Help on Felix and Gabriel - all your thoughts wanted

[Manchestermama]

Please can you give me all your first impressions and thoughts of both names? Also would be great to know if you have kids at nursery/school and how commonplace the names are?

In desperate need of some help with these 2 names please... my son is a couple of weeks old now and I just can't make a decision between these names. He really needs a name, poor little guy! My husband is getting annoyed with me now but doesn't want to pick himself as wants me to be happy with the final choice. After hours of talks they are the only 2 we both agree on but I think I've overthought them both and these are my 'issues' with each...

Felix - 1) is it too posh?! 2) no nickname option I can really think of and we are nicknamey people

Gabriel - 1) is it too religious? we aren't religious at all so would it be a weird choice and people assume we were? 2) would the likely nickname of Gabe be a problem with potential for bullying, sounds like gay (shouldn't be a problem these days and husband thinks I am being ridiculous with this one but don't want to make my son's life difficult if that would be an issue)

I wanted something with a laid-back, cool feel to it which works for any class - to give you an idea of us, I'd probably describe us as lower middle-class, live in a Manchester suburb, kids may go to either a state or private school.

If helpful my favourite 2 names are Jesse and Jude but husband won't sign off either!

Love them both. Felix over Gabriel for me, because I just don’t like the shortening of Gabe - nothing to do with ‘gay’, just doesn’t sound great IMO. On nicknames, I think Felix works like Alex works - it’s a short name than doesn’t need anything much.

I don’t think either are particularly out there or too posh anymore - I wouldn’t bat an eyelid. And I don’t automatically think Gabriel = religious. It’s like Adam on that score, rather than say Jeremiah, or something.

I hear felix and I think of the millions of cats named the same. Gabriel is nice though provided you don’t mind the nickname gab/gabby (Gab is more common for a boy round here)

I prefer Felix although it will always be cat food to me- we have a cat and it's what it eats!

Gabriel just makes me think of the Angel and if your boy and his mates are anything like mine, it will likely get shortened to Gay (if that bothers you) because they ALL shorten EVERY name to the shortest version possible! So Evan is Ev, James is Jay, Oliver is Ol etc.

I absolutely love Jesse and Jude but that's not helpful if your husband doesn't like them!

How about
Ezra
Nate
Joel
Ethan
Stellan
Jake
Asher
Elijah/ Eli
Seth
Caleb
Zeke

Gabriel. I have one and he's amazing!

Gabriel definitely feels religious to me. I would be surprised to hear a name with Biblical connections (outside of the classic Apostles/Saints names) from a non-religious family. Christmas-time will be fun Felix is nice but it's not "posh". It also makes me immediately think of catfood...

I love Gabriel and dislike Felix. Gabriel does have religious conotations though. Maybe you have not yet found your perfect name

I have one of those and know a boy called the other. There’s no religious connection and I don’t think either name is very posh?

I like the fibe of Felix I can appreciate its edginess but I don't like the sound of it. I've never heard of any Felix so in my experience its pretty uncommon.

Gabriel is gorgeous. I'm using it for my boy if I'm ever lucky enough to have one. I'm 45 though so I think ill probably have to use it for a kitten instead. Its also becoming very popular . However that can also be a good thing as it's becoming too common place to be tease worthy. Yes 20 years ago I probably would have said its a risky name, but not now.
Obviously calling a boy Katie-Rose would be pushing it but I don't think many names invite teasing. Look at the name Luna. I never thought that would take off due to the Luna "tic" teasing risk. I think that's in the top 10 if I'm not mistaken.

I like Gabriel buy I love Felix it's such a lush name

Both good names. Felix is my favourite though. It’s very cool.

Neither sound posh and Gabriel is popular enough now that I wouldn’t assume the parents were religious at all.

I love Felix. There is one in my ds's reception class and I know 2 babies called it as well so possibly fairly popular. I don't think it's too posh at all.

I'm not keen on Gabriel personally. I don't know any children called it, only one adult.

I love Gabriel but DH didn’t do DS has it as a middle name.
He doesn’t like it and says he’s glad it’s not his first name

Felix is a cat imo.

Felix is lovely

Gabriel is ok. Gabe is lovely as a nn though. Always reminds me of the angel at Christmas which may be a problem.

Jesse and Jude are too feminine imo although I know they are boys names.

Gabriel is a fantastic name and very international

Felix .... cat food ..?

Felix Gabriel Surname

Felix does make me think of cat food.

Love Gabriel, but then I know someone who's little boy is called it. It gets shortened down to both Gabe & Gabey.

I can't get past angels for Gabriel and it seems really feminine to me.
Felix is better.

I don't know any kids called Felix. I like names with an 'x' in. Personally I don't love Felix but it's a cute name.
I know one little boy called Gabriel and it was on my long list if I had a boy.
They're both nice names, not overused, cute for kids but work for adults.

I’d push for Jude

I like both. My ds is in a small village school (midlands ish) and there is a felix and a Gabriel in the reception class. So I think they're both fairly popular.

I really like Felix, I only know adult ones but I believe the name is reasonably popular for dc.

Ds has a Gabe in his class, no issues with his name.

I know brothers with these names. They are 5 and 10. Both are known by their full names. Catholic family, although not overly practicing.

I like both. I know several baby Felixes but no Gabriels. I wouldn't assume you were religious with a Gabriel although it does make me think of the angel, and also Gabriel Byrne. I don't find Felix particularly posh.