Sterling or Steen?

[isolatedcaramel]

Bottom choices have come down to these two that we absolutely adore yet we can't quite pick one of them and also having trouble with middle names so even considering not using any.

What do you think?
Do you think these could work as stand-alone names or any middle ideas?

Thanks everyone xx

Poor Kid...Some of those names

Lachlan and Fraser are fine names.

Steen, Sterling, Race? Just no.

Lachlan looks and sounds like you're bringing up phlegm.

Another vote for Stirling with an I. It was on my shortlist for ages

Stirling spelt the Scottish way not the money way.

Steen is just horrible.

Both awful. Sorry

DS1 is called Sterling, we love it! Contrary to most posters on here, we hated how Sterling looked when spelt with an i, as opposed to the e we went with!

Stirling spelt with an I would be my preference. I also don’t mind Callahan.

I really dislike Steen. It looks like Steven with a typo.

Would never have given Sterling a thought until a YouTuber I watch named her son that and now I love it!

Stirling archer? Roger Stirling. Great characters but perhaps not how anyone wants their son To turn out?

Steen is not a name...

Your list feels like pop culture touchstones, but an odd collection if so...

Campbell soup
Holland and Barrett
Fraser (house of)
Race around the world
Flint Michigan
Bingham Chandler bing
Ferris bueller

Sorry to be so blunt, I appreciate it’s not what you want to hear and I hope you’re not offended.

Lachlan is fine, so is Callahan I guess. Do you have a Scottish connection?

I like Lachlan but in in scotland.

There is also Lochlann but that is more fussy

Stirling/Sterling I don't mind.

Always liked Lachlan.

Race had me falling off my chair!

When you say "bottom choices", did you mean the rubbish ones that should never be chosen?

Just wanted to check before I commented...

Steen? Like Fronken Steen?

Man: Dr Frankenstein?
Dr Frankenstein: it's pronounced fronken-steen!

I can just see Gene wilder

Sorry, I really dislike them both but if I had to pick one it would be Sterling.

From your other list Fraser is OK. You really like surnames as first names....

Sterling (it should be Stirling but now I think of Sterling Archer so it doesn't look too odd to me!)
Lachlan
Campbell
Fraser

Would be my choices from your list.

LeaveitBarbara
Race made the list after Race Bannon from the Jonny Quest series which I absolutely adore! Also there’s an Olympic American fencer named Race Imboden.

Ontheblackhill
No I am not American and I’m also not living in the UK, I do hold some links to it but I am not originally from either of those places

Babynamelover
I am looking for both suggestions and impressions on the names as I wouldn’t mind someone looking at them with fresh eyes and also coming up with any similar ones

Glitterbiscuits
For my girls names I have
Lumen
Bronwen
Astor
Indigo
Rowan
Fallon
Ace
Harper

TheVanguardSix
I don’t really like Spencer, I feel it sounds overly American and since seeing the show PLL I can’t really see if as a boy’s name even though I used to

To everyone else that I can't reply to personally about the other comments I really do appreciate them! I hadn't really thought about the Stirling spelling and now it's slightly growing on me so definitely going to consider it.

To everyone regarding Steen I actually found it through an Aussie tattoo artist named Steen Jones and for some reason I just fell in love with how short yet strong it sounded.

Also please don't hold back on comments or suggestions, I truly do appreciate honestly so feel free on ripping apart my name choices

Bronwen/Bronwyn, Indigo and Rowan are lovely names. Strong. Not too frilly.

Lumen - measurement of light or the inside of a blood vessel. Not a fan
Bronwen - Not a fan, it has always sounded very heavy and stodgy to me (is that makes any sense!)
Astor very much a surname. Aster is marginally better as a plant name.
Indigo not terrible
Rowan I normally think of it more of a boys' name but I do like it.
Fallon Fallon Fox. Not ideal. Jimmy Fallon. Not ideal.
Ace of spades? Great nn, not a great given name IMO.
Harper is a bit meh. Not to my taste but also not terrible.

Rowan or Indigo or maybe Aster would be my choices from this list I think.

Lumen I just think blood vessels, or else looming...
Bronwen I also find stodgy
Astor - bit Nazi, which is a shame because it’s not bad in isolation
Indigo I like but may have been ruined by the “indigo child” movement
Rowen I like and I think works fine for a girl
Ace - no.
Fallon Fox
Harper I think is a normal American name but in England harping on and harpic lavatory detergent have done for it

Sterling is much nicer! Makes me think of Archer - perhaps not a great role model, but an awesome show nonetheless!

I don't mind Stirling. Or Flint or Flynn even. Rowan is a boys name here UK, the only ones I know are boys. So you could do that ?

Bronwen is the correct spelling for a girl the wyn version is make in welsh. I not so keen on this I agree it sounds harsh.

Indigo is nice, what about Luna (sun) instead of Lumen? Or even Lula ?

• male in welsh

Stein - as in Jock Stein the football player - would at least be a recognizable spelling. But not Steen.

You seem determined to use a surname as firstname for your baby. Why?

OP a quick Google shows (1) that Race Bannon's name is actually a nickname. His given first name is Roger.... (2) Race Imboden is named after the cartoon character's nickname. However, in the UK, to call a child 'Race' would be seen by many as borderline offensive.

Steen is actually an old name. A version of Danish 'sten' = stone. Lots of Mumsnetters seem not to like it, but to me it's vastly better than Race. And I prefer it to Stirling - that just conjures up pictures of a Scottish castle and coach-tours and summer crowds to me.

However, you say that you like Steen because of the tatooist/graffiti artist Steen Jones. And in Australia, at least, that's the main association of the name. Steen Jones is clearly very popular and very productive. There is even - accoding to Google, again - a Steen Jones range of men's underwear.

Your baby, your choice, obviously. But just because you - right now - like a very particular and distinctive style of comic/graffiti art, I think you might perhaps want to pause and think over whether it's fair to 'label' your baby with your artistic tastes - for the whole of his future life.