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Original poster

Which boys name do you like best, can't decide like them all!

56 replies

Peacefrog23 · 13/12/2019 11:44

Hello,

Just that really. Here is the short list, i like them all and I'm a very indecisive person 🙈 so any feedback most helpful.

Dylan
Rowan
Nathan
Shay

Thank you x

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Staffori · 14/12/2019 00:01

I'm not keen on Shay. Rowan is OK but it reminds me of Rowan Atkinson. Coin toss between Dylan and Nathan - love them both.

DramaAlpaca · 14/12/2019 00:05

I like them all except for Rowan.

I prefer Shay to Seamus, which it's the anglicised diminutive of.

SpeckledyHen · 14/12/2019 00:13

Only like Roman.

SpeckledyHen · 14/12/2019 00:13

*Rowan

Astronica · 14/12/2019 02:54

Rowan is the only one I like. Dylan is okay. I dislike Nathan and Shay. I do however like Nathaniel, Nate and Seamus.

OwlBeThere · 14/12/2019 06:07

I hate nathan. Really like Shay and Dylan, also like Rowan.

Dinosauraddict · 14/12/2019 06:31

I quite like Nathan and Dylan (although I had an ex named Nath so wouldn't use it myself) but I really hate Shay.

Newbie1981 · 14/12/2019 06:37

I have a dislike for Shay. Feels very chavvy to me. Love the rest

Flymetothestars · 14/12/2019 08:10

I quite like shay. Definitely a bit different

Nathan is a very underused name and is declining in popularity so likely to be only one in class (love nickname Nate)

Dylan is another gorgeous name

Sorry hate the name Rowan plus all the ones I know are girls. Don’t like “Row” (row row) your boat as inevitable nickname. It’s so similar to the very popular Roman (and RoHan and RoNan). Inundated with Roman’s round here. Slightly C word name (sorry to say) very trendy but will date fast as come from nowhere
Nathan and Dylan are established names are more classic. Shay most unusual. Just depends what you’re looking for

ojo821 · 14/12/2019 09:02

I really like Shay!
Rowan is meh. Dylan and Nathan aren’t to my taste but they’re decent names.

Poorolddaddypig · 14/12/2019 12:54

I agree with everything @17caterpillars1mouse said!

Amelia732 · 14/12/2019 17:14

I like Shay the best

CatteStreet · 14/12/2019 17:15

Rowan's fabulous. Nathan's OK. Not keen on Dylan (though I think that is the effect of overuse) and assuming Shay is an anglicised spelling?

CatteStreet · 14/12/2019 17:16

How interesting that people have declared both Rowan and Shay (very different feel) as 'chavvy' (horrid, horrid word).

SmellMySmellbow · 14/12/2019 17:17

Rowan for a girl, Rohan for a boy. Love it though. Also quite like Dylan.

Original poster
Peacefrog23 · 14/12/2019 20:41

Yes i agree, horrid word! 😕
Thank you for all the feedback.
Quite a mixed bag, i still like them all though 🙈Think we will pop all names into a hat or just wait and see what he suits xx

OP posts:
wineandsunshine · 14/12/2019 20:45

Rowan is lovely!

uncomfortablydumb53 · 15/12/2019 00:20

I have a 22 year old Rowan I adore his name( and him of course!)

DaddyPigHasASexyVoice · 15/12/2019 00:37

I really like Dylan. Also like Nathan, especially with the nickname Nate.

PlantPotting · 15/12/2019 06:04

It depends what type of name you are after @Peacefrog23 - your selection are all quite different in terms of style and popularity so I would let that factor into your decision rather than just picking out of a hat ❤️

Nathan /Nate is relatively uncommon these days and looking at the official ONS data the name is now outside the top 100 names and on a downward trajectory so your little Nathan is likely to be only boy in his class/ school. It’s a classic lovely familiar name but one you won’t hear much in 2019 (compared to say 5-10 years ago). Love the meaning of the name too.

Shay is obviously outside the top 350 names for boys (and isn’t really ever used for girls). So you’d be picking a very unique type of name with that one. I personally love it.

Dylan is more popular (number 43) but is on a downward trajectory over the past 5-10 years so is unlikely to experience a sudden boom in popularity.

If you look at the ONS data for Rowan it is climbing the charts massively for both boys and girls and is now a top 100 name for the first time since records began so that means it is the name most likely to date of your list. It’s my baby daughters name and I do actually wish I’d come on MN and asked for advice before I chose it because it’s so similar to last years’ fastest rising name Roman and is getting very popular and trendy itself. I do get a bit annoyed at baby groups having to say “Rowan with a W” because there’s usually a couple of Roman’s at the group and Roman is just booming in popularity. I also hadn’t really anticipated the nickname Row, which I don’t like. I’ve asked family not to use it but they often do by accident so I can see that as soon as she gets to school that nickname will stick. I think 22 years ago (as above poster said) this would have been a lovely unusual name but it’s just a very trendy one now and so similar to Roman and Rohan and Ronan that it does get a bit lost as a name. I sort of wish I’d chosen a more classic name now that isn’t going to date so badly and isn’t so ripe for confusion. But oh well it’s just a name. She can change it.

Here’s the website I’m using to see how popular names are and how their popularity is changing since the 1990s:

names.darkgreener.com/#dylan

Original poster
Peacefrog23 · 15/12/2019 08:59

@PlantPotting thanks, i think rowan is lovely for a boy or girl!
I'm not too bothered about poplularity, we do have a daughter, Niamh.
At first i thought i wanted an irish name to match so trawled through every irish boys name, husband didn't like any, (apart from shay!)
My granded was Irish, but to be honest i chose Niamh just because id always loved the name, not for heritage reasons. And i really dont feel that sibling names have to match! (No offence to anyone)
So this was the list we came up with. I know they are all quite different so think we will probably wait to see what name he suits when he arrives. From here it appears rowan and nathan are the favourites.
Thanks all xx

OP posts:
Wintersun13 · 14/02/2020 18:15

Hey OP, I know this thread is two months old but did you decide yet ?

Out of your list Dylan is by far my favourite. Positive association with some people, real or fictional. I just like the sound of it. If my country/culture allowed it I'd be tempted to shortlist it (unfortunately using it would mean a lifetime of explaining this choice to other people...)

Nathan second, it's nice too but less common (to my ears anyway, but I'm not british). It does remind me of Nathan Drake which is a positive ! (sadly it rhymes with my last name so can't use it myself).

Not a super fan of Rowan, it does seem to be everywhere these days. Maybe it's because the "w" in the middle isn't a strong consonant, I don't know, but I don't love the sound of it.

Shay's a bit like the intruder there, the only one with one syllable and the only one that doesn't end in "-an". Also it's a diminutive and I'm not a fan of diminutives given instead of full names, if you like Shay you might as well call him Seamus. Just my personal preference of course, no offense to any who feels different.

Mamabear88 · 14/02/2020 18:18

Nathan gets my vote. Also dislike Shay.

QueenofDestruction · 14/02/2020 18:19

Love Rowan

finallychangedmyusername · 14/02/2020 18:51

Nathan is my favourite. I love Nate or Nat as nicknames too.