliver etc)

From his list I prefer Steven & Peter
From yours I prefer Theodore (not Theo)

Rixera · 11/11/2018 19:14

What about Michael, or Thomas? Might be acceptable as both old man and 1970s?

daisypond · 11/11/2018 19:15

I like all your DH's name choices - underused classics that are fresh nowadays. Your names are nice too, but from a different era. They're popular now, and will probably go out of fashion relatively soon. I particularly like Henry, Theodore and Rupert out of your list, though. I'd go for Stephen rather than Steven. And I particularly like Peter.

LKRJM · 11/11/2018 19:22

I love Robert - rob/robbie/bobby/bob!
I like Peter - it just looks like a horrible name rather that sounds it - I see people modernising it, spelling is Peta.

Must admit I love Percy, non of the others though, sorry OP

StuckonBoyNames · 11/11/2018 19:26

Wow thanks for the comments! It seems to have split opinions here as well! Boys names are HAAAAARD.

I didn't think of names like Peter and Simon being biblical and not sure if this is something we would want.

I agree that some of my names are very now and might go out of fashion I also dont know how well they would age for example would a middle aged Frankie work??

Out of interest why do people prefer Stephen when it would be shortened to Steve? (I like Steve a lot less than I like Stephen/Steven which is the problem!). Nicknames are an issue for us e.g. Alfred - like Fred, don't like Alf.

Rixera DH doesn't like Mike so won't consider Michael (I agree) and I know at least 5 children under the age of 3 called Thomas so it is far too popular around here for me (DH likes it though).

I think we will take Oliver off the list for being so popular.

I don't like Theo for Theodore so would shorten to Teddy but this seems less popular? And again is it a name for an middle aged man??

OP posts:
bridgetreilly · 11/11/2018 19:26

I like all of his choices and they are definitely classic rather than dated which I would think of as things like Keith, Kevin, Trevor).

bridgetreilly · 11/11/2018 19:27

I like Peter - it just looks like a horrible name rather that sounds it - I see people modernising it, spelling is Peta.

Peta is a girl's name.

Kewqueue · 11/11/2018 19:28

Your dh is ahead of the curve - his names will be popular in 15 years or so!

Ikeameatballs · 11/11/2018 19:34

As a group I prefer your DH’s choices though there are some I like from your list too.

I love Stephen, it’s really due a comeback imo.

What about:
Richard (Ritchie)
Arthur (Artie)
Solomon (Solly)
Edward (Ted)
Patrick
Daniel
Jonathon

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 11/11/2018 19:37

Your DH's name choices are more unusual if that matters to you... Nurseries and primary schools are full of children with the names on your list. I especially think Simon is lovely, btw

Danglingmod · 11/11/2018 19:39

His names are nice. They were popular in the seventies, but are classic names, especially Peter and Robert. I really like Gregory, too.

Of your names, only Henry and Oliver are classics, I think, although I like all of yours except Wilfred.

I think if you go with one of his, you'll be ahead of the curve.

I think things like Peter, John, Gregory, Nicholas and Robert will be back in fashion in no time at all. Like pps said, Keith, Colin and Gary, not so much.

cantthinkofausernamee · 11/11/2018 19:40

I love all of your list, apart from frankie. Your DHs are awful sorry

greendale17 · 11/11/2018 19:40

Your DHs names are terrible. They belong in the 70s

Danglingmod · 11/11/2018 19:40

I also really like Patrick and Jonathan from the same 70s/classic stable.