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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Has anyone decided for definate on names BEFORE the baby is born?

37 replies

bebejones · 20/02/2008 15:58

I am having a real dilema as I keep changing my mind on names that we have picked out! (We don't know the sex....yet)We loved Thomas for a boy....but our surname is Jones and we just thought that would be a bit unfair! We also liked Grace for a girl....but that's a no go aswell! I think we have narrowed it down but I feel safer leaving it to wait and see what they look like and what their personality is like. Has anyone definately decided on a name and is sticking to it? Has anyone had a name picked out and then when the baby was born they really didnt suit it? We have compromised on Thomas as we like it so much so will probably use it as a middle name! Also I am worried that if I make a definate decision by the time the baby arrives I won't like the name! It seems like such a big responsibility...after all this is the name they will have to grow up with!

OP posts:

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prettybird · 20/02/2008 16:00

We had a boy's name picked for definite, but hadn't decided on a girl's name, although we had a short list - we had decided that we wait and see what "she" was like. Fortunately, ds arrived!

scorpio1 · 20/02/2008 16:01

i have my dd's name picked out for definite although with my ds's i had a choice of 2 and picked when i saw them.

ceebee74 · 20/02/2008 16:02

We had decided on a boy's name and stuck to it. At the 20 week scan, we were told that it was 'probably' a boy so we weren't sure but still booked his nursery place using the name and also whilst in labour, the midwife asked me what names we were thinking of and wrote it down on the birth card whilst I was still in labour.

But we really struggled with boys names so the one we used was the only one we could both agree on so there wasn't much room for change if he had come out and not looked like a 'Joshua' - but as it happened, it suited him and still does.

Have to lol at Grace and Tom Jones - no wonder you are struggling

PestoMonster · 20/02/2008 16:02

We decided on both boys names and girls names before each of ours were born. Just seemed so much easier to have chosen beforehand, rather than wait until the babies were born and then be under pressure to agree on names.

filthymindedvixen · 20/02/2008 16:03

mt first ds we didn't find a name until he was a week old as the name we chose didn't suit him. No.2, we named him in advance and it was (and still is) perfect! It means one who laughs in Hebrew

LadyOfWaffle · 20/02/2008 16:05

Eeeek, are you me? We have Thomas and Grace picked out already. Grace was decided on when we though (well, we were told) DS as going to be a girl, so it's never really changed. Thomas is pretty definate for a boy although we have a James, and now I have been subjected to endless Thomas the Tank Engine I dunno if it would be weird having both! I don't get Grace JOnes though... no idea who that is!

scorpio1 · 20/02/2008 16:06

Grace is one of the names picked for dd...

mum2jakeyroo · 20/02/2008 16:11

i had ds.1 name picked out, finalised on way to hospital to be induced. in the middle of the night when i looked at him i changed my mind. he didn't look like a daniel, he looked like a matthew. luckily when oh came for visiting the following day he agreed. it just got confusing explaining to people who my oh had already told. with ds2 we didn't decide at all till he was born.

thinner · 20/02/2008 16:27

My DS5 was to be Thomas Jacob throughout the pregnancy. After emerg CS the first thing the nurse said was "you have a son what are you going to call him?" Apparently I said "Jake". But I might have said Moonbeam I was so out of it. So Thomas Jacob became Jacob Thomas, but still received lots of cards to baby Thomas.

Pinkchampagne · 20/02/2008 16:29

Decided on both my boys names quite early on in the pregnancy.

BrownSuga · 20/02/2008 16:30

We had definite names, and knew what we were having, so referred to the bump by his proper name. He has the exact name we chose.

Original poster

bebejones · 20/02/2008 16:37

My mum is not helping the situation with the name choosing either as she pretty much disagrees with anything that she considers a 'surname'! So that ruled out Elliot and Madison! We have narrowed it down to 2 for each. Oliver Thomas or Joseph Samuel for a boy and Phoebe Elizabeth or Hannah Elizabeth for a girl. DH has such a huge family it's also really hard coming up with something original!

OP posts:

Troutpout · 20/02/2008 16:38

only the second pg
first pg...we waited till he was born

pistachio · 20/02/2008 16:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ibblewob · 20/02/2008 16:52

We also had Thomas, but when DS was born he didn't look like one at all, so was un-named for four days while I waited for DH to come round to my original idea (Jude)!

I like the name Thomas but I'm really into meanings as well, and Thomas means 'twin'. Jude means 'praise' in Hebrew, which I liked better

I like Oliver.

TheFallenMadonna · 20/02/2008 16:55

Yes. A girl's name and a boy's name (and middle name) from quite early in the pregnancy. Too early in one case.

princessosyth · 20/02/2008 16:57

We had decided before we were even pregnant with ds! Next time it will be harder because I keep changing my mind.

VictorianSqualor · 20/02/2008 16:57

Yes, with DD and with DS(DS was named after my dad though), this time round we have got a 'for definite' boys name, and a 99% 'for definite' girls name. However when PG with DS I had had a girls name for ages, which I changed the ngiht before I had him, so who knows?

I think if you can get down to two or three names for each sex then you cna decide when it comes.

A friend of mine had liked Ben throughout her pregnancy but wasnt going to use it as it reminded her of someone, but when baby was born the first thing I said was, 'oh Ben's here and he's gorgeous' (I was birthing partner and we'd called her 'bump' ben for ages) she looked at him and decided that in fact Ben was his name and it suited him perfectly. So who knows your LO may come along and look just like a Thomas.

3andnomore · 20/02/2008 16:59

We were doing a lot of umming and aahing about names, and with our first ds we changed our mind at around 30 weeks (which confused a few people, as they didn't realise we had changed our mind and told people the wrong name, lol).
With ds2 we decided pretty early on a name and the same with ds3 and they both have the names we decided on...however, when they were born we did look at them and made sure the other half still agreed that the name would be the one we choose...
TBH, I think a child grows into a name, not teh other way round, iykwim...I really don't think that a child looks like it suits a name or itt doesn't...once they got the name you just get used to it and therefore start believing it's the perfect name for them, lol

Fimbo · 20/02/2008 17:00

I had a girls name picked before I even met dh! Just as well he agreed with it. Didn't have a boys name so just as well she was a girl!

We agreed on ds's name about a week before his birth.

Angel2008 · 20/02/2008 17:02

Bebe I think your names are all lovely. Your boys names are similar to the ones I would choose (Oliver is my favourite)! I like Joseph aswell but I prefer "Ollie" to "Joe". I prefer Phoebe to Hannah.

pagwatch · 20/02/2008 17:02

After two boy I found I was pregnant with a DD.
Ds1 was 10 years old and asked if he could name babe. We agreed with much trepidation but he chose a beautiful name. That was at approx 20 weeks preg

TheFallenMadonna · 20/02/2008 17:02

Well, yes Fimbo. I have always had the name for my first born son

Aero · 20/02/2008 17:02

Ds1 didn't seem to suit any of the names we were thinking of before he was born and ndd up being called a name we'd not even considered, but it really suits him and I'm so glad we chose it. He loves it too.

Dd and ds2's names were decided before they were born (in fact the name I'd chosen for dd never changed since I was a teenager) and they both suit and love their names, so we appear to have got it right. What we didn't do, however, was tell anyone our thoughts on names before they were born, therefore not allowing anyone's opinions to influence our decision.

Aero · 20/02/2008 17:04

oops - ndd = ended!! Dodgy 'e' key!

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