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Baby names

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

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Original poster

When did you decide on the name?

31 replies

Graey · 08/08/2025 17:56

38 weeks pregnant and we still haven’t come up with a name for our baby girl 💓
We have a shortlist of 4 names but my husband and I are just going around in circles 😵‍💫

was it obvs when your baby was born they just suited one of your names? Or had you decided the name before baby was born?

I’m really over thinking

thank you x

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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BoleynMemories13 · 08/08/2025 19:02

We never chose before the birth. Not because we couldn't decide, but because we didn't want to. Everybody is different but personally I couldn't imagine naming a child (or pet!) before meeting them.

We never found out the sex either, so we'd just go into the birth with 3 or 4 potential names for each sex. Always decided on the day of birth, but I definitely had to meet them before committing.

Don't panic, you'll know what feels right when the time comes.

Spinachpastapicker · 08/08/2025 21:28

We had a list of about 6 names for both options boy/girl. When DS was born he didn’t look like any of the names we had. Then by day 2/3 a different name just seemed to suit him.

OopsieeDaisy · 08/08/2025 23:35

We found out with both our DC what we were having at 16 weeks. Our plan both times was to have a shortlist and pick from it once the baby arrived, however we both agreed on a clear favourite each time quite early on after finding out the sex. It would have been nice in a way to wait and see them first!

Ladamesansmerci · 08/08/2025 23:36

I think we decided around 30 weeks!

Tcateh · 08/08/2025 23:39

The day before. A name I wasn't familiar with at all, I just suddenly saw it in one of those freebie names books you used to get with Mother and baby magazine!
Girl name.

BarbieKew · 08/08/2025 23:40

I always had a boys name picked out and my daughters name was decided the day we found out she’d be a girl. So I suppose both times they were given their names at the 20 week (?) scan.

Thingyfanding · 08/08/2025 23:43

I’ve always waited until they were born - and even then took my time to decide. I like to see their face.,

Anotheranonymousname · 08/08/2025 23:51

DC1, middle name was sorted as soon as we knew sex. First name, we'd narrowed it down to two and chose the one that seemed to suit them best when they were born. DC2, first name was fixed a few weeks before birth because of its meaning, it just felt right.

NW3Lady · 08/08/2025 23:57

Baby 1: On finding out the sex at the dating scan (yes the sonographer was adamant at 13 weeks - which was actually more like 14.5 as measuring ahead - that it was a boy).

Baby 2: A few days before he was born.

Baby 3: Before even conceiving, we’d already decided it was our ‘girl’ name.

CowHeronCow · 08/08/2025 23:57

We were actually walking to register him at ten weeks old.

Battleforthesun · 09/08/2025 00:10

With my first, the name he is now named, was brought up very early on in my pregnancy and I vetoed it - we then had a short list of names that we ummed and ahhed over but could never agree - when he was born, the ‘vetoed’ name just fit him! With my second, we were discussing names and my eldest (then just under 2) heard us talking and he shortened the name we were talking about and it just stuck, so my youngest was named in utero and we never looked back, so, we had one each way ❤️

CarpetKnees · 09/08/2025 00:25

dcs 1 and 2 probably around 4 or 5 months. Well, names for both girls and boys as didn't know which we were having.
dc3, we were to-ing and fro-ing between 2 names, and decided on the way into hospital, in labour.

SouthLondonMum22 · 09/08/2025 00:30

Both times at about 12 weeks and then knew their names from 16 weeks when we found out the sex.

Newborns don't look like names to me.

KawasakiBabe · 09/08/2025 00:51

Weeks in advance for DS, well we had a boy and a girl name ready. He seemed to suit it and still does 23 years later.

With DD, I had a name before I even got pg. I’d thought about it so much before she was born that about a week to go and I suddenly got bored with it, lol. Changed it and I’m still glad I did, 19 years later, lol

InMyHealthyEra · 09/08/2025 00:58

With my oldest I knew if he was a boy what his name would be before I was even pregnant. One of those “If I ever have a son I’ll name him this” type of situations, didn’t even need to think about it and DP was on board straight away so no discussion.

I think with my daughter we finally settled on a name around 30 weeks.

Enko · 09/08/2025 01:07

First words my firstborn heard at her burth was "Well thats not Elizabeth " in unison from dh and I..

For her 3 siblings we stuck with a short liat to see who they were. Worked each time they look like their name imo.

mammat72 · 09/08/2025 01:45

my daughter i decided way before she was born. granddaughter had a short list of about 5 names but she was about a week old when she was named so wouldnt panic to much. just give them your last name on baby tag in hospital and take a little while to see their character etc and the name will just come

Carouselfish · 09/08/2025 02:08

First before they were born. Second minutes after they were born.

Pinepeak2434 · 09/08/2025 02:10

It took two weeks to register my daughter as we had two names we liked. We kept calling her both to see which one she suited. With my son we’d chosen a name very early on as it was a name we’d always loved.

Silverbirchleaf · 09/08/2025 03:14

Dc1 - before he was born. Can’t remember exactly when.

DC2 - didn’t know the sex until he was born. We had names picked out, but he didn’t suit it so there was a hasty revision (swopped middle name with first name).

Strawberrycheesecake7 · 09/08/2025 04:11

We chose names ridiculously early as we discussed baby names years before we planned to have children. Our first son has the name that my DH has always loved even before he met me. When he told me the name I liked it to and wanted to use it because it was so special to him.

Our second son who I’m currently pregnant with has a name that we chose together, but back in 2016 when first started dating. Sure we might decide that he looks like a different name when he’s born, but this name has been set in stone for so long I can’t imagine calling him anything else.

Eenameenadeeka · 09/08/2025 07:13

Twice we decided before birth, and twice we couldn't decide until we met them. Our 4th baby it took a good few days to settle on his name which is now perfectly him. I'm sure you will know which is right when you meet your baby :)

SparklyGlitterballs · 09/08/2025 07:24

First DC we didn't know the sex before birth. We'd settled on a girl's name but hadn't found a boy's name we liked or agreed upon. Fortunately it was a girl.

Second time we knew it was a girl but hadn't decided on a name. We were in the delivery room when DH suggested something and I loved it, so that was her name. I still love it 24 years later.

ACynicalDad · 09/08/2025 07:26

Both of ours were a couple of weeks after they were born, each was a compromise from one of us who had no better idea, but now I love the names and they suit their personalities.

BunnyRuddington · 09/08/2025 07:27

First was when I was PG, family name on both sides so it was sort of a given.

DC2 was when DH was holding them.

No need to panic yet OP, the right name will come

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