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Baby names

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

Boys’ names- we’re stuck, please help!

52 replies

Justonemorepotato · 01/01/2022 14:29

I feel like I have read every list of names for boys and we just can’t find a name we truly love. There are loads of names out there that are ok, and when I hear it on someone else I think ‘ah that’s nice,’ but I just don’t want to use it. I feel like we’re looking for something unusual, but not too out there, it doesn’t have to be unique, I just feel like I’ve read all the usual lists and still can’t find the one. We had some really good girls’ names, but nope, it’s definitely a boy!

Currently the only name we have is Ferdinand. I love, love, love Ferdi, but I’m not sure I love Ferdinand (see below re no surnames). We’d mostly use Ferdi day to day, but don’t want to give a shortened version on the birth certificate. So we would go with Ferdinand, but wonder if there’s something better we haven’t yet thought of. If it helps, here’s an idea of what we’re not keen on (aggh the list is long):

Anything too traditional ie James, Edward, John etc
Nothing too out there i.e Aloysius, Cosmo, Ulysses
Nothing too trendy now - Roman, Arlo, Kit, Otto
No surnames- Harrison, Spencer, etc
Nothing too American- Brody, Logan
Nothing too biblical- Ezra, Isaac, Reuben
Nothing too old man- Lionel, Percy, Leonard
Nothing too 80s- Steve, Gary, Barry, Kevin

Sorry nothing against any of these names, they’re all solid names, I’m just using them as a reference as we just don’t love them. I feel like I’m asking the impossible, but is there a gem of a name that doesn’t appear regularly on these threads (which I read a lot) and we may have overlooked? (Sorry this is long, thanks for getting this far! )

OP posts:
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OrangeAndYellowAndBlue · 01/01/2022 14:33

Do you know the Irish name Ferdia? (Or sometimes Ferdiad.) From Irish mythology. I think it sounds great, and it gives you the "Ferdi" option you love.

I'll have a ponder for other names that fit your criteria...

Justonemorepotato · 01/01/2022 14:38

Ooh interesting no, I had tried googling what can Ferdi be a nn for and didn’t see them! We have a slight Irish connection. Thanks, will discuss with DH

OP posts:
PieMistee · 01/01/2022 14:41

Etienne? Love this name.

OrangeAndYellowAndBlue · 01/01/2022 14:42

How about:

Owen
Alexander
Felix
Ewan
Alastair
Edmund
Matthias
Finbar
Constantine
Magnus
Miles
Cassian

Tbh, Ferdinand is cool, why not go for it?

Pinkchicken85 · 01/01/2022 14:47

I had a tough time picking a name for my first, we only picked one when the midwife asked me during labour!
For our second I bought a thick French baby name book and used a highlighter and those little skinny postits to mark ones I liked. Then reread and whittled it down, my husband did the same we managed to have top fives each with some overlap.
Good luck!

Justonemorepotato · 01/01/2022 14:59

Thanks everyone
@PieMistee we don’t have any link to France so I’d feel a bit weird about that one, but it’s a nice name and on the right lines I feel
@OrangeAndYellowAndBlue I really like Cassian, but meanings are quite important to me and it means ‘empty and vain’ thought about Casper but don’t love it. I can’t really put my finger on it Re Ferdinand, partly because we have a three syllable surname so it’s quite long, perhaps, but also I feel a bit cringe when I think about telling people- no idea why!
@Pinkchicken85 I feel like I’ve read every list there is and Ferdinand is our only one on the shortlist Grin perhaps we’ll just panic choose on the day!!

OP posts:
Aquamarine1029 · 01/01/2022 15:03

Vaughn

OrangeAndYellowAndBlue · 01/01/2022 15:30

@Justonemorepotato

No worries!

I understand what you mean about meanings, they are important to me too. For what it's worth, the name Cassian (and Cassius, the Roman family name from which it's derived) is listed on baby name websites as "hollow, empty", but I don't know that its meaning is as certain as that. Roman family names can be quite difficult in their etymology. The original family weren't from a Latin-speaking area, so it may not be linked to the word "cassus", which means empty. So I wouldn't give up a name you love based on what baby name websites say it "means".

Baby name websites come up with all sorts of false or speculative meanings, and I wouldn't rely on them at all.

Fivemoreminutes1 · 01/01/2022 15:37

Ivan
Fabian
Sigmund
Lloyd
Benedict
Fergus
Dashiell

RavenclawsRoar · 01/01/2022 15:59

One of my friends has an Orlando - I really like it and feels similar to Ferdinand in my mind. But use Ferdinand if you like it - I taught a boy of that name once and he was lovely so very positive associations for me.

imnotacelebritygetmeoutofhere · 01/01/2022 16:03

How about Fernley? You could still use Ferdi as a nickname.

LonglegsMumtheBlacksmith · 01/01/2022 16:09

We had the same problem with boys names- then at a scan we were told that the femur measurements were very long and DW came out with "Larry long legs" so now we have a three year old called Larry Grin
Not suggesting Larry (although, feel free to use it if you like) but maybe something similar will happen for you when you're not thinking about names at all?

Northernlurker · 01/01/2022 16:10

Sebastian

WakeUpLockie · 01/01/2022 16:18

Lawrence, Patrick, Gregory

Riverlee · 01/01/2022 16:19

Roderick
Elliott
Josiah
Austin
Franklin
Jermaine
Tj
Harley
Leighton
Emmett
Russell
Silas
Ivo

Words · 01/01/2022 16:33

Christopher
Lucien
Fergus

HacerSonarSusPasos · 01/01/2022 16:45

Sebastian
Samuel
Oscar
Martin

JustMaggie · 01/01/2022 16:48

How about Ferris? That was what DD2 would have been named if she was a boy.

BlueFlavour · 01/01/2022 16:51

Conrad

Joel

Otis

Patrick

I really like Ferdinand.

JuneOsborne · 01/01/2022 16:57

Jude
Asa
Beau
Kirk
Jago

B0J0ker · 01/01/2022 16:59

I love Ferdinand and Ferdi.

Also love Jonathan n/n Jonty
Barnaby n/n Barny
and Toby (just Toby, can be shortened to Tobe/Tobes)
or for a longer name there's Tobias n/n Toby

Update us when you know!

B0J0ker · 01/01/2022 16:59

And I love Patrick n/n Paddy

MerryChristmas21 · 01/01/2022 17:03

Nathaniel/Nate

MissyB1 · 01/01/2022 17:09

Cormac
Conleth (my uncle’s name, I love it)
Fraser
Morgan

Love Ferdinand!

Crazyforcavies · 01/01/2022 17:14

Peter, Rufus, Otto