First name or middle name

[Haggardly]

Wilfred (blank) or (blank) Wilfred?

The name Wilfred is very meaningful to me but I know it's also quite marmite. I honestly don't know if our little boy will have an awful time if Wilfred is his main name, which is why I'm considering as middle name.

Also important to note: we have a three syllable spiky last name with lots of Bs and Ks and an S in, so it is very unpleasant to say 😂 (Polish origin kinda merged with my original English name)

I thoroughly dislike the name Wilfred, so I'd use it as an out of sight, out of mind middle name.

Wilfred is a strong and handsome name, I love it! He could be Wilf or Fred for short. My son is Frederick and we call him Freddie or Fred! My other son has a friend called Alfred and he had a friend at nursery called Wilfred, Wilf for short. These lovely traditional names are much better than faddy names like Storm!! When I was naming my sons I was thinking of them as children and men, potentially with a profession. I think Wilfred ticks all the boxes!

First! It's a fabulous name.

Second name. He can always use it as his name if he chooses to later. I don’t like the name. It always reminds me of old men with drooping moustaches for some reason 😆 But mainly the Oxford Reading Tree character.

Second. It allows your sons name to also become meaningful to you. It doesn't give them "a name to live up to" even unconsciously. Finally, and perhaps not applicable, more chance of it being passed on as a "family name" if its a middle name

I would also say it does fit in with the "grandad name trend" that's been going a few years now. So while it is a traditional name it is part of a trend if that bothers you or not is your choice. If it gets shortened to Fred or Freddie these are a dime a dozen at the moment . Again if that bothers you or not is your decision.

How rude.

First, I like it.

Great name!

Wilfred is a lovely name.

I like it. Reminders me of Wilfred on The Traitors. Also had an amazing manager at work called Wilfred.

Love it as a first name. I really like wilf

Wilfred is a great name. I'm a secondary teacher and I know a few. He can be Wilf or Fred/Freddie. All the old names are coming back
Stanley
Albert etc
He could use his middle name if he really doesn't like it. Maybe it wouldn't have gone down as well in the 90s but names come and go.

I think it’s a lovely name and I would absolutely use it as a first name except for it being so popular. In fact it was on our shortlist for DS1 (now 12) but another baby was born in our friendship group a few months before him and he was named Wilfred (Wilf for short) and so it had to be struck off our list. We now also know 2 more Wilfs and a Fred who is really a Wilfred (plus loads of other Fred’s / Freddie’s who are short for Frederick and Alfred). If you love it, then use it but beware it is quite popular atm.

Personally I’m not a fan of it so I would use it as a middle name if at all. But it’s not my child so if you like it as a first name then go for it.

Middle name definitely

The name Wilfred was in our family for generations, my uncle was Wilfred and shortened to fred. I named my son Freddie after this and my cousin used Wilfred as a middle name. Go with what you prefer :)

These kind of names are making a comeback and I think it’s lovely. So many options for shortening it too. Will, Wilf, Fred, Freddie etc.

I’m also a teacher and we have a Wilfred. It’s fairly unusual compared to Frank / Albert / Archie etc. I like it.

one thing to bear in mind is that - certainly my experience in London schools tells me that - between retro names, multi-cultural names from all over Europe and around the world, newly coined names like the enormously popular Nevaeh, and old names with a twist in the spelling or pronunciation to create a feeling of difference, kids don’t tend to get any stick for having an unusual name these days.

the only category of names that are genuinely thin on the ground these days are the whitebread names of my youth. I teach no Sarahs or Christines or Rachels or Emmas (though Emmi is common). Hardly any Davids, Stephens, Christophers or Marks. No Stuarts for years.

Wifred will be fine.

I had no idea Wilfred was considered a “marmite” name. I went to school with a Wilfred who went by Wilf and no one batted an eyelid at his name although it was quite unusual then (I’m 34) maybe because it sounds so similar to Will (short for William) which was a really popular name then. Now Wilfred has become much more popular and mainstream and I think it’s lovely. Can’t imagine why anyone would dislike it or it would be an issue? NNs could be Wilf, Freddie or Will.

What does “whitebread name” mean? Never heard that phrase before!

Wilfred first.
My grandma had an old friend called Wilf , I loved hearing it as a child.

Sorry, it's not for me so I would go middle.

Love it as a first name with lots of very good nn options. What would middle name be if first name Wilfred?

My 4 year old little boy is called Wilfred and Iove his name I've had a compliments on his name. I also have a fantastic uncle Wilf who is fabulous and he never had a hard time growing up with his name. If you love the name that's all that matters don't just decide against it because someone says they don't like it. It's a great name :)