Maurice vs Atticus vs Wilbur

[Bearfriend]

These are the top three options and I’m interested to hear some thoughts because I’m a bit torn.

Maurice- My personal favorite honestly, but I asked my mother and sister about it and they weren’t big fans. I like the idea of a nickname being Marcy. Reminds me of the novel by E.M Forster.

Atticus- I love the name kit but feel it would be too short as a first name and it could be a nickname for Atticus.

Wilbur- A variation on William as I find it’s quite popular, however, we already have a Winnifred and not sure if they’re too similar being w names. There’s the possibility of being a Will or Bertie, and also Wilby which I think is quite cute.

Also open to similar classic, a bit old-fashioned style name suggestions!

I wouldn’t know whether to pronounce it Mau-Reece or Morris? Not for me in any case.

I know a couple of Wilburs, it’s a bit porcine.

Atticus - if you want Kit I’d just go Christopher. It would have to be Accitus wouldn’t it?

Theyre all v different vibes really. I like Kit, and Lawrence would have been DD’s name so like that too!

Wilbur on its own I don't hate, but teamed with Winnifred gives me big 'cartoon pig' vibes.

Atticus seems like a bold name to go for just to shorten it. I can imagine it would raise a lot of repeating questions through life 'Ooh did your Parents like To Kill A Mockingbird?'.

Maurice I'd probably my pick of your 3, but I prefer Sebastian as suggested upthread. Nickname Seb or Basta.

I'm slightly bemused by nicknames that aren't shortened versions of the name. Atticus/Kit, Wilbur/Bertie and Maurice/Marcy are in this category for me, apologies.

Me too. I think that some may stem from the olden days where several grandchildren were named after grandparents and aunts and uncles, so you might get cousins Rob and a Bert, both Robert, and Maggie and Daisy both Margaret, and Polly and May both Mary, but far fewer names were in use then.

The ones that puzzle me are the suggestions like Annie could be short for Anna, Stephanie or Evangeline, or that Bertie could coud be short for Wilbur. Wilbur and Bertie are the same length, as are Annie and Anna.

Is Atticus actually common? I've never known anyone with that name. That's my favourite anyway.

Atticus is nice. Arto for short?

Maurice is not!

My friend has a 7 year old Atticus .., Art for NN

@neverendinglauaundry , Atticus has become a lot more popular recently, and is probably a name that is not very popular, but will have two or three of them at the same nursery.

I used to have a disreputable cat called Maurice, pronounced MoReece with the stress on the second syllable. Always out causing trouble.

Maurice is awful.

To me Wilbur conjures up the pig from Charlotte's Web.

Atticus sounds like a surname or the name of an official body and I can't see how Kit is an obvious shortening of it. The only Atticus I ever heard of is from To Kill a Mocking Bird.

Maurice is ok. But could be spelt Morris to make life easier. But Marcie isn't the obvious short version? Maurie?

If you like diminutive names, why not just give the child one of those as their first name? Maybe not Harry at the moment though!

The Maurice I know is lovely. I like the idea of a cat called Maurice.

I had a relative called Maurice who was known as Moss

I like Maurice, I’d pronounce it “Morris”. I prefer the sound of it to the look of it written down, but that’s just me.

Also like Lawrence/Laurence and Clarence, which I think have a similar feel.

Would you pronounce it Morris or Mor-EES? I do know one child with that name and it does get mispronounced (he is the latter pronunciation) which annoys him.

Also like:
Lawrence
Douglas
Kester

I like Clement too.

I have an 11 year old boy caked Maurice. I love it. ❤ He gets called Maury, or Moz, sometimes Mo/supermo for short.

Not a fan of any tbh. Please don't go for Wilbur if you have a Winnifred (guessing nn Winnie?) makes me think of the children's books Winnie the Witch (her cat is called Wilbur)

Vincent - Vinnie
Edwin

Maurice was my Grandfather’s name. I think it’s a lovely name for a boy and you can shorten it in so many ways.

Obviously this is your baby you're naming, so 🤷‍♀️

But as you've asked for opinions...to me they are all just really ugly names...and I do apologise OP as I know that sounds mean, and that's not my intention at all.

I call out a register of 30 x Year 2 children twice a day, so I do hear (and say) lots of names. I just can't put a face to a 6 year old boy called Wilbur, Maurice or Atticus, or imagine saying these names tens of times a day (as teachers have to do). Teachers generally don't use family nicknames either (unless you specifically ask them to do so) so I'd be calling 'Atticus, it's your turn to give out the milk today.' Or "Maurice Smith, please stop licking Wilbur's shoe!'

Also, my daughter had a rat called Wilbur 🤷‍♀️

Wilbur is a pig

Winnie and Wilbur are the witch and cat in the Winnie the Witch books

Wilbur and Winnie might be cute when they’re 2 but not when they’re adults.

Plus they’re books.

I call out a register of 30 x Year 2 children twice a day, so I do hear (and say) lots of names. I just can't put a face to a 6 year old boy called Wilbur, Maurice or Atticus, or imagine saying these names tens of times a day

It's really sad that teachers feel that way about unusual names.

Personally I like Maurice and Atticus a lot! I think they're classic, cool and much more memorable than the popular Jack, Oliver & Co