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Baby names

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

Original poster

Tom

62 replies

sunriseoversea · 21/08/2023 17:57

Baby boy is due in two weeks and DH and I are still struggling for a name!

My favourite is Alex. His favourite is Joe. We both quite like Tom. In all cases these would be the name on the BC (not Alexander, Joseph or Thomas).

Is Tom dated? Or is it common? Is it a bit plain? Or is it cool? I just don't know! Any insight much appreciated. Thank you :)

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Valerie23 · 21/08/2023 19:30

I like Tom and I love Thomasina for a girl.

PurpleReindeer2 · 21/08/2023 19:49

Tom is a great name.

TotalOverhaul · 21/08/2023 19:52

I love all your choices but I would go for the longer versions of all three on the birth certificate to give them choice later in life.

Tom is a lovely name. So are Alex and Joe.

johnworf · 21/08/2023 19:56

I have a Tom/Thomas. Hardly anyone calls him Thomas. His name was popular when he was born (he's in his 30s now) due to Thomas the Tank Engine. It doesn't date though and is a good solid name (yes I'm biased!)

AtticusMcPlatypus · 21/08/2023 20:07

I have a Tom, registered as Thomas, but he prefers Tom. My Tom is early 20s but I know other teenage and primary aged Toms. It's a classic imo.

Whatsthepoint1234 · 21/08/2023 20:16

KirstenBlest · 21/08/2023 19:12

@Whatsthepoint1234 , it can be a PITA when people assume that your name is the full version. Not such a huge deal if you're Tom not Thomas, but is if you are just Tina, Mandy or Tony because of the different initial.

Yeah that is why ds is just Tom not Thomas, plus I’m not from the uk and the spelling of Thomas and pronunciation is different.

RitzyMcFitzy · 21/08/2023 20:18

Men called Tom are practical and good in a crisis. Good attributes.

continentallentil · 21/08/2023 20:20

There are many Toms and Alexs right now, I think maybe a few less Joes (check on darkgreener, and add in the full name.)

I like Tom

KirstenBlest · 21/08/2023 20:23

I like Tom too, but if looking on darkgreener, look up Tom, and the other Tom names like Tomos, Tomas, Tommy, Tommasso, Tomasz etc AND Thomas.

discomoves · 21/08/2023 20:26

I have a Tom, Alex (girl) and a Joe!

ZoyaTheDestroyer · 21/08/2023 20:46

Whatsthepoint1234 · 21/08/2023 19:02

Ive never seen the point of putting a name on a birth certificate if you are never gonna use it!

I have never understood why you wouldn’t give your future adult child the choice 🤷🏻‍♀️

Tom is fine. It’s a bit like Jack insofar as Thomas was consistently top three for the 90s and early 2000s so there are a lot of them around. It’s a
popular classic.

Whatsthepoint1234 · 21/08/2023 20:50

@ZoyaTheDestroyer dh’s family is Muslim and I am from abroad. We wanted easily translatable names and the full name would be spelt different back home and harder to convert into different scripts.

Almahart · 21/08/2023 20:53

Love it. A word of warning, don't put a full name on birth certificate if you don't also love that.

One of my dcs has chosen to use their full name and I don't actually like it all that much!

Louise303 · 21/08/2023 20:54

I love Tom and it is becoming more popular now I know two little Toms.

StampOnTheGround · 21/08/2023 21:06

I'd say Tom, then Alex. I don't like Joe!

Also completely agree with using the short name as a full name on the BC. We have done that with our DC as we didn't like any of the long versions and we would never call him

UsingChangeofName · 21/08/2023 21:10

I don't think Tom is dated (to answer your question specifically) and I do like all 3 names, as shortenings but, as someone with a long name, I really appreciate the various options it has given me in different situations over the decades, so I would give that option to any dc.

ZoyaTheDestroyer · 21/08/2023 21:12

Whatsthepoint1234 · 21/08/2023 20:50

@ZoyaTheDestroyer dh’s family is Muslim and I am from abroad. We wanted easily translatable names and the full name would be spelt different back home and harder to convert into different scripts.

That makes perfect sense in your case.

PumpkinsAndCoconuts · 21/08/2023 21:13

I do prefer Thomas. But Tom is nice as well.

quite classic, well-known without being uber popular. Well done 👍

ZoyaTheDestroyer · 21/08/2023 21:13

Almahart · 21/08/2023 20:53

Love it. A word of warning, don't put a full name on birth certificate if you don't also love that.

One of my dcs has chosen to use their full name and I don't actually like it all that much!

This is sort of the point though, isn’t it? Your child may well have very different tastes to you. I love it when the teenagers I work with decide to start going by a new diminutive or the full version of their name. It feels like they are taking ownership of their identity.

JuniperBerry1 · 21/08/2023 21:16

I have a 15 year old Joe and a 12 year old Tom (though Joseph and Thomas on their birth certificates). I helped out at Beavers one evening and the leader was talking to me about Thomas. I said to her that we call him Tom and she said "oh he introduced myself as Thomas" I checked with him and he said "I wanted to be formal" Tuink he was six at that point 🙂

Missingmyusername · 21/08/2023 21:17

Good solid name!

lochmaree · 21/08/2023 21:31

I have a Tom (Thomas) and an Alex (Alexander) !

Lovely names. Either way with full version or not on birth certificate!

Miriam44 · 21/08/2023 22:48

I vote for Tom but I prefer it as a nickname for Thomas. I went to school with a Tommy and thought it were pretty nice too.

Original poster
sunriseoversea · 22/08/2023 11:18

Thanks everyone, this has been really helpful 😀

OP posts:
user1492757084 · 23/08/2023 02:46

All three names are perfectly handsome, either as Joe, Joseph, Tom, Thomas, Alex or Alexander.