Is it really that awful..

[Iamstrugglingtopick]

I have told people that a stronger contender for DS name is Archie after an elderly relative on partners side, I have had nothing but negative feedback that people like the name but surely not because of Harry and Meghan?
I did not even think of them and now I feel like I am being put off the name
Help

Sorry, but I find Archie both ugly and cutesy. Neither are good.

I really love the name Archie
I wouldn't have made the royal connection

Love it!! My sons best friend is Archie and he’s 16... suits him perfectly.. his family are the complete opposite of chav too lol

I prefer Archer but there's 100% nothing wrong with it

I've always liked Archer as a full name for Archie, which seems like a lovely nickname for a little boy.
I have never watched the tv show of the same name though so not sure how popular that is...

It would put me off when anyone famous uses a name in case anyone thinks I was influenced by them, or the name surges in popularity.

@Iamstrugglingtopick

No neither of us are called Harry or Meghan, I totally forgot about the royal Archie if I am totally honest then when I realised thought oh no!!

I wouldn't have made that connection either especially now they are hardly even royals.

If you like the name you should go for it, it is popular but that just means that lots of people like it. My daughter is called Olivia which is apparently super popular, yet we don't know any other Olivia's of her age.

I normally prefer long versions of the name as I mentioned below but in this instance I'd make an exception!!

I would advise keeping name ideas to yourselves. Everyone has an opinion yet once the child is actually here and named the chosen name tends to work on that child!! There are not many names I couldn't get used to (though Archibald would be one of them!).

I really dislike Archie. It's both ugly (Archibald or Arch) and cutesy at the same time.

But why should we all like the same names?

I think the problem with names that suddenly shoot up in popularity over a particular decade or two (as Archie has), is that they risk sounding quite dated (and therefore possibly even a bit downmarket in future?). I'd think about how some people view a name like Wayne/Darren/Craig/Lee etc now compared to the 70's/80's when they were popular.

Having said that, Archie has a nice/cute sound imo and I do think it would be lovely to use a family name. Would you consider using Archie as a middle name instead to honour the relative?

Definitely not a dreadful name at all and I wouldn't let Harry and Meghan put me off it either.

I find it a bit ‘wet’. Archie always has a snotty nose and talks in that whinging voice only small children can do. So does Alfie and Albie.

Totally aware that this is just my own prejudices though. Harry and Meghan’s Archie probably wouldn’t even occur to me.

He'll be Arch, whichh doesn't have nice connotations. As for Archer, i just think Jeffrey - not good.

Archie in a scottish accent is quite nice.

It's the future Darren or Wayne.

Archie and Alfie will not age well imo. They quickly rose in popularity and are already starting to sound a little dated.

Archibald is awful too. And Archer is a person with a bow and arrow imo.

I have a friend with a 3 year old Archie. Apparently he gets “oooh - like Harry and Meghan’s boy” and even “oh after Harry and Meghan’s boy” irritatingly often.

“No - not after! We had it first!”

Don't like it.

It’s not a dreadful name at all. I’m not personally a fan of this style of name but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it and I actually think they suit men as well as boys. Unless a name has serious teasing potential, by all means ask opinions but take them with a massive pinch of salt - taste is so subjective.

Archer is a nice long name with Archie as nn and he would have a choice when he grew up.

It's chavvy and overused. Reminds me of Alfie which is also chavvy and overused.

It's not awful - it's just REALLY popular right now. A few years ago it was all Alfie and Arthur and now it's Archie and Wilfred.

Archie’s fine.

It’s been in or just outside the top 20 (in England and Wales) for the last decade, so there’s plenty of other young Archie’s out there to dilute the Royal association. I know a few Archie’s of primary school age that I’d be thinking of before I thought of the Royal one.
Unless you already have older DC named Harry and / or Meghan

Archer is awful

Dn who is 18 is called Archie. He's 6'6'' and it suits him perfectly well as a now adult man. Definitely not just a baby name. I didn't even think about Harry and Meghan tbh until you said it.

I'd also not say it's REALLY popular as I work in a large primary school with a nursery attached and we don't have any Archies. None I know of in DC's school either. It's more in the fairly popular camp.

It’s not a dreadful name at all. Go with it if you love it.