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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Oliver and Alice

59 replies

Heh1991 · 03/09/2020 01:28

Thoughts on Oliver and Alice for twins?

These are our favourite names that we both love and keep coming back to but I’m SO conscious of how popular they both are! Would this put you off and does it make them boring and overused?

OP posts:
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BatleyTownswomensGuild · 04/09/2020 18:29

Both lovely 😊

It surprises me when people say Alice is really popular as I've only ever met 1 and that was ten years ago.

A lot of little Ollie's about though.

vivianbrowne201920202021 · 04/09/2020 18:42

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Excellent
ConfusedPanda · 04/09/2020 18:51

I love both names and think they sound lovely together.

ImNotWhoYouThinkIam · 04/09/2020 18:52

I think they sound lovely together. But I'm probably slightly biased as my niece and nephew (not twins) are Oliver and Alice.

FingersXssd83 · 04/09/2020 19:51

Stunning names! Prefer Oliver over Ollie but if you're happy if he starts getting called that then I'd say go for it ❤️💙

timetest · 04/09/2020 19:53

Great names. They work very well together.

CatteStreet · 04/09/2020 20:02

I think they work very well together. Yes, they're very, very popular, but I don't think I'd let that put me off if my heart was set on them. And you don't have to call them Ollie and Allie. Other people can (and will) use shortenings etc, but neither you nor the children have to fall into line with those. One of mine ended up at one stage with a shortening I'd never even have imagined. He goes by the full form now.

overwork · 04/09/2020 20:18

Gorgeous

Todaywewilldobetter · 04/09/2020 20:34

Teens in 2035 won't have a clue who Roy Chubby Brown is. Thank goodness. That just won't happen!

ivfbeenbusy · 05/09/2020 09:17

They work well together its just that Oliver is soooooo over used

capercaillie · 05/09/2020 09:41

They go really well together. I know Oliver and Alice siblings - neither get a shortened version.

Theradioison · 05/09/2020 10:43

I don't get the Chubby Brown reference at all and I'm in my 50's so doubt any teenagers will Confused

BingThing · 05/09/2020 11:27

They do go well together and if you love them that's the most important thing. BUT I did this with ds3 because I love the name and I do regret it a bit now because everywhere we go there's a kid the same age with the same name! My older two have unusual names and I do prefer that I think. But I think regardless of the popularity the most important thing is that you love the name - if other people love it and choose it too then I guess that's a good thing in a way! X

Pippilangstrumpfy · 05/09/2020 13:39

I know soooo many Olivers. Hope you have a more memorable surname!

BiBabbles · 05/09/2020 13:58

Neither are my cup of tea, I'm meh on Oliver (and most Oliv- names though I've a soft spot for Olivine) and really don't like Alice.

However, if DH and I loved a name, popularity wouldn't put me off having it on our list (we still had lists of first and middle names for all but our oldest). I have one kid with a name that was popular when he was born and another where when we looked it up it was in top 3000 on ONS, just.

Maybe a less popular middle name for more of an option?

TheChristmasPrincess · 05/09/2020 17:54

They are overused but they’re overused for a reason. They are both lovely names in their own right, timeless and classic. They won’t feel dated when they’re teenagers or OAPs. If you love them, go for it!

My only hesitation in using them together is that they are very similar stylistically. The matching ‘Ali’ and ‘Oli’ beginnings make me feel it’s a bit twee and too cutesy to be taken seriously. I’m not a big fan of matchy-matchy twin names. But each to their own 🙂

ZoyaTheDestroyer · 05/09/2020 18:39

Alice isn’t that popular but Oliver is the new Jack. Lovely name, but if you have a very common surname then this may give you pause.

Lsquiggles · 05/09/2020 18:41

I think Oliver is very overused, however, goes lovely with Alice which is a beautiful name Smile

DelurkingAJ · 05/09/2020 18:45

I’m an Alice who is almost never Ali. And in possession of a William who likes his full name, thank you very much. So no reason to assume they’ll get shortened by their friends.

Marylou62 · 05/09/2020 19:03

Don't worry about what other people have called their children.. This from someone who has a 30 yr old Jack! It wasn't a popular name then! I don't care that there are lots and lots of Jack's.. He's my Jack!
Congratulations OP..

Potter9876 · 05/09/2020 20:20

Love both names, and if you love them too use them. At the end of the day it doesn't matter if a few people think their overused, my daughter has a very popular name that always gets slated on here for being dull but I couldn't give a monkies xX

Pippilangstrumpfy · 06/09/2020 08:10

my daughter has a very popular name that always gets slated on here for being dull but I couldn't give a monkies

That's great. But surely what matters is how your daughter feels about her name as she grows up.

The op wants honest opinions and many feel that Oliver is very very popular and her son may not like having to add his surname to his name to be identified?

EmilySpinach · 06/09/2020 09:31

I think many people don’t appreciate how much more difficult it is for a twin to forge their own individual identity compared to a singleton. Knowing this, I would not personally compound the problem by giving him literally the most popular name in the country.

EmmaGrundyForPM · 06/09/2020 09:37

I am normally one who says if you like the name, use it and ignore other peoples opinion. However Oliver is an incredibly popular name so he is very likely to be one of several in his year group especially at secondary.

How about Edward? A good, solid name and if it gets shortened it will be to Ed which is also great.

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