I’m doubting our boys choice now...

[BarryBarryTaylor]

Gabriel James...

A friend asked me and DH earlier if we had a name in mind or if we were still looking, I said no we have finally agreed on a name but it’s a secret. DH promptly responded with “Ive had to massively comprise, it wasn’t my first choice” which has really taken me back. It’s making me doubt the name now. Incidentally it wasn’t my first choice either, but like I say we couldn’t agree.

DH and I haven’t had chance to chat about it as we have family and friends over this evening and I don’t want them knowing our choices, but I’ve been silently mulling it over all evening and now I’m not sure if I even like the name anymore.

We wanted a boys name that was sensible for a baby, boy, man, but also uncommon. (There were only 4 Gabriel’s registered in our borough last year according to the ons website)

Has anyone else got some good names suggestions, happy to go along the biblical route as they seem very ‘classic’

We have lots of grandad names near us, lots of Arthur’s, Alberts, George, Henry/Harry, Max, Olivier...so want to avoid those.

Also James as a mn is set in stone as it’s a family name.

Any suggestions welcome, this whole naming lark is giving me real anxiety now.

Seb
Orry
Scott
Ty
Lennon
Harris
Cedric
William
Ashton

Gabriel James is a lovely name. Gabriel is quite popular these days, not that that should put you off necessarily. There are two in my DS nursery and two in Reception class. Do try to choose something you both love. Your heart has to be set on it as much as your head.

How about Dominic James? Does it sound a bit estate agenty? I do like the name Dominic almost as much as Gabriel.

I think Gabriel James or Patrick James are lovely. Actually anything but Appie. It’s awful even as a nn.

Point out that Appie rhymes with Nappie and his life will be hell at school. That should rule it out all by itself.

Lots of great suggestions on this thread. I like

Asher James (which is similar in what your DH liked)
Eliot James
Everett James
Fentin James
Patrick James
Toby James
Quentin James
Zachary James

Good luck, op.

Yes Nappy and Crappy.

Appie is just, er, odd!? Like an app for kids or as some people will refer to kids with Aspergers as ‘Aspies’ - really not a name!

Nate is lovely, Gabe but maybe not Gabriel. James is classic though, if it’s a family name can’t it be used as a first name? Anything is better than Appie though!

Don’t go for the only name you can both agree on - we done this for ds2 and it’s a big regret of mine ! Find something together .. Aidan , Lewis , Nathan

Gabriel is lovely. Nate is also lovely, although I prefer it as a nickname for Nathaniel. Appie is.... awful.

Usually I am of the opinion that it is best not to discuss baby names before the baby arrives but maybe when your DH said he had massively compromised, I might have innocently concurred, "Yes, DH had his heart set on Appie but I just don't love it," just so he could have seen everyone's jaw drop.

How about Raphael, if you both quite like Gabriel? Ariel is kind of a compromise between Appie and Gabriel. There are lots more unusual Biblical names ending in -el though.

Adam? Could nn Addie.

Love Gabriel!! Almost called ds2 it...

Other names I love..

Elijah

Noah

Jude

Zachary

Jonah

Bertie (Albert)

Leo

Nicholas

Adam

Aiden

Ethan

How about Raphael

Yes, you could pretend that Appie 😁 was shortening of R ap hael as well.

I think Gabriel is lovely! Definitely gaining in popularity - I think it will be the new big biblical name (following on from Noah, Jude, Reuben etc) but it's a classic so it doesn't matter.

APPIE! 😂 Oh my! Did he just make that up? On a scale of 1-10, 10 being lovely, 1 being awful, Gabriel is 10 and Appie is so bad I don't think it even hits number one. It also means poo in DHs native language so please don't name your son this as there's quite a large chance he will meet people who speak this language in his lifetime (lots of people from here in Britain!)

We did this too, OP. Agonised about it right up until DD was born. We developed a shortlist and when she was born she didn't look like any of the names. We finally settled on one when she was a week old and it really wasn't a big deal. We referred to her by a different name every day until one fitted. I was so stressed about it in pregnancy but it'll be fine, honestly.

I'd just go back to the drawing board. It doesn't have to be your favourite name ever, but nor should it be a massive compromise for either of you.

Also, for what it's worth, I considered my name to be unusual growing up as I never met another one. Googled it recently to find it was in the top hundred when I was born. To this day, I have only met one other and she's three decades or so older than me.

When my kids were little and being difficult I would avoid an argument by asking a stranger what they thought. Eg when Ds wanted his bedroom painting Arsenal red, including the ceiling I asked a woman stood near us in b&q. Ds had agreed to accept her view, and I even let him select the stranger.
Suggest you take the same approach and show him this thread or ask any single stranger you meet what they think of Appie.

I really like Gabriel

So you’ve come up with a list of names which your husband has rejected. He’s come up with one made up name that was a footballer’s nick name? Which is awful, and will have people thinking WTF? All through the poor kid’s life.

Then you compromise and he makes a passive aggressive comment in front of someone else to let you know he’s not happy.

I’m sorry, but your husband is being a dick.

I agree with the PP. come up with a list of names that you like and would be happy with and if he hates them all get home to come up with 3 reasonable alternatives.

We used to go through the baby name book on long car journeys and finally came up with an agreed shortlist.

Sorry to bash your husband, but if he likes football what about Stanley?

Or keeping with the religious theme of other names suggested Noah or Rex?

I love Gabriel and it was on my boys shortlist. Other names included:

Reuben
Solomon
Ezra
Moses
Jonah
Rufus
Rowan
Zachary
Bodhi
Elijah
Joel
Dylan
Bernard

Your husband is being an arse.

Whenever he sighs and makes a face about how much he’s compromised, you need to clearly comment to the other person that his only suggested name is Appie

He’s managing to publicly paint you as the ‘difficult’ one whilst making zero effort himself
He needs to come up with a list of possible names not just an obscure footballer’s nickname. He’s naming a child, not a dog.

Why are people suggesting Noah?
It's been extremely popular in recent years.

I like
Zachariah
Micah
Solomon
Ishmael

I nearly chose Gabriel, but I went for Rufus.
Also considered Felix, Hector, Edmund, Sebastian and Casper.