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Baby names

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

Original poster

Jack for a boy?

65 replies

mony29 · 06/12/2021 13:39

Hi all
First time posting.
Due a baby boy in a couple of months & thinking of calling him Jack. We're not onboard with the new name trends and don't like names that are out there. Want a simple and classic name but not too popular at the moment.
We both love jack however my best friend says it's not a very nice name and very outdated. Is it?
We like jack Alexander / Jack Sebastian or Jack William

OP posts:
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WhenSepEnds · 06/12/2021 14:24

@mony29

Hi all First time posting. Due a baby boy in a couple of months & thinking of calling him Jack. We're not onboard with the new name trends and don't like names that are out there. Want a simple and classic name but not too popular at the moment. We both love jack however my best friend says it's not a very nice name and very outdated. Is it? We like jack Alexander / Jack Sebastian or Jack William
Jack is lovely and I think it's a name that's still nice as boys/ men age whereas some names can seem strange for an older person IMO, bu to think Jack is a good pick. Good luck with the baby
Awwlookatmybabyspider · 06/12/2021 14:33

Its certainly popular but it's also classic so it won't date. Although I don't like it personally I do recognise its a good strong name.

MyComputerGetsSadWithoutMe · 06/12/2021 14:41

It's a lovely name :)

ThreeWiseBuddhas · 06/12/2021 14:44

I have a Jack Joseph... everyone calls him JJ

StrychnineInTheSandwiches · 06/12/2021 14:47

Nothing wrong with Jack. It's a good solid name and all the Jacks I know are very nice.

Original poster
mony29 · 06/12/2021 14:49

Ah wow thanks everyone! We'll definitely stick to the plan and call him jack 🥰

OP posts:
WarriorN · 06/12/2021 14:49

Jack is lovely, but as a teacher, there are looooaads of Jacks!

If you're happy with that, that's fine. :)

CherryRedDMs · 06/12/2021 14:51

I would suggest you read the Freakonomics chapter on baby names before giving a name that has been very popular for a while.

pumpkinfan · 06/12/2021 15:01

Jack is timeless. Go for it. You're never going to find a name everyone likes anyway but Jack is probably pretty close.

ErrolTheDragon · 06/12/2021 15:22

@CherryRedDMs

I would suggest you read the Freakonomics chapter on baby names before giving a name that has been very popular for a while.
Why? Do you want to précis it?
ErrolTheDragon · 06/12/2021 15:24

... and I'd guess there's a difference between 'trendy' names that go in and out of fashion, and those which are more classic which just fluctuate but never go away.

magicstars · 06/12/2021 15:30

It's sweet, but it is very popular.

margotsdevil · 06/12/2021 16:39

It's massively popular which doesn't sound like what you're after...

Arethechildreninbedyet · 06/12/2021 16:40

I think Jack is a stunning name.

Classical, timeless and far less popular than it used to be! Ignore your friend.

I think any go well but my favourite is Jack William.

dingit · 06/12/2021 16:43

I have a Jack who is lovely, but for the first 5 years thought he was called Nojack. Wink

daisypond · 06/12/2021 16:46

It’s a diminutive/short form for John, so I wouldn’t say Jack itself was classic. It’s been well established as a name in its own right for a long time, though, but the fact that it “should” be John would bother me if I wanted a classic name. John is also much more unusual these days.

Thefartingsofaofdenmarkstreet · 06/12/2021 16:46

It's a really lovely name but it is very very popular. There is always one in every year group, often more than one.

In 40 years time when all the Daves are very elderly or dead, it will be 'everyone knows someone called Jack' Smile

serialgrannie · 06/12/2021 16:51

My grandson is called Jack and he is perfect. It is a lovely name. Incidentally, it is only in the last 20 or 30 years that Jack has become a popular name in its own right. Before that boys were generally only called Jack as a nickname for their given name of John. I had two uncle Jacks as a child (I am v. old). They were both christened John but always known by everyone as Jack.

PatterPaws · 06/12/2021 16:59

Jack Alexander, Jack Sebastian, Jack William all lovely, OP.

ponkydonkey · 06/12/2021 19:45

@mony29

Thank you. Forgot to add that she said Jack is associated with bad behaved little boys, but we still really like the name 🙈 You're right we definitely won't be discussing the name with anyone else until birth
Oh stop it... what are you talking about we have 1 jack in school and he's lovely Out of 300 kids btw
allthegoodusernameshavegone · 06/12/2021 19:49

It’s a timeless classic, lovely name

TenThousandSpoons · 06/12/2021 19:58

Love it and do not think of it as a naughty boy name at all.

luverlybubberly · 06/12/2021 19:59

I have a Jack and still love it 20 years later.

Jack is one of those names like Harry and Tom where there's a high likelihood of another child in the class being called by that name so I'd say it was pretty popular. It doesn't bother me or my son but if you want something not popular then it might not be the name for you.

pudseypie · 06/12/2021 19:59

I have a Jack, and liked the name as it's strong and unfussy. He's the only one in his class, and I think actually the only one in his school. Well behaved too! Unlike his younger db...

Luredbyapomegranate · 06/12/2021 20:00

Tis quite nice, but there are so so so many of them.

Got anything else??