Alliteration-too much?

[BarbaraBeast]

Hi all,

Opinions very welcome (good or bad as I don’t know if I can trust my clarity levels at this stage of pregnancy!). Our second son is due any time now and we’ve had this set list of names for ages and I had purposely left out a favourite of mine due to it being an alliterative name which I worry is a mouthful.

It’s always been one of those names I’ve said if our surname was different I would use it no question (although I’m aware it’s not everyone’s cup of tea which is fine).

The name is Walter and our surname is a three syllable “W” name (for example Williams). Is it too much of a mouthful or do we look like die hard Breaking Bad fans? Cheesy superhero?

Like I said, I’d love to use the name but wanted to gage other opinions.

Thank you

DD’s initials are Aa and it’s fine.

Williams is 2 syllables, but Walter Williams is fine.
Might get nicknamed Wally or Wally Willy though.

I think it's fine.

@MikeUniformMike Williams is three syllables. Will-ee-ums.

I'm not a fan of alliteration but I think it's okay too. And yes @MikeUniformMike Williams is three syllables. At least in my accent anyway

It's fine OP!

Aaaaand here comes the accent trolls. It's 2 syllables for some and 3 for others. Unbelievably, pronunciations can vary across accents of which the UK has many.

My DS has an alliterative name and it's never been a problem.

It depends. Walter Williams is fine! My fave name is Spencer but my surname is similar to Simpson but a bit different so it dosent go at all, it's too much of a mouthful.

I love alliterative names. I think they are memorable and flow well. Probably why so many people use them as stage names.

Gosh, I never knew that. I've been saying it wrongly all my life.
Good job I got married. The shame.

This was pronouncenames.com
Pronunciation of William

Pronunciation: WILL-yum

Must be regional variation.

Maybe it's a Welsh thing @MikeUniformMike as I say it with 2 syllables too.

@MaidenMotherCrone I'm Welsh too and I say it with three.

Obviously I understand there are regional differences.

Quoting one website that says its two syllables doesn't really mean anything though, I could just as easily find one that says it's three, but I really can't be bothered.

Anyway let's not derail the OPs thread .

Doesn't have to be Wally as a nn. Walt, as in Walt Whitman - another alliteration - would be fine. It's a long time since BB now. Skyler seems to have gone out of fashion. Not a problem.

Walt is cool.

Alliterative names are fine, my Dad had one. I think they sound great. Agree with the PP about famous people: Charlie Chaplin, Brigitte Bardot, Doris Day, and Emilio Estevez don't seem to have suffered too much with alliterative names.

But, more importantly, her surname isn't Williams folks!!!!!

Nothing wrong with alterative names!

Thank you all very much for the responses so far-it’s all being taken on board and is proving very helpful. My husband happened to mention the name to his colleagues over a zoom meeting earlier and they were all very enthusiastic about it which is reassuring too!

@MaidenMotherCrone, yes. William Williams seems very welsh.

I've never heard William as Willy-um before but I'll not hear it differently now.

Never heard The Smiths song, @MikeUniformMike?

Most alliterative names do sound fine. However I grew up with one and disliked the way it drew attention, so whether a person likes it for themselves may depend on personality.

I think Walt Disney before Walter White.

My DD initials are CC :) it sounds nice imo

Yes, but I've also heard Fleetwood Mac's Rhiannon and Sara.

or Stevie Winwood's Valerie...

I love alliterative names. Your choice sounds great. Around here he'd be nicknamed Wattie, which works as well.