Timeless and elegant names - Liam or Reuben?

[SweetMeadow]

Hello, this is my first post but I’m an avid Mumsnet post reader!

I’m feeling quite stuck about deciding on names for our little boy arriving imminently!

I am really keen on a timeless and elegant name and so far, I’m only seriously considering either Reuben Oisín or Liam Oisín. Oisín would be the only middle name and I have always loved that name. I also want a name that’s not too popular - probably asking for a lot here!

I’m Irish but live in the UK. My daughter is Rosa.

Do you have a preference for those names and do you think they meet the criteria of timeless and elegant?!

Thank you so much for any thoughts!

Liam is certainly a timeless everyman kind of name in Ireland but be aware that here you will get a lot of 'naughty boy name' comments. 'Naughty boy' is a coy of saying 'too working class'.

I would say Reuben is a timeless name for Jewish people but it's more of a trendy name nowadays for non-Jewish people.

Both fine names. I don't think to tend of any boys' names as being 'elegant'. I suppose I see that as a feminine trait.

Oisín is my favourite. Sorry

Out of the two I prefer Reuben.

I prefer Reuben.

I don’t think either is timeless and elegant

Thank you very much for your comments, I do really appreciate your thoughts. It’s helpful to talk about this on here because I’ve been too nervous to ask family and friends for fear of being put off either for good!

Liam sounds a bit 1970’s council estate. Sorry.

I like Rueben though.

I wouldn't say either is really timeless. If you are in England and Wales then the Dark Greener website is a great resource. Liam has had quite a drop since the 90s and Reuben is on an upward trajectory. I don't put a huge amount of value on a name being timeless though. Most names will date unless you either go so out there you are outside of any trend at all, or you go incredibly safe and classic and choose James or Elizabeth type names.

While Reuben is more popular now, so your child is more likely to share a classroom with a Reuben, Liam was more popular for longer so when he's older and not in his own age group there is likely to be more Liams around him. Personally I prefer Oisín to Liam or Reuben.

Reuben is gorgeous. Gentle sounding and biblical. Such a strong name, I love biblical names. They never date badly in my opinion. They may fall in and out of fashion within general society but they are always known and never sound ridiculour. Also, among Christian and Jewish communities they are always popular throughout the generations so there are always a few about. I had Reubens in my family tree from hundreds of years ago, among other lovely biblical names.

Liam is more modern, I wouldn't say it's timeless or elegant but it's nice.

I'd 100% choose Reuben.

Reuben is by far the nicer of the two.
Liam is the opposite of timeless and elegant imo.

Rosa and Reuben sound gorgeous together too 🥰

Thank you! The comments about Reuben have really helped me fall back in love with the name! It has been my favourite name
for years but I think I lost a bit of interest in it when we had a daughter first. And I can really see some of the points about Liam.

I really love the name Oisín but nervous about using it as a first name in the UK to be honest.

Ah I’m so glad I plucked up the courage to ask. Perhaps this will help me feel more settled about the name and encourage baby to make his arrival now!

I wouldn't consider either to be timeless or elegant, or that either name goes well with Rosa.

Mind you I don't dislike the names at all - it's just I don't think they meet your specifications.

Reuben is classic but currently very popular, along with similar names like Roman, Rowan and Rory

Liam is considered a bit 'of a naughty boy name as it was hugely popular in the 1990s

Of the two I prefer Liam but would put William on the BC

I think with a Rosa and a Reuben a lot of people might assume you're a Jewish family. Not that's there's anything wrong with that, just that you might get a few inquiries from time to time!

Well @SweetMeadow, I have one of these, and I love the name, even if some do think it’s ‘a bit 70’s council estate’, or the ‘opposite of timeless and elegant’ 🙄

So, although I have a clear favourite, I personally think Rosa and Reuben sound lovely together, but be prepared, whatever you choose, some people will just be rude about it!

I love Liam but you might see some sneering on here as it is seen as a working class name.

I love Reuben and Rosa and Reuben sound great together

Liam! It seems like every other baby in the last few years has been called Reuben or Theo. Rosa and Reuben is a bit too much for me.

I love Reuben and Rosa. 🥰

Love Reuben

I like Reuban. Liam makes me think of Liam Gallagher and I aleays thought he was a bit of a prick tbh.

@myyellowcar yep! See my post above yours…! 🙄

Rueben is lovely, Liam not so much

Don't like rueben at all.

Love Liam, I really wanted to use it if we have a boy, but a close family member is called Liam. He's a lovely lad and it suits him perfectly.

Neither is classic or timeless. Reuben is Jewish, though I guess is spelled differently, and hasn’t been used much traditionally in England - you might have had a few nonconformists use it way back - though it seems to have got trendy recently. Liam is one of those Celtic names that has a longer track record, like Calum. I think Liam is better. Why don’t you go for Oisín? I’ve no idea how it sounds in Ireland but it doesn’t come with the baggage that the other names can have in England.