How dated is Colin?

[insidejobb]

We are trying to choose a name for our first baby which will be a boy. We are almost set on Colin and have made the mistake of telling other people. Most of them have asked whether we are having a baby or an 80 year old man and making comments about how dated it is. One of my friends even said "who looks at a baby and think it looks like a Colin?"

I like to think it's a very traditional and timeless name and I know comments could be worse but they still get to me.

What are your thoughts on it?

It's awful. Your poor child.

I don’t think it’s a mistake to tell your friends, they were quite right

It’s not just that it’s dated it’s very dweeby.

Colm is a cool name. Conall. Connor. Conn.

The more I've read the thread the more the name has grown on me! Go with whatever you would like

DS, aged 10, has a friend called Colin, it's a nice name. Col for short, but his other best friend is Cole so with Col and Cole it gets confusing sometimes!

Very, very limited imagination on display in this thread. Sad. When Nigel is the most popular name in the UK, with Colin also in the top 5, you'll all finally recognise me as having my finger on the pulse long before anyone else. grin

I'm living in hope that such a mass outbreak of insanity never occurs. I think that we've all suffered enough.

I work in a school and we had a Colin, he was a lovely boy. He’d be around 12 now. If you like it go for it. Others I consider to match: Alan, Dennis, Derek.

@Allthebears

I like it, it makes a refreshing change from all the Alfies, Archies, Arlos and other on trend/cutesy names that are everywhere at the moment. His peers won't think the name is dated or have the same negative connotations that some posters on here have. It will just be his name and lets face it, if people are concerned that a child will be bullied for his name, there are many many worse names out there than Colin!

Quite. I suppose I'm very biased because in a previous job I knew both a Colin and a Nigel who were extremely bright, high achieving, witty and lovely men. Neither would have been seen dead in beige polyester slacks, not that they should be condemned for that anyway.

30 years from now, if MN still exists, our daughters will be falling about at the idea of naming a child something as old-fashioned and dated as Alfie or Jack or Oliver or Arlo.

I actually like it. I’m 42 and was good friends with a Colin at school. For me it’s not particularly a “baby” name iyswim but he’ll only be a baby for a year so that wouldn’t bother me.

If you like it, go for it!

Oh god you can't call a child Colin. I knew someone that had a horse called Colin and even that was seen as hilarious as it was such a dated name

Colin Powell is so well known in the US that Americans pronounce Colin Kohl-in. There seems to be an English negative and a Scots and Irish positive on this thread so you can have an American benchmark too?

No Scots positive here. We used to tease our friend Colin about his name in the late 90's it was a boring old man name even then.

Ah I think it's really cute.

My husband and I keep joking we are going to call our some Alan Bruce, but the more we joke about it the more it grows on me

I worked with a Colin, nn was Colon 😬

Sorry but Colin is a 56 year old portly driving instructor not a new born baby

Don't let other people's opinions sway you!

If you decide not to go with Colin, have you considered Clive? Someone suggested it on a thread recently and it got a very enthusiastic response.

Love Colin! Know of a little Colin and it really suits them.

Once a child has a name people accept it and don't think twice about it because other associations are replaced!

ignatiusjreilly Our second option is actually Clive which of course we haven't shared with anyone after seeing how it went with Colin. I can only imagine people hating on Clive even more but I'll have a look at the thread if I find it.

It’s awful

Sorry Colins awful, Clives not much better. What about Eric?

I like Colin, I think it’s about to come back, a bridgerton has the name and I think that will inspire a resurgence

It’s not a very ‘strong’ name but if you’re ok with that then go for it!

I have been saying for years that my next cat will be called Clive.

Can I throw out Neville as another option?

I quite like it. I can’t beliege how rude people are about names others are choosing for their children. I’d never speak to a friend like that.

@PurpleRainDancer

Sorry Colins awful, Clives not much better. What about Eric?

Clive is a fine name. Clive Owen?

Eric is another good name. Erics Bana, Cantona, Morecambe, Sykes, Blair (aka George Orwell).

I know a 10 year old Colin

Is this thread a wind up?
Colin and Clive you're pulling our legs surely!
Both awful please don't call your lovely new baby either of these names... so many lovely timeless names you could use Edward , Henry , Joshua, Thomas , Jack , Oliver, Louis , Daniel all beautiful and so much nicer than Colin an Clive 😳 x

Colin and Clive? Unusual but go for it. Other similar options would be Cliff and Clint...?