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Baby names

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

Thoughts on name

28 replies

Annoy2312 · 17/07/2025 21:55

We want a double barrell boys name and really love Thomas but need something to go with it. Thoughts on Thomas-Shea?

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dontcomeatme · 17/07/2025 21:57

Not keen, looks and sounds like too many S's. I always wanted Thomas with a J middle name so I could use the nickname TJ. We liked Thomas-James or just Thomas-Jay

Cattery · 17/07/2025 21:58

John-Thomas?

BoleynMemories13 · 17/07/2025 22:12

Why does it need to be double barrelled? Thomas is lovely. Double barrelled is tacky. Just pick a middle name you like and refer to him as both parts if you want eg Thomas Shea (although personally I wouldn't advise this combo, as the s's run into each other). It's so much easier for him to drop the middle part if he wants to, rather than forever being saddled with a hyphen and having to explain to people that he only uses the first part (which is pretty inevitable, hardly anyone with a double barrelled name uses the full name as a grown up).

LucasBuck · 17/07/2025 22:14

Any particular reason for the double barrel rather than just Thomas Middlename? Only asking because double barreling, especially for boys is considered a bit unfashionable now, sorry.

For example there were very few boys with the name Thomas double barrelled in the latest data available - the most popular being Thomas-James at 8 boys in 2023. Tbh if you are really are set on it, I would stick with Thomas-James as both individual names are very classic and timeless (individually they have never left the top 100) which probably why it is the most popular option.

ETA: Thomas-Shea runs into each other - it sounds a bit like “Thomassy”. If you want Shea, I think you should forget the double-barrel as you need the bigger pause between Thomas and Shea.

BootballJoy · 17/07/2025 22:16

Thomas-Joe
Thomas-James
Thomas-Jack
Thomas-George
Thomas-Paul
Thomas-Luke
Thomas-Louis
Thomas-Blake
Thomas-Beau
Thomas-Jim
Thomas-Finn

CarpetKnees · 17/07/2025 22:23

Cattery · 17/07/2025 21:58

John-Thomas?

My daily upset that MN removed the laugh emoji reaction.

JillyGiraffe · 17/07/2025 22:47

I think Thomas as a first name is perfect..!

Namechangedforspooky · 17/07/2025 22:48

Cattery · 17/07/2025 21:58

John-Thomas?

Don’t do this, I just spat my wine out!

PopThatBench · 17/07/2025 22:53

My DP’s name is double barrelled and he absolutely hates it. My ex-SIL also has a double barrelled name and hates it. They’ve both spent their whole lives going by the first part and pretended the other half was a middle name 😬

TomatoSandwiches · 17/07/2025 22:56

Why?

PanderBare · 18/07/2025 09:02

Thomas-Tankengine?
Thomas-Edison, Thomas-Hardy or Thomas-Telford

fuzzyfeltfan · 18/07/2025 09:10

I'd also drop the hypen and just have first and middle name. There seems to be lots of baby Thomas's at the moment, I know of 3 born recently. I know its none of my business but Tbh ive always thought it was a really boring name! out of all names why do they have to pick a really common, overused one.

SupposesRoses · 18/07/2025 09:11

I don’t think hyphenated boys names are as common as for girls, so many combinations will sound unusual.
There was a Johnathan Joseph in my class who went by John-Joe, which works, I think.

CheeseWisely · 18/07/2025 09:15

I’ve never really understood double barrelled first names, what’s the reasoning for it? I’d leave it as first name middle name without the hyphen, you can still call him ‘Thomas James’ if you want, I know a couple of kids who are often called by their first and middle name by family, but are free to drop the middle as they grow up if they want to. Also now it’s common for couples who marry to double barrel their surnames, he’d end up with a real mouthful of a name if he wanted to do that in the future.

CheeseWisely · 18/07/2025 09:17

SupposesRoses · 18/07/2025 09:11

I don’t think hyphenated boys names are as common as for girls, so many combinations will sound unusual.
There was a Johnathan Joseph in my class who went by John-Joe, which works, I think.

You’ve reminded me I knew a Jon-Jo who was one of two in his school, so his friends reversed it and he was forever known as Oj-Noj 😄

MiddleAgedDread · 18/07/2025 12:39

Thomas-Shea doesn't work IMO, the s's run into each other so it sounds like all one word (although maybe that's what you want??). Or it sounds almost Tom O'Shay.

user1492757084 · 21/07/2025 11:39

Don't use a hyphen.

How about..
Thomas
St.Thomas
Thomaso
Tommaso
Thomakin
John Thomas
Thomas a Becket
Thomas Otello
Thomas Russell

RogueFemale · 24/07/2025 01:44

Annoy2312 · 17/07/2025 21:55

We want a double barrell boys name and really love Thomas but need something to go with it. Thoughts on Thomas-Shea?

My thought is that adult males don't need a cute double-barrelled name, and are best off with one. And a name that they don't have to then spell out, including the hyphen, for the rest of eternity.

Thomas, or Shea, or whatever you choose, will be fine. Then you can also add one or even two middle names if you like.

Crow17 · 24/07/2025 09:41

fuzzyfeltfan · 18/07/2025 09:10

I'd also drop the hypen and just have first and middle name. There seems to be lots of baby Thomas's at the moment, I know of 3 born recently. I know its none of my business but Tbh ive always thought it was a really boring name! out of all names why do they have to pick a really common, overused one.

Thomas was on our shortlist but didn’t make the final cut as we thought it might be a little too popular.

Our DS is now 4 and despite having loads of friends, attending nursery and now having met his new Reception classmates we have yet come across a single Thomas.

If I knew then what I know now he’d definitely be a Thomas!

DustlandFairytaleBeginning · 24/07/2025 09:48

I haven't met any baby Thomas's for years, I think its a lovely classic name.

Please don't hyphen it with something else- I know it shouldn't matter but it instantly makes the name seem lower class/ it's seen as a chavvy thing to do. When Thomas is older/ applying for jobs etc. you don't want people seeing his name and making assumptions like that. They've ran experiments with real job postings that show classic names have better interview success rates even with exactly the same fake job experience.

MirandaBlu · 24/07/2025 13:58

There's a Thomas-John on Girls; unfortunately he's not a very likable character and his name is designed to underline his aspirant, nouveau-riche persona. I think it works phonetically, though. Or maybe Thomas-James? Thomas-Jay? Thomas-Blake? Thomas-Blaise? Thomas-Ray?

Personally, though, I wouldn't use a hyphen unless it's a traditionally hyphenated name (Jean-Luc, Hans-Jürgen, Dae-seong, etc.) but rather name him e.g., Thomas John Lastname or Thomas John Middlename Lastname and then use "Thomas John" as the everyday, "known as" name.

Cheeseplantandcrackers · 24/07/2025 14:02

Just Thomas is perfect. Why ruin it?

Cheeseplantandcrackers · 24/07/2025 14:03

Ps Thomas Shea is blardy awful.

Roselilly36 · 24/07/2025 14:03

I like the name Thomas too. Not sure about hyphenated tbh, that usually sounds better with single syllable names like Jon-Joe for example.

Spidey66 · 24/07/2025 14:12

I love the name Thomas. It was my dad’s name. I’d just leave it as that, anything else sounds tacky imho.

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