Name help! (Meghan markle stole ours)

[JusRol]

Due a baby boy in three days time, we had decided months ago on Archie. Then the royal baby came along! It was already a popular name I'm aware but feel it'll sky rocket now MM has used it and it's put us off. So we're back at the drawing board!

Previous names we'd considered are:

Frankie (Franklin on BC)
Freddy (Fred on BC)
Luca
Alfie
Arlo
Eli
Joe

Open to new suggestions as well!

How about Arthur?

I'd still use Archie. From your list I like Joe best. (I'd leave it as just Joe on bc but if you want something other than Joseph there's Joash.) I don't mind Frankie (but prefer just Frank and would put Frank on the bc), Freddy and Alfie. I just can't warm to Eli, Luca and Arlo.
Otis
Wilf
Rafe
Griff/Gryff
Mack
Gus
Ted
Ned

Alfie or Fred.
Both are nice, but I prefer Alfie (or Alfred maybe?).

I don't like names that should really be shortened versions - such as Joe or Fred. Joseph and Frederick are fine. Surely Eli is short for something too, like Eliot?

Luca is a horrible name. It sounds like a medical term for something nasty.

Arlo is cool. Really, really cool.

Megan did you a favour! It’s not 1993 anymore. Archie is the Steven/Stuart/Kevin of a new era.

I met a baby named Archer which I thought was different and kind of cool.

I've come across a few baby Arlos recently.

Balonz

Joe is fab, and feels fresh despite being familiar, I've not met any little Joes. You could call him Joey for a cuter nickname and have a choice of longer Sunday names; Josiah, Jocelyn, Jonah, Jonathan.

I only like Luca and Eli on your list.
Or how about Elijah?

I like Eli best. Or maybe:- Elijah, Asher, Cole, Grayson, Gideon, Hudson, Harlow, Nate, Quinn, Seth, Tate, Tobias

Looking at your other choices, you clearly like (mostly) popular, friendly- sounding abbreviated names. On that basis, I'd stick with Archie. I think Meghan using it will not make an difference to its popularity, which, like you said, was high anyway. My favourite of your names is probably Joe, and it won't date as much as names like Luca or Arlo.

What about Harvey? Albie? (Similar to Archie and Alfie though slighly less popular) Tommy?

Luca and Eli are the best from your list. Alfie is

That meant to read Alfie is closest to Archie.

Not very helpful but thought Id just say this is by far the nicest shortlist I've read on here in ages

Harvey?
Ronny?
Oscar?
Evan?
Mason?
Fabian?
Tommy?

Archie is awful (although I do feel bad for the amount of stick they got for using it) so maybe it’s a good thing. That said I can’t see why you wouldn’t use it - Charlotte & George haven’t changed in use.

Damn you Megan!

I like Frankie and Alfie from your list

Barney,short for Barnaby or Barnabas. Cute and less overused.

Love a PP suggestion of Albie or Arnie.

Arthur with nn Artie?

I love Joseph with nn Joey. So cute.

Agree with PP's suggestion of Artie, which imo is much nicer than Archie.

Also like Alfred, with options of Alfie or Freddie as a nickname.

You do know a name can be used more than once, by lots of people?
Use it if you like, my brood ended up with a royal name, because we rally liked it. Unfortunately, we had to leave our preferred second ds name Harry, as this would have been too many.

As other posters have already indicated, Archie is unlikely to become more popular since it was already very high trend at the time of use by the Sussexes. George and Charlotte the same and no significant hike.

All the names on your list are of similar popularity, so I can’t see that you’d have specific Archie related issues...

Franklin is nice but the nickname Frankie sounds like a girls name

Thirding Arthur, nn Artie/Art.

Not Alfie or Freddie.

I met a little Franklin the other day and felt it was an oddly formal name for a little one... not a fan.

Traditionally Frank/Frankie have been diminutives of the name Francis, not Franklin.