Baby name ideas...

[Avenue69]

I’m 5m pregnant and we’ve narrowed our names (much deliberation between me and DH - many vetoed!)
We like:
for a boy: Rowan Michael
for a girl: Clara Florence
(Middle names are family names)

Our Surname is three syllables and starts with a V.

Thoughts please?

Really like Clara and Florence

Michael I really like as a name. It’s a classic but very underused these days.

Not so keen on Rowan for a boy as I have a female friend with this name (I know it’s completely acceptable as a boys name though). It’s become very popular recently so could date if it disappears as quickly as it has appeared. I don’t really like the inevitable nickname “Row” (“Row roe row you’re boat”) nor the fact it gets muddled up with the even more popular RoMan which is one of the fastest rising boys’ names - now top 50 and on current trajectory will be top 20 soon. There’s two “Roman”s, one “Rowan” and one “RoNan” all at my sons playgroup 🤣... it gets VERY confusing and they often all just get called RoMan (I suppose as that’s the most common name of the three so people mishear and assume they’re all RoMan)

I also love Clara Florence.

I'm not so keen on Rowan, but how about Reuben, Quentin or Tristan?

I like them both but particularly Clara Florence which is a beautiful name. Rowan nice too.

Clara Florence is great. Michael I like.

Agree with PP about Rowan but ignore all this if you have your heart set on it.

I work with newborns and the names ‘Roman’ (with an M) and ‘Rowan’ (with a W) have certainly exploded in popularity over the last couple of years (especially Roman). I never used to meet any until recently. I wasn’t surprised to hear that they’re both fastest rising names in current name lists. Roman looks set to be a top 10 name in the next couple of years on current growth trajectory, it really leaps up every year. A bit like “Arlo” or “Noah” a few years back- a rare name until suddenly BOOM 🤣 (nice names though!)

I think Roman (with an M) popularity in particular has boomed because there’s apparently a famous DJ with this name and also another famous YouTuber. Roman has a nicer nickname (Rome) than Rowan (Row) which sounds a bit unfinished and unpleasant to me. You could try and insist on him always being called his full name but you know what happens.... it’s tricky to police!

My daughter has two Roman’s in his nursery class (both under 2yo), so I think if a Rowan were to join too it would get confusing for everyone. But maybe that doesn’t bother you.

• her

What names have been vetoed? Other suggestions- lots of R names incase you particularly wanted an R name (feel free to ignore all this if it’s unwelcome!):

Miles
Ralph
Rex
Rudi/Rudy
Otis
Eli
Ellis
Barnaby
Peter
Ronnie/Ronald

Like all 👍

I really like Rowan, though it does seem to be becoming more popular which puts me off personally. We did consider it for our youngest though. Not a huge fan of Michael, though love Micah. It's nice enough though

Clara Florence is gorgeous. Love both names

Have you got any others on your list @Avenue69 ? ❤️

Love the girls name and Michael but don't like rowan for a boy

We are definitely going for Clara Florence for a girl as we both love it.
As for a boy’s name, Michael is a definite middle name after my father.
I did think about Raymond after my late grandfather and uncle but DH thinks it’s very outdated.
We like Alexander but it’s a bit too common a name within our circle of friends...

We don’t want anything chavvy either - rather something classic.

Vetoed names were:
Joseph
Joshua
Callum
Finn
Dylan
Noah
James
Sebastian
Oscar
Theodore

Clara is lovely. I like the suggestions of Quentin and Miles.

Samuel
Isaac
Matthew
Andrew
Adam

I think “Ray” is really nice and wouldn’t sound outdated with all the Stanley and Alberts around now.

Classic like Peter are actually pretty rare these days

If you like Alexander how about Christopher /Kit?

Seth
Cole
Blake
Rupert
Hugo

Not sure if you’d count any of them as chav or not (I wouldn’t)

Really don’t like Quentin or Miles - far too upper class for my liking!

Peter is a definite no as my MIL is French and Peter means to fart in French!!

Samuel - name of close friend’s son
Isaac - name of friend’s son
Matthew - name of nephew
Andrew - name of bro of law
Adam - name of ex
Seth - don’t like
Cole - don’t like
Blake - dh vetoes
Rupert - too posh
Hugo - too posh

Boy name so difficult for us to agree on!

I love Rowan. Only ever met one and he would be a teenager by now. Love your other names too.

Ok not Peter then 🤣

will have a think about other boys’ names for you @Avenue69

I agree boys’ names are tricky

How about Rufus? Grayson? Cole? Jude? Michael? Ronnie? Jago? Daniel? Elliot? Sebastian (Seb)?

I’ll have more of a think

Roman looks set to get even more popular, I see the radio DJ Roman Kemp is off into “I’m a celebrity” next week. I’d avoid a name so similar because the mix up would drive me bonkers. It’s a shame. Wouldn’t have been a problem up until about 2 years ago. Both used to be very rare names. But Roman and Hunter are the new “Noah” now (as in coming from nowhere to suddenly be everywhere), as fastest rising boys’ name.

Sorry I’ve just seen sebastian had already been veto-ed

Austin?
Tate?
Nathan (Nate)?
Luke? Luca?Lucas?
Benjamin? Benadict?
Reggie?
Louis?
Caleb?
Liam?
Lewis?
Joel?
Jenson?

Really don’t like Quentin or Miles - far too upper class for my liking!

We have a Quentin and we're definitely not 'upper class' .

Do people really still expect names to be so class based? Does class really still exist nowadays?!

Clara Florence is absolutely beautiful.
Rowan Michael is a good choice too I like it a lot, a good solid not too common name that suits a boy/man of any age.

How about Ned or Casper or Billy or Laurence (Laurie) ?

Yeh I don’t think there are “posh” names anymore. I know a local Rupert on a council estate. A Hugo at the local state school. Everyone uses these names and it’s brill x

I also know perfectly middling Hugos don't think that's just upper echelons any more. The landed ones are 30s/40s. Don't forget Oliver was a very 'posh' name which then became the number 1 name across the board. It's ever changing. Go with your gut.